Abstract: Data storage systems having barriers that may reduce erasure flux and increase write-ability are provided. Data storage systems include a writing element. The writing element has a write pole with a flare region. A magnetic flux barrier is located along the write pole flare region. The magnetic flux barrier is illustratively made from an in-plane magnetically anisotropic material that has an easy plane of magnetization. In another embodiment, a data storage system includes a writing element having an air bearing surface and a shield at the air bearing surface. The shield has a magnetic permeability of approximately zero. The shield illustratively includes alternating layers of positive and negative permeabilities. The shield optionally includes a plurality of shields that may include top, bottom, and side shields.

Abstract: Data storage systems having barriers that may reduce erasure flux and increase write-ability are provided. Data storage systems include a writing element. The writing element has a write pole with a flare region. A magnetic flux barrier is located along the write pole flare region. The magnetic flux barrier is illustratively made from an in-plane magnetically anisotropic material that has an easy plane of magnetization. In another embodiment, a data storage system includes a writing element having an air bearing surface and a shield at the air bearing surface. The shield has a magnetic permeability of approximately zero. The shield illustratively includes alternating layers of positive and negative permeabilities. The shield optionally includes a plurality of shields that may include top, bottom, and side shields.

Abstract: Data storage systems having barriers that may reduce erasure flux and increase write-ability are provided. Data storage systems include a writing element. The writing element has a write pole with a flare region. A magnetic flux barrier is located along the write pole flare region. The magnetic flux barrier is illustratively made from an in-plane magnetically anisotropic material that has an easy plane of magnetization. In another embodiment, a data storage system includes a writing element having an air bearing surface and a shield at the air bearing surface. The shield has a magnetic permeability of approximately zero. The shield illustratively includes alternating layers of positive and negative permeabilities. The shield optionally includes a plurality of shields that may include top, bottom, and side shields.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a disk substrate and a soft underlayer overlying the disk substrate. A magnetic seed layer overlies the soft underlayer, wherein the magnetic seed layer is formed by a hexagonal close-packed lattice material and has in-plane magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract: Data storage systems having barriers that may reduce erasure flux and increase write-ability are provided. Data storage systems include a writing element. The writing element has a write pole with a flare region. A magnetic flux barrier is located along the write pole flare region. The magnetic flux barrier is illustratively made from an in-plane magnetically anisotropic material that has an easy plane of magnetization. In another embodiment, a data storage system includes a writing element having an air bearing surface and a shield at the air bearing surface. The shield has a magnetic permeability of approximately zero. The shield illustratively includes alternating layers of positive and negative permeabilities. The shield optionally includes a plurality of shields that may include top, bottom, and side shields.

Abstract: A film structure and deposition method for creating laminated Fe—M—N and Fe—M—O—N films which retain good anisotropy after HA annealing are provided. Interleaved layers of thin alumina laminations between the Fe—M—[O]—N layers and sublayer alumina nanolaminations within the Fe—M—[O]—N layers create stable magnetic anisotropy in the film. The magnetic anisotropy in the film survives HA annealing at hardbake resist curing conditions in wafer manufacturing processes for GMR magnetic recording heads.

Abstract: A specified amount of N2O or N2 is employed in a process gas of a DC magnetron for sputter depositing single or laminated films of NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N with a high uniaxial anisotropy HK after annealing these films along their hard axes. The films can be used for shield layers and/or pole piece layers in a magnetic head.

Abstract: A specified amount of N2O or N2 is employed in a process gas of a DC magnetron for sputter depositing single or laminated films of NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N with a high uniaxial anisotropy HK after annealing these films along their hard axes. The films can be used for shield layers and/or pole piece layers in a magnetic head.

Abstract: A specified amount of N2O or N2 is employed in a process gas of a DC magnetron for sputter depositing single or laminated films of NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N with a high uniaxial anisotropy HK after annealing these films along their hard axes. The films can be used for shield layers and/or pole piece layers in a magnetic head.

Abstract: A method employs an RF magnetron sputtering system under specific process conditions for making shield and pole piece ferromagnetic layers of a read write magnetic head wherein the magnetic anisotropy HK of the ferromagnetic layers is substantially maintained without easy axes switching when annealed along their hard axes in the presence of a magnetic field (hard axis annealing).

Abstract: The magnetic tape recording head of the present invention is formed with magnetic poles that are comprised of a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure. The method for fabricating the magnetic poles utilizes an additive photolithographic technique including a bilayer liftoff resist. In this fabrication method magnetic pole trenches are formed in the bilayer liftoff resist such that an undercut exists in the liftoff layer. Thereafter, the laminated NiFeN/FeN structure is sputter deposited into the trench, followed by the wet chemical removal of the bilayer resist.

