Accessory Feature Patents (Class 360/125.3)
  • Patent number: 8988824
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head that has improved write poled uniformity and bevel angle control. The method uses a damascene process to form the write pole, wherein a trench is formed in a RIEable fill layer, and an adhesion layer is located only in areas outside of the trench. A seed layer is deposited into the trench, followed by a non-magnetic gap layer followed by electroplating of a magnetic material. A chemical mechanical polishing process is then performed, thereby forming a magnetic write pole within the trench. The adhesion layer located outside of the trench prevents de-lamination during the chemical mechanical polishing. However, not having any adhesion layer in the trench prevent oxidation related waviness or other deformation of the sides of the write pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Brinkman, Ning Shi, Brian R. York, Sue S. Zhang
  • Patent number: 8988823
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer, a write shield layer, a gap layer, and a thin-film coil are laminated on a substrate. The thin-film magnetic head has a leading shield part opposing the main magnetic pole layer on the substrate side of the main magnetic pole layer, a substrate side shield part comes in contact with the leading shield part. The thin-film coil has a substrate side coil layer disposed between the main magnetic pole layer and the substrate. In the thin-film magnetic head, the spaces to the substrate about a leading lower end face of the leading shield part, a shield upper end face of the substrate side shield part, and coil upper end face of the substrate side coil layer are formed to be equal to each other. Further, a depth of the leading shield part is formed to be small than the depth of the substrate side shield part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., Sae Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Kazuki Sato, Seiichiro Tomita, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8982508
    Abstract: A magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface is described. The magnetic transducer includes a nonmagnetic layer on an underlayer, a pole having a plurality of sidewalls, a gap layer on the sidewalls, a seed layer and at least one side shield. The nonmagnetic layer has an aperture therein. The aperture is free of magnetic inclusions at the ABS. The pole is on the underlayer and within the aperture. The seed layer is for the side shield(s) and resides on the gap layer, a portion of the underlayer and a portion of the nonmagnetic layer. The side shield(s) residing on the seed layer and in the aperture. The side shield(s) are free of undercuts at the ABS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Yan Chen, Donghong Li, Lien-Chang Wang
  • Patent number: 8976489
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a magnetic head having a magnetic lip. The vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip are covered by one or more conductive layers. In one embodiment, the bottom of the magnetic lip is covered by a first conductive layer and the vertical sides of the magnetic lip are covered by a second conductive layer. The conductive layers are made of a material that would not react with oxygen, thus no oxide films are formed on the vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip during the manufacturing of the magnetic head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hamid Balamane, Vijay Prakash Singh Rawat, Matteo Staffaroni
  • Patent number: 8970996
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording write head having a spin torque oscillator capable of producing high strength high frequency magnetic oscillations with reduced applied current. The spin torque oscillator uses a magnetic field generation layer with a high moment material including such as Fe and Co that is formed on an interlayer having a face centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, that functions as an under-layer. The high moment magnetic field generation layer has also reduced magnetic damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: HSGT Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Keiichi Nagasaka, Masato Shiimoto, Masato Matsubara, Yuta Udou
  • Patent number: 8970986
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a trailing shield that forms a magnetic circuit with the main magnetic pole, a spin torque oscillator that is provided between the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield, a first cooling layer that partially has a Heusler structure, and a second cooling layer that is provided on the first cooling layer and mainly comprised of silver. The first cooling layer and the second cooling layer are provided either between the main magnetic pole and spin torque oscillator or between the trailing shield and the spin torque oscillator, with either of the two cooling layers being disposed closer to the spin torque oscillator. A third cooling layer may be formed to be in contact with the first cooling layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro Takashita, Shuichi Murakami, Naoki Hase, Katsuhiko Koui
  • Patent number: 8964332
    Abstract: Approaches to improving the signal-to-noise ratio in a microwave-assisted magnetic recording hard disk drive over the entire region from the inner diameter to the outer diameter of the disk, especially in the context of shingled magnetic recording, include a narrower side gap on the side opposing a spin torque oscillator offset direction than the side gap in the offset direction, thereby increasing the gradient of the recording magnetic field in the cross-track direction and reducing the track edge noise of the recording pattern. Embodiments include use of a side shield on the side opposing the offset direction that has a higher saturation magnetization than the side shield on the side in the offset direction, thereby further increasing the gradient of the recording magnetic field in the cross-track direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Katada, Masato Shiimoto, Maki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8953283
