Magnetic Head Error Recovery via Dedicated Heating Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increased resistance of tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) magnetic read heads in hard disk drives results in insufficient thermal stress for error recovery due to reduced Joule heat generation from applied voltages, making it difficult to return magnetically unstable heads to a stable state.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heating element within or near the magnetic head, a controller is used to retract the head from the disk medium and apply a controlled voltage/current to the heating element, ensuring sufficient thermal stress is applied to stabilize the head without causing irreversible deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If TMR magnetic read heads are used to increase read density, then storage capacity is improved, but resistance increases by at least one order of magnitude causing insufficient Joule heat generation for error recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic head is divided into separate functional components: the TMR read element for high-density reading and a distinct heating element for error recovery. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the read element maintains high resistance for density while the heating element provides dedicated thermal stress for error recovery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A heating element is introduced as an intermediary component between the electrical signal and the magnetic read element. This heating element converts electrical energy to thermal energy, providing the necessary thermal stress to stabilize magnetically unstable heads during error recovery without requiring the read element itself to generate sufficient Joule heat.
2Stability of the object's composition
If voltage is applied to the magnetic head to generate thermal stress for error recovery, then magnetic stability is improved, but insufficient heat generation occurs due to high resistance in TMR heads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the reliance on electrical Joule heating with a dedicated thermal generation system. Instead of depending on the TMR element's resistance to generate heat through read voltage, a separate heating element actively generates thermal stress through controlled voltage application, ensuring sufficient temperature rise for magnetic stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing a dedicated heating element that can be activated independently. This allows precise control over the thermal stress parameter, enabling the system to achieve the necessary temperature rise for error recovery without being constrained by the high resistance characteristics of TMR read elements.
3Reliability
If a heating element is added to provide sufficient thermal stress, then error recovery capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is integrated into the magnetic head structure, merging the thermal generation function with the existing head architecture. This integration minimizes additional complexity by utilizing the head's existing mounting structure and electrical connections, while still providing the necessary error recovery capability through the combined functionality of the TMR read element and heating element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively returns magnetically unstable heads to a stable state while conserving power and reducing component stress, improving head longevity and error recovery efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the resistance of the magnetic read head increases by at least one order of magnitude, which causes Joule heat generated by the application of a read-out voltage of the same magnitude to decrease by at least one order of magnitude
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk medium, at least one magnetic head having at least one of: a magnetic read element adapted for reading data from the magnetic disk medium and a magnetic write element adapted for writing data to the magnetic disk medium, and a heating element adapted for generating heat upon application of a voltage/current thereto, wherein the heating element is positioned on, near, or within the magnetic head, a drive mechanism for passing the magnetic disk medium over the at least one magnetic head, and a controller electrically coupled to the at least one magnetic head for controlling operation of the at least one magnetic head, wherein the controller is configured to retract the at least one magnetic head from a flying state above the magnetic disk medium and apply the voltage/current to the heating element while the magnetic head is retracted.