Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080212238 | Magnetoresistive head with larger longitudinal biasing - Embodiments of the present invention help to efficiently apply a longitudinal biasing with appropriate strength from a longitudinal biasing layer to a free layer even in a small read gap length. According to one embodiment, in the track width direction of the magnetoresistive film, the longitudinal biasing layer excluding its portion close to the magnetoresistive film is made approximately uniform in thickness. An edge toward the magnetoresistive film of the longitudinal biasing layer is positioned more outwardly in the track width direction than an edge in the track width direction of the free layer. A portion closest to the substrate of the interface between the longitudinal biasing layer and the insulator on the track-width sides is positioned lower than the interface between the magnetoresistive film and the lower magnetic shield layer. | 09-04-2008 |
20080212239 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME - A read sensor is disposed near a main pole, thereby reducing the distance between the read sensor and a write sensor. In this case, however, a magnetic field generated from the main pole affects magnetization of a free layer and a pinned layer of a magnetoresistive film, thereby causing the magnetizing directions to rotate, a magnetic barrier to be generated, and the read property to be degraded. According to the present invention, a main pole and a yoke configure a magnetic circuit together with a sub-pole and a soft magnetic under layer of the magnetic disk and an exciting coil magnetizes the magnetic circuit, thereby a recording magnetic field is applied to a recording layer to record information bits on the layer. And in order to sharpen the magnetic field distribution generated by the main pole, a trailing shield made of a ferromagnetic material is disposed at the trailing side of the main pole adjacently. And a read sensor (magnetoresistive element) for reading bit information is provided between the trailing shield and the main pole. | 09-04-2008 |
20080212240 | CONDUCTIVE PAIRING FOR PIGGYBACK MAGNETIC HEAD - A magnetic tape head having an array of reader/writer pairs formed on a common substrate, each reader/writer pair being configured in a piggyback configuration such that the writer and reader of each pair are aligned in a direction parallel to a relative direction of media travel thereover. Each reader comprises a first shield, a second shield, a sensor positioned between the shields, and leads coupled to the sensor. Each writer comprises a first pole and a second pole. A charge clamp circuit electrically couples at least one of the reader shields to at least one of the leads. An electrical conductor operatively electrically couples the at least one of the shields to at least one of the poles. | 09-04-2008 |
20080218909 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING HEATING ELEMENT WITH LOWER-RESISTANCE PORTION - Provided is a thin-film magnetic head having a heating element in which excessive increase in temperature is suppressed corresponding to smaller area of the shield layers of the MR effect element. The thin-film magnetic head comprises: an electromagnetic coil element; an MR effect element having two shield layers sandwiching an MR effect multilayer; and a heating element having a heating layer provided at least between the electromagnetic coil element and the MR effect element, and further in the head, at least a portion of a run-off portion of the heating layer running off the shield layer closer to the heating layer than the other shield layer has a resistance per unit length smaller than a resistance per unit length of the other portions than the portion running off the shield layer. | 09-11-2008 |
20080218910 | Magnetic detection element and manufacturing method thereof - Embodiments of the present invention help to reduce etching damage at end parts of a magnetoresistive sensor in ion beam etching. According to one embodiment, ion beam etching (IBE) is used in a magnetoresistive sensor track width forming step. This IBE irradiates Ar ion beam to a substrate in a state that the substrate is inclined and further rotates the substrate about its normal as a rotational axis. In a conventional track width forming step, the IBE irradiates the Ar ion beam to the substrate all the time while the IBE is rotating the substrate. By contrast, the IBE according to embodiments of the present invention irradiates the Ar ion beam to the substrate only in a predetermined specific angular range. | 09-11-2008 |
20080218911 | CPP with elongated pinned layer - CPP magnetic read head designs have been improved by increasing the length of the AFM layer relative to that of both the free and spacer layers. The length of the pinned layer is also increased, but by a lesser amount, an abutting conductive layer being inserted to fill the remaining space over the AFM layer. The extended pinned layer increases the probability of spin interaction while the added conducting layer serves to divert sensor current away from the bottom magnetic shield which now is no longer needed for use as a lead. | 09-11-2008 |
20080225440 | Input Operation Device - An input operation device, wherein a manual operation element ( | 09-18-2008 |
20080225441 | MAGNETIC HEAD - According to an embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic head for recording information on a recording medium comprises a magnetic pole layer having an end face to be facing the recording medium; an auxiliary magnetic pole layer magnetically connected to the magnetic pole; and a shield layer for shielding the magnetic pole layer from an external magnetic field, the shield layer having a first surface to be facing the recording medium, a second surface to be facing the recording medium adjacent to the first surface, and a third surface adjacent to the second surface, the first surface and the second surface forming an acute external angle, the first surface and the third surface forming an obtuse external angle. | 09-18-2008 |
20080225442 | MAGNETIC HEAD - A magnetic head includes a magnetic sensor layer and upper and lower read shields sandwiching the magnetic sensor layer. At least one of the upper and lower read shields includes at least one end portion having a plurality of portions isolated in a core width direction of the magnetic sensor layer. The portions are isolated at least on an air bearing surface side. In this manner, edge noise can be suppressed even if external magnetic field noise or radio noise acts on the upper read shield, the lower read shield, the trailing shield, or the return yoke. | 09-18-2008 |
20080232000 | MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD WITH UPPER RETURN POLE OPTIMIZATION FOR REDUCED TRAILING SHIELD PROTRUSION - A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording that is resistant to write pole and trailing shield protrusion. The write pole includes a magnetic return pole that is magnetically connected with the trailing shield, the return pole being resistant to deformation or recession such as from mechanically abrasive slider cleaning operations such as soda blast. | 09-25-2008 |
20080232001 | PERPENDICULAR WRITE HEAD HAVING A STEPPED FLARE STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF - A magnetic write head for data recording having a magnetic write pole with a stepped magnetic shell structure that defines a secondary flare point. The secondary flare point defined by the magnetic shell portion can be more tightly controlled with respect to its distance from the air bearing surface (ABS) of the write head than can a traditional flare point that is photolithographically on the main pole structure. This allows the effective flare point of the write head to be moved much closer to the ABS than would otherwise be possible using currently available tooling and photolithography techniques. The write head may also include a magnetic trailing shield that wraps around the main pole portion. The trailing shield can have a hack edge defining a trailing shield throat height that is either between the secondary flare point or coincident or behind the secondary flare point, depending on design requirements | 09-25-2008 |
20080239584 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING LAMINATE SHIELDS FOR TOLERATING EXTERNAL MAGNETIC FIELD - Provided is a thin-film magnetic head having an MR element in which the tolerance of external magnetic field is improved even under the condition that shields have smaller areas. The head comprises: an MR element comprising lower and upper shield layers provided so as to sandwich an MR multilayer, one edges of the layers reaching a head end surface on an ABS side; and an electromagnetic transducer comprising main and auxiliary magnetic pole layers, one edges of the layers reaching the head end surface, wherein at least one laminate shield layer for tolerating external magnetic field is provided adjacently on one side or on both sides in a track width direction of at least one layer out of the upper and lower shield layers and the auxiliary magnetic pole layer, and one edge of the at least one laminate shield layer reaching the head end surface. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239585 | CPP-type magnetoresistive effect head and method of manufacturing the same - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent a reduction in the bias magnetic field of a current perpendicular to the plane-type (CPP-type) magnetoresistive effect head, thus suppressing a reduction in read output. According to one embodiment, a CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film is formed on top of a lower magnetic shield. A refill insulation film and a magnetic domain control layer are formed on both sides of an intermediate layer and a free layer of the CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film. A side wall protection film is formed on a side wall of the refill insulation film and on top of the free layer so as to define the height of the magnetic domain control layer. To increase the film thickness of the magnetic domain control layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film are higher than the top surface of the free layer. A magnetic shield underlayer film is formed on the top surfaces of the free layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film and an upper magnetic shield layer is formed on the magnetic shield underlayer film. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239586 | Current perpendicular to plane magneto-resistance effect element, magnetic head, and magnetic recording/reproducing device - A current perpendicular to plane magneto-resistance effect element includes: a magneto-resistance effect film comprised of a fixed magnetization layer, a free magnetization layer, and a complex spacer layer including an insulating layer and current paths formed through the insulating layer; a biasing mechanism for stabilizing the free magnetization layer; a shielding mechanism for ensuring a reproducing resolution of the magneto-resistance effect element; and a pair of electrodes for flowing a current perpendicular to a film surface of the magneto-resistance effect element; wherein a resistance area product (RA:Ω×μm | 10-02-2008 |
20080253035 | Self-aligned full side shield PMR and method to make it - A process for forming the write pole of a PMR head is described. This write pole is symmetrically located relative to its side shields, This is accomplished, not through optical alignment, but by coating the pole with a uniform layer of non-magnetic material of a predetermined and precise thickness, followed by the formation of the shield layer around this. | 10-16-2008 |
20080253036 | Thin-Film Magnetic Head and Manufacturing Method Thereof - A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower magnetic shield layer, an MR multi-layered structure formed on the lower magnetic shield layer so that current flows in a direction perpendicular to surfaces of laminated layers, and an upper magnetic shield layer formed on the MR multi-layered structure. The lower magnetic shield layer consists of a first soft magnetic layer and a second soft magnetic layer laminated on and magnetically connected with the first soft magnetic layer. A part of an upper surface of the first soft magnetic layer outside both side ends in a track-width direction of the MR multi-layered structure is located lower in height than an upper surface within a region where the MR multi-layered structure is formed, of the lower magnetic shield layer. The second soft magnetic layer is formed outside both side ends in a track-width direction of the MR multi-layered structure. | 10-16-2008 |
20080259504 | SHIELD BIASING FOR MR DEVICES - A magnetic data system according to one embodiment includes a head having a plurality of readers formed above a common substrate, each reader further comprising a shield and a sensor, a bias circuit associated with each reader for passing a bias current through the sensor thereof, wherein the bias circuits are floating. A charge clamp electrically couples each shield to the associated bias circuit. A shield biasing circuit is operatively coupled to each shield for setting a potential of the shield independently of the bias current. | 10-23-2008 |
20080259505 | SUBSTRATE BIASING FOR MR DEVICES - A magnetic data system according to one embodiment includes at least, one reader formed above a substrate, the at least one reader further comprising a shield and a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor. A first circuit sets a voltage (Vsub) of the substrate to about a voltage (Vshield) of the shield of the at least one reader. | 10-23-2008 |
20080266722 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD - A thin-film magnetic head comprises a reproducing element formed on an undercoat film on a head substrate surface, a recording element formed on the upper side of the reproducing element, and a heater formed on the upper or lower side of the reproducing element, the heater generating heat upon energization so as to project at least the reproducing element by thermal expansion toward a recording medium. A shield layer is formed between the reproducing element and the heater by a plurality of layers including at least first and second shield layers. In the first and second shield layers, the second upper shield layer located closer to the heater is formed by a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion smaller than that of the first shield layer located closer to the reproducing element. | 10-30-2008 |
20080266723 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD - In a perpendicular magnetic recording head in which a magnetic pole part of a main magnetic pole layer exposed at a medium-opposing surface exhibits a trapezoidal form narrower on the leading edge side than on the trailing edge side, a pair of partial side shield layers made of a soft magnetic material are provided on both sides in the track width direction of the magnetic pole part of the main magnetic pole layer such as to be located more on the leading edge side of the magnetic pole part. | 10-30-2008 |
20080266724 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD - In a perpendicular magnetic recording head in which a magnetic pole part of a main magnetic pole layer exposed at a medium-opposing surface exhibits a trapezoidal form narrower at a leading edge than at a trailing edge on the return yoke layer side, a magnetic shield layer having a pair of side shield parts separated at the leading edge so as to oppose both side faces of the magnetic pole part and a bottom shield part magnetically connected to the pair of side shield parts and positioned below the leading edge of the magnetic pole part is provided on the leading edge side in the track width direction of the magnetic pole part of the main magnetic pole layer. | 10-30-2008 |
20080273275 | FABRICATING A WRITE HEAD WITH MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC LAPPING GUIDES - Write heads and corresponding methods of fabrication are provided using multiple electronic lapping guides to collect information regarding multiple distances of a write head, such as a throat height and a flare point distance of a write pole. A method of fabricating a write head includes fabricating a write pole and a corresponding write pole ELG. The method further includes fabricating a trailing shield and a corresponding trailing shield ELG. The method further includes performing a lapping process on the write head, and monitoring a lapping depth of the lapping process based on the resistance of the write pole ELG and the resistance of the trailing shield ELG. | 11-06-2008 |
20080273276 | Optimized write pole flare angle for side shield or semi side shield PMR writer application - Improved writability and a reduction in adjacent track erasure are achieved in a PMR writer with a large flare angle of 45 and 90 degrees in the main write pole and a full side shield or partial side shield configuration around the narrow write pole section and write pole tip. A trailing shield is formed above the write pole's top surface and a full or partial side shield section is spaced a certain distance from each side of the write pole. The partial side shield has a thickness less than that of the write pole and a top or bottom surface about coplanar with the pole tip's top or bottom edge, respectively. The partial side shield may include two sections on each side of the write pole wherein the bottom surface of a top section is separated by a certain distance from the top surface of a bottom section. | 11-06-2008 |