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a spin torque oscillator formed between a main magnetic pole and auxiliary magnetic pole. The spin torque oscillator includes a transmission-type spin transfer layer, first interlayer, oscillation layer, second interlayer, and reflection-type spin transfer layer. The transmission-type spin transfer layer includes a first perpendicular magnetization film and first interface magnetic layer. The first interface magnetic layer contains at least one element selected from Fe, Co, and Ni, and at least one element selected from Cr, V, Mn, Ti, and Sc. The reflection-type spin transfer layer includes a second perpendicular magnetization film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mariko Shimizu, Katsuhiko Koui, Shuichi Murakami, Hiromi Yuasa
  • Patent number: 8945731
    Abstract: A device that includes a near field transducer (NFT); at least one cladding layer adjacent the NFT; and a discontinuous metal layer positioned between the NFT and the at least one cladding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Tong Zhao, Michael Christopher Kautzky, Michael Allen Seigler, Yongjun Zhao, Jay Jayashankar, Xiaoyue Huang
  • Patent number: 8937789
    Abstract: To suppress a spread of not only a recording magnetic field generated from a main pole but also a high-frequency magnetic field generated from a spin torque oscillator in a microwave assisted magnetic recording head. The main pole and the spin torque oscillator are surrounded by a trailing shield layer and are also surrounded by a side/leading shield layer with an insulator sidegap layer interposed therebetween, and a high-frequency magnetic field shield layer, which absorbs a high-frequency magnetic field generated from the spin torque oscillator, is arranged in at least part of the shield layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuro Watanabe, Masukazu Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8929031
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a spin torque oscillator including an oscillation layer formed of a magnetic material, a spin injection layer formed of a magnetic material and configured to inject a spin into the oscillation layer, and a current confinement layer including an insulating portion formed of an oxide or a nitride and a conductive portion formed of a nonmagnetic metal and penetrating the insulating portion in a direction of stacking. The conductive portion of the current confinement layer is positioned near a central portion of a plane of a device region including the oscillation layer and the spin injection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihiko Takeo, Satoshi Shirotori, Kenichiro Yamada, Katsuhiko Koui
  • Patent number: 8929030
    Abstract: A writer includes a write element having a tip portion to generate a write field during a write operation and a conductive assembly that delivers a write assist current through the tip portion in a cross-track direction to generate a write assist field during the write operation that extends beyond a medium confronting surface located at the tip portion to lower a coercivity of a magnetic medium proximate to the write element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Chunhong Hou, Shaoping Li, John M. Wolf, Sining Mao
  • Patent number: 8922949
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the magnetic recording head comprises a cooling/heating material between a laminated oscillator and a main magnetic pole, the cooling/heating material including the following layers laminated from the laminated oscillator side in the following order, a first thermoelectric material layer having the same junction area as that of the laminated oscillator, a first metal material layer having the same junction area as that of the laminated oscillator, a second metal material layer having the same junction area as that of the main magnetic pole, and a second thermoelectric material layer having the same junction area as that of the main magnetic pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Koui, Hiromi Yuasa, Mariko Shimizu, Shuichi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20140376129
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus includes a recording medium and a reproducing head. The recording medium includes a concentric circular plurality of tracks. The reproducing head includes a spin torque oscillator and reproduces information from the recording medium using the spin torque oscillator, the spin torque oscillator including an oscillation layer with a first cross-track direction width, a polarizer layer with a second cross-track direction width, and a spacer layer provided between the oscillation layer and the polarizer layer. The first cross-track direction width is larger than double the second cross-track direction width, and the second cross-track direction width is smaller than an inter-track distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kiwamu Kudo, Tazumi Nagasawa, Hirofumi Suto, Tao Yang, Koichi Mizushima, Rie Sato
  • Patent number: 8917481
    Abstract: Provided are a structure of a high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head in which the positional relationship of a main magnetic pole and a spin torque oscillator in a cross-track direction is accurately determined, and in which variations are not caused in high frequency magnetic field assist characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the structure. The high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole, a spin torque oscillator disposed on the main magnetic pole, and an insulating side gap covering a side surface of the main magnetic pole and a side surface of the spin torque oscillator. The main magnetic pole and the spin torque oscillator are formed between both side surfaces of the side gap. Thus, a self-alignment structure of the high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kikuo Kusukawa, Junichiro Shimizu, Katsuro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8908329
