Popcorn Noise in Micro Flexbead^® Components

Abstract

---The effects of thermal transients after write, changes in stress-magnetostriction products and dynamic domain instabilities on popcorn noise probabilities in micro Flexhead® components were studied., It was observed that popcorn noise probabilities in micro Flexhead® components increase as the write current duration increases, until they saturate, with a specific write current amplitude. With increasing write current amplitude, the initial rate of change of noise probability with write current duration increases. In some cases where the resultant stress-magnetostriction products in micro Flexhead® components are negative, popcorn noise probabilities were observed to increase exponentially as functions of applied stress gradients. High rates of occurrence of dynamic domain instabilities have also been correlated with micro Flexhead® components that have high popcorn noise probabilities. Therefore. high probabilities of popcorn noise in micro Flexhead® components are caused by the combined effects of thermal transients after write, changes in stress-magnetostriction products and dynamic domain instabilities. Finally. an inductance fluctuation measurement technique was shown to be useful in quickly detecting micro Flexhead® components that are susceptible to popcorn noise.