Accessory Feature Patents (Class 360/125.3)
  • Patent number: 11881234
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes first to fourth magnetic layers, and first to fifth non-magnetic layers. The second non-magnetic layer is in contact with the second and first magnetic layers. The third non-magnetic layer is in contact with the third and second magnetic layers. The fourth non-magnetic layer is in contact with the fourth and third magnetic layers. A fourth thickness of the fourth magnetic layer along a first direction from the first magnetic pole to the second magnetic pole is not less than 0.5 times and not more than 1.6 times a first thickness of the first magnetic layer along the first direction. A second thickness of the second magnetic layer along the first direction is less than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Nakagawa, Naoyuki Narita, Masayuki Takagishi, Tomoyuki Maeda, Tazumi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11869548
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic recording head assembly that includes an external alternating current (AC) source. A magnetic recording head of the magnetic recording head assembly includes a conductive structure between a main pole and a trailing shield. The conductive structure includes a conductive layer, and the conductive layer is nonmagnetic. The magnetic recording head assembly also includes an external AC source to supply AC current that flows through the conductive structure. In one aspect, the conductive structure is between a coil structure and the trailing shield, and the external AC source is coupled to the coil structure. The conductive structure and the external AC source facilitate consistently providing an enhanced AC writing field to facilitate effective and reliable writing, high ADC, high SNR, and reduced jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden, James Terrence Olson, Alexander Goncharov, Zhigang Bai, Yunfei Ding
  • Patent number: 11790940
    Abstract: A method of forming a PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) head that includes a tapered write pole that is fully surrounded by wrapped-around magnetic shields, including laterally disposed side shields, a trailing shield and a leading shield. A layer of high magnetic saturation material (high Bs) is formed on the leading edge of the trailing shield and extends rearward, away from the ABS plane to define a cross-sectional write gap shape that is not conformal with the shape of the tapered write pole. The cross-sectional shape of this shield layer enables it to absorb flux from the write pole so that the flux for writing is enhanced and concentrated at the area of the recording medium being written upon and does not extend to adjacent tracks or to downtrack positions at which such flux is not desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanghyun Lim, Yuhui Tang, Yaguang Wei, Yue Liu, Moris Dovek
  • Patent number: 11769522
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole (MP), a trailing shield (TS), a trailing gap (TG) disposed between the MP and the TS, and a spin torque oscillator (STO) disposed in the TG adjacent to the MP. A notch may be disposed in the TG between the STO and TS. The notch comprises one or more notch interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material and/or a magnetic material. A bump may be disposed in the TG between the TS and the STO or the notch. The bump comprises one or more bump interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material. A hot seed layer may be coupled to the TS adjacent to the bump, the notch, or the STO. The hot seed layer comprises one or more hot seed interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden
  • Patent number: 11699460
    Abstract: A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) write head includes a main write pole (MP) that is surrounded by magnetic shields, including laterally disposed side shields (SS), a trailing shield (TS) and a leading shield (LS). The leading shield includes a leading-edge taper (LET) that conformally abuts a tapered side of the write pole. The leading-edge shield and the leading-edge taper can be independently recessed in a proximal direction away from an air bearing surface (ABS) plane so that one or the other of them is recessed and the other remains coplanar with the ABS, or both are recessed by independent amounts. In another configuration the LS is not planar but has a recessed portion in a center track region and two surrounding regions that are coplanar with the ABS plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Yuhui Tang, Yue Liu, Kei Hirata
  • Patent number: 11636873
    Abstract: A magnetic recording writer is disclosed. In some embodiments, the writer includes a main pole having a front portion and a back portion, a gap layer surround the main pole at the ABS, and a shield structure. The front portion includes a pole tip at an ABS plane, a pole tip thickness in a down-track direction, and curved sidewalls on each side of a center plane that is orthogonal to the ABS and bisects the main pole. The back portion includes first flared sidewalls extending from the curved sidewalls at an angle between 0 and 25 degrees relative to planes parallel to the center plane. The shield structure includes sidewalls having a sidewall portion facing the main pole and formed substantially conformal to the curved sidewalls up to a height of about 30-200 nm where the sidewall portions no longer follow the shape of the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Yuhui Tang, Jiun-Ting Lee, Yue Liu
  • Patent number: 11631423