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head manufacturing method includes forming a protective layer on the surfaces of a main magnetic pole layer, a processed spin torque oscillator, and a mask formed on the spin torque oscillator, and further performing ion beam etching on the main magnetic pole layer and the protective layer on the surface of the main magnetic pole layer through the mask such that the protective layer is left behind on the side surfaces of the spin torque oscillator and removed from the surface of the main magnetic pole layer, thereby processing the main magnetic pole layer such that its side surfaces have a shape tapered toward the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoshi Shirotori, Katsuhiko Koui, Shinobu Sugimura, Norihito Fujita, Akihiko Takeo
  • Patent number: 8908330
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a write pole tip, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillator between the write pole tip and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator may have a substantially cylindrical member and a non-cylindrical member extending from the substantially cylindrical member toward an air bearing surface (ABS). The non-cylindrical member may have a substantially rectangular and/or flat surface facing the ABS. Alternatively, the spin torque oscillator may include a substantially cylindrical member with a rectangular and/or flat surface facing the ABS that is lapped into the substantially cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Mallary
  • Patent number: 8908328
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head includes: a magnetic pole having an end surface exposed on an air bearing surface, and extending in a height direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface; a first yoke having an end surface exposed on the air bearing surface, and facing a forward section of the magnetic pole with a gap layer in between; a second yoke located behind the first yoke with an insulating layer in between in the height direction, and connected to a backward section of the magnetic pole; a shield connecting the first yoke to the second yoke; and an additional magnetic layer located behind a boundary between the first yoke and the insulating layer, and in contact with the first yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Saito, Norikazu Ota, Hiromichi Umehara, Masachika Hashino
  • Patent number: 8902544
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first shield; a spin torque oscillator (STO) sensor positioned above the first shield, the STO sensor comprising a reference layer and a free layer positioned above the reference layer; and at least one shield positioned in a plane that is parallel with a media-facing surface of the STO sensor, the plane also intersecting the STO sensor, wherein one or more of the at least one shield comprises a highly magnetically permeable material that is exchange decoupled and electrically decoupled from the STO sensor. Other magnetic heads, systems, and methods for producing the magnetic heads are described according to more embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Patrick M. Braganca, Bruce A. Gurney, Yang Li
  • Patent number: 8896965
    Abstract: A PMR writer is disclosed that includes at least one of a recessed center section in the write pole trailing edge and a center recessed trailing shield to improve the field gradient at track edge. In all embodiments, there is a non-uniform write gap between the trailing edge and the trailing shield. The recessed portion of the write pole trailing edge and/or center recess of the trailing shield has a thickness from 10 to 40 nm in a down-track direction and a width in a cross-track direction of 20 to 200 nm. The distance between the center recess and a corner of the trailing edge is from 20 to 80 nm. A sequence of steps is provided to fabricate the two embodiments of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Lijie Guan
  • Patent number: 8891205
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a waveguide adjacent an air bearing surface, a near-field transducer comprising a peg having a side orthogonal to the air bearing surface and a write pole adjacent to the waveguide. The write pole includes a first portion extending towards the air bearing surface at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the air bearing surface, and a second portion in contact with the first portion comprising a side that extends towards and orthogonally contacts the air bearing surface. The second portion or the write pole defines a gap between the side of the peg orthogonal to the air bearing surface and the side of the second portion of the write pole that extends towards and orthogonally contacts the air bearing surface. A method of making a magnetic recording head that includes the provided apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Hua Zhou, Yongjun Zhao, Chris Rea, Werner Scholz, James G. Wessel
  • Patent number: 8879208
    Abstract: An umbrella shield (UmS) is included as the uppermost magnetic layer in a trailing shield design in a read/write head to reduce stray field effects, lower bit error rate, and improve protrusion profile for better touch down detection. The UmS may be exposed or recessed from an air bearing surface (ABS), and has a cross-track width, down-track thickness, and length toward a back side that is greater than the corresponding width, thickness, and length dimensions of an underlying PP3 trailing shield. UmS may substantially conform to an arched PP3 shield shape or may be a flat layer. An insulation layer with a thickness of at least 0.3 microns is formed between the UmS and PP3 trailing shield to prevent undesirable coupling. The UmS preferably has a width greater than any other shield in the read/write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yue Liu, Yaguang Wei, Yuhui Tang, Moris Dovek
