Effect of side shields on neighbor induced transition shift

Neighbor induced transition shift (NITS) refers to a shift in the recorded transition position due to stray fields that emanate from the, neighboring tracks. The use of side shields to minimize this effect is an obvious first-step towards solving the problem. This paper presents micromagnetic simulations of the recording process to analyze the effectiveness of various shield geometries in perpendicular systems with different soft underlayer (SUL) thicknesses. We model the perpendicular recording system with shields of various lengths in the in-track direction. The micromagnetic model incorporates a modified single pole-type head with side-shields, a Voronoi (granular) medium and a continuous soft underlayer.