System and method for pre-stressing a read head for improving performance thereof

1. An annealing process for setting a magnetization condition of a read head, comprising:

determining a magnetization condition of a read head after stabilization during normal use;

determining an amount of heat for stabilizing the magnetization condition of the read head from an initial state;

calculating a width and amplitude of a voltage pulse for generating the determined amount of heat in the read head, the amount of heat raising the read head to a temperature above a normal operating temperature but below a heat-damage threshold of the read head; and

sending a voltage pulse of the calculated width and amplitude to the read head for generating Joule heating and a magnetic field in the read head for urging the magnetization condition of the read head towards stabilization;

wherein a width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

2. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein a width of the voltage pulse is greater than one second.

3. The process as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

sending at least one additional voltage pulse to the read head;

measuring magnetic parameters of the read head before and after sending each additional voltage pulse to the read head; and

sending no more pulses if a difference between the magnetic parameters measured before and after a voltage pulse is below a prespecified value.

4. A process for stabilizing a magnetization condition of a read head, comprising:

sending a voltage pulse of a calculated width and amplitude to a read head for generating Joule heating in the read head for urging a magnetization condition of the read head towards a stabilized state;

sending at least one additional voltage pulse to the read head;

measuring magnetic parameters of the read head before and after sending each additional voltage pulse to the read head; and

sending no more pulses if a difference between the magnetic parameters measured before and after a voltage pulse is below a prespecified value.

5. The process as recited in claim 4 , further comprising calculating a width and amplitude of the voltage pulse for generating a predetermined amount of heat in the read head, the amount of heat raising the read head to a temperature above a normal operating temperature but below a heat threshold of a sensor of the read head.

6. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the amount of heat raises the read head to a temperature above a normal operating temperature but below a heat-damage threshold of the read head.

7. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the width and amplitude of the voltage pulse is calculated based at least in part on an average of normalized magnetic conditions of several read heads.

8. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the amplitude of the voltage pulse is calculated under a set pulse width for a sensor of the read head according to a Joule heating response of the sensor.

9. The process as recited in claim 8 , wherein the Joule heating response of a sensor is a function of a resistance of the sensor.

10. The process as recited in claim 4 , further comprising determining a heat threshold of the read head, the amount of heat determined for stabilizing the magnetization condition of the read head being below the heat threshold.

11. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the amount of heat is calculated as a function of a magnetoresistive width of a sensor of the read head.

12. The process as recited in claim 4 , further comprising simultaneously applying a bias voltage to the read head.

13. The process as recited in claim 4 , further comprising measuring magnetic parameters of the read head before and after sending the voltage pulse to the read head, and failing the read head if a difference between the magnetic parameters measured before and after the voltage pulse is sent is above a prespecified value.

14. The process as recited in claim 4 , further comprising adjusting an ambient temperature around the read head to a target temperature prior to sending the voltage pulse.

15. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein a width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

16. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein a width of the voltage pulse is greater than one second.

17. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the voltage pulse also creates a magnetic field that urges a magnetization condition of the read head towards a stabilized state, with the proviso that no external magnetic field is applied to the read head during the sending of the voltage pulse thereto.