Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a first feature, a second feature, and a bilayer adhesion structure. The first feature includes a first primary metal. The second feature includes an oxide region, and a mixed metal oxide adhesion layer that is adhered to the oxide region and provided on a surface of the second feature. The bilayer adhesion structure includes the mixed metal oxide adhesion layer of the second feature, and a metal adhesion layer. The metal adhesion layer is disposed between and adhered to the first feature and the mixed metal oxide adhesion layer of the second feature. The metal adhesion layer includes a second primary metal that is different than the first primary metal.

Abstract: A write pole may be formed by first depositing a dielectric layer onto a substrate and then patterning the dielectric layer to form a trench with a write pole shape. The trench is subsequently filled with the evaporation deposition of a magnetic material to form a write pole. The trench may have a greater depth dimension than width dimension.

Abstract: An apparatus disclosed herein comprises a reader structure having a sensor stack and a bottom shield having a first end and a second end on opposite sides of the bottom shield in a cross-track direction, wherein the first end is formed by intersection of arcs. In one implementation, the apparatus disclosed herein the sensor has a bottom shield having a bullet shape with a first end along a cross-track direction being rectangular and a second end along the cross-track direction being formed by an intersection of arcs.

Abstract: A magnetic shield that is capable of enhancing magnetic reading, such as in use as a data transducing head. A magnetic stack can have a read element with an air bearing surface (ABS). The read element may be positioned adjacent a shield layer with a continuously curvilinear sidewall and a shield feature may be positioned within the areal extent of the continuously curvilinear sidewall.

Abstract: A magnetic shield that is capable of enhancing magnetic reading, such as in use as a data transducing head. A magnetic stack can have a read element with an air bearing surface (ABS). The read element may be positioned adjacent a shield layer with a continuously curvilinear sidewall and a shield feature may be positioned within the areal extent of the continuously curvilinear sidewall.

Abstract: A magnetic writing pole writes perpendicularly to a magnetic medium. The writing pole includes a multilayer structure with alternately electroplated magnetic layers and electroplated non-magnetic layers. The writing pole has a down-track thickness near the magnetic medium of less than about 500 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic writing pole writes perpendicularly to a magnetic medium. The writing pole includes a multilayer structure with alternately electroplated magnetic layers and electroplated non-magnetic layers. The writing pole has a down-track thickness near the magnetic medium of less than about 500 nm.

Abstract: A transducing head formed upon a slider has a transducer, an electrical contact layer, a stud electrically connected to the contact layer, and a bond pad electrically connected to the stud. The electrical contact layer is electrically connected to the transducer. The stud is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than about 1.3 times a coefficient of thermal expansion of a slider material forming the slider. The bond pad has a metallic underlayer and a top layer. The metallic underlayer is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than about 1.1 times the coefficient of thermal expansion of the slider material.

Abstract: A read head shield having improved stability includes a ferromagnetic (FM) layer and an anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) layer adjacent the FM layer. The FM layer has a patterned shape and a domain configuration that is defined by a plurality of local magnetic domains that are stabilized in accordance with the patterned shape. The AFM layer is annealed to imprint thereon the stabilized local magnetic domains of the FM layer. The AFM layer operates to increase the stability of the domain configuration of the FM layer thereby providing improved resistance to domain configuration shift caused by the application of a strong magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetic head for use in magnetic data storage systems is provided. The magnetic head includes a substantially non-magnetic writer gap layer and pair of magnetic poles separated by the writer gap layer. A first of the poles includes a first layer formed of a CoNiFe alloy that has a saturation magnetic moment greater than 2.1 Tesla. Methods of fabricating such a head are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic head for reading information from a magnetic medium is provided. The magnetic head includes a substrate, having a substrate thermal coefficient of expansion, and a read element positioned above the substrate. The head also includes a shield, positioned above the substrate and adjacent the read element, which has a shield thermal coefficient of expansion that substantially matches the substrate thermal coefficient of expansion. The shield absorbs stray magnetic fields from the magnetic medium, which emanate from stored data that is adjacent to a data element that is directly beneath and read by the magnetoresistive read element. This shield may also serve to provide electrical contact for the read element. The magnetic thermal coefficient of expansion and electrical properties of the shield may be suitably optimized through appropriate choice of component materials and structure.

Abstract: A transducing head formed upon a slider has a transducer, an electrical contact layer, a stud electrically connected to the contact layer, and a bond pad electrically connected to the stud. The electrical contact layer is electrically connected to the transducer. The stud is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than about 1.3 times a coefficient of thermal expansion of a slider material forming the slider. The bond pad has a metallic underlayer and a top layer. The metallic underlayer is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than about 1.1 times the coefficient of thermal expansion of the slider material.

Abstract: A magnetic head in a magnetic storage system is provided in which materials that do not individually display high permeability and low coercivity are satisfactorily employed in a write head when coupled to adjacent high permeability layers. The magnetic head includes a gap layer which separates a pair of poles. At least one pole of the pair of poles includes a pole layer formed of a high permeability material and a seed layer adjacent to the pole layer. The seed layer is formed of a high moment low permeability material having a high saturation magnetic moment greater than 2.1 Tesla and a low permeability of about 10-100. The high permeability material of the pole layer causes the permeability of the adjacent seed layer to substantially increase from about 10-100 to about 1400-1600, thereby providing a pole with high permeability and high saturation moment. In addition, a method of forming a magnetic head for use in a magnetic storage system is provided.

Abstract: A magnetic head for reading information from a magnetic medium is provided. The magnetic head includes a substrate, having a substrate thermal coefficient of expansion, and a read element positioned above the substrate. The head also includes a shield, positioned above the substrate and adjacent the read element, which has a shield thermal coefficient of expansion that substantially matches the substrate thermal coefficient of expansion. The shield absorbs stray magnetic fields from the magnetic medium, which emanate from stored data that is adjacent to a data element that is directly beneath and read by the magnetoresistive read element. This shield may also serve to provide electrical contact for the reader element. The magnetic thermal coefficient of expansion and electrical properties of the shield may be suitably optimized through appropriate choice of component materials and structure.

Abstract: A magnetic head for use in magnetic data storage systems is provided. The magnetic head includes a substantially non-magnetic writer gap layer and pair of magnetic poles separated by the writer gap layer. A first of the poles includes a first layer formed of a CoNiFe alloy that has a saturation magnetic moment greater than 2.1 Tesla. Methods of fabricating such a head are also disclosed.

Abstract: A read head shield having improved stability includes a ferromagnetic (FM) layer and an anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) layer adjacent the FM layer. The FM layer has a patterned shape and a domain configuration that is defined by a plurality of local magnetic domains that are stabilized in accordance with the patterned shape. The AFM layer is annealed to imprint thereon the stabilized local magnetic domains of the FM layer. The AFM layer operates to increase the stability of the domain configuration of the FM layer thereby providing improved resistance to domain configuration shift caused by the application of a strong magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head has a magnetic pole tip and a seed layer upon which the magnetic pole tip is formed. The seed layer is preferably formed of a high magnetic moment material having a saturation magnetization of at least 1.8 Tesla and a high resistance to corrosion. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the seed layer is preferably formed of 2.1 Tesla Fe44-46Co39-41Ni14.5-15, 1.8 Tesla Fe54-56Ni27-29Co16-18 Tesla Fe86-90Cr10-14, or 1.9 Tesla Fe52-62Co26-36Cr10-14, wherein the subscripts indicate a preferred range of atomic percentages for each element in the given alloy.