  • Patent number: 8879206
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole, an auxiliary magnetic pole, and a spin torque oscillator formed between them. The spin torque oscillator includes a main oscillation layer and spin sink layer as an oscillation layer. The spin sink layer contains one of iron and cobalt, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, tantalum, chromium, terbium, gadolinium, europium, dysprosium, and samarium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mariko Shimizu, Katsuhiko Koui, Shuichi Murakami, Masahiro Takashita
  • Patent number: 8879205
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a MAMR head includes a main magnetic pole, a STO positioned near the main magnetic pole, the STO including a first perpendicular magnetic layer positioned above the main magnetic pole, wherein the first perpendicular magnetic layer is a first spin polarization layer having an axis of magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a film surface, a first non-magnetic transmission layer positioned above the first perpendicular magnetic layer, a magnetic layer effectively having a plane of easy magnetization in the film surface positioned above the first non-magnetic transmission layer, the magnetic layer being a FGL, a second non-magnetic transmission layer positioned above the magnetic layer, and a second perpendicular magnetic layer positioned above the second non-magnetic transmission layer, wherein the second perpendicular magnetic layer is a second spin polarization layer having magnetic anisotropy in the direction perpendicular to the film plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masato Shiimoto, Keiichi Nagasaka, Masukazu Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8879207
    Abstract: A method fabricates a side shield for a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic layer and an ABS location corresponding to an ABS. The nonmagnetic layer has a pole trench therein. The pole trench has a shape and location corresponding to the pole. A wet etchable layer is deposited. Part of the wet etchable layer resides in the pole trench. A pole is formed. The pole has a bottom and a top wider than the bottom in the pole tip region. Part of the pole in the pole tip region is in the pole trench on at least part of the wet etchable layer. At least parts of the wet etchable layer and the nonmagnetic layer are removed, forming an air bridge. The air bridge is between part of the pole at the ABS location and an underlying layer. Side shield layer(s) that substantially fill the air bridge are deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Jinqiu Zhang, Feng Liu, Shaoping Li, Ming Sun
  • Patent number: 8867170
    Abstract: A plasmon generator has a front end face located in a medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The plasmon generator includes a metal portion and a multilayer film portion. The metal portion has a bottom surface, a top surface, and an end face facing toward the front end face. The multilayer film portion includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer and an intermediate layer, and covers the top surface and the end face of the metal portion. The intermediate layer is formed of a material that is higher in Vickers hardness than the metal material used to form the metal portion, the metal material used to form the first metal layer and the metal material used to form the second metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Seiichiro Tomita, Ryuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 8861137
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a main pole that is typically CoFe electroplated into a generally trapezoidal shaped alumina trench. A metallic side gap layer is deposited into the alumina trench to adjust the trench width to the desired main pole dimension. A nonmagnetic metallic amorphous underlayer, preferably an amorphous NiTa alloy or an amorphous NiNb alloy, is then deposited on the side gap layer. A pole seed layer, such as a NiCr/CoFe bilayer, is deposited into the trench onto the metallic amorphous underlayer prior to electroplating the CoFe main pole. The metallic amorphous underlayer serves to reset the growth between the side gap layer and the NiCr/CoFe pole seed layer. The metallic amorphous underlayer does not insulate the electroplating CoFe layer from the metallic side gap layer, which allows for better current conduction normal to the layers, resulting in a main pole with improved magnetic properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hieu Lam, Stefan Maat, Ning Shi, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 8861138
    Abstract: A plasmon generator has a front end face, a first metal layer, a second meta-field light based on a surface plasmon. The intermediate layer is interposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. Each of the first metal layer, the second metal layer and the intermediate layer has an end located in the front end face. Each of the first and second metal layers is formed of a metal material. The intermediate layer is formed of a material higher in Vickers hardness than the metal material used to form the first metal layer and the metal material used to form the second metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Seiichiro Tomita, Ryuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 8861136
