Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110014500 | Structure and method to fabricate high performance MTJ devices for spin-transfer torque (STT)-RAM application - A STT-RAM MTJ is disclosed with a MgO tunnel barrier formed by natural oxidation and containing an oxygen surfactant layer to form a more uniform MgO layer and lower breakdown distribution percent. A CoFeB/NCC/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel layer minimizes Jc | 01-20-2011 |
20120161264 | JUNCTION ISOLATION FOR MAGNETIC READ SENSOR - Embodiments generally relate to a magnetic read sensor and a method for its manufacture. A multi-layer insulating material may be used to cover both the first shield layer and also the sidewalls of the sensor structure in the magnetic read sensor. The first insulating layer of the multi-layer insulating material may be deposited by an ion beam sputtering process in a chamber that does not have any oxygen gas flowing into it so that oxygen diffusion into the sensor structure is reduced or eliminated. Then, a second insulating layer of the multi-layer insulating material may be deposited by atomic layer deposition such that the second insulating layer has a greater quality than the first insulating layer. The higher quality increases the breakdown voltage for the magnetic read sensor. Thus, the magnetic read sensor of the present invention has an effective insulating portion that increases the breakdown voltage without sensor damage. | 06-28-2012 |
20120231296 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ADVANCED MAGNETIC READ SENSOR - A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor that minimizes topography resulting from stripe height defining masking and patterning in order to facilitate definition of track width. The method includes depositing a series of mask layers and then masking and ion milling the series of sensor layers to define a back edge of a sensor. A non-magnetic fill layer is then deposited, the magnetic fill layer being constructed of a material that has an ion mill rate that is similar to that of the series of sensor layers. A second masking and milling process is then performed to define the track width of the sensor and hard bias is deposited. Because the non-magnetic fill layer is removed at substantially the same rate as the sensor material the structure has a very flat topography on which to form the sensor track width. | 09-13-2012 |
20130082696 | MAGNETIC BIAS STRUCTURE FOR MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR HAVING A SCISSOR STRUCTURE - A scissor style magnetic sensor having a novel hard bias structure for improved magnetic biasing robustness. The sensor includes a sensor stack that includes first and second magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer such as an electrically insulating barrier layer or an electrically conductive spacer layer. The first and second magnetic layers have magnetizations that are antiparallel coupled, but that are canted in a direction that is neither parallel with nor perpendicular to the air bearing surface by a magnetic bias stricture. The magnetic bias structure includes a neck portion extending from the back edge of the sensor stack and having first and second sides that are aligned with first and second sides of the sensor stack. The bias structure also includes a tapered or wedged portion extending backward from the neck portion. | 04-04-2013 |
20130083432 | MAGNETIC BIAS STRUCTURE FOR MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR - A magnetic read head having a hard bias structure that both optimizes magnetic bias field and also ensures manufacturability while maintaining sensor stripe height integrity. The read head includes a sensor stack having a back edge and first and second laterally opposed sides. A hard bias structure extending from each of the first and second sides of the sensor stack has a neck portion located near the sensor and having a back edge that is aligned with and parallel to the back edge of the sensor stack. The hard bias structure also includes a flared portion having a back edge that defines an angle relative to the air bearing surface of the read head. The back edge preferably defines and angle of 45-75 degrees relative to the air bearing surface. | 04-04-2013 |
20130163121 | MAGNETIC SENSOR HAVING HARD BIAS STRUCTURE FOR OPTIMIZED HARD BIAS FIELD AND HARD BIAS COERCIVITY - A magnetic read sensor having a hard bias structure that extends beyond the back edge of the sensor stack by a controlled, distance that is chosen to maximize both hard bias field and hard bias magnetic coercivity and anisotropy. The hard bias structure has a back edge that is well defined and that has a square corner at its innermost end adjacent to the sensor stack. The magnetic sensor can be constructed by a process that includes a separate making an milling process that is dedicated to defining the back edge of the hard bias structure. | 06-27-2013 |