20080273277 | Composite shield structure of PMR writer for high track density - Improved writability and a substantial reduction in adjacent track erasure are achieved by incorporating a composite shield structure in a PMR writer. There is a trailing shield formed a certain distance above the top surface of a write pole, a leading shield formed a certain distance below the bottom surface of the write pole, and a partial side shield having a section formed on each side of the write pole. The partial side shield thickness is less than that of the write pole. Each partial side shield section has a side that is parallel to the nearest write pole side and a top surface that is offset from the write pole top surface by 0 to 0.15 microns. A plurality of magnetic connections between two or more shield elements is employed to ensure correct magnetic potential. The large write pole has a flare angle of 45 to 75 degrees. | 11-06-2008 |
20080278861 | STITCHED WRAP AROUND SHIELD FABRICATION FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEADS - A wrap around shield of a write head is fabricated in multiple processes, with side shields fabricated in one process, and a trailing shield formed in another process. These multiple processes form a stitched wrap around shield, resulting in more flexible and accurate placement of the trailing shield and side shields with respect to the write pole. These processes also independently form the dimensions (shapes and sizes) of the side shields and the trailing shield which allows better control of writeability, saturation, and adjacent track interference of the perpendicular recording write head. | 11-13-2008 |
20080278862 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD - To provide a perpendicular magnetic recording head which can suppress side fringing while keeping the recording magnetic field intensity from decreasing. | 11-13-2008 |
20080285178 | Thin film magnetic head characterized in bias-applying layer - A thin film magnetic head comprises a lower magnetic shield layer and an upper magnetic shield layer which are mutually opposed in the layering direction, a magnetoresistance effect element having a free layer, and a bias-applying layer which applies a bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistance effect element. The free layer is positioned between the lower magnetic shield layer and the upper magnetic shield layer, and is positioned on the side of the media-opposed surface. The bias-applying layer has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion and the second portion are positioned at a distance in the track width direction so as to enclose the magnetoresistance effect element therebetween. The third portion is positioned either between the magnetoresistance effect element and the lower magnetic shield layer or between the magnetoresistance effect element and the upper magnetic shield layer, and connects the first portion and the second portion. | 11-20-2008 |
20080285179 | Magnetic head device including heat-conducting layer for transferring heat to slider body - A magnetic head device includes a TMR sensor or a CPP GMR sensor. Shield layers are disposed in contact with the top and bottom of a sensor body. A sensing current is supplied to the sensor body through the shield layers. Lead layers are connected to the shield layers and extend to below conductive pads. Ends of the lead layers are electrically connected to the conductive pads via lifting layers. Heat-conducting layers are disposed below the ends of the lead layers. An insulating layer is formed between the heat-conducting layers and an end surface of a slider body to such a thickness that it does not obstruct heat transfer. Heat applied from a molten solder to the lead layers is released to the slider body through the heat-conducting layers. This prevents the shield layers from being heated to high temperature. | 11-20-2008 |
20080285180 | MAGNETIC SENSING ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An underlying layer is composed of Co—Fe—B that is an amorphous magnetic material. Thus, the upper surface of the underlying layer can be taken as a lower shield layer-side reference position for obtaining a gap length (GL) between upper and lower shields, resulting in a narrower gap than before. In addition, since the underlying layer has an amorphous structure, the underlying layer does not adversely affect the crystalline orientation of individual layers to be formed thereon, and the surface of the underlying layer has good planarizability. Accordingly, PW50 (half-amplitude pulse width) and SN ratio can be improved more than before without causing a decrease in rate of change in resistance (Δ R/R) or the like, thereby achieving a structure suitable for increasing recording density. | 11-20-2008 |
20080291582 | Thin film magnetic head, head gimbal assembly, head arm assembly and magnetic disk device - Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of suppressing an occurrence of a track erase, decreasing an influence on a magnetoresistive element caused by a magnetic flux generated from a thin film coil, and further decreasing the parasitic capacity. The thin film magnetic head has, in order in a stacked direction, a first magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive element, a second magnetic shield layer, a third magnetic shield layer, a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer. A width in a track width direction of at least one of the first and the second magnetic shield layers is smaller than widths in a track width direction of the third magnetic shield layer and the return yoke layer. | 11-27-2008 |
20080291583 | Thin film magnetic head comprising metal layer and method of producing the same - A method of producing a thin film magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a pair of openings in a predetermined region of a TMR layer formed on a lower magnetic shield layer; forming a pair of bias-applying layers in the pair of Openings so that an upper surface thereof may be located above an upper surface of the TMR layer; laminating a metal layer that covers the upper surface of a portion located between the pair of bias-applying layers in the TMR layer and the upper surface of the pair of bias-applying layers; forming a resist layer across the upper surface of a portion located above the pair of bias-applying layers in the metal layer and the upper surface of a portion located above the TMR layer in the metal layer; and etching a part of the TMR layer and a part of the pair of bias-applying layers with the resist layer being as a mask. Here, the reflectivity R for the incident light having a wavelength of 248 nm at an interface between the metal layer and the resist layer is set so as to satisfy the condition represented by the following formula (1), and also the magnitude D of a step is set so as to satisfy the condition represented by the following formula (2). | 11-27-2008 |
20080297953 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with a shield and method of manufacturing same - A magnetic head includes: a coil; a pole layer; a shield having an end face located in a medium facing surface forward of an end face of the pole layer along a direction of travel of a recording medium; a gap layer between the shield and the pole layer; and a substrate on which the foregoing elements are stacked. The top surface of the pole layer includes: first and second portions with a difference in height therebetween; and a third portion connecting the first and second portions to each other. The first portion has an edge located in the medium facing surface, and the second portion is located farther from the medium facing surface and from the substrate than the first portion. The magnetic head further includes a nonmagnetic layer disposed between the second portion and the gap layer. The nonmagnetic layer has a surface touching the second portion, the surface having an edge located at the boundary between the second and third portions. The nonmagnetic layer has a thickness equal to or greater than the difference in height between the first and second portions. | 12-04-2008 |
20080304186 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD - To provide a perpendicular magnetic recording head which can prevent unintentional recording and erasing from occurring on recording media. | 12-11-2008 |
20080316652 | SIMULTANEOUS POLE-TIP AND SIDE SHIELD FABRICATION AND INTEGRATED ELG - A method for manufacturing a write pole for perpendicular magnetic recording for accurately defining a side shield throat height and write pole flare point. The method includes the formation of a magnetic structure that provides an electronic lapping guide as well as providing the structure for both the side shields and the write pole. The magnetic structure includes a write pole portion and first and second side shield portions. The side shields portions are magnetically connected with the write pole portion in a region in front of an intended air hearing surface plane (e.g. in the direction from which lapping will progress). The side shields portions are each separated from the write pole portion in a region behind the intended air bearing surface plane by notches that terminate at a desired location relative to the intended air bearing surface plane and which open up in a region behind the intended air bearing surface plane. | 12-25-2008 |
20080316653 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of manufacturing same - A magnetic head includes: a pole layer; a nonmagnetic layer disposed on part of the top surface of the pole layer; a gap layer disposed on the pole layer and the nonmagnetic layer; and a shield disposed on the gap layer. The top surface of the pole layer includes: a first portion having a first edge located in a medium facing surface and a second edge opposite thereto; and a second portion located farther from the medium facing surface than the first portion and connected to the first portion at the second edge. The first portion is inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface so that the distance from a substrate increases with increasing distance from the medium facing surface. The nonmagnetic layer has a bottom surface touching the second portion, and this bottom surface has an edge located at the second edge. | 12-25-2008 |
20090002895 | Wire-assisted magnetic write device with a gapped trailing shield - A magnetic device includes a write element having a write element tip and a first return element magnetically coupled to the write element on a trailing side of the write element. A conductor is positioned proximate to an edge of the write element tip and is configured to generate an assist field that augments a write field generated by the write element. A shield that includes at least one gap extends from the first return element toward the write element tip. | 01-01-2009 |
20090002896 | Magnetic writer for patterned media with increased write field - A magnetic writer writes to a magnetic medium including a plurality of tracks that each includes a plurality of isolated magnetic elements for storage of information. The magnetic writer includes a write element having a write element tip having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and first and second side edges extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. A side shield is proximate the first side edge and no shield is proximate the second side edge. | 01-01-2009 |
20090009913 | MAGNETO-RESISTANCE ELEMENT, MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR, AND MAGNETIC HEAD - A tunneling magneto-resistance element has a pinned magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer interposed between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, an antiferromagnetic layer that pins a magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer, a lower shield layer under the antiferromagnetic layer and a seed layer under the lower shield layer. The lower shield layer causes the antiferromagnetic layer to be oriented in a plane orientation direction that causes a unidirectional anisotropy of the antiferromagnetic layer to be improved. The seed layer causes the lower shield layer to be oriented in a plane orientation direction identical to the plane orientation direction of the antiferromagnetic layer. The gap thickness in the read head can be reduced without impairing the effect of pinning by an antiferromagnetic layer with a pinned magnetic layer. | 01-08-2009 |
20090027809 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD COMPRISING SHIELD/MAGNETIC-POLE LAYER HAVING SURFACE WITHOUT RIGHT NOR SHARP ANGLE - Provided is a thin-film magnetic head in which the concentration of magnetic flux in the shield layer and the magnetic pole layer is suppressed. The thin-film magnetic head comprises a plurality of magnetic layers that have front surfaces reaching a head end surface on the ABS side. Further in this head, at least one of the plurality of magnetic layers has a shape in which: each of edges corresponding to both side surfaces extends so as to spread obliquely rearward with each other from an end of a straight edge in a track width direction corresponding to the front surface; and the front surface reaching the head end surface has a shape in which upper and lower corner portions in each of both end portions in the track width direction form obtuse angles or rounded shapes. | 01-29-2009 |
20090034130 | Shield design for magnetic recording head - A magnetic shield in which all domain patterns and orientations are stable and which are consistently repeated each time said shield is exposed to an initialization field, is disclosed. This has been achieved by giving it a suitable shape which ensures that all closure domains can align themselves at a reduced angle relative to the initialization direction while still being roughly antiparallel to one another. Most, though not all, of these shapes are variations on trapezoids. | 02-05-2009 |
20090034131 | Magnetic reading head and magnetic recording apparatus - To provide a magnetic reading head that features high resolution and low noise, and that can support a hard disk with terabit-level surface recording density. A current is caused to flow from a pinned layer with its magnetization direction fixed by an antiferro magnetic material, to a non-magnetic thin wire having a portion affected by an external magnetic field and a portion not affected by the external magnetic field, so that spin polarized electrons are accumulated in the non-magnetic thin wire. A distance between voltage terminals of a voltmeter is set to less than the spin diffusion length of the non-magnetic thin wire. A change in the external magnetic field modulates some of the accumulated spin polarized electron, but does not others. Accordingly, an electrical potential difference depending on the external magnetic field is generated between the both end surfaces of the non-magnetic thin wire, and measured with the voltmeter. | 02-05-2009 |
20090040660 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower magnetic shield layer, an MR multi-layered structure formed on the lower magnetic shield layer so that current flows in a direction perpendicular to surfaces of laminated layers, an upper magnetic shield layer formed on the MR multi-layered structure, and an additional lower magnetic shield layer directly laminated on the lower magnetic shield layer outside both side ends in a track-width direction of the MR multi-layered structure. The additional lower magnetic shield layer is directly contacted with both side surfaces in a track-width direction of the MR multi-layered structure. A top surface of the additional lower magnetic shield layer is positioned higher in height than a top surface of the lower magnetic shield layer in a region where the MR multi-layered structure is formed. | 02-12-2009 |
20090046394 | Sensor shape and etching process of CPP magnetic head for reduce property degradation - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent a head characteristic from being deteriorated by re-deposition or damage which occurs when a sensor film is etched, a track width is narrowed, and the head characteristic is stabilized. According to one embodiment, when it is assumed that the thickness of the sensor film on an air bearing surface is T, and a distance between an end of a medium layer that is interposed between a free layer and a pinned layer which comprise the sensor film and an end of the sensor film lowest portion, a relationship of 1.2×T≦x≦2.5×T is satisfied, and the ends of a pair of magnetic films which are in contact with both sides in the track-width direction through an insulator do not exist in the track central portion from the free layer end. The sensor film is etched while an incident angle of an etching beam is changed over, and when it is assumed that a direction normal to the sensor film surface is the incident angle of 0, etching is conducted under the condition where the incident angle of the etching beam becomes smaller with time. | 02-19-2009 |
20090046395 | MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING SAME - A magnetoresistive effect thin-film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive effect element having a CPP structure in which the gap length can be precisely optimized and a method for fabricating the magnetoresistive effect thin-film magnetic head are provided. The stacked magnetoresistive effect thin-films having the cap layer as the top layer are formed on the bottom shield layer. The soft magnetic layer consisting of any soft magnetic material is then formed on the cap layer, and the micro fabrication process is performed. Subsequently, at least one insulating layer is formed on the stacked magnetoresistive effect thin-films after the micro fabrication process, having the cap layer as the top layer, on which the soft magnetic layer is formed. Then, the soft magnetic layer is exposed by removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the soft magnetic layer and the top shield layer is formed on the surface of the exposed soft magnetic layer. | 02-19-2009 |
