Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head slider capable of reducing thermal protrusion attributable to a heating mechanism for heat-assisted recording. According to one embodiment, a magnetic head slider for heat-assisted recording includes an insulating film formed on an end surface of a slider, and a read element, a write device and a heating mechanism for heating a recording medium embedded in the insulating film. The heating mechanism includes an optical waveguide and a near-field light emitting device. A heat radiating film of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the insulating film is formed near the heating mechanism so that one end surface thereof is exposed in an air bearing surface.

Abstract: A vertically stacked DFH design in a read/write head is disclosed that allows independent control of write gap protrusion and read gap protrusion. A first heater is formed in an insulation layer proximate to a sensor in a read head. A second heater is formed in a second insulation layer proximate to the write pole tip in a main pole layer. The two heaters are connected in series or in parallel through leads to a power source that activates the heaters. In one embodiment, the heaters have a fixed resistance ratio. Preferably, there are two drivers in the power source so that a first power can be applied to the first heater and a second power can be applied to the second heater to enable an adjustment of reader protrusion/writer protrusion or gamma ratio. Fast reader and writer actuation is achieved and low power consumption is realized.

Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic head, in which the magnetic spacing can be controlled appropriately, regardless of the presence of the variation in height of the medium-opposed surface of the closure. The thin-film magnetic head includes: at least one head element formed on or above an element-formation surface of a substrate, for reading data from a magnetic recording medium and/or writing data to a magnetic recording medium; an overcoat layer formed on the element-formation surface so as to cover the at least one head element; and at least one closure adhered to at least a portion of an upper surface of the overcoat layer. Here, at least one of the at least one closure includes at least one element for adjusting the height of a medium-opposed surface of the closure. The element is preferably a heating element provided within the closure.

Abstract: A contact type thin film magnetic head and method of using the same are provided. The contact type thin film magnetic head comprises a head element that is provided on a disk-facing surface of a slider, a magnetic disk, and heating elements disposed in a plane position different from that of the head element. A protective layer covers the heating elements and the head element. The heating elements and the protecting layer are formed on the disk-facing surface of the slider. The protective layer protrudes further toward the magnetic disk than the head element.

Abstract: A head for a hard disk drive. The head includes a substrate, a write element, a read element and a heater element. The head also includes a buffer layer between the read element and the substrate, and a first resistor connected to the heater element and the buffer layer. The buffer layer and resistor create an impedance that suppresses noise introduced to the head from the disk of the drive.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a slider having a medium-opposing surface and a light source unit secured to a surface of the slider on the side of the slider opposite from the medium-opposing surface. The slider has a slider substrate and a magnetic head part provided on a side face of the medium-opposing surface in the slider substrate. The magnetic head part includes a magnetic recording device for generating a magnetic field and a waveguide for receiving light from an end face opposite from the medium-opposing surface and guiding the light to the medium-opposing surface side. The light source unit has a light source supporting substrate, a light source secured to the light source supporting substrate and adapted to supply light to the end face of the waveguide, and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the light source.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film magnetic head which surely improves the writing and reading characteristic with reducing the flying height and surely handles the contact or collision with the magnetic recording medium. A thin-film magnetic head is provided, which includes, an substrate with ABS; a read or write head element provided on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one protrusion adjustment portion whose end reaches a slider end surface on the ABS side, which provides on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one heating portion provided rear at least one protrusion adjustment portion viewed from the slider end surface on the ABS side.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). In an illustrative example, a device includes a magnetic write pole having a convex pole tip; a magnetic opposing pole longitudinally displaced from the magnetic write pole; and a thermal-source component disposed proximate to the magnetic write pole and comprising a laterally elongated thermal-source peg disposed proximate to the convex pole tip.

Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic head having a heating element in which excessive increase in temperature is suppressed corresponding to smaller area of the shield layers of the MR effect element. The thin-film magnetic head comprises: an electromagnetic coil element; an MR effect element having two shield layers sandwiching an MR effect multilayer; and a heating element having a heating layer provided at least between the electromagnetic coil element and the MR effect element, and further in the head, at least a portion of a run-off portion of the heating layer running off the shield layer closer to the heating layer than the other shield layer has a resistance per unit length smaller than a resistance per unit length of the other portions than the portion running off the shield layer.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head which can realize high-density writing onto magnetic recording media is provided. The thermally assisted magnetic head includes a magnetic head part having a medium-opposing surface and a back face opposing the medium-opposing surface. The magnetic head part has a recording head part, an optical waveguide, and light shields. The optical waveguide extends along the opposing direction of the medium-opposing surface and back face. Each of the light shields extends along the opposing direction of the medium-opposing surface and back face and inhibits laser light from passing between the medium-opposing surface and back face. The optical waveguide and light shields are arranged on a first line when seen from the back face. When seen from the back face, the light shields oppose each other while interposing the first line therebetween and are arranged on a second line substantially orthogonal to the first line.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head has a slider substrate having a first surface located on the opposite side to a medium-facing surface, and side surfaces located between the medium-facing surface and the first surface; a magnetic head portion having a waveguide having a light exit face on the medium-facing surface side, and a magnetic recording element disposed in proximity to the light exit face, the magnetic head portion being fixed to one of the side surfaces of the slider substrate; a light source support substrate having a second surface facing the first surface; a light emitting element facing a light entrance face of the waveguide and fixed to the light source support substrate; and an adhesive interposed between the first surface and the second surface; at least one of the first surface and the second surface has a recess and the adhesive is disposed in the recess.

Abstract: A transducer carrying structure includes a first portion carrying the transducer, a second portion spaced from the transducer, and a spacing control actuation system operable to adjust a position of the first portion of the transducer carrying structure. An overcoat is provided on a surface of the transducer carrying structure. The overcoat has a first thickness in the first region of the transducer carrying structure and a second thickness in the second region of the transducer carrying structure, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness. This configuration provides increased wear robustness to the transducer carrying structure without causing the transducer to be excessively spaced from a medium during operation of the transducer.

Abstract: An optical path or waveguide for a laser-assisted transducing head is disclosed. The optical path extends between the poles of the transducing head to near the write gap. A solid-state laser is attached to or incorporated into the slider or head and is positioned to direct thermal energy through a waveguide and onto a track of a read/write surface to lower the coercivity of the recording medium to facilitate the write process.

Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, a magnetic head slider provided with a heater disposed near a read element to adjust flying height, is required to increase a thermal protrusion by heat generated by the heater without increasing a thermal protrusion attributable to heat generated by a recording current or environmental temperature. A magnetic head slider includes a thin-film head unit including a read element, a heater having a thin heating line extended above and below the read element, a write element, and an insulating layer of alumina (Al2O3) or the like insulating those components. The thin heating line of the heater is formed from a thin resistive film of NiCr or the like. The thin heating line of the heater is extended above and below the read element so as to meander in a zigzag shape in a direction perpendicular to the device forming surface. The thin heating line has a thickness between about 0.1 and 0.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a read part disposed on a substrate to read magnetic recording information from a recording medium by a magnetoresistance effect; a write part disposed above the read part to record magnetic information on the recording medium by applying a perpendicular magnetic field, and including a write coil; a heating element disposed between the write coil and the read part; and a heat-dissipating layer disposed between the write coil and the heating element. The heating element generates heat when supplied with current so that the read part is thermally expanded to protrude toward the recording medium. The heat-dissipating layer has a heat dissipation effect.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head which can locally project a reproduction element toward a recording medium and a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head are provided. The thin-film magnetic head includes a reproduction element, a recording element which is stacked on the reproduction element and has a pair of magnetic core layers and a coil layer configured to apply a recording magnetic field to the magnetic core layers, and a heat-emitting member emitting heat by electrification, which causes the reproduction element to project toward the recording medium by thermal expansion. The heat-emitting member is disposed below the coil layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a spin wave oscillator having a lamination film including a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, and a pair of electrodes adapted to inject a current between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer to generate a spin wave in one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a recording magnetic pole provided on one side with the spin wave oscillator, the spin wave oscillator locally heating the recording track prior to recording by the recording magnetic pole.