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording device includes a magnetic head and a controller. The magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a magnetic element including a first magnetic layer, and a coil. The controller is electrically connected to the magnetic element and the coil. The controller is configured to supply a recording current to the coil and supply an element current to the magnetic element. The recording current includes a first period of a first polarity, a second period of a second polarity, a third period that shifts from the first to second period, and a fourth period that shifts from the second to first period. The element current includes DC and AC components. The AC component in the first period is the same as the AC component in the second period, the AC component in the third period, and the AC component in the fourth period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Nakagawa, Naoyuki Narita, Masayuki Takagishi, Tazumi Nagasawa, Tomoyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 11626129
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head having air bearing surface (ABS) includes a main pole, a side shield laterally spaced from the main pole by a first side gap and a second side gap, an electrically conductive non-magnetic gap material layer disposed between the main pole and the side shield in the first side gap, and a dielectric non-magnetic gap material matrix and a conformal dielectric spacer layer disposed between the main pole and the side shield in the second side gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jinqiu Zhang, Ming Sun, Feng Liu, Xiaojun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11615808
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes first and second magnetic poles, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic pole and the second magnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the first magnetic pole, a second non-magnetic layer provided between the second and first magnetic layers, a third non-magnetic layer provided between the third and second magnetic layers, and a fourth non-magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic pole and the third magnetic layer. A thickness of the first magnetic layer is thicker than a thickness of the second magnetic layer. A thickness of the third magnetic layer is thicker than the second layer thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Nakagawa, Naoyuki Narita, Masayuki Takagishi, Tomoyuki Maeda, Tazumi Nagasawa, Hirofumi Suto
  • Patent number: 11600293
    Abstract: A magnetic recording device includes a main pole, a coil around the main pole, a trailing shield, and a leading shield. A trailing gap is between the main pole and the trailing shield. In one embodiment, the trailing gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. In another embodiment, the trailing gap includes a spin torque oscillator device. A leading gap is between the main pole and the leading shield. The leading gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. The main pole is coupled to a first terminal. The trailing shield coupled to a second terminal. The leading shield is coupled to a third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Yaguang Wei, Zhigang Bai, Muhammad Asif Bashir
  • Patent number: 11568891
    Abstract: A STRAMR structure is disclosed. The STRAMR structure can include a spin torque oscillator (STO) device in a WG provided between the mail pole (MP) trailing side and a trailing shield. The STO device, includes: a flux guiding layer that has a negative spin polarization (nFGL) with a magnetization pointing substantially parallel to the WG field without the current bias and formed between a first spin polarization preserving layer (ppL1) and a second spin polarization preserving layer (ppL2); a positive spin polarization (pSP) layer that adjoins the TS bottom surface; a non-spin polarization preserving layer (pxL) contacting the MP trailing side; a first negative spin injection layer (nSIL1) between the ppL2 and a third spin polarization preserving layer (ppL3); and a second negative spin injection layer (nSIL2) between the ppL3 and the pxL, wherein the nFGL, nSIL1, and nSIL2 have a spin polarization that is negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyu Chen, Shohei Kawasaki, Tetsuya Roppongi
  • Patent number: 11495250
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member provided between the first and second magnetic members, and a first layer provided between the first and second magnetic members, and including at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Mn, Ti and Sc. The first magnetic member includes first magnetic regions and a first non-magnetic region. A direction from one of the first magnetic regions toward another one of the first magnetic regions is along a first direction from the first magnetic pole toward the second magnetic pole. The first non-magnetic region is between the one of the first magnetic regions and the other one of the first magnetic regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Iwasaki, Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Masayuki Takagishi, Tazumi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11398244
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes first and second magnetic poles, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a third magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the second and third magnetic layers, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer. A first magnetic pole length of the first magnetic pole is less than a second magnetic pole length of the second magnetic pole. A first magnetic layer length of the first magnetic layer is greater than a second magnetic layer length of the second magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Takagishi, Naoyuki Narita, Tomoyuki Maeda, Tazumi Nagasawa, Hitoshi Iwasaki, Hirofumi Suto
  • Patent number: 11348605
    Abstract: A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) write head configured for thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) and microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) is made adaptive to writing at different frequencies by inserting thin layers of magnetic material into the material filling the side gaps (SG) between the magnetic pole (MP) and the side shields (SS). At high frequencies, the thin magnetic layers saturate and lower the magnetic potential of the bulky side shields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Yuhui Tang, Yue Liu, Jiun-Ting Lee, Shengyuan Wang, Xiaomin Liu
