Patents Assigned to Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
  • Method and system for providing a read transducer having improved pinning of the pinned layer at higher recording densities
    Patent number: 9269382
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic read transducer includes a read sensor stack and a pinning structure. The read sensor stack includes a pinned layer, a spacer layer, and a free layer. The spacer layer is nonmagnetic and between the pinned layer and the free layer. A portion of the read sensor stack is at the ABS. The pinning structure includes a hard magnetic layer recessed from the ABS, recessed from the free layer and adjacent to a portion of the pinned layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Gerardo A. Bertero, Kuok San Ho
  • Process for making PMR writer with constant side wall angle
    Patent number: 9263067
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a writer main pole for a perpendicular magnetic recording system is provided. The writer pole may have a constant sidewall angle from the ABS to yoke and may be formed out of an insulating material and a magnetic material. The sidewall angle of the yoke region may be adjusted during manufacture. The ABS region may correspond to the magnetic material and the yoke region may correspond to the insulating material. The insulating material may comprise Alumina. The magnetic material may comprise a NiFe alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Jinqiu Zhang, Hongmei Han, Feng Liu, Ming Jiang, Xiaotian Zhou, Zeyu Ma
  • Flat NFT for heat assisted magnetic recording
    Patent number: 9263071
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to an EAMR head having a plasmonic bulk metal plate adjacent thereto. The waveguide core has a trapezoidal shaped cross-section, when viewed from the ABS, and the plasmonic bulk metal plate is disposed adjacent the short side of the trapezoid. The plasmonic bulk metal plate reduces the temperature of the NFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Jiangrong Cao, Michael V. Morelli, Brad V. Johnson, Peng Zhang
  • Slider assembly and method of manufacturing same
    Patent number: 9257138
    Abstract: A substrate assembly includes a chip coupled with a carrier, a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and a support structure mounted to the second surface of the substrate and in contact with the carrier. A method of bonding a chip and carrier assembly to a substrate includes contacting the chip and carrier assembly with the bond material and applying heat and force on the chip and carrier assembly until the support structure is mounted on the second surface of the substrate and in contact with the carrier. A substrate assembly includes a chip coupled with a carrier, a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and one of the carrier or the substrate comprising a trench having a periphery, wherein the second surface of the substrate supports the carrier along the periphery of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Bin Ouyang, Chee Kheng Lim
  • Method of making a magnetic recording head
    Patent number: 9251813
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head comprises a write pole including a throat region with a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and first and second side edges opposite one another. The magnetic recording head further comprises a first side wall gap layer disposed alongside the first side edge of the throat region, and a second side wall gap layer disposed alongside the second side edge of the throat region. Each of the first and second side wall gap layers has a first width at the leading edge of the throat region smaller than a second width at the trailing edge of the throat region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Shaoping Li, Ge Yi, Feng Liu
  • Method for providing an energy assisted magnetic recording head having a laser integrally mounted to the slider
    Patent number: 9245543
    Abstract: A method for providing energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) heads are described. The method and system include providing a substrate, at least one EAMR transducer, an overcoat layer and at least one laser. The substrate has a leading edge and a substrate trailing edge. The EAMR transducer(s) reside in a device layer and on the substrate trailing edge. The overcoat layer includes a plurality of contacts. The device layer is between the overcoat layer and the substrate trailing edge. The laser(s) provide energy to the EAMR transducer. The overcoat layer is between the substrate trailing edge and the laser(s). The laser(s) are electrically coupled to at least a first portion of the contacts. The contacts provide thermal connection through the overcoat layer and through the device layer to the substrate. At least a second portion of the contacts is electrically insulated from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Lei Wang, Shing Lee, Wentao Yan
  • Magnetic recording writer with a composite main pole
    Patent number: 9245562
    Abstract: A magnetic transducer with a composite main pole and methods for fabricating the magnetic transducer are provided. The magnetic transducer includes a main pole having at least a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first magnetic material and has a first side forming at least a portion of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the main pole. The second portion includes a second magnetic material that is different from the first magnetic material, and the second portion is spaced apart from the ABS. The main pole may further include a third portion, where the second portion and the third portion are each located at one of the trailing side or the leading side of the main pole, with the third portion made of magnetic material that is different from the first magnetic material, and the third portion being spaced apart from the ABS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Feng Liu, Zhanjie Li
  • Spin transfer torque tunneling magnetoresistive device having a laminated free layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
    Patent number: 9236560