Abstract: A magnetic memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction element having a plurality of ferromagnetic layers stacked with a dielectric layer interposed between the adjacent ferromagnetic layers and storing magnetic information through reversal of magnetization of at least one of the magnetization layers, and a spin wave oscillator having a magnetization free layer, a nonmagnetic layer stacked on the magnetization free layer, a magnetization pinned layer stacked on the nonmagnetic layer, and a pair of electrodes adapted to apply current in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the magnetization free layer, the nonmagnetic layer and the magnetization pinned layer to thereby generate a spin wave. The spin wave oscillator is arranged in vicinity of the magnetic tunnel junction element to allow heating of the magnetic tunnel junction element and reversal of magnetization.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reading device includes a magnetic recording medium having at least one magnetic recording layer, a magnetic head enabling a data transfer rate of more than 50 MB/s and a recording density of more than 5 Gb/in2 on the magnetic recording medium, and a R/W-IC. The magnetic head includes a recording head and a reading head. The at least one magnetic recording layer contains (1) at least one metal element selected from a first group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni as a primary component, and (2) at least two elements selected from a second group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir and Si.

Abstract: A magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording includes a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS) and a trailing surface and a transducer fabricated on the trailing surface. The transducer includes a magnetoresistive (MR) read element disposed within a gap material bounded by shield material, an adjunct pole, and a main pole formed in an adjacent layered relationship to the adjunct pole. The adjunct pole has a front edge that is recessed from the ABS and a rear edge. The main pole has a write tip that extends approximately to the ABS. The transducer further includes a write coil having a first layer of turns below the adjunct pole and above the shield material. The magnetic head also includes a heating element with a portion of the heating element below the write coil and behind the rear edge of the adjunct pole.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention achieve a decrease in electric power consumption while ensuring high recording density and high reliability in a magnetic disk apparatus. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a rotatable magnetic disk and a magnetic head slider to be able to fly above a surface of the magnetic disk. The magnetic head slider comprises an air bearing surface, by which the magnetic head slider is caused to fly and come near to the rotating surface of the magnetic disk with a predetermined spacing therebetween, recording and reproducing elements to perform at least one of recording on and reproduction from the magnetic disk, and a heating device to adjust a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk. The heating device is mounted such that heating thereof causes a part of the air bearing surface to expand and project to increase a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a slider body having a trailing surface meeting an air-bearing surface at a trailing edge and a thin-film transducer that includes a magnetic reproducing element with a magnetoresistive (MR) element disposed near the trailing edge within a gap material bounded by upper and lower shield layers. The thin-film transducer also includes a lower pole layer of a magnetic recording element disposed in a first general plane. The magnetic recording element further includes a coil having first and second turn layers disposed in second and third general planes, respectively. The magnetic head also includes resistive heating element with at least a portion of the heating element being disposed in a fourth general plane beneath both the lower pole layer and the coil but above the upper shield layer. Current flow through the heating element causes expansion of the magnetic reproducing and recording elements at the ABS.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention suppress collision between a head element section and a magnetic disk. In manufacturing a hard disk drive (HDD) according to an embodiment of the present invention, recession R is preliminarily measured for each head slider. Recession R means the amount of recession of the head element section relative to the slider. Write current and heater current values respectively for the write device and the TFC heater are registered based on the measured recession. Since these values are set according to the recession of the head element section, it is possible to prevent each head element section from colliding with the magnetic disk while reducing the clearance between each head element section and the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A flying head slider includes a write head element and a read head element mounted on the slider body. A first transformable actuator serves to protrude the write head element toward a recording medium. A second transformable actuator serves to protrude the read head element toward the recording medium. The first and second transformable actuators can separately be controlled. The amount of protrusion can thus be individually controlled for the write head element and the read head element. The flying height can individually be set above the surface of the recording medium for the write head element and the read head element. Such an adjustment of the flying height enables the write head element and the read head element to simultaneously get closest to the recording medium.

Abstract: A head includes a substrate, an undercoat material, a read structure, and a write structure. The undercoat material at least partially provides electrical insulation between the read structure and the substrate. The read structure allows for reading magnetic fields from a recording medium. The write structure allows for providing particular magnetic fields to the recording medium to write data to the recording medium. The read structure is located at least partially between a portion of the undercoat material and a portion of the write structure. The head further includes at least one of (i) a heating element located at least partially in the undercoat material for providing heat and (ii) a pedestal for at least partially providing thermal conduction between the read structure and the substrate. Also, a thickness of the undercoat material may be set for improving flying height adjustment efficiency.

