FIB micro-machined perpendicular writers for media characterization

A focused ion beam (FIB) is used to fabricate single-pole perpendicular writers by micro-machining longitudinal (ring) heads at the HGA. The heads are designed for media characterization, and a comparison is made between the performance of the FIBed and ring heads on perpendicular media. The FIBed heads write much more effectively, approximately 7 dB gain in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and efficiently than their ring-head counterparts. In addition, the FIBed heads generate very reliable (small scatter) thermal decay rates for the evaluated disks whereas the unFIBed ring heads cannot, all of which make them more suitable for characterization of perpendicular media. Our results further demonstrate the value and versatility of FIB-machining as a research tool to design and fabricate novel recording heads with robust performance.