Electromagnetic Interference Effects on Stability of Tunneling Magnetoresistive Read Heads

We used micromagnetic simulations to investigate the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by electrostatic discharge on the stability of tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) read heads based on International Electrotechnical Commission standard 61000-4-2. In simulation, EMI was applied to TMR heads between 0.1 cm and 2 cm from the source, and magnetization fluctuations and induced magnetic noise were evaluated. Although EMI can induce spin-transfer torque in the heads, it causes little change in the magnetization orientation and no noticeable influence on the readback signal or signal-to-noise ratio of the heads.