Thermal engineering of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors: alternative dielectric gap

Summary form only given. Previous studies by Ladwig, et al. (see IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 37, p. 1132-1136, 2001) showed that geometric scaling of GMR heads aggravates the self-heating problem. Improving the thermal conductivity of dielectric gap layers is a promising thermal engineering solution, but no systematic study of potential materials has been reported. We present theoretical calculations for the thermal conductivity of a wide range of potential gap materials and compare with our measurement of their thermal conductivities. We have developed models of the thermal conductivity of dielectric films that are an extension of the model proposed by Klemens. The experimental technique and theoretical models we have developed can greatly aid in the identification and development of alternative gap materials.