20090052094 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of manufacturing the same, the magnetic head including pole layer and two shields sandwiching the pole layer - A magnetic head includes a pole layer, a first and a second shield disposed to sandwich the pole layer, and a nonmagnetic layer disposed around the first shield. The pole layer includes a first portion having an end face located in a medium facing surface, and a second portion that is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the first portion. The second portion is greater in thickness than the first portion. A bottom surface of the second portion is located closer to a substrate than is a bottom surface of the first portion. The first shield has a first top surface portion opposed to the bottom surface of the first portion with the first gap layer in between. The nonmagnetic layer has a second top surface portion opposed to the bottom surface of the second portion with the first gap layer in between. A difference in level is formed between the first and the second top surface portion such that the second top surface portion is located closer to the substrate than is the first top surface portion. | 02-26-2009 |
20090059438 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING STRUCTURE, MAGNETIC HEAD ASSEMBLY WITH THE THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD, MAGNETIC DISK DRIVE APPARATUS WITH THE MAGNETIC HEAD ASSEMBLY, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING STRUCTURE - A thin-film magnetic head with a perpendicular magnetic recording structure includes a main pole layer, a nonmagnetic gap layer, and an auxiliary pole layer facing the main pole layer via the nonmagnetic gap layer. A surface of a top end section of the main pole layer has an inclined step that slopes from a lamination plane of the layers. The surface faces a top end section of the auxiliary pole layer. The top end section of the auxiliary pole layer has side shield sections at a position that is not exposed to an ABS. The side shield sections faces at least part of side surfaces in a track-width direction, of the main pole layer so as to cover at least part of the inclined step. | 03-05-2009 |
20090059439 | MULTICHANNEL THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH DUMMY SHIELDS - Provided is a multichannel thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of read head elements neighboring with each other, each of which includes shield layers having a desired stable magnetic-domain structure. The head comprises at least one read head part comprising a plurality of read head elements aligned in the track width direction, wherein each of the plurality of read head elements comprises a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer, and the at least one read head part comprises: a lower shield part comprising a plurality of the lower shield layers aligned in the track width direction; and an upper shield part comprising a plurality of the upper shield layers aligned in the track width direction, and wherein dummy shield layers are provided respectively on both sides of at least the lower shield part. | 03-05-2009 |
20090067100 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME - Provided are a magnetic head and a method of fabricating the same. The magnetic head includes a reading head having an acute or an obtuse inclined angle with respect to an air-bearing surface (ABS). In addition, the magnetic head includes a writing head having a magnetic coil that is formed in parallel with the reading head and the ABS. The method of fabricating the reading head includes forming a first shield layer, a reading sensor, and a second shield layer on an inclined surface of an insulating layer that is formed in a reading head area. | 03-12-2009 |
20090073616 | MAGNETO-RESISTIVE EFFECT DEVICE OF THE CPP STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM - The invention provides a magneto-resistive effect device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magneto-resistive effect unit, and an upper shield layer and a lower shield layer located with that magneto-resistive effect unit sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein the magneto-resistive effect unit comprises a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed with that nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer sandwiched between them, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer and said second ferromagnetic layer are exchange coupled via the nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer such that where there is no bias magnetic field applied as yet, their magnetizations are anti-parallel with each other, and at least one of the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer has an inclined magnetization structure with its magnetization inclining with respect to a track width direction, so that by the magnetization of that inclined magnetization structure, a bias magnetic field can be applied to the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. It is thus possible to obtain a magneto-resistive effect device of improved reliability that enables a structure capable of having a narrowed read gap (the gap between the upper shield and the lower shield) to be adopted to meet the recently demanded ultra-high recording density, allows a stable bias magnetic field to be applied in simple structure, and obtain a stable magneto-resistive effect change. | 03-19-2009 |
20090080120 | Magnetic head and magnetic recording device - It is made possible to provide a magnetic head that generates a sufficient high-frequency magnetic field for assisting recording operations, and a magnetic recording device that includes the magnetic head. A magnetic head includes: a recording magnetic pole; a return yoke magnetically coupled to the recording magnetic pole; and at least two spin torque oscillators provided near the recording magnetic pole. | 03-26-2009 |
20090080121 | METHODS FOR SUBSTRATE BIASING FOR MR DEVICES - A method for setting a voltage (Vsub) of a substrate to about a voltage (Vshield) of a shield of at least one reader formed above the substrate is presented in one embodiment. The method includes passing an MR bias current through each MR sensor of at least one reader formed above a substrate; and setting a voltage (Vsub) of the substrate to about the voltage (Vshield) of a shield of the at least one reader. A method according to another embodiment includes passing a bias current through at least one reader formed above a substrate, the at least one reader further comprising a shield and a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor, the substrate being at about a voltage (Vsub); and operatively adjusting a voltage (Vshield) of the shield of the at least one reader to about match the Vsub. Additional methods are also presented. | 03-26-2009 |
20090086380 | MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD HAVING AN EXTENDED STRIPE HEIGHT AND A SHORTENED SHIELD HEIGHT - Magnetic recording heads and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A magnetic recording head has a first shield and a magnetoresistance (MR) read element formed on the first shield. The first shield has a shield height that is defined by a distance between the air bearing surface (ABS) of the recording head and a back edge of the first shield that is opposite the ABS. The MR read element has a stripe height that is defined by a distance between the air bearing surface (ABS) of the recording head and a back edge of the MR read element that is opposite the ABS. The magnetic recording heads as disclosed herein have a stripe height that is greater than the shield height. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086381 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH DISHING SUPPRESSED DURING POLISHING - A manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head with a dishing suppressed in the case of planarizing a magnetic shield which a read head portion has or a magnetic pole which a write head portion has is provided. A manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head comprising a read head portion for data reading which has at least two magnetic layers functioning as a magnetic shield and a write head portion for data writing which has two magnetic layers functioning as a magnetic pole is provided, in a process forming at least the lowest magnetic layer in at least the two magnetic layers functioning as the magnetic shield and the two magnetic layers functioning as the magnetic pole in the case of forming a plurality of thin-film magnetic head patterns on an element formation surface of the wafer substrate, which comprises steps of: forming this magnetic layer so as to reach a position which becomes a medium opposed surface at a middle portion to a trick width direction in each thin-film magnetic head pattern, and forming a dishing prevention portion at a position farther than this magnetic layer from the position which becomes the medium opposed surface in both sides or either side along the track width direction of this magnetic layer; forming a nonmagnetic insulating layer so as to cover the magnetic layer and the dishing prevention portion; and planarizing and polishing the magnetic layer, the dishing prevention portion, and the nonmagnetic insulating layer thereafter. | 04-02-2009 |
20090091861 | Perpendicular magnetic recording write head with a side shield - A side shield structure for a PMR write head is disclosed that narrows write width and minimizes adjacent track and far track erasure. The side shield structure on each side of the write pole has two sections. One section along the ABS and adjacent to the pole tip has a height (SSH | 04-09-2009 |
20090091862 | Method to make PMR head with integrated side shield (ISS) - A PMR head comprises a substrate, a magnetic pole formed over the substrate, the pole having a pole tip having a cross-sectional tapered shape wherein the pole tip is surrounded by a write gap layer, an integrated shield comprising side shields on the substrate laterally surrounding the pole tip and a trailing shield overlying the pole tip and integral with the side shields. | 04-09-2009 |
20090109578 | VERTICAL MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - The invention relates to a vertical magnetic recording head that records information on a recording medium, such as a magnetic disk, and a magnetic recording apparatus using the same. An object of the invention is to provide a vertical magnetic recording head capable of preventing the leakage of a magnetic field without deteriorating a recording performance and a magnetic recording apparatus using the same. A vertical recording magnetic head is mounted on a slider having a medium facing surface, and includes a main magnetic pole that includes a leading end exposed from the medium facing surface; and side shields that are separated from the side surface of the leading end by a first distance and are retreated from the medium facing surface by a second distance. | 04-30-2009 |
20090122449 | MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A magnetic write head includes a main pole, a return yoke forming a magnetic path with the main pole, a side shield formed at both sides of the main pole, and a shield gap layer formed between the side shield and the return yoke. The side shield and the return yoke have portions connected to each, and are separated from each other by the shield gap layer in an area except for the portions which contact. A first gap layer formed of a nonmagnetic insulation material is formed between both sides of the main pole and the side shield. A gap is formed between an end portion of the main pole and an end portion of the return yoke and a second gap layer is formed in the gap with a nonmagnetic insulation material. | 05-14-2009 |
20090135529 | MAGNETO-RESISTIVE EFFECT DEVICE OF THE CPP TYPE, AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM - The invention provides a magneto-resistive effect device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magneto-resistive effect unit, and a first shield layer and a second shield layer located and formed such that the magneto-resistive effect unit is sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction. The magneto-resistive effect unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that the nonmagnetic intermediate layer is interposed between them. The first shield layer, and the second shield layer is controlled by magnetization direction control means in terms of magnetization direction, and the first ferromagnetic layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer receives action such that there is an antiparallel magnetization state created, in which mutual magnetizations are in opposite directions, under the influences of magnetic actions of the first shield layer and the second shield layer. It is thus possible to achieve an antiparallel magnetization state for two ferromagnetic layers (free layers) with simple structure yet without being restricted by the material and specific structure of an intermediate film interposed between the two ferromagnetic layers (free layers). Further, it is possible to make improvements in linear recording densities by the adoption of a structure capable of making the “read gap length” (the gap between the upper and lower shield layers) short (narrow) thereby meeting recent demands for ultra-high recording densities. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain stable magneto-resistive effect changes so that much higher reliability is achievable. | 05-28-2009 |
20090135530 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of manufacturing same - A pole layer has an end face located in a medium facing surface, allows a magnetic flux corresponding to a magnetic field generated by a coil to pass therethrough, and generates a write magnetic field. A shield includes a first layer having an end face located in the medium facing surface at a position forward of the end face of the pole layer along a direction of travel of a recording medium, and a second layer disposed between at least part of the coil and the medium facing surface and magnetically connected to the first layer. The second layer has an end face closer to the medium facing surface, and this end face is located at a distance from the medium facing surface. A nonmagnetic layer made of an inorganic insulating material is provided between the end face of the second layer and the medium facing surface, and a photoresist layer is provided between the end face of the second layer and the nonmagnetic layer. | 05-28-2009 |
20090141406 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of manufacturing same - A magnetic head includes a pole layer and a shield. The shield includes a shield layer having a front end face located in the medium facing surface at a position forward of an end face of the pole layer along a direction of travel of the recording medium. The magnetic head further includes a stopper layer for suppressing protrusion of the front end face of the shield layer, the stopper layer being disposed adjacent to the shield layer and made of a nonmagnetic material having a linear thermal expansion coefficient of 5×10 | 06-04-2009 |
20090141407 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND RECORDING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE SAME - A magnetic head and a recording apparatus employing the same are provided. The magnetic head includes a recording member, a field inducing member inducing a magnetic field to the recording member, a shield member having the same direction of magnetization as the recording member in a recording operation, and a return path member forming a magnetic path with the recording member. | 06-04-2009 |
20090147410 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH MAGNETIC SHIELDS SEPARATED BY NONMAGNETIC LAYERS - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head that may be used in magnetic recording disk drives has a magnetic write pole (WP) with an end that is generally the same width as the width of the data tracks on the disk. A trailing shield (TS) is spaced from the WP in the along-the-track direction, a pair of side shields are located on opposite sides of the WP in the cross-track direction, and an optional leading shield (LS) is located on the opposite side of the WP from the TS in the along-the-track direction. The TS, side shields and LS are formed of magnetically permeable soft ferromagnetic material and are separated from each other by nonmagnetic separation layers. The TS, side shields and LS each has a throat height (TH) thickness in its region facing the WP. The throat heights for the shields may be different. | 06-11-2009 |
