EFFECT OF HEAD SKEW ON EDGE ERASURE AND TRANSITION NOISE AT SUBMICRONRECORDING TRACK WIDTH

Cross track transition noise profiles and erase band widths were measu red on a spin-stand using a 1 mu m wide focus ion beam trimmed inducti ve head, at different skew angles. At a 20 degrees skew angle, large a symmetry about the track center in the noise profiles is observed, whi ch is attributed to the self-overwriting of transitions near the edge on the side of the track that has a wider erase band. This self-overwr iting at the track edge broadens transitions and leads to track edge p ercolation at high densities. This causes an effective track width red uction which shows up as an increase in the erase band width in the er ase profile measurement.