THE EFFECT OF RECORD FLYING HEIGHT ON TRACKEDGE NOISE IN THIN-FILM MEDIA

The effects of record spacing on trackedge noise are studied for CoCrT a and CoCrPt/CoCrTa media. Variations in record spacing (separation fr om magnetic media to write head pole tips) are accurately achieved by using an identical set of disks for each type of media, with different overcoat thicknesses, Trackedge noise is characterized using track pr ofiles of the media noise. An integrated spectral technique is used to measure media noise, and the effects of the different playback spacin gs (separation from magnetic media to read head pole tips or read elem ent) are removed by dividing the spectral playback loss factor from th e media noise spectra. Track profiles were performed at three linear r ecord densities for each record spacing, For both media, on-track nois e and trackedge noise are found to decrease with reduced record spacin g, and the amount of decrease is found to be record density dependent. However, the trackedge noise did not decrease as dramatically as the on track noise with reduced record spacing.