Abstract: A write head structure for perpendicular recording having a pole tip integrated into the metal film surrounding a C aperture near field light source is disclosed. The close proximity of the pole tip to the light source enables more precise location of data cells written into the magnetic media, through the use of dual gradient thermally assisted recording. In dual gradient recording, data is fixed by the effect of both a thermal gradient, which affects the coercivity of the magnetic media, combined with a magnetic field gradient imposed by the pole tip.

Abstract: A method for making a master mold to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks results in a master mold having topographic pillars arranged in a pattern of annular bands of concentric rings. The ratio of circumferential density of the pillars to the radial density of the concentric rings in a band is greater than 1. The method uses sidewall lithography to first form a pattern of generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines on the master mold substrate, with the lines being grouped into annular zones or bands. The sidewall lithography process can be repeated, resulting in a doubling of the number of lines each time the process is repeated. Conventional lithography is used to form concentric rings over the radially-directed pairs of parallel lines. After etching and resist removal, the master mold has pillars arranged in circular rings, with the rings grouped into annular bands.

Abstract: A write head structure for perpendicular recording having a pole tip integrated into the metal film surrounding a C aperture near field light source is disclosed. The close proximity of the pole tip to the light source enables more precise location of data cells written into the magnetic media, through the use of dual gradient thermally assisted recording. In dual gradient recording, data is fixed by the effect of both a thermal gradient, which affects the coercivity of the magnetic media, combined with a magnetic field gradient imposed by the pole tip.

Abstract: A slider for use in a magnetic data recording system that is constructed from a Si wafer by a method that saves valuable wafer real estate by minimizing kerf related to the cutting of the wafer into slider rows. The sliders are produced from a (110) oriented Si wafer, and the sliders are parsed into rows by a process that involves forming a mask having a trench or opening between the rows of sliders at the location of the desired cut and parallel to a vertical (111) plane of the wafer. The wafer is then exposed to KOH which removes wafer material in the vertical direction through the wafer without removing wafer material in the horizontal direction. The vertical removal of wafer material is due to the extreme preferential removal of the (110) surface Si over that of the (111) surface Si. This results in a narrow straight trench being formed. The KOH etch removal can form a trench or cut having a width of only 30 to 50 um through a 1 mm thick wafer.

Abstract: A process for forming a plurality of sliders for use in thermally-assisted recording (TAR) disk drives includes a wafer-level process for forming a plurality of aperture structures, and optionally abutting optical channels, on a wafer surface prior to cutting the wafer into individual sliders. The wafer has a generally planar surface arranged into a plurality of rectangularly-shaped regions. In each rectangular region a first metal layer is deposited on the wafer surface, followed by a layer of radiation-transmissive aperture material, which is then lithographically patterned to define the width of the aperture, the aperture width being parallel to the length of the rectangularly-shaped region. A second metal layer is deposited over the patterned layer of aperture material. The resulting structure is then lithographically patterned to define an aperture structure comprising aperture material surrounded by metal and having parallel radiation entrance and exit faces orthogonal to the wafer surface.

Abstract: A nano-sized CPP aperture is precisely positioned to within a few nanometers of a slider ABS surface to maximize a signal from the disk and to prevent lapping damage to the aperture itself. A linear array of apertures is aligned perpendicular to the ABS plane. The head resistance is monitored during lapping. Each time an aperture is lapped through, there is an increase in head resistance that is equal to the inverse of the total aperture area. There are three equal-sized apertures that are evenly spaced apart. When the first aperture is lapped through, there is a 50% increase in resistance, and a 100% increase in resistance when the second aperture is lapped through. These resistance increases are very large and are easy to distinguish from noise.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a slider with a lift pad and a thermal protrusion pad in which the heads are located. The lift pad is located immediately in front of the thermal protrusion pad and is designed to achieve the flying characteristics needed for normal operation of the disk drive. The thermal protrusion pad includes a heater which is used to protrude the pad for burnishing-on-demand and/or for thermal fly-height control. The thermal protrusion pad is designed to generate very little lift so that protruding the thermal protrusion pad does not significantly increase the lift experienced by the slider. An alternative embodiment uses two overcoat thicknesses on the ABS surface with the thermal protrusion pad having a thin overcoat and the lift pad having a thicker overcoat.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a low-cost unipolar rewritable variable-resistance memory device, made of cross-point arrays of memory cells, vertically stacked on top of one another and compatible with a polycrystalline silicon diode.