    Abstract: A spin conduction element includes a main channel layer having a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a fourth electrode, a fifth electrode, and a sixth electrode, and extending in a first direction. Spins are injected into the main channel layer from a second ferromagnetic layer constituting the second electrode and a fourth ferromagnetic layer constituting the fourth electrode, and a spin current is detected as a voltage in a third ferromagnetic layer constituting the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Sasaki, Tohru Oikawa, Hayato Koike
  • Patent number: 8854768
    Abstract: To realize a highly reliable magnetic head for a high-frequency magnetic field assisted recording system by preventing current crowding in an oscillator and increasing the current resistance of the oscillator. Between a main pole that generates a recording magnetic field and a trailing shield, an oscillator that includes a non-magnetic metal layer, a spin injection pinned layer, an intermediate layer, and a high-frequency magnetic field generation layer and that generates a high-frequency magnetic field is disposed. The non-magnetic metal layer adjacent to the main pole is tapered with the width gradually increasing from the trailing side toward the leading side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Yo Sato, Masukazu Igarashi, Katsuro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8848316
    Abstract: A perpendicular write head, the write head having an air bearing surface, the write head including a magnetic write pole, wherein at the air bearing surface, the write pole has a trailing side, a leading side that is opposite the trailing side, and first and second sides; side gaps, wherein the side gaps are proximate the write pole along the first and second side edges; and side shields proximate the side gaps, wherein the side shields have gap facing surfaces and include at least one set of alternating layers of magnetic and non-magnetic materials, wherein only one kind of material makes up the gap facing surfaces at the air bearing surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mark Thomas Kief, Alexandru Cazacu, Kaizhong Gao, Mark Anthony Gubbins, Ibro Tabakovic, Christina Laura Hutchinson, David Christopher Seets, James Gary Wessel
  • Patent number: 8848317
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive system configured for shingled magnetic data recording wherein data tracks are recorded in an overlapping fashion on a magnetic media. The disk drive system includes magnetic write heads that are asymmetric so as to have increased writing at one side of the write head. The magnetic disk drive system includes magnetic write heads that are mirror images of one another so that write heads located at opposite surfaces of the magnetic media (e.g. one head facing up and one facing down) end up having preferential writing in the location relative to inner and outer diameters of the magnetic media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masato Shiimoto, Ikuya Tagawa, Yasutaka Nishida, Hiroyuki Katada
  • Patent number: 8842390
    Abstract: A magnetic element may be generally configured as a data writer constructed at least with a write pole within a box shield that consists of first and second side shields and first and second vertical shields. The write pole may be separated from the box shield by a multi-layer gap structure that consists of at least two gap layers of dissimilar materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Zhe Shen, Luo Yong, Wei Tan, Dong Lin
  • Patent number: 8842389
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a main pole shielded laterally by a pair of side shields, shielded above by a trailing shield and shielded optionally below by a leading shield. The shields and the seed layers on which they are formed are formed of materials having substantially the same physical characteristics including the same material composition, the same hardness, the same response to processes such as ion beam etching (IBE), chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), mechanical lapping, such as the slider ABS lapping, the same coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as well as the same Bs. Optionally, the trailing shield may be formed on a high Bs seed layer to provide the write head with improved down-track performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Yan Wu, Moris Dovek, Cherng Chyi Han
  • Patent number: 8837087
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a thin magnetic film having a negative anisotropy of ?6×106 erg/cm3 or less and including, on at least a nonmagnetic substrate, at least one seed layer made of a metal or metal compound, a ruthenium underlayer for controlling the orientation of an immediately overlying layer, and a magnetic layer having negative anisotropy in the normal line direction perpendicular to a surface of the magnetic layer and mainly containing Co and Ir, wherein the additive element concentration of Ir in the magnetic layer is 10 (inclusive) to 45 (inclusive) at %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tohoku University, Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Akihiko Takeo, Akira Kikitsu, Tomoyuki Maeda, Migaku Takahashi, Shin Saito, Ken Inoue, Gohei Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 8837088
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole configured to emit a recording magnetic field for affecting a magnetic medium, the main pole serving as a first electrode and having a front portion at an air bearing surface (ABS) of the magnetic head and a rear portion extending from the front portion in an element height direction perpendicular to the ABS, wherein an upper surface of the main pole has a step transitioning from the front portion to the rear portion, a conductive layer positioned above the main pole, the conductive layer serving as a second electrode, a microwave oscillator positioned between the main pole and the conductive layer at the ABS of the Magnetic head and extending beyond the step in the element height direction, and a current confinement layer positioned between the microwave oscillator and the rear portion of the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kimura, Kazuhiko Hosomi, Kimitoshi Etoh, Mikito Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8837086
