Most studies on damage to GMR heads were done using a metal-contact ESD event as the source. Mobile phones, as well as the other EMI-related sources, represent more of a continuous wave or packet-type signal rather than an extremely short ESD transient. In order to understand the effect of such a signal on the GMR head, let us examine the physics of damage. Electromagnetic radiation generates electric voltages and currents in any conductive objects which act as antennae. The GMR head assembly is also an antenna. Each antenna has its resonance frequency at which the electric signal caused by EM field is the highest. The resonance frequency is determined largely by the size and the geometry of an antenna. The same GMR head assembly configured differently or connected to a test or an assembly fixture differently may have different resonant frequencies. An ESD event has extremely wide bandwidth due to its very short duration. Therefore, almost any antenna configuration will be able to pick up some signal. For a harmonic signal such as the one produced by a mobile phone, a GMR head assembly tuned ‘‘by accident’’ to the right frequency may be able to generate a very substantial signal even from a medium-level field. Fig. 1 represents the thermal balance of GMR head exposed to an electromagnetic field. As seen, the energy from EM field enters the GMR head via induction of voltage and currents. The electromagnetic field generates energy that heats up the GMR sensor. There are only several known ways for this energy to exit the GMR head assembly: convection, radiation and conduction.
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