A Study of Magnetoresistance Degradation in the Head Assembly Process

The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is one of the most important components of a computer. HDDs use magnetic force to read and write data on a storage medium. The head assembly includes the Head Gimbal Assembly (HGA) and the Head Stack Assembly (HSA) processes. Magnetoresistance (MR) degradation in the head assembly process affects the head's recording ability, resulting in it being unable to read data, so this study aimed at improving the MR parameter. The HDD design, manufacturing processes, and the characteristics of related materials were examined precisely. It was found that heat in the head assembly process is the reason for MR degradation.