Abstract: A soft magnetic film is formed of a CoFeNi alloy containing trace amounts of chlorine and sulfur as impurities. The stress of the soft magnetic film can be reduced effectively, specifically to 1,200 MPa or less, by adjusting the concentration ratio of chlorine to sulfur within the range from 1 to 60. In addition, variations in film stress can be reduced to provide higher yields of CoFeNi alloy films with low stresses.

Abstract: A pole layer incorporate a track width defining and a wide portion. A material forming the pole layer is an alloy whose major elements are iron and nickel. In the alloy, where the proportions of iron and nickel with respect to the total of iron and nickel are indicated as (100?M) weight % and M weight %, respectively, M is greater than 0 and smaller than or equal to 10. The internal stress of the pole layer is a tensile stress. The magnetostriction constant of the material forming the pole layer is positive. Where the anisotropy field of the pole layer is Hk (A/m), the magnetostriction constant of the material forming the pole layer is ?(×10?6), and the internal stress of the pole layer is ? (MPa), the value of Hk/(?×?) is greater than 0.01 and smaller than 0.2.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording head for a hard disk drive. The head includes a non-magnetic backside shield that minimizes or eliminates the flow of backside flux through the head. The head can be fabricated by forming a non-magnetic backside shield layer on a main pole. Portions of the backside shield and main pole can be removed to form a tapered pole portion. A non-magnetic write-gap layer and write shield are then formed onto the backside shield and main pole.

Abstract: 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 bottom shield layer made of a soft magnetic material is provided below the leading edge of the magnetic pole part of the main magnetic pole layer in the track width direction while interposing a nonmagnetic material layer therebetween. The gap between the bottom shield layer and the leading edge of the magnetic pole part is set to less than 60 nm.

Abstract: Heads for perpendicular recording using a floating-trailing shield are described. The floating-trailing shield is separated from the main pole piece by a layer of non-magnetic material along its entire length and the air bearing surface of the floating-trailing shield is substantially larger than that of the main pole piece. The reluctance between the trailing shield and the underlayer in the recording medium is made so low that both are at the same magnetomotive force (or potential), so that no direct connection is needed between the floating-trailing shield and the yoke. When the head is used in a storage system with a magnetic recording medium with a soft underlayer, the floating-trailing shield is, in effect, magnetically shorted to the return pole piece during recording. In one embodiment the floating-trailing shield wraps around the sides of the main pole piece.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic heads comprises the step of: fabricating a magnetic head substructure by forming a plurality of components of the magnetic heads on a single substrate, wherein a plurality of rows of pre-head portions that will be the respective magnetic heads later are aligned in the substructure; and fabricating the magnetic heads by separating the pre-head portions from one another through cutting the substructure. In the step of fabricating the substructure, a plurality of indicators are formed, each of the indicators serving as a reference for indicating the location of a region ABS in which the medium facing surfaces of the magnetic heads are to be formed.

Abstract: The disclosed invention provides a magnetic head of high stability in which “erase after write” is prevented. Here is provided a magnetic head comprising a thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, the thin-film magnetic head including a main pole with its tip facing a magnetic recording medium and coils for exciting the main pole, wherein the tip of or at least a part of the main pole consists of a soft magnetic multilayer containing laminations, each of which comprises a first ferromagnetic film, a second ferromagnetic film, and an antiparallel coupling layer formed between the first ferromagnetic film and the second ferromagnetic film, wherein the antiparallel coupling layer causes antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the first ferromagnetic film and the second ferromagnetic film.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is provided which records data in a PMR medium. The PMR head includes a main pole having an end portion disposed on an air bearing surface (ABS) that is opposite to the PMR medium; a return yoke spaced apart from the main pole; a sub-yoke starting from the other end portion and extending away from the PMR medium, so as to magnetically connect the main pole with the return yoke; and a coil disposed to enclose the sub-yoke.

Abstract: In a patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium, embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head in which magnetic field to be applied to adjacent tracks can be suppressed and a recording device equipped with the magnetic head. In one embodiment of the present invention, a sum of a width Pw of a main pole of a magnetic head and distances between right and left magnetic substances on a width-directional side of tracks and the main pole, so-called widths of side gap lengths s_g1—1 and s_g1—2 is, in a magnetic recording medium having a soft-magnetic underlayer, made to be not more than a sum of a width w_land of a convexity or land of the soft-magnetic underlayer and widths w_groove—1 and w_groove—2 of concavities or grooves adjacent to the land on both its sides.

Abstract: A recording head for use with a storage medium is provided. The recording head includes a substrate, a magnetic pole, a first magnetic bias structure positioned on a first side of the magnetic pole, and a second magnetic bias structure positioned on a second side of the magnetic pole, Spacer material is positioned between the magnetic pole and the first magnetic bias structure and between the magnetic pole and the second magnetic bias structure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic head is disclosed, including perpendicular magnetic recording head includes forming a primary magnetic pole having a flat top surface, where a shield layer over the primary magnetic pole and at the sides of the primary magnetic pole is formed in a single piece. The distance in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction between the side surfaces of the primary magnetic pole and the side shield layer is longer than the distance in the thickness direction between the top surface of the primary magnetic pole and the shield layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a flux conductor in contact with the write pole. The flux conductor is substantially wider than the write pole tip in the cross-track direction and has a blunt end that is recessed from the pole tip end. The region of the flux conductor where its blunt end is in contact with the pole tip is the “choke” point for the write pole, i.e., the point where the flux density is highest. The flux conductor enables the write pole to be made with no flare, or with a flare angle and throat height with a much wider tolerance, which substantially simplifies the manufacturing process. The write head may have a trailing shield and side shields that substantially surround the write pole tip and remove stray fields that may be produced by the flux conductor, so that regions of the recording layer other than the track being written are not adversely affected.