Abstract: The magnetic tape recording head of the present invention is formed with magnetic poles that are comprised of a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure. The method for fabricating the magnetic poles utilizes an additive photolithographic technique including a bilayer liftoff resist. In this fabrication method magnetic pole trenches are formed in the bilayer liftoff resist such that an undercut exists in the liftoff layer. Thereafter, the laminated NiFeN/FeN structure is sputter deposited into the trench, followed by the wet chemical removal of the bilayer resist.

Abstract: The magnetic tape recording head of the present invention is formed with magnetic poles that are comprised of a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure. The method for fabricating the magnetic poles utilizes an additive photolithographic technique including a bilayer liftoff resist. In this fabrication method magnetic pole trenches are formed in the bilayer liftoff resist such that an undercut exists in the liftoff layer. Thereafter, the laminated NiFeN/FeN structure is sputter deposited into the trench, followed by the wet chemical removal of the bilayer resist.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic recording device comprising (a) a disk comprising a substrate, a metallic magnetic layer, a carbon layer and a lubricant layer; (b) a motor associated with a disk operable for rotating the disk; (c) a head supported on an air bearing slider for magnetically reading data to or magnetically writing data from the magnetic layer on the disk, the trailing surface of the slider coated with a multilayered film having low surface energy; and (d) an actuator connected to the slider for moving the head across the disk. The multilayered film on the trailing surface of the slider substantially reduces stiction of the slider.

Abstract: A method employs an RF magnetron sputtering system under specific process conditions for making shield and pole piece ferromagnetic layers of a read write magnetic head wherein the magnetic anisotropy HK of the ferromagnetic layers is substantially maintained without easy axes switching when annealed along their hard axes in the presence of a magnetic field (hard axis annealing).

Abstract: A specified amount of N2O or N2 is employed in a process gas of a DC magnetron for sputter depositing single or laminated films of NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N with a high uniaxial anisotropy HK after annealing these films along their hard axes. The films can be used for shield layers and/or pole piece layers in a magnetic head.

Abstract: A method employs an RF magnetron sputtering system under specific process conditions for making shield and pole piece ferromagnetic layers of a read write magnetic head wherein the magnetic anisotropy HK of the ferromagnetic layers is substantially maintained without easy axes switching when annealed along their hard axes in the presence of a magnetic field (hard axis annealing).

Abstract: A material is provided for the first shield and/or second shield/first pole piece layer of a merged MR head. The material employed is nickel cobalt (Ni70Co30) (wt. %) or a nickel iron cobalt alloy. In a second shield/first pole piece layer a further preferred embodiment is first and second layers wherein the first layer is nickel cobalt or a nickel iron cobalt alloy and the second layer is a laminate of a high magnetic material, such as iron nitride (FeN) laminated with aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The nickel cobalt or nickel iron cobalt alloy layers have a higher intrinsic anisotropic (HK) and can better withstand the processing fields employed during the various annealing steps in the construction of the head. Accordingly, the magnetic domains of the first and second shield layers do not change position from a desired parallel position to the ABS.

Abstract: A shield and/or pole piece layer for a magnetoresistive (MR) head made of a high moment Fe—Al—N—O laminated film is disclosed. The Fe—Al—N—O laminated film is manufactured using N2O as the reactive gas, making a laminated film that has a high intrinsic anisotropic (HK) and can better withstand the processing fields employed during the various processing and annealing steps in the construction of the head. Accordingly, the magnetic domains of the first shield layer, the second shield layer and/or the pole piece layers do not change position from a desired parallel position to the ABS. By maintaining their parallel position, applied fields during the operation of the head, such as from the write head or the media, do not move the domain walls around to cause Barkhausen noise.

Abstract: A high moment bilayer first pole piece layer of a write head has high magnetic stability for promoting read signal symmetry of a read sensor of a read head. The bilayer first pole piece layer has a first layer of nickel iron and a second layer of iron nitride. The iron nitride has a high magnetic moment for conducting more flux per volume than the nickel iron first layer. In a first aspect of the invention, the nickel iron first layer is highly stabilized by providing it with a negative magnetostriction so that a stress induced anisotropy (H.sub.K) supports an intrinsic uniaxial anisotropy (H.sub.K) of the nickel iron first layer. The iron nitride second layer is formed directly on the nickel iron first layer so that by magnetic coupling the iron nitride second layer has significantly improved magnetic stability.