20090154026 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD WITH A THIN WRAP AROUND MAGNETIC SHIELD - A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a thin wrap-around magnetic shield. The small thickness and forming method of the thin wrap-around magnetic shield allow it to be electroplated using a thin photoresist frame mask. The thin photoresist frame mask has better critical dimension and straight wall control than a thicker mask, which allows the wrap-around magnetic shield to be constructed with much more straight and uniform back edge for shield throat height control than is possible when forming a thicker (i.e. taller) shield. The thin wrap-around magnetic shield can be stitched to a trailing return pole to avoid magnetic saturation of the wrap-around shield. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154027 | AP FREE LAYER CPP SENSOR WITH TOP APERTURE - Read sensors and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A read sensor as disclosed herein includes a first shield, a sensor stack including an antiparallel (AP) free layer, and insulating material disposed on the sensor stack. A aperture is formed through the insulating material above the sensor stack so that a subsequently deposited second shield is electrically coupled to the sensor stack through the aperture. The width of the aperture controls the current density that is injected into the top of the sensor stack. Also, hard bias structures may be formed to be electrically coupled to the sensor stack. The electrical coupling of the sensor stack and the hard bias structures allows current to laterally spread out as it passes through the sensor stack, and hence, provides a non-uniform current density. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154028 | Grounding structure of TMR and GMR heads with a flying on-demand heater - A head for a hard disk drive. The head includes a substrate, a write element, a read element and a heater element. The head also includes a buffer layer between the read element and the substrate, and a first resistor connected to the heater element and the buffer layer. The buffer layer and resistor create an impedance that suppresses noise introduced to the head from the disk of the drive. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154029 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM - A magnetic reproduction head includes a lower magnetic shield layer, an upper magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive film formed between the lower and the upper magnetic shield layers, a refill film in an element height direction disposed in contact with a surface opposite a floating surface of the magnetoresistive film, and a refill film in a track width direction disposed on a side wall surface of the magnetoresistive film. The magnetoresistive film is a tunneling magnetoresistive film including a free layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a fixed layer. The insulating barrier layer is one of a magnesium oxide film, an aluminum oxide film, and a titanium oxide film which contains at least one of nitrogen and silicon. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154030 | Magnetic head and magnetic recording apparatus - Embodiments of the present invention provide an accumulation element with high resolving power and high output suitable for magnetic recording and reproducing at high recording density. According to one embodiment, a plurality of spin injection parts and are provided to increase the total amount of spin electrons. The spin accumulation element is composed of a non-magnetic conductor, a first magnetic conductor, a second magnetic conductor, and a third magnetic conductor, each of which are in contact with the non-magnetic conductor through the tunneling junction. An output voltage due to the spin accumulation effect is detected as a potential difference between the non-magnetic conductor and the third magnetic conductor. The first magnetic conductor of the first spin injection part is fixed by a first antiferromagnetic conductor and the second magnetic conductor of the second spin injection part is fixed by a second antiferromagnetic conductor so that their directions of magnetization are anti-parallel to each other. | 06-18-2009 |
20090168256 | MAGNETORESISTANCE (MR) READ ELEMENTS HAVING AN ACTIVE SHIELD - Read elements and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A read element as described herein includes a magnetoresistance (MR) sensor sandwiched between first and second shields. The read element uses the first shield as an active portion of the MR sensor. Instead of implementing an AFM pinning layer in the MR sensor, the first shield takes the place of the AFM pinning layer. The first shield is orthogonally coupled to the pinned layer through an orthogonal coupling layer, such as a thin layer of AFM material. Through this structure, the magnetic moment of the first shield pins the magnetic moment of the pinned layer transverse to the ABS of the read element, and an AFM pinning layer is not needed. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168257 | INDEPENDENT SIDE SHIELD AND TOP SHIELD THROAT HEIGHT CONTROL FOR HIGH LINEAR DENSITY WRAP AROUND SHIELD WRITE HEAD - A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording. The magnetic write head includes a write pole having a pole tip region and a flared region. The write pole also has a trailing, wrap-around magnetic shield that is separated from the sides of the write pole by a non-magnetic side gap layer. The write head is formed such that the side gap spacing is larger in the flared region than in the pole tip region. This varying gap spacing can be formed by depositing a non-magnetic material using a collimated sputter deposition aligned substantially perpendicular to the air bearing surface. This collimated sputtering deposits the non-magnetic material more readily on the sides of the write pole in the flared region than in the pole tip region. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168258 | HYBRID, SELF ALIGNED MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD WITH A PARTIALLY PLATED POLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME - A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording. The write head has a secondary flare point defined by magnetic structures that extend from the sides of the write pole, but not over the trailing edge of the write pole. The magnetic structures each have a front edge that defines the secondary flare point. By constructing the magnetic structures so that they only extend from the sides of the write pole and not over the write pole, they can be formed by electroplating, while leafing the mask structure (used to define the write pole) still intact, thereby greatly simplifying manufacture and preventing damage to the write pole during manufacture. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168259 | WAFER LEVEL BALANCED CAPACITANCE DESIGN FOR MAGNETIC HEADS - Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems and apparatus for testing electronic components, and more specifically for testing magnetoresistive heads. A pair of top shield pads and a pair of bottom shield pads may be formed in a kerf region of a wafer on which magnetoresistive heads are formed. The top shield pads, bottom shield pads, and a magnetoresistive head may form a circuit that may be coupled with a testing circuit to exchange test signals configured to test the magnetic head. The pair of bottom shield pads may provide balanced impedance to substrate that nullifies the effects of broadband noise. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168260 | Layered return poles for magnetic write heads - Methods and structures for the fabrication of both thin film longitudinal and perpendicular write heads are disclosed. A unique feature of these write heads is the inclusion of layered return poles, which comprise alternating layers of 22/78 and 80/20 NiFe alloys. The alternating layers also vary in thickness, the 22/78 NiFe layers having a nominal thickness of 1500 angstroms and the 80/20 NiFe layers having a nominal thickness of about 75 angstroms. Head efficiency and signal to noise ratios are significantly improved in heads having layered return pole construction. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168261 | HEAD SLIDER AND MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICE - A magnetoresistive element is located between a lower shielding layer and an upper shielding layer. The magnetoresistive element receives an electric current through the lower shielding layer and the upper shielding layer. A non-magnetic conductive layer is embedded in the insulating film between the slider body and the lower shielding layer. An air layer is formed between the head slider and a storage medium. Capacitive coupling is established between the head slider and the storage medium. The capacitive coupling allows transmission of the noise from the storage medium to the slider body. The noise affects capacitance established between the lower shielding layer and the slider body. The non-magnetic conductive layer serves to prevent variation in a potential difference resulting from transmission of the noise between the lower shielding layer and the upper shielding layer. | 07-02-2009 |
20090174968 | MAGNETIC SENSING DEVICE WITH REDUCED SHIELD-TO-SHIELD SPACING - A magnetic sensor assembly includes first and second shields each comprised of a magnetic material. The first and second shields define a physical shield-to-shield spacing. A sensor stack is disposed between the first and second shields and includes a seed layer adjacent the first shield, a cap layer adjacent the second shield, and a magnetic sensor between the seed layer and the cap layer. At least a portion of the seed layer and/or the cap layer comprises a magnetic material to provide an effective shield-to-shield spacing of the magnetic sensor assembly that is less than the physical shield-to-shield spacing. | 07-09-2009 |
20090190271 | Magnetoresistive element and magnetic head - An MR element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a spacer layer disposed between the first and second ferromagnetic layers; and an antiferromagnetic layer disposed on a side of the first ferromagnetic layer farther from the spacer layer. The antiferromagnetic layer is disposed away from a detection surface. The first ferromagnetic layer includes: a first portion having an end face located in the detection surface and a rear end opposite to the end face; and a second portion located away from the detection surface and connected to the rear end of the first portion. The first portion has a first surface touching the spacer layer, and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface and that does not touch the antiferromagnetic layer. The second portion has a third surface touching the antiferromagnetic layer, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface. The distance between the first surface and the second surface is smaller than the distance between the third surface and an imaginary plane including the first surface. | 07-30-2009 |
20090190272 | MAGNETORESISTIVE DEVICE OF THE CPP TYPE, AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM - The invention provides a magnetoresistive device with the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magnetoresistive unit, and a first shield layer and a second shield layer located and formed such that the magnetoresistive unit is sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein said magnetoresistive unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that said nonmagnetic intermediate layer is interposed between them, wherein said first shield layer, and said second shield layer is controlled by magnetization direction control means in terms of magnetization direction, and said first ferromagnetic layer, and said second ferromagnetic layer receives action such that there is an antiparallel magnetization state created, in which mutual magnetizations are in opposite directions, under the influences of magnetic actions of said first shield layer and said second shield layer. It is thus possible to achieve an antiparallel magnetization state for two ferromagnetic layers (free layers) with simple structure yet without being restricted by the material and specific structure of an intermediate film interposed between the two ferromagnetic layers (free layers). Further, it is possible to make improvements in linear recording densities by the adoption of a structure capable of making the “read gap length” (the gap between the upper and lower shield layers) short (narrow) thereby meeting recent demands for ultra-high recording densities. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain stable magnetoresistive changes so that much higher reliability is achievable. | 07-30-2009 |
20090195940 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MULTILAYERED CIRCUIT - In the magnetic head, terminal sections for mutually electrically connecting layers in the multilayer structure can be formed without forming raising layers. The magnetic head having a multilayer structure comprises: an upper shielding layer; a lower shielding layer; a magnetoresistance effect element section provided between the shielding layers; a magnetic pole; terminal sections mutually electrically connecting layers of the multilayer structure; and a first low-thermal expansion material layer composed of an insulating material, and each of the terminal sections has a multilayer structure comprising: a second low-thermal expansion material layer composed of a material which is the same as that of the first low-thermal expansion material layer; and a plurality of electrically conductive layers. | 08-06-2009 |
20090213502 | MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT HAVING STACK WITH DUAL FREE LAYER AND A PLURALITY OF BIAS MAGNETIC LAYERS - A magneto-resistance effect element comprises: a magneto-resistance effect stack including an upper magnetic layer and a lower magnetic layer whose magnetization directions change in accordance with an external magnetic field, a non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between the upper and lower magnetic layers; an upper shield electrode layer and a lower shield electrode layer which are provided to sandwich the magneto-resistance effect stack therebetween in the direction of stacking the magneto-resistance effect stack, wherein the upper shield electrode layer and the lower shield electrode layer supply sense current in the direction of stacking, and magnetically shield the magneto-resistance effect stack; a first bias magnetic layer which is provided on a surface of the magneto-resistance effect stack opposite to an air bearing surface, and wherein the first bias magnetic layer is magnetized in a direction perpendicular to said air bearing surface; and a pair of second bias magnetic layers provided on respective both sides of said magneto-resistance effect stack in a track width direction, and wherein the second bias magnetic layers are magnetized in a direction substantially parallel to said track width direction; wherein the magnetic pole on a surface of one of said second bias magnetic layers which faces said magneto-resistance effect stack has the same polarity as the magnetic pole on a surface of the other of said second bias magnetic layers which faces said magneto-resistance effect stack, and has a polarity different from the polarity of the magnetic pole on a surface of said first bias magnetic layer which faces said magneto-resistance effect stack. | 08-27-2009 |
20090251828 | Vertically stacked DFH heater design for protrusion shape control - A vertically stacked DFH design in a read/write head is disclosed that allows independent control of write gap protrusion and read gap protrusion. A first heater is formed in an insulation layer proximate to a sensor in a read head. A second heater is formed in a second insulation layer proximate to the write pole tip in a main pole layer. The two heaters are connected in series or in parallel through leads to a power source that activates the heaters. In one embodiment, the heaters have a fixed resistance ratio. Preferably, there are two drivers in the power source so that a first power can be applied to the first heater and a second power can be applied to the second heater to enable an adjustment of reader protrusion/writer protrusion or gamma ratio. Fast reader and writer actuation is achieved and low power consumption is realized. | 10-08-2009 |
20090251829 | Seed layer for TMR or CPP-GMR sensor - A composite seed layer that reduces the shield to shield distance in a read head while improving Hex and Hex/Hc is disclosed and has a SM/A/SM/B configuration in which the SM layers are soft magnetic layers, the A layer is made of at least one of Co, Fe, Ni, and includes one or more amorphous elements, and the B layer is a buffer layer that contacts the AFM layer in the spin valve. The SM/A/SM stack together with the S | 10-08-2009 |
20090262464 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD HAVING A WRAP AROUND SHIELD CONSTRUCTED OF A LOW PERMEABILITY MATERIAL FOR REDUCED ADJACENT TRACK ERASURE - A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a trailing, wrap around magnetic shield constructed of a low magnetic permeability. The lower permeability of the shield prevents magnetic saturation of the shield, which in turn prevents adjacent track interference such as adjacent track erasure. The shield can also be constructed as a pure trailing shield, or as first and second side shields without any trailing shield portion. | 10-22-2009 |
20090262465 | Magnetic head and manufacturing method thereof - Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head having a read head of stable reading operation and with less magnetic fluctuation noise. According to one embodiment, a free layer has a structure comprising two ferromagnetic layers (a first free layer and a second free layer) that are coupled anti-ferromagnetically by way of a non-magnetic intermediate layer, in which the magnetization amount of the first free layer is set to larger than the magnetization amount of the second free layer. Further, the magnetic domains in the first free layer and the second free layer are stabilized simultaneously by increasing the distance between the second free layer and the magnetic domain control film to be more than the distance between the first free layer and the magnetic domain control film, thereby adjusting the magnetization amount of the magnetic domain control film. Further, the volume of the entire free layer is increased thereby greatly decreasing the magnetic fluctuation noises, to obtain a read head showing a high SN ratio. | 10-22-2009 |
20090268350 | PERPENDICULAR WRITE HEAD HAVING A TRAILING SHIELD WITH A SHORT GAP, SHORT THROAT AND HIGH APEX ANGLE FOR IMPROVED LINEAR DENSITY RECORDING - A magnetic write head having a trailing shield configured to optimize both write field strength and field gradient. The write head includes a write pole, a trailing gap layer formed over the trailing edge of the write pole and a trailing magnetic shield formed over the non-magnetic write gap layer such that the non-magnetic write gap layer is sandwiched between the trailing magnetic shield and the write pole. The trailing magnetic shield has a first surface disposed at the air bearing surface and second surface disposed away from the air bearing surface that is tapered at an angle of 20 to 75 degrees relative to the trailing edge of the write pole. | 10-29-2009 |
