Clear stains and their behavior in helical scan tape systems

Stain is serious consideration in a system with low head wear, such as any system using an MR head. We investigate the stain in a helical-scan system employing ME tape and metal head. We examined the accumulation of clear stains in different modes and found that the rewind mode plays a crucial role in inhibiting staining and a hard layer of DLC on the tape helps to limit staining. Clear stains accumulating on the metal part of the head are affected by combination of the metals used in the head.