Blocking of magnetization ripple in FeAlN thin film tape heads

In this paper we present domain images on the pole tips of thin film tape recording heads using high moment FeAlN pole materials (4/spl pi/M/sub s/=20 kGauss). These heads are of the type used in quarter inch cartridge (QIC) tape drives, with a record gap dimension of 1.9 /spl mu/m, a written trackwidth of 33 /spl mu/m, and a 14 turn coil. The pole thicknesses ranged from 4 to 4.5 /spl mu/m. These heads exhibited domain structures on the pole tips indicative of the blocking of magnetization ripple seen in sheet films of soft magnetic materials with thicknesses less than 1000 /spl Aring/.