20090273863 | Thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of making the same - A perpendicular recording thin-film magnetic head comprises a main magnetic pole having a tip main magnetic pole part extending in a height direction from a medium-opposing surface and a base main magnetic pole part connected to the tip main magnetic pole part on a side opposite from the medium-opposing surface side and wider than the tip main magnetic pole part in a track width direction; a return yoke extending in the height direction from the medium-opposing surface and magnetically coupling with the base main magnetic pole part at a position distanced from the medium-opposing surface in the height direction, while opposing the tip main magnetic pole part through a write gap layer in a bit length direction in the medium-opposing surface; and a main magnetic pole adjacent magnetic shield layer extending along at least part of side faces of the main magnetic pole other than the medium-opposing surface as seen in a laminating direction, while holding a nonmagnetic layer between the main magnetic pole and the main magnetic pole adjacent magnetic shield layer. | 11-05-2009 |
20090273864 | Magnetoresistive element including two ferromagnetic layers - A magnetoresistive element includes a first and a second shield, and an MR stack disposed between the shields. The MR stack includes a first and a second ferromagnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between the ferromagnetic layers. The first and second ferromagnetic layers have magnetizations that are in directions antiparallel to each other when no external magnetic field is applied to the layers, and that change directions in response to an external magnetic field. An insulating layer is formed to touch a rear end face of the MR stack and the first shield, and a bias magnetic field applying layer is formed above the insulating layer with a buffer layer disposed in between. The bias magnetic field applying layer includes a hard magnetic layer and a high saturation magnetization layer. The high saturation magnetization layer is located between the rear end face and the hard magnetic layer, but not located between the first shield and the hard magnetic layer. | 11-05-2009 |
20090279213 | Stabilized shields for magnetic recording heads - A basic design is disclosed for bottom shield (S | 11-12-2009 |
20090284874 | SELF-ALIGNED PERPENDICULAR WRITER POLE AND FRONT SHIELD - A write pole structure includes a write pole having a tip region. A shield structure is spaced from the write pole by a gap at the tip region. The shield structure includes a front shield and a spacer layer on the back of the front shield. A yoke is formed on the write pole, and an end of the yoke is aligned with the back end of the spacer layer. | 11-19-2009 |
20090296283 | MAGNETORESISTIVE DEVICE OF THE CPP TYPE, AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM - The invention provides a magnetoresistive device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magnetoresistive unit, and a first shield layer and a second shield layer which are located and formed such that the magnetoresistive unit is sandwiched between them with a sense current applied in a stacking direction. The magnetoresistive unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that the nonmagnetic intermediate layer is sandwiched between them. The first shield layer and the second shield layer are each controlled by magnetization direction control means in terms of magnetization direction to create an antiparallel magnetization state where their magnetizations are in opposite directions. The first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are exchange coupled to the first shield layer and the second shield layer, respectively, by way of a first exchange coupling function gap layer and a second exchange coupling function gap layer, with an exchange coupled strength of 0.2 to 2.5 erg/cm | 12-03-2009 |
20090296284 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR DESIGN FOR SIGNAL NOISE PICKUP REDUCTION FOR USE WITH DEEP GAP ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE SHUNT - A magnetic head having an electrostatic shunt structure for preventing damage to the magnetic head during manufacture. A portion of the shunt structure is removed during manufacture, however another portion remains. In order to prevent the remaining portions of the shunt structure from picking up stray magnetic and electromagnetic fields, an electromagnetic shield, is provided between the remaining portions of the shunt structure and the substrate. | 12-03-2009 |
20090310262 | Composite writer shield for improving writer performance - A PMR writer in a read/write head is disclosed wherein an upper shield covering the coil layer is comprised of a magnetic layer optimized for magnetic performance and a second layer used for tuning mechanical protrusion. The composite layer simultaneously provides high saturation magnetization and high permeability from the magnetic layer and low CTE from the second layer which tunes the relative spacing between the writer, reader, and the rest of the slider. In one embodiment, first and second write shields are formed on a write gap layer and have front portions at the ABS and back portions in a back gap region. The upper write shield connects on one side with the second write shield at the ABS and on a second side with the back gap region. This design can yield better reader and writer spacing for the same physical clearance which enables products with higher recording density. | 12-17-2009 |
20090310263 | MAGNETIC SENSOR - A magnetic sensor comprises a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetization layer disposed on a first part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer, a fixed magnetization layer disposed on a second part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer different from the first part, upper and lower first magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and free magnetization layer interposed therebetween, upper and lower second magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and fixed magnetization layer interposed therebetween, and an electrically insulating layer disposed between the lower second magnetic shield layer and the nonmagnetic conductive layer, while the lower first magnetic shield layer is arranged closer to the nonmagnetic conductive layer than is the lower second magnetic shield layer. | 12-17-2009 |
20090323228 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE (TMR) DEVICE WITH IMPROVED FERROMAGNETIC UNDERLAYER FOR MgO TUNNELING BARRIER LAYER - A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording hard disk drive, has a magnesium oxide (MgO) tunneling barrier layer and a ferromagnetic underlayer beneath and in direct contact with the MgO tunneling barrier layer. The ferromagnetic underlayer comprises a crystalline material according to the formula (Co | 12-31-2009 |
20090323229 | Modified shield shape for perpendicular recording head to reduce sensitivity to external fields - In a read-write head, the shields can serve as magnetic flux conductors for external fields, so that they direct a certain amount of flux into the recording medium. This problem has been overcome by the addition to the shields of a pair of tabs located at the edges closest to the ABS. These tabs serve to prevent flux concentrating at the edges so that horizontal fields at these edges are significantly reduced. Said tabs need to have aspect ratios of at least 2 and may be either triangular or rectangular in shape. Alternatively, the tabs may be omitted and, instead, outer portions of the shield's lower edge may be shaped so as to slope upwards away from the ABS. | 12-31-2009 |
20100007995 | Magnetic Sensor - A magnetic sensor comprises a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetization layer disposed on a first part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer, a fixed magnetization layer disposed on a second part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer different from the first part, upper and lower first magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and free magnetization layer interposed therebetween, upper and lower second magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and fixed magnetization layer interposed therebetween, a first electrically insulating layer disposed between the lower second magnetic shield layer and nonmagnetic conductive layer, and a first electrode layer for electrically connecting the lower second magnetic shield layer and nonmagnetic conductive layer to each other, while the fixed magnetization layer and first electrode layer oppose each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer. | 01-14-2010 |
20100027167 | CURRENT PERPENDICULAR TO PLANE MAGNETORESISTANCE READ HEAD DESIGN USING A CURRENT CONFINEMENT STRUCTURE PROXIMAL TO AN AIR BEARING SURFACE - A current to perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistance (MR) read head using current confinement proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS) is disclosed. A CPP MR read head includes a first shield, an MR sensor formed on the first shield, and a second shield contacting the MR sensor proximal to an ABS. The CPP MR read head further includes insulating material between the MR sensor and the second shield, where the insulating material is distal to the ABS to electrically isolate the MR sensor from the second shield distal to the ABS. Sense current injected from the second shield through the MR sensor and into the first shield is confined proximal to the ABS at a location where the second shield contacts the MR sensor. | 02-04-2010 |
20100027168 | Thin film magnetic head having a pair of magnetic layers whose magnetization is controlled by shield layers - A thin film magnetic head comprise an MR laminated body composed of a first and second MR magnetic layers, first and second shield layers, and a bias magnetic field application layer provided on an opposite side of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the MR laminated body in order to apply a bias magnetic field orthogonal relative to the ABS. The first shield layer comprises a first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer, a first antimagnetic layer, a second exchange coupling magnetic field application layer, and a second antimagnetic layer. The first antimagnetic layer is provided in contact with the first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer on the rear face of the first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and which is antimagnetically coupled with the first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer. The second shield layer has the same configuration as that of the first shield layer. | 02-04-2010 |
20100033879 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM - A perpendicular magnetic head for writing information on a magnetic recording medium comprises an ABS, a coil for generating a magnetic flux, a magnetic pole layer, a magnetic shield layer, and a gap layer disposed between the magnetic pole layer and the magnetic shield layer. Further the magnetic head has a non-magnetic region of a non-magnetic material. The non-magnetic region is disposed in the magnetic shield layer and positioned behind the ABS at a predetermined distance. The non-magnetic region is also disposed in the magnetic shield layer and has a predetermined width. With such a configuration, an undesirable concentration of the magnetic flux on the ABS is prevented. | 02-11-2010 |
20100039734 | Thin film magnetic head having a pair of magnetic layers whose magnetization is controlled by shield layers - A thin film magnetic head includes a magneto-resistance (MR) laminated body, a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer that face the first MR magnetic layer. The lower and upper shield layers respectively have first and second exchange coupling magnetic field application layers and first and second antiferromagnetic layers. An exchange coupling intensity relating to an antiferromagnetic coupling between the second exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer is greater in the peripheral area of a projection area than that of the projection area of the upper shield layer side end surface of the MR laminated body to the film surface's orthogonal direction. | 02-18-2010 |
20100046120 | WRITE HEAD WITH INTEGRATED COIL AND SHIELD STRUCTURE - Disk drive systems and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed for a write head having an integrated coil and shield structure. The write head includes a write pole having a pole tip adjacent to an air bearing surface, and a return pole having a surface adjacent to the air bearing surface. The write pole and the return pole are connected to one another by a back gap section that is distal from the air bearing surface. The write head also includes a coil formed from electrically conductive materials. The coil includes a segment that is formed proximate to the air bearing surface. The coil segment is formed from a ferromagnetic material so that the coil segment acts as a shield for the write pole. | 02-25-2010 |
20100053820 | Magnetoresistive element including a pair of ferromagnetic layers coupled to a pair of shield layers - A magnetoresistive element includes first and second shield layers, an MR stack disposed therebetween, a first hard magnetic layer for setting the magnetization direction of the first shield layer, and a second hard magnetic layer for setting the magnetization direction of the second shield layer. The MR stack includes a first ferromagnetic layer magnetically coupled to the first shield layer, a second ferromagnetic layer magnetically coupled to the second shield layer, and a spacer layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. The first and second ferromagnetic layers have magnetizations that are in antiparallel directions when any external magnetic field other than a magnetic field resulting from the first and second hard magnetic layers is not applied to the two ferromagnetic layers, and that change their directions in response to an external magnetic field other than the magnetic field resulting from the first and second hard magnetic layers. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053821 | CPP Structure Magnetoresistive Head - According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive head has a magnetoresistive sensor film between a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer. The magnetoresistive sensor film is formed by stacking at least a pinning layer, a first ferromagnetic layer, an intermediate layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer, in which a sense current flows so as to pass through an interface between the intermediate layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, and a resistance change of the magnetoresistive sensor film in accordance with the change of an external magnetic field is detected. Also, a lateral side metal layer having an electric resistivity lower than the electric resistivity of the pinning layer is disposed at least on a side wall of the pinning layer among side walls of layers constituting the magnetoresistive sensor film, the lateral side metal layer being in contact with the lower shield layer. Other embodiments are described as well. | 03-04-2010 |
20100073826 | MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING REDUCED COST ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE SHUNT - A method for manufacturing a magnetic head with an electrostatic discharge resistor for preventing electrostatic discharge damage to magnetic head. The electrostatic discharge resistor is formed by a processes that saves manufacturing time and cost by forming resistor in the same deposition and patterning steps used to form the magnetoresistive sensor. However, the resistor includes only a portion of the layers used to form the magnetoresistive sensor, thereby ensuring that the resistor will have sufficient resistivity. | 03-25-2010 |
20100079917 | Magnetoresistive element including a pair of free layers coupled to a pair of shield layers - A first shield portion located below an MR stack includes a first main shield layer, a first antiferromagnetic layer, and a first magnetization controlling layer including a first ferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled to the first antiferromagnetic layer. A second shield portion located on the MR stack includes a second main shield layer, a second antiferromagnetic layer, and a second magnetization controlling layer including a second ferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled to the second antiferromagnetic layer. The MR stack includes two free layers magnetically coupled to the two magnetization controlling layers. Only one of the two magnetization controlling layers includes a third ferromagnetic layer that is antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled to the first or second ferromagnetic layer through a nonmagnetic middle layer. The first shield portion includes an underlayer disposed on the first main shield layer, and the first antiferromagnetic layer is disposed on the underlayer. | 04-01-2010 |
20100091413 | Magnetic Recording Head, Method of Manufacturing the Same, and Magnetic Recording/Reproducing Device - According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main pole having a throat height portion and a flare portion that is connected to the throat height portion, the flare portion gradually being expanded in width to an upper part in an element height direction. The head also includes a sub pole, magnetic shields disposed via a nonmagnetic layer on a trailing side of the main pole and on both sides in a track width direction of the main pole, and a coil for generating a recording magnetic field from the main pole. The nonmagnetic layer has an upper portion of which the thickness is increased stepwise or in a tapered manner in the element height direction with respect to an ABS side, and each portion of the magnetic shields adjacent to the main pole has a shape corresponding to a surface shape of the nonmagnetic layer. | 04-15-2010 |
