Abstract
In the development of an industry adaptable failure analysis technique for the study of ESD stressed GMR head is highly recommended. We developed a method with combined ion milling and MFM for GMR head failure analysis. This technique provides both fast sample preparation and characterization. It provides basically three observations of GMR film, including the roughness on the GMR element, the abutting junction, and the hard bias magnetization state. These three observations could provide a qualitative analysis on ESD damage of HGA.