  • Patent number: 11348606
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes first and second magnetic poles, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic layer, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the second and first magnetic layers, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the third and second magnetic layers, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the third magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer includes first and second magnetic regions. The second magnetic region is between the second nonmagnetic layer and the first magnetic region. The first magnetic region includes a first element. The second magnetic region includes the first element, and a second element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Iwasaki, Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Masayuki Takagishi, Tazumi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11289118
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic recording head of a magnetic media drive. In one example, a magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, and spintronic device disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spintronic device comprises a negative polarization layer (NPL) disposed on the main pole, the NPL comprising FeTi, FeV, FeCr, or FeN, an interface layer disposed on the NPL, the interface layer comprising V, Cr, or Ru, a spacer layer disposed on the interface layer, and a spin torque layer (FGL) disposed on the spacer layer. When current is applied to the spintronic device, the NPL and a first interface disposed between the NPL and the interface layer have a negative spin polarization while the FGL and a second interface disposed between the FGL and the spacer layer have a positive spin polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Christian Kaiser, Andrew Chen, Zheng Gao, Susumu Okamura, James Mac Freitag
  • Patent number: 11189304
    Abstract: A spin injection assisted magnetic recording structure is disclosed wherein a ferromagnetic (FM) layer and at least one spin preservation (SP) layer are formed between a main pole (MP) trailing side and a write shield (WS). Current (Ia) flows between the MP and WS, or is injected into the FM layer. As a result, the spin polarized electrons from the FM layer, which flow across one or two SP layers to generate a magnetization that enhances one or both of a local WS magnetization and return field, and a local MP magnetization and write field, respectively. A lead to the FM layer may be stitched to enable lower resistance and improve reliability. The FM layer may be recessed from the ABS to allow more overlap with the SP layer for lower current density while maintaining performance. Higher linear density and area density capability, and better reliability are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yan Wu
  • Patent number: 11152021
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer is disclosed wherein an insulation layer is formed between a top yoke (TY) and an uppermost (PP3) trailing shield to electrically isolate the main pole (MP) from a trailing loop for magnetic flux return. One or both of a first non-magnetic (NM) metal layer and a second NM metal layer are formed between the MP tip and a hot seed layer and side shields, respectively, to form an electrical path that is in parallel to that of a dynamic fly height (DFH) heater circuit. MP tip protrusion is enhanced and writability is improved especially for track widths <40 nm, and is tunable by the volume of the first and second NM layer, and the composition of the NM metals. Existing writer pad layouts may be employed and there is no additional cost to PMR backend processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yue Liu, Yan Wu
  • Patent number: 11125840
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) device. The TMR device includes a high radiation reflective layer between the bottom shield of the TMR device and the magnetic seed layer. The high radiation reflective layer helps to maintain the TMR device temperature during transportation between processing chambers. Additionally, the high radiation reflective layer decreases the resistance area (RA) of the TMR device while also increasing the magnetoresistance (MR) of the TMR device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yuankai Zheng, Christian Kaiser, Zhitao Diao
  • Patent number: 11087781
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer, a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer, a third intermediate layer, and a fourth intermediate layer. The first magnetic layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The second magnetic layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the first shield. The third magnetic layer is provided between the second magnetic layer and the first shield. The first intermediate layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer. The second intermediate layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The third intermediate layer is provided between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer. The fourth intermediate layer is provided between the third magnetic layer and the first shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Takagishi, Naoyuki Narita, Tomoyuki Maeda, Hitoshi Iwasaki, Hirofumi Suto, Tazumi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11049514