Abstract: A thin-film resistor that has a stable electric resistance, the phase transformation to the ?-phase being suppressed even in the high temperature environment, is provided. The thin-film resistor has a layered structure of: a base layer formed of a double-layered film in which an alloy film containing nickel and copper, an alloy film containing nickel and chromium or an alloy film containing copper and manganese is stacked on a tantalum film, or formed of a single alloy film containing nickel and chromium; and an electric resistance layer formed of a ?-phase tantalum film or an alloy film mainly containing ?-phase tantalum, and deposited on the base layer, the electric resistance layer having a crystal structure in which (002) plane of the ?-phase crystal is most strongly oriented to the layer surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head for use in a magnetic recording apparatus for magnetically recording information in a state of heating and elevating the temperature of a recording portion of a recording medium by emitting electrons to the recording medium, the magnetic head including a recording magnetic pole having a magnetic surface opposed to the recording medium, and supplying a magnetic flux to the recording medium and an electron emitting source formed in the recording magnetic pole. The electron emitting source has a concave portion having an opening formed in the recording magnetic pole and open to the recording magnetic pole surface and a bundle of a plurality of carbon nanotubes each extending from the bottom to the opening of the concave portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head with a heater. A thin-film magnetic head includes a substrate, a magnetic read head element that has a shield area and is formed on the substrate, a magnetic write head element that has a pole area and is formed on the opposite side of the substrate with respect to the magnetic read head element, an overcoat layer that covers the magnetic read head element and the magnetic write head element and is formed on the substrate, a heater that heats at least during the magnetic read head element or the magnetic write head element in operation and is formed in the overcoat layer, and a slit area that splits the shield area in a shield length direction and is made of lower thermal conductivity material than the one of the shield area.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head with a higher protrusion efficiency is provided, which comprises: a substrate with an air bearing surface (ABS); a read head element including a lower and upper shield layers, and a write head element including a magnetic pole layer; a heating element provided in a position opposite to the ABS in relation to the read and write head elements; and a heatsink element including a heatsink layer provided adjacent to an end opposite to an end in the ABS side of at least one layer of the lower and upper shield layers and the magnetic pole layer, the heatsink element having a shape that a pattern width in the track-width direction of an end portion in the ABS side is larger than a pattern width in the track-width direction of an end portion opposite to the end portion in the ABS side.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising a slider. The slider includes a substrate with an air bearing surface and a trailing substrate side. The slider includes an optoelectronic heater and a magnetic head being mounted on the trailing substrate side. Thermal insulation is interposed between the optoelectronic heater and the magnetic head. The optoelectronic heater is thermally coupled to the trailing substrate side.

Abstract: A transducing device responsive to magnetic fields includes a writer, a reader, an actuator, and a void. The actuator is positioned proximate the writer and reader. The void is positioned between at least one of the reader and writer and a substrate of a sensing device. The void is also positioned proximate an external surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head is composed of a write head which magnetically records information by emitting magnetic flux, which is generated by a write coil, from a magnetic pole unit to a recording medium; and a read head having a reading element which converts record magnetic flux, which is emitted from the recording medium, to an electric signal. In a write coil facing area facing an area in which the thin-film coil pattern of the write coil is disposed, a heater coil which causes a medium facing surface to protrude toward a recording medium side by thermal expansion caused by power distribution and overheating is disposed via an insulating layer. In the heater coil, a wide terminal pattern is disposed outside the write coil facing area, and a heater pattern having a width narrower than the terminal pattern is disposed in the write coil facing area.

Abstract: A slider for use in a disk drive system with a read/write head that has a write coil as part of a write transducer. The write coil has a center tap thereon for connection to a conductor in addition to the connection of the ends of the write coil to two other conductors. This allows the write coil to be driven from opposite ends with opposite but equal currents in addition to the write currents that are used in write mode or alone in modes other than in write mode, such as just before write mode is entered. The current flowing in or out of the center tap then will be the sum of the currents flowing out or into the opposite ends of the write coil. In this manner, no magnetic fringing field is created since the currents/fields cancel each other out. Also, the power dissipation in the write coil during this time will be approximately the same as in write mode and a similar amount of pole tip protrusion should be produced thereby.