20140153138 | SCISSOR MAGNETIC READ HEAD WITH WRAP-AROUND MAGNETIC SHIELD - A magnetic scissor type magnetic read head having magnetic side shielding for reduced effective track width and having side biasing for improved stability. The read head includes first and magnetic side shields that each include first and second magnetic layers and an anti-parallel exchange coupling layer sandwiched there-between. The magnetic layers of the side shields are anti-parallel coupled with one another such that one of the magnetic layers has its magnetization oriented in a first direction parallel with the air bearing surface and the second magnetic layer has its magnetization oriented in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and also parallel with the air bearing surface. These magnetizations of the first and second magnetic layers provide a bias field that stabilizes the magnetization of the free magnetic layers of the sensor stack to prevent flipping of the magnetizations of these layers. | 06-05-2014 |
20140168822 | MAGNETIC SENSOR WITH EXTENDED PINNED LAYER AND PARTIAL WRAP AROUND SHIELD - A magnetic read head that has improved pinned layer stability while also maintaining excellent free layer stability. The free layer has sides that define a trackwidth of the sensor and a back edge that defines a functional stripe height of the sensor. However, the pinned layer can extend significantly beyond both the width of the free layer and the back edge (e.g. stripe height) of the free layer. The sensor also has a soft magnetic bias structure that compensates for the reduced volume presented by the side extension of the pinned layer. The soft magnetic bias structure can be magnetically coupled with the trailing magnetic shield, either parallel coupled or anti-parallel coupled. In addition, all or a portion of the soft magnetic bias structure can be exchange coupled to a layer of anti-ferromagnetic material in order to improve the robustness of the soft magnetic bias structure. | 06-19-2014 |
20140168824 | MAGNETIC SENSOR HAVING AN EXTENDED PINNED LAYER AND SHAPE ENHANCED BIAS STRUCTURE - A magnetic read sensor having an extended pinned layer structure and also having an extended free layer structure. The extended pinned layer structure and extended free layer structure both extend beyond the strip height of the free layer of the sensor to provide improved pinning strength as well as improved free layer biasing reliability and bias field strength. | 06-19-2014 |
20140175576 | SHAPE ENHANCED PIN READ HEAD MAGNETIC TRANSDUCER WITH STRIPE HEIGHT DEFINED FIRST AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME - The present invention generally relates to a magnetic sensor in a read head having a hard or soft bias layer that is uniform in thickness within the sensor stack. The method of making such sensor is also disclosed. The free layer stripe height is first defined, followed by defining the track width, and lastly the pinned layer stripe height is defined. The pinned layer and the hard or soft bias layer are defined in the same process step. This approach eliminates a partial hard or soft bias layer and reduces potential instability issues. | 06-26-2014 |
20140178713 | MAGNETIC READ SENSOR WITH DUAL LAYER INSULATION - A magnetic read sensor having reduced hard bias free layer spacing and improved insulation robustness between the hard bias layers and the shield and sensor. The read sensor has a novel bi-layer insulation layer that can be made very thin while also providing good electrical insulation to prevent sense current shunting. The bi-layer insulation layer can be made by a process that provides improved sensor performance. | 06-26-2014 |
20150062751 | MAGNETIC SENSOR HAVING AN EXTENDED PINNED LAYER WITH STITCHED ANTIFERROMAGNETIC PINNING LAYER - A magnetic sensor having a novel pinning structure resulting in a greatly reduced gap spacing. The sensor has a magnetic free layer structure that extends to a first stripe height and a magnetic pinned layer structure that extends to a second stripe height that is longer than the first stripe high. A layer of anti-ferromagnetic material is formed over the pinned layer structure in the region beyond the first stripe height location. In this way, the antiferromagnetic layer is between the pinned layer and the second or upper shield and does not contribute to gap spacing. | 03-05-2015 |