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a MAMR stack disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. The MAMR stack includes a seed layer and at least one magnetic layer. The seed layer is fabricated from a thermally conductive material having electrical resistivity lower than that of the main pole. The seed layer has a stripe height greater than a stripe height of the at least one magnetic layer. With the extended seed layer, the bias current from the trailing shield to the main pole spreads further away from the MFS along the extended seed layer before flowing into the main pole, reducing temperature rise at or near the MAMR stack, leading to improved write head reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Kuok San Ho, Yunfei Ding, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Terence Lam, Goncalo Marcos Baião De Albuquerque, Xinjiang Shen, Feng Q. Liu
  • Patent number: 11017801
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and a record element located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The record element includes an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material portion which is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the record element across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the record element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Venkatesh Chembrolu, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Anna Zheng, Supradeep Narayana, Suping Song, Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 10997993
    Abstract: A magnetic recording write head and system has a spin-torque oscillator (STO) located between the write head's write pole and trailing shield. The STO's ferromagnetic free layer is located near the write pole with a multilayer seed layer between the write pole and the free layer. The STO's nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the free layer and the STO's ferromagnetic polarizer. The polarizer may be the trailing shield of the write head, one or more separate polarizer layers, or combinations thereof. The STO electrical circuitry causes electron flow from the write pole to the trailing shield. The multilayer seed layer removes the spin polarization of electrons from the write pole, which enables electrons reflected from the polarizer layer to become spin polarized, which creates the spin transfer torque on the magnetization of the free layer. The multilayer seed layer includes a Mn or a Mn-alloy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Zheng Gao, Masahiko Hashimoto, Sangmun Oh
  • Patent number: 10950259
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a magnetic layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, a first conductive layer provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer, the first conductive layer being nonmagnetic, and a second conductive layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first shield, the second conductive layer being nonmagnetic. The first conductive layer includes Ir. A thickness of the first conductive layer along a first direction is not less than 0.3 nm and not more than 0.8 nm. The first direction is from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Tomoyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10943611
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a write head includes a spin polarization layer (SPL) over a seed layer. A spacer layer is over the SPL. A trailing shield is over the spacer layer. The spacer layer forms a first interface between the spacer layer and the trailing shield and forms a second interface between the spacer layer and the SPL. The first interface has an area larger than an area of the second interface. In another embodiment, a write head includes a SPL over a spacer layer. A capping layer is over the SPL. A trailing shield is over the capping layer. The spacer layer forms a first interface between the spacer layer and the main pole and forms a second interface between the spacer layer and the SPL. The first interface has an area larger than an area of the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Zheng Gao, Susumu Okamura, Yongchul Ahn, Aron Pentek, Amanda Baer
  • Patent number: 10916266
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic head, a magnetic disk on which a servo pattern used to position the magnetic head when data is to be recorded by means of the magnetic head is recorded, and a control section configured to set a recording condition for each predetermined unit of the magnetic disk on the basis of the servo pattern, and carry out recording of data on the magnetic disk according to the set recording condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Tomoda, Takeyori Hara, Nobuhiro Maeto
  • Patent number: 10896690
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes at least one electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Anna Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Yaguang Wei, Suping Song, Terence Lam, Michael Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 10854809
    Abstract: An STT-MRAM device incorporating a multiplicity of MTJ junctions is encapsulated so that it dissipates heat produced by repeated read/write processes and is simultaneously shielded from external magnetic fields of neighboring devices. In addition, the encapsulation layers can be structured to reduced top lead stresses that have been shown to affect DR/R and Hc. We provide a device design and its method of fabrication that can simultaneously address all of these problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tom Zhong, Jesmin Haq, Zhongjian Teng
  • Patent number: 10847183
    Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head comprising a main magnetic pole and a write shield, and configured to generate a magnetic field from the main magnetic pole to the write shield to write data onto the disk, an assist element configured to assist the writing by generating a magnetic field or heating a surface of the disk, and a controller configured to control the head to write the data according to either a first recording method using the assist element or a second recording method not using the assist element depending on a condition of the assist element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Tomoda