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head used for microwave-assisted magnetic recording includes: a main pole; a spin torque oscillator provided on the main pole, including a high-speed rotating magnetization layer in which the magnetization is rapidly rotated by a spin torque; a trailing shield provided on the spin torque oscillator; and a sub pole magnetically coupled to the trailing shield provided in a medium-facing surface, extending in a vertical direction to the medium-facing surface. Then, a non-magnetic electrode is provided on the outside of a trailing gap in which the spin torque oscillator is provided with respect to a magnetic material of the main pole, the trailing shield, or the sub pole, to prevent the line resistance variation due to the AMR effect or the eddy current. Thus, the variation of the current flowing to the spin torque oscillator can be controlled to achieve stable oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Udo, Katsuro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8830627
    Abstract: In a magnetic head of a high-frequency magnetic field assisted recording system, a width of a high-frequency magnetic field from an oscillator is decreased to enhance an oscillation frequency, in order to realize a high-density recording. An oscillator provided near a main pole, which generates a recording magnetic field, for generating a high-frequency magnetic field is patterned by a conventional photolithography, and then, an oxidation, nitridation, or oxynitridation is performed on the side face in a track width direction. With this process, an oxide layer, a nitride layer, or an oxynitride layer, which is made of a material of the oscillator, is formed on the side face of the oscillator in the track width direction, and the shape of the oscillator is formed to be semi-circular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Katsuro Watanabe, Masukazu Igarashi, Yo Sato
  • Patent number: 8830628
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic recording transducer having a pole are disclosed. The pole has side(s), a bottom, and a top wider than the bottom. The method and system include providing at least one side gap layer that covers the side(s) and the top of the pole. At least one sacrificial layer is provided on the side gap layer(s). The sacrificial layer(s) are wet etchable and cover the side gap layer(s). The magnetic recording transducer is planarized after the sacrificial layer(s) are provided. Thus, a portion of the side gap and sacrificial layer(s) is removed. A remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s) is thus left. The method and system also include wet etching the sacrificial layer(s) to remove the remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s). A wrap around shield is provided after the remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s) is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Ge Yi, Lei Wang, Dujiang Wan, Guanghong Luo, Xiaohai Xiang
  • Patent number: 8830626
    Abstract: A magnetic element may be generally configured as a data writer constructed at least with a write pole positioned within and separated from a box shield by a write gap. The box shield may be configured to maintain at least a separation distance from a first side of a leading edge of the write pole to an opposite second side of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Heim, Jianhua Xue, Huaqing Yin
  • Patent number: 8830625
    Abstract: A data writer may be generally configured at least with a write pole that has a pole sidewall and a continuous first taper angle connecting leading and trailing edges. The write pole can be positioned adjacent to a side shield that is configured with first and second shield sidewalls tapered to a shield tip that is the closest point between the write pole and side shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Eric Shane Linville, Jianhua Xue, Eric Roger Meloche, Huaqing Yin, Yonghua Chen
  • Patent number: 8824103
    Abstract: The strength of a magnetic field applied from a main pole to an oscillator and the strength of a magnetic field applied from the main pole to a recording medium are improved in a magnetic recording head for microwave assisted recording. In the magnetic recording head according to the present invention, an interval between the main pole and a trailing shield at a place in a position above an air bearing surface is larger than an interval between the main pole and the trailing shield on the air bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Shiimoto, Kenji Sugiura, Mikito Sugiyama, Isao Nunokawa, Yo Sato, Katsuro Watanabe, Kazuhiko Hosomi, Nobuo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8824104
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head according to the embodiment includes a main magnetic pole, a spin torque oscillator, and an auxiliary magnetic pole. The spin torque oscillator includes a spin injection layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and an oscillation layer. The spin injection layer has an artificial lattice film obtained by stacking a first metal layer of a Heusler alloy and a second metal layer including at least one of platinum, palladium, and nickel two times or more repeatedly, and the first metal layer has a thickness of 0.3 to 3.5 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Koui, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 8824102