Abstract: A three-dimensional solid-state memory is formed from a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of layers, a plurality of tree structures and a plurality of plate lines. Bit lines extend in a first direction in a first plane. Each layer includes an array of memory cells, such as ferroelectric or hysteretic-resistor memory cells. Each tree structure corresponds to a bit line, has a trunk portion and at least one branch portion. The trunk portion of each tree structure extends from a corresponding bit line, and each tree structure corresponds to a plurality of layers. Each branch portion corresponds to at least one layer and extends from the trunk portion of a tree structure. Plate lines correspond to at least one layer and overlap the branch portion of each tree structure in at least one row of tree structures at a plurality of intersection regions.

Abstract: A recording medium according to the invention has a magnetic recording layer with an L10 magnetic material deposited with a (111) preferred orientation and soft underlayer (SUL). One set of embodiments includes an intermediate layer (seed layer or underlayer) between the L10 media and SUL. The intermediate layer can be a close-packed surface structure (triangular lattice) to promote (111) orientation of the L10 media. For example, the intermediate layer can be a (111) oriented, face-centered-cubic (fcc) material such as platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium, FePt, FePd, or FePdPt alloys; or the intermediate layer can be a (100) oriented hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) material such as ruthenium, rhenium, or osmium. Alternatively, the intermediate layer can be an amorphous material. The L10 recording layer of the invention can be deposited with a matrix material to form grain boundaries and provide magnetic isolation of the grains of L10 material.

Abstract: Methods and devices for optimized ridge near field apertures for thermally assisted magnetic recording are disclosed. The aperture dimensions and supporting dielectric materials are optimized for maximum energy absorption at the magnetic recording layer for a light source having a wavelength of 780 nm, which can be produced by low cost laser diodes.

Abstract: A disk drive is described having a capability of burnishing the sliders on demand by using a heater in the slider to thermally protrude the slider. Each slider includes a heating element with a sufficient thermal expansion stroke to bring the area of the slider containing the transducer into contact with the disk surface to burnish the slider. Preferably the heater is used to bring the slider into contact with the disk to burnish the lowest flying part of the slider body after the drive has been assembled, and remove most or all of the overcoat and recession, and exposing the transducers at the ABS. The burnish process is performed in situ in the drive and the drive is preferably hermetically sealed to reduce the risk of corrosion. The slider can be flown and magnetically tested prior to burnishing off the overcoat to avoid corroding the head before the drive is assembled.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording head and system has a head carrier that supports an optical channel for the transmission of radiation to the recording layer, a write pole for directing a magnetic field to the recording layer, and an electrical coil for inducing the magnetic field from the write pole. The optical channel has a radiation exit face with an aperture at the recording-layer-facing surface of the head carrier. The write pole has a pole tip with an end face that is recessed from the recording-layer-facing surface. The write pole tip is tapered down to the end faces. The pole tip taper and the recession of the end face concentrates the write field at the middle of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer where the radiation from the optical channel is incident. The characteristic dimension of the aperture and the spacing between the aperture and the recording layer are both less than the wavelength of the radiation.

Abstract: A three-dimensional solid-state memory is formed from a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of layers, a plurality of tree structures and a plurality of plate lines. Bit lines extend in a first direction in a first plane. Each layer includes an array of memory cells, such as ferroelectric or hysteretic-resistor memory cells. Each tree structure corresponds to a bit line, has a trunk portion and at least one branch portion. The trunk portion of each tree structure extends from a corresponding bit line, and each tree structure corresponds to a plurality of layers. Each branch portion corresponds to at least one layer and extends from the trunk portion of a tree structure. Plate lines correspond to at least one layer and overlap the branch portion of each tree structure in at least one row of tree structures at a plurality of intersection regions.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a media heating device that is fabricated within the magnetic head structure. The media heating device is fabricated between the writing magnetic pole of a perpendicular magnetic head and the ABS surface of the head, where it serves to heat the magnetic media during the passage of the magnetic media beneath the writing magnetic pole of the magnetic head. The media heating device includes an optical cavity resonator that can produce a high intensity near-field optical spot of subwavelength dimension at the write pole that is appropriate for perpendicular recording at 1 Tbits/in2 and beyond. Optical energy is coupled into the resonant cavity through a waveguide that is placed proximate the cavity, and optical energy is coupled out of the cavity through a post that is placed within the cavity.

Abstract: A three-dimensional solid-state memory is formed from a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of layers, a plurality of tree structures and a plurality of plate lines. Bit lines extend in a first direction in a first plane. Each layer includes an array of memory cells, such as ferroelectric or hysteretic-resistor memory cells. Each tree structure corresponds to a bit line, has a trunk portion and at least one branch portion. The trunk portion of each tree structure extends from a corresponding bit line, and each tree structure corresponds to a plurality of layers. Each branch portion corresponds to at least one layer and extends from the trunk portion of a tree structure. Plate lines correspond to at least one layer and overlap the branch portion of each tree structure in at least one row of tree structures at a plurality of intersection regions.