20100103564 | TUNNEL JUNCTION TYPE MAGNETO-RESISTIVE HEAD - As recording density of sensors is increased, it is desired to lower the areal resistivity (RA) of TMR sensors. Decreasing RA to 1.0 Ωμm | 04-29-2010 |
20100123977 | VERTICAL-CURRENT-TYPE REPRODUCING MAGNETIC HEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - In one embodiment, a vertical-current-type reproducing magnetic head includes a sensor film, an upper shield paired with a lower shield that together flow a current into the sensor film in a thickness direction of the sensor film, and magnetic-domain control magnetic films provided above both sides of the sensor film in a track width direction of the sensor film. The shield is formed via a nonmagnetic adhesion layer including a discontinuous region near the sensor film, and the sensor film contacts the upper shield. In another embodiment, a method includes forming a resist layer, etching a sensor film while using the resist layer as a mask, forming first insulating films, domain-control magnetic films, and nonmagnetic adhesion layers in a stacked manner, lifting-off the resist layer, and forming an upper shield that together with a lower shield flow current into the sensor film in a thickness direction of the sensor film. | 05-20-2010 |
20100128400 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-PLANE (CPP) READ SENSOR WITH FERROMAGNETIC AMORPHOUS BUFFER AND POLYCRYSTALLINE SEED LAYERS - A current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) or giant magnetoresistance (GMR) read sensor with ferromagnetic amorphous buffer and polycrystalline seed layers is disclosed for reducing a read gap, in order to perform magnetic recording at higher linear densities. The ferromagnetic amorphous buffer and polycrystalline seed layers couples to a ferromagnetic lower shield, thus acting as part of the ferromagnetic lower shield and defining the upper surface of the ferromagnetic polycrystalline seed layer as the lower bound of the read gap. In addition, a CPP TMR or GMR read sensor with nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic cap layers is also disclosed for reducing the read gap, in order to perform magnetic recording at even higher linear densities. The ferromagnetic cap layer couples to a ferromagnetic upper shield, thus acting as part of the ferromagnetic upper shield and defining the lower surface of the ferromagnetic cap layer as the upper bound of the read gap. | 05-27-2010 |
20100149697 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD HAVING A MAGNETIC LAYER OVERHANGING A TRAILING SIDE OF A MAIN POLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF - A recording head having a narrowed track has a high recording magnetic field strength and a high recording magnetic field gradient has certain problems which may be difficult to overcome. In one embodiment, a magnetic film, which overhangs from a track width, is provided on a trailing side of a region retracted from an ABS of a main pole facing a recording medium. Thereby, a magnetic field strength on the trailing side is increased so that a difference in distribution of magnetic field strength defined by a geometrical Bevel angle given to the main pole is increased. Consequently, writing performance of the main pole is improved while forming a large magnetic clearance angle with respect to an adjacent track and suppresses writing into an adjacent track when skew occurs. Other systems and methods are also disclosed regarding a head with a high recording magnetic field using an overhanging magnetic film. | 06-17-2010 |
20100157484 | PERPENDICULAR RECORDING MAGNETIC HEAD WITH A VARYING INTERVAL BETWEEN THE MAIN POLE AND THE SHIELD, AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF - A perpendicular recording magnetic head is provided, according to one embodiment, in which even if a thickness of a main pole is reduced corresponding to a reduction in a recording track width, recording performance is not degraded. A magnetic-field auxiliary pole and a nonmagnetic layer are stacked on a main pole, and a nonmagnetic portion is provided on each side face on a flying surface side of the magnetic-field auxiliary pole and the nonmagnetic layer, in one approach. In all regions except for a region near a flying surface, an interval between the main pole and a shield is increased by the nonmagnetic portion and the nonmagnetic layer, so that magnetic field loss is prevented, and consequently magnetic field strength and a magnetic field gradient are increased. Other systems and methods are also disclosed for retaining magnetic recording performance while reducing a thickness of a main pole. | 06-24-2010 |
20100165517 | Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having side shield layer and method of manufacturing same - A magnetic head includes a side shield layer and an encasing layer. The side shield layer has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, a second end face opposite to the first end face, and a first groove accommodating a portion of a pole layer. The first end face includes two portions located on both sides of an end face of the pole layer that are opposite to each other in a track width direction. The encasing layer is formed of a nonmagnetic material and disposed on a side of the side shield layer opposite to a medium facing surface. The encasing layer has a front end face touching the second end face of the side shield layer, and a second groove accommodating another portion of the pole layer. The distance from the medium facing surface to an arbitrary point on the second end face of the side shield layer decreases with decreasing distance from the arbitrary point to the top surface of a substrate. | 07-01-2010 |
20100177447 | MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT, THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT READ HEAD ELEMENT, AND MAGNETIC DISK DRIVE APPARATUS WITH THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD - An MR element includes a lower shield layer, a magnetization free function part stacked on the lower shield layer, an upper shield layer stacked on the magnetization free function part, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer stacked on a surface, that is opposite to a magnetically sensitive surface, of the magnetization free function part, and a magnetization fixed function part stacked on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer. The nonmagnetic intermediate layer and the magnetization fixed function part are formed only within an outer region of the magnetization free function part, located opposite side to the magnetically sensitive surface. | 07-15-2010 |
20100188783 | MAGNETIC HEAD, AND DISK APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a magnetic head of a disk apparatus includes a main magnetic pole, a recording coil, a return magnetic pole, and a side shield provided on both sides of the main magnetic pole in the width direction, apart magnetically away from the main magnetic pole. The side shield includes on each side of the main magnetic pole a first shield edge which extends from a leading side end face of the return magnetic pole toward the main magnetic pole and opposes the main magnetic pole in at least a part with a gap smaller than the write gap, and a second shield edge which extends from the first shield edge in a direction opposite to the leading side end face of the return magnetic pole and opposes the main magnetic pole with a gap larger than the write gap. | 07-29-2010 |
20100214698 | DOMAIN CONTROL IN BOTTOM SHIELD OF MR SENSOR - A shield for a read element of a magnetic recording head includes a first domain with boundaries remote from the read element and stabilized with a patterned bias element. The patterned bias element comprises a topographical pattern of grooves formed on the shield substrate. | 08-26-2010 |
20100214699 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH OVERLAID COMBINED LEADS AND SHIELDS - A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a first magnetic shield; a first insulation layer disposed above said first magnetic shield; a plurality of sensor layers disposed above said first insulation layer; two electrical leads overlying a majority of a surface of the sensor layers, the electrical leads being formed of a magnetic material and serving as a second magnetic shield; and a read width insulation member disposed above said sensor layers and between said two electrically conductive members, the read width insulation members lying in a common plane with the electrically conductive members, the common plane being oriented parallel to a plane of deposition of the read width insulation member. Other systems and methods are also presented. | 08-26-2010 |
20100220415 | MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING APPARATUS - A magnetic recording head includes: a main magnetic pole; a laminated body; and a pair of electrodes. The laminated body includes a first magnetic layer having a coercivity lower than magnetic field applied by the main magnetic pole, a second magnetic layer having a coercivity lower than the magnetic field applied by the main magnetic pole, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The pair of electrodes are operable to pass a current through the laminated body. | 09-02-2010 |
20100232072 | MAGNETIC SENSOR WITH A RECESSED REFERENCE LAYER ASSEMBLY AND A FRONT SHIELD - A magnetic sensor includes a freelayer, a reference layer and a front shield. The freelayer has a magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the planar orientation of the layer and extends to the media confronting surface. The reference layer has a magnetization direction substantially in the plane of the layer and substantially perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the freelayer. The reference layer is recessed from the media confronting surface and a front shield is positioned between the reference layer and the media confronting surface thereby reducing the shield-to-shield spacing and increasing the areal density of the reader. | 09-16-2010 |
20100302688 | Magnetoresistive Effect Head and Magnetic Recording/Playback Device - According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive effect head includes a lower magnetic shield provided on a substrate, a magnetoresistive effect film laminated from a pinned layer with a pinned direction of magnetization, an intermediate layer, a free layer having a varying direction of magnetization controlled by an applied external magnetic field, a magnetic domain control layer formed with an intervening insulation layer on both sides in a track width direction of the magnetoresistive effect film, an upper magnetic shield, and electrodes for directing sense current flow in a direction perpendicular to a film surface of the magnetoresistive effect film, wherein a magnetic field applied by the magnetic domain control layer to a region away from an ABS of the free layer is at least 1.4 times larger than a magnetic field applied by the magnetic domain control layer to a region near the ABS of the free layer. | 12-02-2010 |
20100321835 | SELF-ALIGNED, TRAILING EDGE PARTIAL SIDE SHIELD AND METHOD OF MAKING - A magnetic writer includes a write pole, a first partial shield and a second partial shield. The write pole has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side and a second side. The first partial side shield is located on the first side of the write pole, and the second partial side shield is located on the second side of the write pole. The first partial side shield and the second partial side shield extend along side of the write pole from the trailing edge to a location intermediate that trailing edge and the leading edge so that the first partial side shield and the second partial side shield do not shield the leading edge. | 12-23-2010 |
20110007427 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH SYNTHETIC ANTIFERROMAGNETIC CAP OR SEED LAYERS - A magnetic sensor assembly including first and second shields, and a sensor stack between the first and second shields. The sensor stack includes a seed layer adjacent the first shield, a cap layer adjacent the second shield, and a magnetic sensor between the seed layer and the cap layer, wherein at least one of the seed layer and the cap layer has a synthetic antiferromagnetic structure. | 01-13-2011 |
20110007428 | WRITE POLE WITH A SYNTHESIZED LOW MAGNETIZATION SHIELD - A magnetic writer comprises a surface, a write pole, a trailing shield and a gap. The write pole has a write pole tip proximate the surface. The trailing shield is proximate the surface and space away from the write pole. The gap is proximate the surface and located between the write pole tip and the trailing shield. The gap has an effective thickness. The gap comprises a first write gap and a synthesized low magnetization shield. The synthesized low magnetization shield is configured such that a magnetization of the synthesized magnetization shield adjacent the surface has a perpendicular component in an opposite direction to the magnetization of the write pole tip during a write operation. | 01-13-2011 |
20110007429 | MAGNETIC SENSOR WITH PERPENDICULAR ANISOTROPHY FREE LAYER AND SIDE SHIELDS - A tunneling magneto-resistive reader includes a sensor stack separating a top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield. The sensor stack includes a reference magnetic element having a reference magnetization orientation direction and a free magnetic element having a free magnetization orientation direction substantially perpendicular to the reference magnetization orientation direction. A non-magnetic spacer layer separates the reference magnetic element from the free magnetic element. A first side magnetic shield and a second side magnetic shield is disposed between the top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield, and the sensor stack is between the first side magnetic shield and the second side magnetic shield. The first side magnetic shield and the second side magnetic shield electrically insulates the top magnetic shield from a bottom magnetic shield. | 01-13-2011 |
20110058283 | Perpendicular recording device having reduced sensitivity to external fields - In a read-write head, the shields can serve as magnetic flux conductors for external fields, so that they direct a certain amount of flux into the recording medium. This problem has been overcome by the addition to the shields of a pair of tabs located at the edges closest to the ABS. These tabs serve to prevent flux concentrating at the edges so that horizontal fields at these edges are significantly reduced. Said tabs need to have aspect ratios of at least 2 and may be either triangular or rectangular in shape. Alternatively, the tabs may be omitted and, instead, outer portions of the shield's lower edge may be shaped so as to slope upwards away from the ABS. | 03-10-2011 |
20110069417 | Magnetoresistive effect element in CPP structure and magnetic disk device - An MR element in a CPP structure includes an MR part configured with a nonmagnetic layer, a first ferromagnetic layer that functions as first free layer and a second ferromagnetic layer that functions as a second free layer, and first and second ferromagnetic layers are laminated to sandwich the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a sense current flows in a lamination direction of the MR part, an orthogonalizing bias function part, which influences a substantial orthogonalization function for magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, is formed on the rear side the MR part, side shield layers are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the MR part, the side shield layers are perpendicular magnetized layers with a magnetic shield function, and magnetization directions of the perpendicular magnetized layers are in an orthogonal direction that corresponds to the thickness direction. | 03-24-2011 |
20110090603 | MAMR head with self-aligned write element and microwave field generator - The invention discloses a MAMR head that has the STO stack placed at the trailing side of the write element, with both STO and write element completely self-aligned in the cross track direction. A method for defining both the MP and the STO stack geometries in a single step is also described. | 04-21-2011 |
20110109998 | RECORDING HEAD WITH TILTED ORIENTATION - In one embodiment, a read sensor for a recording head for a magnetic media storage system, has first and second shields, and a magneto-resistive sensor disposed between and shielded by the first and second shields in which the sensing axis of the sensor is tilted with respect to the recording surface of the head. In one embodiment, the sensing axis is oriented at an angle between 10 and 60 degrees with respect to the normal of the recording surface. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 05-12-2011 |
20110109999 | MAGNETIC SHIELD STRUCTURE - An apparatus and associated method for a magnetic shield structure for data transduction from a recordable media in a data storage device. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a data transducer and a magnetic shield structure comprising a write shield magnetic material constructed of exchange decoupled material. | 05-12-2011 |
20110116195 | MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD DESIGN USING PERMANENT MAGNETS AND EXCHANGE SPRING MECHANISM - A magnetic recording head includes a write pole and a first permanent magnet. The write pole has a write pole tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side and a second side. The first permanent magnet is located either at the trailing edge of the write pole, the first side of the write pole or at the second side of the write pole. The first permanent magnet has a magnetization orientation that is changed in relation to a field of the write pole. | 05-19-2011 |
