The electrical and magnetic response of yoke-type read heads based on a magnetic tunnel junction

Based on model calculations a comparison is made between yoke-type read heads containing a tunnel junction magnetoresistive element (TMRE) and containing a giant magnetoresistive element (GMRE). For typical head design parameters, TMR-based heads are 3-5 times more flux-efficient than GMR-based heads. However, for approximately 1/spl times/1 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ elements, the SNR of TMRE-based heads is not advantageous as long as the junction's tunnel resistance is not drastically reduced below R=1 k/spl Omega/.