  • Patent number: 10839832
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a main pole and a trailing shield. A spin torque oscillator device is disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator device includes a free layer. A trailing shield hot seed layer is disposed between the spin torque oscillator device and the trailing shield. The trailing shield hot seed layer includes a magnetic material doped with a rare earth element. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer includes the rare earth element in an atomic percent content from about 2% to about 10% atomic percent. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer has an intrinsic damping from about 0.02 to about 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden
  • Patent number: 10839828
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, side shields surrounding at least a portion of the main pole, and a structure disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole. The structure includes one or more layers and a seed layer. The seed layer is connected to one or more electrical leads to provide an electrical path from the leads to the one or more layers during operation. The seed layer guides the electrical current to the one or more layers and improves heat dissipation of the one or more layers, leading to a reduction in hot spots formed in the one or more layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Quang Le, Hongquan Jiang, Michael Kuok San Ho
  • Patent number: 10762918
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, a MAMR stack disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole, side shields surrounding at least a portion of the main pole, and a structure disposed between the side shields and the main pole at a media facing surface (MFS). The structure is fabricated from a material that is thermally conductive and electrically insulating/dissipative. The material has a thermal conductivity of at least 50 W/(m*K) and an electrical resistivity of at least 105 ?*m. The structure helps dissipate joule heating generated from either the main pole or the MAMR stack into surrounding area without electrical shunting, leading to reduced heating or break-down induced failures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Quang Le, Hongquan Jiang, Ning Shi, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 10741202
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a MAMR stack disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. The MAMR stack includes a seed layer and at least one magnetic layer. The seed layer is fabricated from a thermally conductive material having electrical resistivity lower than that of the main pole. The seed layer has a stripe height greater than a stripe height of the at least one magnetic layer. With the extended seed layer, the bias current from the trailing shield to the main pole spreads further away from the MFS along the extended seed layer before flowing into the main pole, reducing temperature rise at or near the MAMR stack, leading to improved write head reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Kuok San Ho, Yunfei Ding, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Terence Lam, Goncalo Baiao de Albuquerque, Xinjiang Shen, Feng Q. Liu
  • Patent number: 10734017
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a magnetic layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, a first conductive layer provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer, the first conductive layer being nonmagnetic, and a second conductive layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first shield, the second conductive layer being nonmagnetic. The first conductive layer includes Ir. A thickness of the first conductive layer along a first direction is not less than 0.3 nm and not more than 0.8 nm. The first direction is from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Tomoyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10546600
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield magnetic pole opposed to the main pole with a write gap, and a high-frequency oscillator provided between the main pole and the write shield magnetic pole within the write gap. The main pole includes a shield-side end surface opposing the write shield magnetic pole with the write gap and brought into contact with the high frequency oscillator. The high-frequency oscillator has a width in a cross-track direction, in an air bearing surface, greater than a width of the shield-side end surface in the cross-track direction. The high-frequency oscillator is disposed to extend over at least one end edge of the shield-side end surface in the cross-track direction to an outer side of the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Gaku Koizumi, Masaya Ohtake
  • Patent number: 10490210
    Abstract: A PMR writer is disclosed with a leading shield in which a lower (LS2) layer, a middle LS1 layer, and an upper leading edge taper (LET) layer have a damping parameter?0.04, and extend from an air bearing surface (ABS) to a first height (h1) from the ABS. The LS2 layer has a notch filled with dielectric material at the air bearing surface (ABS) that extends to a height?h1, or may be completely replaced with dielectric material. Two notch front sides each form an angle ? with the LS1 bottom surface, and two notch inner sides between the ABS and LS2 backside form angle ? with the ABS where each of ? and ? is from 10 degrees to 170 degrees. Accordingly, bits per square inch performance is improved while substantially maintaining tracks per square inch capability for an overall gain in area density capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Yue Liu, Kei Hirata, Yuhui Tang
  • Patent number: 10460752