20110181988 | Shield design for magnetic recording head - A method is disclosed for forming a magnetic shield in which all domain patterns and orientations are stable and which are consistently repeated each time said shield is exposed to an initialization field. The shield is given a shape which ensures that all closure domains can align themselves at a reduced angle relative to the initialization direction while still being roughly antiparallel to one another. Most, though not all, of these shapes are variations on trapezoids. | 07-28-2011 |
20110194213 | MAGNETIC READ HEAD - In some examples, a system comprising a data storage member including a magnetic storage medium, the magnetic storage medium having a plurality of magnetic bit domains aligned on at least one data track, where a transition boundary between respective magnetic bit domains defines a transition curvature. The system may further comprise a magnetic read head including a first shield layer, a second shield layer, and a read sensor stack provided proximate to the first and second shield layers, where the magnetic read head senses a magnetic field of each of the plurality of magnetic bit domains according to a read playback sensitivity function. In some examples, the shield layers and read sensor stack may be configured to provide a reader playback sensitivity function that substantially corresponds to the shape of the respective magnetic bit domains. | 08-11-2011 |
20110205671 | MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD WITH NOTCHED SHIELD - A magnetic recording head includes a magnetic recording write element including a main pole. The main pole has a leading edge and an opposing trailing edge and a first side surface and a second side surface separating the leading edge from the trailing edge. A first side magnetic shield is positioned adjacent the first side surface and a second side magnetic shield positioned adjacent to the second side surface. A first side shield gap separates the first side shield from the first side of the main pole. A second side shield gap separates the second side shield from the second side of the main pole. A front magnetic shield is separated from the main pole trailing edge by a front shield gap. A recess extends into the front shield adjacent to the trailing edge, and parallel to the trailing edge. The recess extends laterally away from the main pole and into the front shield a distance greater than the first side shield gap or second side shield gap. | 08-25-2011 |
20110261487 | MATERIAL FOR USE IN A TMR READ GAP WITHOUT ADVERSELY AFFECTING THE TMR EFFECT - Structures and methods for fabrication servo and data heads of tape modules are provided. The servo head may have two shield layers spaced apart by a plurality of gap layers and a sensor. Similarly, the data head may have two shield layers spaced apart by a plurality of gap layers and a sensor. The distance between the shield layers of the servo head may be greater than the distance between the shield layers of the data head. The material of the gap layers may include tantalum or an alloy of nickel and chromium. The material for the gap layers permits deposition of gap layers with sufficiently small surface roughness to prevent distortion of the tape module and increase the stability of the tape module operation. | 10-27-2011 |
20110267720 | READER SHIELD WITH TILTED MAGNETIZATION - An apparatus that includes a first read shield and a second read shield and a reader stack between the first and second read shields. The first and second read shields each include a tilted magnetization layer closest to the reader stack to control magnetic field flux lines in a free layer of the reader stack and thereby improve a selectivity of the reader to independently sense and isolate media transitions. | 11-03-2011 |
20110273802 | Side shielded magnetoresistive(MR) read with perpendicular magnetic free layer - A MR sensor is disclosed that has a free layer (FL) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) which eliminates the need for an adjacent hard bias structure to stabilize free layer magnetization and minimizes shield-FL interactions. In a TMR embodiment, a seed layer, free layer, junction layer, reference layer, and pinning layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield. After patterning, a conformal insulation layer is formed along the sensor sidewall. Thereafter, a top shield is formed on the insulation layer and includes side shields that are separated from the FL by a narrow read gap. The sensor is scalable to widths <50 nm when PMA is greater than the FL self-demag field. Effective bias field is rather insensitive to sensor aspect ratio which makes tall stripe and narrow width sensors a viable approach for high RA TMR configurations. Side shields may be extended below the seed layer plane. | 11-10-2011 |
20110310513 | AUXILIARY MAGNETORESISTIVE SHIELD - An apparatus includes a magnetoresistive read element, first and second primary shields, and an auxiliary shield. The magnetoresistive read element is located between the first and the second primary shields, and the auxiliary shield is located between the magnetoresistive read element and the first primary shield. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of magnets located between a plurality of shields for a magnetoresistive element. The plurality of magnets is optionally offset from the magnetoresistive element. | 12-22-2011 |
20120063034 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR WITH IMPROVED INSULATING STRUCTURE - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor, like a CPP MR disk drive read head, has an improved insulating structure surrounding the stack of layers making up the sensor. The sensor has a first silicon nitride layer with a thickness between about 1 and 5 nm on the side edges of the sensor and on regions of the bottom shield layer adjacent the sensor below the sensor's ferromagnetic biasing layer. The sensor has a second silicon nitride layer with a thickness between about 2 and 5 nm on the back edge of the sensor and on the region of the bottom shield layer adjacent the sensor back edge, and a substantially thicker metal oxide layer on the second silicon nitride layer. The insulating structure prevents edge damage at the perimeter of the sensor and thus allows for the fabrication of CPP MR read heads with substantially smaller dimensions. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063035 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR WITH REFERENCE LAYER INTEGRATED IN MAGNETIC SHIELD - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive (CPP MR) sensor has a shield layers that also functions as the sensor's reference layer. In a CPP MR disk drive read head, the shield layer has a fixed magnetization oriented substantially parallel to the air-bearing surface (ABS) of the slider that supports the read head. The quiescent magnetization of the sensor free layer is oriented at an angle relative to the magnetization of the shield layer, preferably between 120 and 150 degrees, to optimize the sensor response to magnetic fields from the recorded data bits on the disk. The magnetization of the free layer is biased by a biasing structure that includes a ferromagnetic side biasing layer formed near the side edges of the free layer and a ferromagnetic back biasing layer that is recessed from the ABS and has a magnetization oriented generally orthogonal to the ABS. | 03-15-2012 |
20120075751 | CURRENT PERPENDICULAR TO PLANE MAGNETORESISTANCE READ HEAD DESIGN USING A CURRENT CONFINEMENT STRUCTURE PROXIMAL TO AN AIR BEARING SURFACE - A current to perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistance (MR) read head using current confinement proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS) is disclosed. A CPP MR read head includes a first shield, an MR sensor formed on the first shield, and a second shield contacting the MR sensor proximal to an ABS. The CPP MR read head further includes insulating material between the MR sensor and the second shield, where the insulating material is distal to the ABS to electrically isolate the MR sensor from the second shield distal to the ABS. Sense current injected from the second shield through the MR sensor and into the first shield is confined proximal to the ABS at a location where the second shield contacts the MR sensor. | 03-29-2012 |
20120127615 | TMR READER STRUCTURE AND PROCESS FOR FABRICATION - The present invention generally relates to a TMR reader and a method for its manufacture. The TMR reader discussed herein adds a shield layer to the sensor structure. The shield layer is deposited over the capping layer so that the shield layer and the capping layer collectively protect the free magnetic layer within the sensor structure from damage during further processing. Additionally, the hard bias layer is shaped such that the entire hard bias layer underlies the hard bias capping layer so that a top lead layer is not present. By eliminating the top lead layer and including a shield layer within the sensor structure, the read gap is reduced while still protecting the free magnetic layer during later processing. | 05-24-2012 |
20120127616 | TMR READER WITHOUT DLC CAPPING STRUCTURE - Embodiments herein generally relate to TMR readers and methods for their manufacture. The embodiments discussed herein disclose TMR readers that utilize a structure that avoids use of the DLC layer over the sensor structure and over the hard bias layer. The capping structure over the sensor structure functions as both a protective layer for the sensor structure and a CMP stop layer. The hard bias capping structure functions as both a protective structure for the hard bias layer and as a CMP stop layer. The capping structures that are free of DLC reduce the formation of notches in the second shield layer so that second shield layer is substantially flat. | 05-24-2012 |
20120134057 | Magnetic Element with Improved Stability - A magnetic element capable of detecting changes in magnetic states, such as for use as a read sensor in a data transducing head or as a solid-state non-volatile memory element. In accordance with various embodiments, the magnetic element includes a magnetically responsive stack or lamination with a first areal extent. The stack includes a spacer layer positioned between first and second ferromagnetic free layers. At least one antiferromagnetic (AFM) tab is connected to the first free layer on a surface thereof opposite the spacer layer, the AFM tab having a second areal extent that is less than the first areal extent. | 05-31-2012 |
20120154955 | MAGNETIC STRUCTURE FREE LAYER STABILIZATION - A magnetic layered structure is presently disclosed comprising a pinned layer, a first anti-ferromagnetic layer that defines a magnetic orientation of the pinned layer, a free layer, a second anti-ferromagnetic layer that biases the free layer to a magnetic orientation approximately perpendicular to the magnetic orientation of the pinned layer, and a tuning layer positioned between and in contact with the second anti-ferromagnetic layer and the free layer that tunes free layer bias to a desired level. | 06-21-2012 |
20120170156 | MAGNETIC HEAD FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HAVING A MAIN POLE AND TWO SHIELDS - A magnetic head includes: a coil; a main pole; a first shield disposed backward of the main pole along a direction of travel of a recording medium; a first return path section connecting the first shield to the main pole; a second shield disposed forward of the main pole along the direction of travel of the recording medium; and a second return path section connecting the second shield to the main pole. An interface between the first return path section and the main pole has an end closest to a medium facing surface, and an interface between the second return path section and the main pole has an end closest to the medium facing surface, the latter being closer to the medium facing surface than the former. The second return path section includes a yoke layer located away from the medium facing surface and in contact with the main pole. The coil includes at least one coil element that passes between the second shield and the yoke layer. | 07-05-2012 |
20120268846 | Magnetic Element With Enhanced Coupling Portion - An apparatus and associated method may be used to produce a magnetic element capable of detecting changes in magnetic states. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a magnetically responsive lamination of layers with a first portion and a laterally adjacent second portion. The second portion having a predetermined roughness between at least two layers capable of producing orange-peel coupling. | 10-25-2012 |
20120281319 | Magnetoresistive Shield - A magnetic shield that is capable of enhancing magnetic reading. In accordance with various embodiments, a magnetic element has a magnetically responsive stack shielded from magnetic flux and biased to a predetermined default magnetization by at least one lateral side shield that has a transition metal layer disposed between first and second ferromagnetic layers. | 11-08-2012 |
20120281320 | Magnetoresistive Shield with Stabilizing feature - A magnetoresistive (MR) reader is adjacent to at least one shield that extends from an air bearing surface (ABS) a first distance. The shield has a stabilizing feature that is contactingly adjacent the MR reader and extends from the ABS a second distance that is less than the first distance. | 11-08-2012 |
20120320474 | MICROWAVE ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING METHOD THEREWITH - A microwave assisted magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole; a trailing shield, a main coil for causing the main magnetic pole to generate a perpendicular recording field, at least one secondary coil for generating an in-plane alternate-current (AC) magnetic field with a frequency in a microwave band from a magnetic recording gap between the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield, nonmagnetic films formed on magnetic recording gap facing surfaces that are defined by the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield, the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield being configured with first soil magnetic films, and second soft magnetic films formed further on the surfaces of the nonmagnetic films. The second soft magnetic films have larger anisotropy fields than the first soft magnetic films have. | 12-20-2012 |
20130044394 | DEVICES AND METHODS USING RECESSED ELECTRON SPIN ANALYZERS - In certain embodiments, a magnetic had includes a top shield and a bottom shield positioned at an air bearing surface. A polarizer and a nonmagnetic layer are positioned between the top and bottom shields. An analyzer is positioned adjacent the nonmagnetic layer at a distance recessed from the air bearing surface. Current travels through the top shield, polarizer, nonmagnetic layer, and first analyzer. | 02-21-2013 |
20130163124 | MAGNETIC READ SENSOR HAVING FLAT SHIELD PROFILE - A magnetic read sensor having a flat shield for improved gap thickness definition and control. The magnetic read head includes a sensor stack and hard bias layer formed at either side of the sensor stack. A SiNx hard bias capping layer is formed over the hard bias layers between the hard bias structure and the upper magnetic shield. The hard bias capping layer has an upper surface that has been planarized by chemical mechanical polishing that is co-planar with an upper surface of the sensor stack. The read sensor is constructed by a method wherein the hard bias capping layer is constructed of a material (e.g. SiNx) that is also used as a CMP stop layer and that can be planarized by chemical mechanical polishing while having some resistance to removal by chemical mechanical polishing. | 06-27-2013 |
20140071562 | Magnetic Recording Assisted by Spin Torque Oscillator with a Radio Frequency Current Bias - A design is disclosed for a microwave assisted magnetic recording device wherein direct current and rf current are simultaneously injected from a bias tee into a spin transfer oscillator (STO) between a main pole and write shield to improve the assist process. The STO oscillation layer (OL) has a large angle magnetization oscillation frequency that is locked to a magnetic medium bit resonance frequency f0 when the rf current has a frequency f=f0 and a threshold current density is applied. Alternatively, the OL magnetization oscillation frequency may be adjusted closer to f0 to improve the assist process. A third advantage is lowering the threshold current density when both direct current and rf current are injected into the STO during a write process. The main pole is grounded when direct current and rf current are injected into a write shield. | 03-13-2014 |
20140104729 | Shield Stabilization Configuration with Applied Bias - An apparatus includes a sensor stack, first and second shields positioned on opposite sides of the sensor stack, and a first shield stabilization structure adjacent to the first shield and applying a bias magnetic field to the first shield. A second shield stabilization structure can be positioned adjacent to the second shield. | 04-17-2014 |
20140254047 | READER WITH DECOUPLED MAGNETIC SEED LAYER - An apparatus comprising a base shield and a sensor stack, wherein the base shield is separated from the sensor stack via a first soft magnetic layer that is magnetically decoupled form the base shield. | 09-11-2014 |
20140268429 | SHAPED DATA SENSOR SHIELD CONTACTS - A data sensor may be configured in accordance with some embodiments to have a magnetically responsive stack that contacts at least one shield. The at least one shield may be constructed with a non-rectangular shaped electrical contact, such as a triangular and trapezoidal shape, respectively positioned on top and bottom shields on opposite sides of the magnetically responsive stack. | 09-18-2014 |
