Recording characteristics on thin metal evaporated media in a helical-scan tape system with a spin-valve head

The recording characteristics of Co-CoO metal evaporated (ME) tapes with a giant magnetoresistive head have been investigated. The reproduced spin-valve head output was 7.6 times that of an anisotropic magnetoresistive head at a recording wavelength of 0.4 /spl mu/m. We also studied the relation between the carrier-to-media noise (C/N/sub media/) ratio and remanent magnetization (Mr) magnetic layer thickness (t) in the ME tape. The media noise level was reduced with decrease in Mr /spl middot/ t by the increase of the oxygen flow rate, whereas the C/N/sub media/ ratio of the tape with a magnetic layer thickness of 33 nm was maximized at around 10 mA. We thus confirmed the feasibility of an areal density of 3.8 Gb/in/sup 2/ in a helical-scan tape drive system.