    Abstract: A magnetic recording write head and system has a spin-torque oscillator (STO) located between the write head's write pole and trailing shield. The STO's ferromagnetic free layer is located near the write pole with a multilayer seed layer between the write pole and the free layer. The STO's nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the free layer and the STO's ferromagnetic polarizer. The polarizer may be the trailing shield of the write head or a separate polarizer layer. The STO electrical circuitry causes electron flow from the write pole to the trailing shield. The multilayer seed layer removes the spin polarization of electrons from the write pole, which enables electrons reflected from the polarizer layer to become spin polarized, which creates the spin transfer torque on the magnetization of the free layer. The multilayer seed layer includes Mn or a Mn-alloy layer between one or more metal or metal alloy films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Zheng Gao, Masahiko Hashimoto, Sangmun Oh
  • Patent number: 10446175
    Abstract: A spin transfer torque (STT) device is formed on an electrically conductive substrate and includes a ferromagnetic free layer near the substrate, a ferromagnetic polarizing layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the polarizing layer. A multilayer structure is located between the substrate and the free layer. The multilayer structure includes a metal or metal alloy seed layer for the free layer and an intermediate oxide layer below and in contact with the seed layer. The intermediate oxide layer reflects spin current from the free layer and thus reduces undesirable damping of the oscillation of the free layer's magnetization by the seed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Susumu Okamura, Masahiko Hashimoto, Zheng Gao
  • Patent number: 10438618
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, and a stacked body provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a first layer, the first layer being nonmagnetic, a second layer provided between the first layer and the first shield, the second layer being nonmagnetic, and a third layer contacting the first layer and the second layer, being provided between the first layer and the second layer, and being electrically connected to the first layer and the second layer. The third layer includes a first magnetic region, and a second magnetic region contacting the first magnetic region and being provided between the first magnetic region and the second layer. A second saturation magnetization of the second magnetic region is higher than a first saturation magnetization of the first magnetic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoyuki Narita, Tomoyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10424326
    Abstract: A spin torque transfer (STT) assisted magnetic recording structure is disclosed wherein a magnetic flux guiding (MFG) device is formed between a main pole (MP) trailing side and a trailing shield (TS). The MFG device has a field generation layer (FGL) separated from first and second spin polarization (SP) layers by first and second non-magnetic layers, respectively. First and second SP layers have magnetizations in opposite directions so that when a direct current of sufficient magnitude is applied from the MP to TS, or from the TS to MP in other embodiments, FGL magnetization flips to a direction toward the MP and opposes a write gap field flux thereby enhancing the write field. Additive torque from two SP layers on the FGL enables lower current density for FGL flipping or a greater degree of FGL flipping at a given current density compared with MFG schemes having a single SP layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyu Chen, Shohei Kawasaki, Tetsuya Roppongi, Yan Wu
  • Patent number: 10403311
    Abstract: A recording head that includes a bearing surface and a write pole having a front surface that forms a portion of the bearing surface. The recording head also includes a side shield for the write pole. The side shield includes a low saturation magnetization cap layer having a front surface that forms a portion of the bearing surface. The side shield also includes a main side shield layer having a saturation magnetization that is higher than a saturation magnetization value of the low saturation magnetization cap layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Swaraj Basu, Prim Gangmei, Angela Moore, Mark Anthony Gubbins, Beverley R. McConnell
  • Patent number: 10347276
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a perpendicular magnetic recording writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design wherein one or more of the leading shield, trailing shield, and side shields are a composite wherein a magnetic “hot seed” layer made of a >19 kG to 24 kG material adjoins a gap layer, and a side of the hot seed layer opposite the gap layer adjoins a high damping magnetic layer made of a 10-16 kG material (or a 16-19 kG material in the trailing shield) having a Gilbert damping parameter ?>0.04. In one embodiment, the high damping magnetic layer is FeNiRe with a Re content of 3 to 15 atomic %. The main pole leading and trailing sides may be tapered. Side shields may have a single taper or dual taper structure. Higher writer speed with greater areal density capability is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhui Tang, Yaguang Wei, Jiun-Ting Lee
  • Patent number: 10311901
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic read head. The magnetic read head includes an antiferromagnetic layer recessed from the MFS, a reference layer disposed over the antiferromagnetic layer, a free layer disposed over the reference layer, and a thermally conductive structure disposed over the reference layer. The thermally conductive structure is recessed from the MFS. The thermally conductive structure includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the thermally conductive structure extends from the second portion of the thermally conductive structure towards the MFS. The first portion of the thermally conductive structure is aligned with the free layer in a stripe height direction. With the thermally conductive structure, thermal stabilization of the read head is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Quang Le, Hongquan Jiang, Yongchul Ahn, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 10186284