20140334040 | MAGNETIC SHIELD BASE LAMINATION - A magnetic element may generally be configured as a read head with at least a magnetic stack that contacts at least one magnetic shield. The magnetic shield can be positioned on top of a base lamination and have at least a predetermined anisotropy and magnetic coercivity corresponding to the base lamination. | 11-13-2014 |
20140334041 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD, MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT - A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a magnetoresistance effect film including: a first magnetic film; a second magnetic film; and an intermediate film of a nonmagnetic material disposed between the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film, at least one of the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film being formed of a material expressed as A | 11-13-2014 |
20140334042 | READER WITH DECOUPLED MAGNETIC SEED LAYER - An apparatus comprising a base shield and a sensor stack, wherein the base shield is separated from the sensor stack via a first soft magnetic layer that is magnetically decoupled form the base shield. | 11-13-2014 |
20140340793 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR - Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more regions of reduced anisotropy proximal to a sensor stack within a shielding structure. | 11-20-2014 |
20150036246 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR SHIELD - Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for a region of reduced anisotropy within a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) shield. The SAF shield includes first and second layers of ferromagnetic material separated by a coupling spacer layer. A distance between the first and second layers of ferromagnetic material is greater in a region proximal to the sensor stack than in a region away from the sensor stack. | 02-05-2015 |
20150062759 | CAPPING MATERIALS FOR MAGNETIC READ HEAD SENSOR - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a magnetic head having a sensor structure comprising a pinned layer, a spacer layer, a free layer and a capping structure. The free layer has a topmost layer comprising CoB and the capping structure comprises an X layer, where X is an element such as Hf, Zr, Ti, V, Nb, or Ta. | 03-05-2015 |
20150092303 | GRADED SIDE SHIELD GAP READER - Embodiments of the present invention generally include magnetoresistive heads, such as read heads, having a sensor structure and side shields disposed adjacent to the sensor structure. The distance between the side shields and the sensor structure increase in a direction from an ABS in the off-track direction. The magnetoresistive heads may include tapered surfaces on the side shields or sensor structure, or may include stepped surfaces on the side shields or sensor structure. | 04-02-2015 |
20150098155 | Magnetic Sensor Shield Pinned by a High-Coercivity Ferromagnet - A magnetic sensor may generally be configured as a data reader capable of sensing data bits from an adjacent data storage medium. Various embodiments of a magnetic element may have at least a magnetic stack that contacts at least a first shield. The first shield can have at least one synthetic antiferromagnetic structure (SAFS) that is pinned by a high-coercivity ferromagnetic (HCFM) layer. | 04-09-2015 |
20150103446 | CONTACT RECORDING TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH LAYER OF REFRACTORY METAL - Various embodiments relate to an apparatus having a sensor with an active tunnel magnetoresistive region, magnetic shields flanking, the tunnel magnetoresistive region, and gaps between the active tunnel magnetoresistive region and the magnetic shields. The active tunnel magnetoresistive region includes a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a reference layer. At least one of the gaps includes an electrically conductive layer having a refractory material. Other embodiments relate to an apparatus having a sensor with an active tunnel magnetoresistive region, magnetic shields flanking the tunnel magnetoresistive region, and gaps between the tunnel magnetoresistive region and the magnetic shields. The active tunnel magnetoresistive region includes a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a reference layer. At least one of the gaps includes an electrically conductive layer having a modified region at a media facing side thereof, the modified region being at least one of nonconductive and mechanically hardened. | 04-16-2015 |
20150116867 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR HAVING AN ANTIPARALLEL FREE (APF) STRUCTURE WITH IMPROVED MAGNETIC STABILITY - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive sensor has an antiparallel free (APF) structure and soft side shields wherein the upper free layer (FL2) of the APF structure is magnetically coupled antiparallel to the top shield and a top shield seed layer via a nonmagnetic antiparallel coupling (APC) layer. In one embodiment the antiparallel coupling is through an antiferromagnetic-coupling (AFC) layer that provides a dominant antiferromagnetic indirect exchange coupling of FL2 to the top shield. In another embodiment the antiparallel coupling is by an APC layer that decouples FL2 and the top shield and causes the edge-induced magnetostatic coupling between FL2 and the seed layer to dominate. The degree of coupling is controlled by the composition and thickness of the nonmagnetic APC layer between FL2 and the seed layer, and by the thickness of the seed layer. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116868 | LAYERED SYNTHETIC ANTI-FERROMAGNETIC UPPER SHIELD - A magneto-resistive (MR) sensor may include a variety of individual functional layers whereby an electrical resistance throughout the layers of the sensor stack varies according to the polarity of a pinned layer within the sensor stack. A layered synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (SAF) upper shield of the MR sensor includes an upper SAF layer and a lower SAF layer separated by a shield anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) layer. The lower SAF layer is in contact with a side shield of the MR sensor, which provides a side shield biasing field to the MR sensor. The upper SAF layer separates the lower SAF layer from a top shield and/or domain control structure (DCS) magnet(s) of the MR sensor and shields the lower SAF layer and the sensor stack from DCS stray field(s), thereby reducing noise. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116869 | ASYMMETRIC SENSITIVITY READER - Embodiments described herein generally relate to a magnetic read head wherein read sensitivity distribution is made asymmetric in the off-track direction. The method of making the magnetic head is also disclosed. The read head may comprise a magneto-resistive effect element with an asymmetric structure around the element in the off-track direction and the read sensitivity profile in the off-track direction may also be asymmetric. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116870 | SPIN TRANSPORT SENSOR - The implementations disclosed herein provide for a spin transport sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent a shield element. The SAF extends to an air-bearing surface (ABS) and provides a current path from a current source to an ABS-region of a spin conductor layer. Spin current diffuses from the spin conductor layer to an adjacent free layer, which generates a measurable electrical voltage in a free layer of the spin transport sensor. The SAF serves as both a magnetic shield and a spin injector to the spin conductor layer. | 04-30-2015 |
20150325260 | SENSOR STACK STRUCTURE - A reader stack, such as for a magnetic storage device, the stack having a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer, a magnetic capping layer adjacent to the top SAF layer, an RKKY coupling layer adjacent to the magnetic capping layer opposite the top SAF layer, and a free layer adjacent to the RKKY coupling layer opposite the magnetic capping layer. Also included is a method for biasing a free layer in a reader stack by providing an exchange coupling between the free layer and a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer using a layer having RKKY coupling property positioned between the free layer and the top SAF layer and a magnetic capping layer between the SAF layer and the layer having RKKY coupling property. | 11-12-2015 |
20150332712 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS - A magnetic head of an embodiment includes a stack, side shields, and a first and a second magnetic shield. The stack includes a pin layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a first free layer having a magnetization direction to change in accordance with an external magnetic field, a second free layer antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled with the first free layer and having a magnetization direction to change in accordance with the field, and an antiferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled with the second free layer. A magnetic field is applied from the side shields to the first and second free layers, and a direction of the magnetic field is substantially parallel to the magnetization direction of one of the first and second free layers and substantially antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the other, and a magnetic volume of the one is larger than a magnetic volume of the other. | 11-19-2015 |
20150332713 | Increased Stability Magnetic Shield - A data storage device may be configured at least with a magnetic stack that contacts a magnetic shield. The magnetic stack can be disposed between first and second side shields and having at least one layer constructed of a CoFeNiB material. The magnetic shield may have a synthetic antiferromagnet with a non-magnetic layer disposed between first and second ferromagnetic layers. | 11-19-2015 |
20150332714 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR - Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each includes a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack. | 11-19-2015 |
20150371666 | MAGNETIC SHIELD FOR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD - A magnetic shield for a magnetic recording head includes a plurality of ferromagnetic layers, a spacer layer, and a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer includes Co, Fe, B, or a combination thereof and effectively reduces irregular grain growth within the ferromagnetic layers, the spacer layer includes Ru, and the ferromagnetic layers magnetically couple through each of the buffer layer and the spacer layer. | 12-24-2015 |
20160027457 | MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD, MAGNETIC HEAD ASSEMBLY, MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT - According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistance effect element includes first and second shields, first and second side magnetic units, a stacked body, and a hard bias unit. The first side magnetic unit includes a first soft magnetic layer, a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a second soft magnetic layer. The second side magnetic unit includes a third soft magnetic layer, a second nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a fourth soft magnetic layer. The stacked body includes a fifth ferromagnetic layer, a third nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a sixth ferromagnetic layer. The hard bias unit is provided between the first and second shields. A first distance between the first and fifth magnetic layers is shorter than a second distance between the second and sixth magnetic layers. A third distance between the third and fifth magnetic layers is shorter than a fourth distance between the fourth and sixth magnetic layers. | 01-28-2016 |
20160027458 | CONFINEMENT MAGNETIC CAP - Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a TMR sensor for reading a recording from a magnetic recording medium using TMR, and in particular, to a magnetic capping structure of the TMR sensor. The sensor comprises a free layer and a magnetic capping structure. The magnetic capping structure comprises a ferromagnetic capping layer and an absorption layer formed on the ferromagnetic capping layer. The absorption layer is adapted to absorb molecules from the ferromagnetic capping layer and prevent the ferromagnetic capping layer from diffusing into the free layer. | 01-28-2016 |
20160035377 | SPIN-VALVE ELEMENT, HARD DISK HEAD, AND HARD DISK HEAD ASSEMBLY - According to one embodiment, a spin-valve element includes a nonmagnetic unit, a first magnetic unit, a second magnetic unit, a third magnetic unit, a current source, and a voltage sensor. The current source is connected to the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit. The current source causes a current to flow between the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit via the nonmagnetic unit. The voltage sensor is connected to the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit. A maximum length of a contact surface between the first magnetic unit and the nonmagnetic unit is not more than a spin diffusion length of the nonmagnetic unit. A length of the first magnetic unit in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface is not more than 3 times a spin diffusion length of the first magnetic unit. The first magnetic unit does not contact an external electrode. | 02-04-2016 |
20160055869 | MAGNETIC HEAD FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING INCLUDING TWO SIDE SHIELDS - A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. A second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The distance between the first sidewall and the third sidewall decreases with increasing proximity to the top surface of a substrate. The second and fourth sidewalls are close to perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has an edge farthest from the top surface of the substrate, the edge being parallel to the medium facing surface. The main pole has a first, a second, a third and a fourth side surface. The first side surface is opposed to the first sidewall. A portion of the second side surface is opposed to the second sidewall. The third side surface is opposed to the third sidewall. A portion of the fourth side surface is opposed to the fourth sidewall. | 02-25-2016 |
20160071531 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS - A magnetic head of an embodiment includes a stack, side shields, and a first and a second magnetic shield. The stack includes a pin layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a first free layer having a magnetization direction to change in accordance with an external magnetic field, a second free layer antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled with the first free layer and having a magnetization direction to change in accordance with the field, and an antiferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled with the second free layer. A magnetic field is applied from the side shields to the first and second free layers, and a direction of the magnetic field is substantially parallel to the magnetization direction of one of the first and second free layers and substantially antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the other, and a magnetic volume of the one is larger than a magnetic volume of the other. | 03-10-2016 |
20160078889 | SENSOR STRUCTURE HAVING LAYER WITH HIGH MAGNETIC MOMENT - A reader sensor having a composite shield and a sensor stack. The composite shield includes a high magnetic moment layer having a magnetic moment greater than 1.0 T, a low magnetic moment layer, and a spacer therebetween. The high magnetic moment layer is closer to the stack than the low magnetic moment layer. The high magnetic moment layer may be a single layer or have a plurality of layers. | 03-17-2016 |
20160093319 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH SAF STRUCTURE HAVING AMORPHOUS ALLOY LAYER - A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that is magnetically coupled to a side shield element. The SAF structure includes at least one magnetic amorphous layer that is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The amorphous magnetic layer may be in contact with a non-magnetic layer and antiferromagnetically coupled to a layer in contact with an opposite surface of the non-magnetic layer. | 03-31-2016 |
20160133282 | MAGNETIC READ HEAD HAVING A CPP MR SENSOR ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM A TOP SHIELD - An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a transducer structure having: a lower shield, an upper shield above the lower shield, a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor between the upper and lower shields, and an insulating layer between the at least one lead and the shield closest thereto. At least one lead is selected from a group including: an upper electrical lead between the sensor and the upper shield and a lower electrical lead between the sensor and the lower shield. The at least one lead is in electrical communication with the sensor. A width of one or more of the at least one lead in a cross track direction is about equal to a width of the sensor. | 05-12-2016 |
20160155458 | SENSOR STRUCTURE HAVING LAYER WITH HIGH MAGNETIC MOMENT | 06-02-2016 |
20160379675 | ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MAGNETIC SHIELD LAMINATE STRUCTURE FOR CONTACT RECORDING SENSOR - In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic sensor structure, a magnetic shield having at least one laminate pair comprising a magnetic layer and an electrically conductive nonmagnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the sensor structure and the magnetic shield. In another general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic tunnel junction sensor structure, and a magnetic shield having at least two laminate pairs, each pair comprising a magnetic layer and an electrically conductive nonmagnetic layer. A deposition thickness of the nonmagnetic layer in each laminate pair is about 10% or less of a total deposition thickness of the laminate pair. | 12-29-2016 |