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer, write shield layer, gap layer, and thin-film coils, which are laminated on a substrate. A return magnetic pole layer is spaced from the medium-opposing surface on the side opposite to the write shield layer with the main magnetic pole layer intervening therebetween. A connecting magnetic layer is formed using a magnetic material to connect the return magnetic pole layer to the write shield layer on the side closer to the medium-opposing surface than is the thin-film coil. The thin-film coil is wound as a flat spiral around the write shield layer. A part of the thin-film coil wound as the flat spiral is disposed only at a position distanced from the substrate than is the main magnetic pole layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., Sae Magntics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Kazuki Sato, Atsushi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8817419
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole generating a recording magnetic field in a magnetic recording medium, a return yoke paired with the main magnetic pole, and a spin torque oscillator interposed between the main magnetic pole and the return yoke and including a spin injection layer, an oscillation layer, a nonmagnetic metal layer, and spin assist layer stacked in this order, wherein the nonmagnetic metal layer includes at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Al, Pd, Pt, Os, and Ir, and the spin assist layer is a soft magnetic layer whose saturation magnetic flux density (Bs), diamagnetic field coefficient (N) and gap magnetic field (Hg) show a relationship expressed by Bs×N>Hg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Soichi Oikawa, Katsuhiko Koui
  • Patent number: 8817417
    Abstract: A trailing shield is provided on a trailing side of a magnetic pole with a non-magnetic gap layer in between, and an intermediate layer having negative uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy is provided between the non-magnetic gap layer and the trailing shield. The intermediate layer has a magnetic property in which an easy axis of magnetization is provided in an in-plane direction and thus magnetization is likely to occur in that direction, whereas a difficult axis of magnetization is provided in a direction intersecting the in-plane direction and thus magnetization is less likely to occur in that direction. Accordingly, magnetic flux becomes difficult to excessively flow from the magnetic pole into the trailing shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Ukita, Kenta Hara, Kenkichi Anagawa, Yosuke Antoku, Masashi Sano, Shuji Okame, Masaya Kato
  • Patent number: 8810954
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes a magnetic head and a controller. The controller determines at regular intervals whether a recording density of a write signal belongs to a low-density region or a high-density region with reference to a reference density. In addition, the controller relatively reduces a current to energize a high-frequency-assisted element at a timing of the low-density region to be less than a current of the high-density region, in accordance with the low-density region or the high-density region in recording the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Taguchi, Kenichiro Yamada, Gaku Koizumi
  • Patent number: 8810961
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a recording head includes a main pole, a trailing shield including a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, and configured to form together with the main pole a first magnetic core, a leading shield including a first connecting portion connected to the main pole through a magnetic material and an end portion opposing to the end portion of the main pole through a non-magnetic material, and configured to form together with the main pole a second magnetic core, and first and second coils wound around the first and second magnetic cores, and a connection terminal configured to flow a current through the main pole, non-magnetic conductive layer, and trailing shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Taguchi, Yusuke Tomoda
  • Patent number: 8810964
    Abstract: A write element including a pole tip shield is disclosed. In embodiments disclosed, for example, the pole tip shield includes side shield portions fabricated of a graded magnetic moment material to form graded side shield portions having a magnetic moment that decreases in the down-track direction along a length of the side shield portions. In another embodiment, the pole tip shield includes side shield portions having a shortened length extending along a partial length of side edges of the pole tip. In illustrated embodiments, the side shield portions are formed of a contoured body having an indented portion forward of the leading edge of the pole tip. The indented portion has a rounded indented surface contour forming a rounded profile for a gap region between a leading edge portion of the pole tip shield forward of the leading edge of the pole tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kaizhong Gao, Eric Meloche, Jianhua Xue, Eric S. Linville, Dehua Han, Huaqing Yin
  • Patent number: 8804284
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a disk-facing surface, a main pole, a trailing shield, a first junction which connects the trailing shield and the main pole in a position off the disk-facing surface, a second junction which includes a high-frequency oscillator and connects the trailing shield and the main pole on side of the disk-facing surface, a leading shield on the leading side of the main pole, including a junction connected to the main pole in a position off the disk-facing surface with a third junction therebetween, and a connecting terminal configured to pass a current in series through the main pole, the nonmagnetic conductive layer, and the trailing shield. A thickness of the third junction is smaller than that of the first junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masaya Ohtake, Tomoko Taguchi, Takuya Matsumoto