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, and a first shield, and a stacked body provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. The first layer includes at least one first element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni. The second layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the first layer, and includes at least one second element selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Mn, Ti, and Sc. The third layer is provided between the first layer and the first shield, and includes at least one third element selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Mn, Ti, and Sc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoyuki Narita, Hitoshi Iwasaki, Mariko Shimizu, Katsuhiko Koui, Kenichiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 10157632
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole, a heavy metal structure surrounding at least a portion of the main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), and two magnetic structures sandwiching the heavy metal structure. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal structure, inducing magnetization switching (or precession) in the magnetic structures. The SOT reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, and the magnetization switching sharpens the write field profile in the cross-track direction. The SOT based head with the magnetic structures sandwiching the heavy metal structure increases both track density (tracks per inch) and linear density (bit per inch), which in turn increases the areal density capability (ADC), which is the product of tracks per inch and bit per inch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Michael Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 10121497
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head has a main magnetic pole that generates a recording magnetic field applied on a magnetic recording medium from an end surface that is one portion of an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium; a trailing shield provided on the trailing side of the main magnetic pole with a write gap interposed therebetween; and a spin torque oscillator that is provided in the write gap to be interposed between the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield and that generates a magnetic field that exerts an interaction on the recording magnetic field applied on the magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: TDK Coporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Takahashi, Zhengyao Tang, Tetsuya Roppongi, Shinji Hara
  • Patent number: 10008224
    Abstract: A magnetic read element having an additional magnetic layer, “a floating magnetic shield”, formed as a part of a capping structure of a magnetoresistive element. The capping structure is formed over the magnetic free layer and includes a magnetic layer that is located between first and second non-magnetic layers. The magnetic layer can advantageously be formed with a high magnetic permeability for increased signal amplitude and increased signal resolution. In addition, because the magnetic layer of the capping layer structure acts as a magnetic shield, it can reduce effective magnetic gap spacing for increased signal resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ibusuki, Kouji Kataoka, Takashi Wagatsuma, Norihiro Okawa, Yukimasa Okada
  • Patent number: 9978404
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes an air bearing surface, a magnetic pole having a distal end portion, a write shield opposed to the distal end portion of the magnetic pole across a write gap, and a high-frequency oscillator between the magnetic pole and the write shield in the write gap. The high-frequency oscillator includes a spin injection layer, an intermediate layer and an oscillation layer which are stacked in a head travel direction. A film thickness of the spin injection layer in the head travel direction at a height position away from the air bearing surface is greater than a film thickness of the spin injection layer in the head travel direction on the air bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Taguchi, Yusuke Tomoda, Kenichiro Yamada, Satoshi Shirotori, Naoyuki Narita
  • Patent number: 9911438
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording and reproducing device includes a magnetic recording medium, and a magnetic head including a first reproducing unit. The first reproducing unit includes a first magnetic field generator separated from the magnetic recording medium in a first direction, and a first stacked body. At least a portion of the first stacked body is provided between the magnetic recording medium and the first magnetic field generator in the first direction. The first stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer separated from the first magnetic layer in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first stacked body performs an operation of generating a first alternating magnetic field. The first magnetic field generator generates a first magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Taro Kanao, Hirofumi Suto, Koichi Mizushima, Rie Sato
  • Patent number: 9858952
    Abstract: A magnetic write head having a spin torque oscillator with a magnetic field sensor for accurately determining magnetic field oscillation frequency. The spin torque oscillator has one or more tunnel junction (TMR) sensors formed at the side of the spin torque oscillator. The TMR sensor advantageously detects a magnetic field signal that is an additive signal of both fields from the spin polarization layer and the magnetic field generation layer, thereby providing efficient detection of magnetic field and associated oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masashige Sato, Susumu Okamura, Yo Sato, Keiichi Nagasaka