Abstract: A transducing device having a storage interface surface includes a writer having a pole tip region, a coil having a width positioned around the writer, and a heating element. The heating element extends to near the storage interface surface. A portion of the heating element is at least as wide as the coil. The heating element heats the writer in response to current flow through the heating element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention achieve a decrease in electric power consumption while ensuring high recording density and high reliability in a magnetic disk apparatus. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a rotatable magnetic disk and a magnetic head slider to be able to fly above a surface of the magnetic disk. The magnetic head slider comprises an air bearing surface, by which the magnetic head slider is caused to fly and come near to the rotating surface of the magnetic disk with a predetermined spacing therebetween, recording and reproducing elements to perform at least one of recording on and reproduction from the magnetic disk, and a heating device to adjust a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk. The heating device is mounted such that heating thereof causes a part of the air bearing surface to expand and project to increase a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transducing device. The transducing device includes a transducing element having a read element and a write element. The transducing device further includes at least one heating element formed within the transducing device and spaced apart from the heating element a sufficient distance to keep the at least one heating element from influencing a temperature of the transducing element.

Abstract: A magnetic head part is constituted by a reproducing head part having a GMR device and a recording head part acting as an inductive electromagnetic transducer which are laminated on a support. The magnetic head part further comprises a heater. One of poles of the heater is electrically connected to a heater electrode pad disposed on a first surface of a head slider. The other pole is electrically connected to a substrate constituting the support, and is energized by way of a second surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A transducer for a disk drive head includes a pole tip protrusion (PTP) compensation layer disposed proximate to a write element of the head to at least partially offset the effect of pole tip protrusion. The PTP compensation layer can be above, below, or within the write element. Suitable materials for the PTP compensation layer include zirconium oxide ceramics characterized by negative coefficients of thermal expansion such as ZrMo2O8.

Abstract: An optical path or waveguide for a laser-assisted transducing head is disclosed. The optical path extends between the poles of the transducing head to near the write gap. A solid-state laser is attached to or incorporated into the slider or head and is positioned to direct thermal energy through a waveguide and onto a track of a read/write surface to lower the coercivity of the recording medium to facilitate the write process.

Abstract: A control source and drivers for a thermal actuator fly height controlled heads in a disk drive system includes provisions for driving a heater element to dissipate various levels of power, and thus actuate the head by a desired amount, depending on whether the head is in a write mode or a read mode. Further, overshoot and undershoot are achieved as desired by providing initial values and equilibrium values and through the use of a control capacitor to provide a time constant to the drive signal to the heater element.

Abstract: A slider having a lead circuitry configured to minimize capacitive coupling between leads in a slider having a read head, a write head and an extra device such as a heater element. The leads are configures so that wherever a pair of leads cross one another, they do so at right angles or at nearly right angles. The leads can cross one another at angles of between 45 and 135 degrees, but preferably cross one another at an angle of about 90 degrees. The leads are electrically insulated from one another by a dielectric material formed between them. By crossing a pair of leads at right angles to one another, the overlapping area between the leads is minimized, thereby minimizing the capacitive coupling between them.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a slider body having a trailing surface meeting an air-bearing surface at a trailing edge. A magnetic read and write elements are disposed along the trailing surface near the trailing edge. The magnetic write element includes write poles and a coil. A portion of a heating element is disposed in a first general plane beneath the coil and above the magnetic read element. At least one thermally-insulating layer of material having a thermal conductivity of less than about 2.0 W/m-K extends in a second general plane substantially beneath the heating element.

Abstract: A transducing device includes a writer having a pole tip region and a heater circuit. The heater circuit has a heating portion and a heater current return path. The heating portion has at least two branches positioned with respect to the writer so that current flowing through the at least two branches heat the writer. The heater current return path is electrically connected to the at least two branches of the heating portion near the pole tip region and includes an electrically conductive portion of the writer.