Patent ID: 7633694

Claim:
A method for characterizing a change in a performance parameter of a magnetic recording head comprising: determining a value of intrinsic asymmetry of a head; determining a first value of non-intrinsic asymmetry of the head prior to stressing the head; determining a first corrected asymmetry of the head prior to stressing the head by subtracting the value of the intrinsic asymmetry from the first value of non-intrinsic asymmetry of the head; determining a second value of non-intrinsic asymmetry of the head subsequent to stressing the head; determining a second corrected asymmetry of the head subsequent to stressing the head by subtracting the value of the intrinsic asymmetry from the second value of non-intrinsic asymmetry of the head; and determining a change in corrected asymmetry of the head due to the stressing of the head by comparing the first corrected asymmetry to the second corrected asymmetry.