    Abstract: A spin transfer torque magnetic junction includes a magnetic reference layer structure with magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to a substrate plane. A laminated magnetic free layer comprises at least three sublayers (e.g. sub-layers of 6 to 30 Angstroms of CoFeB, CoPt, FePt, or CoPd) having magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the substrate plane. Each such sublayer is separated from an adjacent one by a tantalum dusting layer. An insulative barrier layer (e.g. MgO) is disposed between the laminated free layer and the magnetic reference layer structure. The spin transfer torque magnetic junction includes conductive base and top electrodes, and a current polarizing structure that has magnetic anisotropy parallel to the substrate plane. In certain embodiments, the current polarizing structure may also include a non-magnetic spacer layer (e.g. MgO, copper, etc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Shaoping Li, Gerardo A. Bertero, Yuankai Zheng, Qunwen Leng, Shihai He, Yunfei Ding, Ming Mao, Abhinandan Chougule, Daniel K. Lottis
  • Magnetic shield for magnetic recording head
    Patent number: 9230565
    Abstract: A magnetic shield for a magnetic recording head includes a plurality of ferromagnetic layers, a spacer layer, and a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer includes Co, Fe, B, or a combination thereof and effectively reduces irregular grain growth within the ferromagnetic layers, the spacer layer includes Ru, and the ferromagnetic layers magnetically couple through each of the buffer layer and the spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Rongfu Xiao, Daniele Mauri, Ming Mao, Haiwen Xi
  • Gradient write gap for perpendicular magnetic recording writer
    Patent number: 9214166
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a magnetic writer pole for use in a hard drive. The magnetic writer pole comprises a first bevel formed by a non-magnetic layer, the first bevel formed at a first angle and extending to a first throat height. The magnetic writer pole further comprises a second bevel formed by the non-magnetic layer and extending distally from the first bevel at a second angle that is greater than the first angle and extending to a second throat height. The magnetic writer pole further comprises a third bevel formed by the non-magnetic layer and extending distally from the second bevel at a third angle that is greater than the second angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Li Zeng, Dehua Han, Zhigang Bai, Lisha Wang
  • Methods for providing run to run process control using a dynamic tuner
    Patent number: 9213322
    Abstract: Methods for providing run to run process control using a dynamic tuner are provided. Once such method includes receiving a data point for a process output parameter, determining whether the data point is within a desired range for the process output parameter, setting, when the data point is within the desired range, a dynamic lambda value equal to a preselected base lambda value, setting, when the data point is not within the desired range, the dynamic lambda value equal to a value based on the preselected base lambda value, a degree of difference between the data point and a target for the process output parameter, and a scale factor, calculating an exponentially weighted moving average using the dynamic lambda value, and adjusting the process control parameter in accordance with the exponentially weighted moving average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Jian-Huei Feng, Ming Jiang, Clayton R. Newman, Yeak-Chong Wong
  • Method and system for providing a magnetic transducer having improved shield-to-shield spacing
    Patent number: 9214168
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer is described. The method and system include providing a magnetic structural barrier layer and a crystalline magnetic layer on the magnetic structural barrier layer. The magnetic structural barrier layer may reside on a shield. The method and system also include providing a nonmagnetic layer on the crystalline magnetic layer. A pinning layer is provided on the nonmagnetic layer. Similarly, a pinned layer is provided on the pinning layer. The pinning layer is magnetically coupled with the pinned layer. The method and system also include providing a free layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the pinned layer and the free layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Chando Park, Qunwen Leng, Sangmun Oh, Mahendra Pakala
  • Magnetic recording read transducer having a laminated free layer
    Patent number: 9214169
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer including a first shield, a read sensor, and a second shield. The read sensor is between the first shield and the second shield. The read sensor includes a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer includes a plurality of ferromagnetic layers interleaved with and sandwiching a plurality of nonmagnetic layers. The plurality of ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Christian Kaiser, Yuankai Zheng, Xin Jiang, Zhitao Diao, Qunwen Leng
  • Magnetic writer having a gradient in saturation magnetization of the shields
    Patent number: 9214165
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer. The transducer includes a main pole, a side gap, at least one coil and at least one of a leading shield, a trailing shield and side shield(s). A portion of the main pole resides at the ABS. The coil(s) are configured to energize the main pole. The side gap is being between the main pole and the at least one side shield. At least one of the leading shield, the side shield(s) and the trailing shield has a gradient in a saturation magnetization (Bs) such that the saturation magnetization increases in a yoke direction perpendicular to the ABS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Feng Liu, Zhanjie Li, Zhigang Bai
  • Systems and methods for forming MEMS assemblies incorporating getters
    Patent number: 9212051
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming MEMS assemblies incorporating getters are described. One such method for forming and bonding to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) assembly includes providing a first MEMS wafer including a metal layer on an inner surface and one or more cavities for forming a MEMS component, attaching a MEMS capping wafer, having at least one through hole via, to the inner surface of the first MEMS wafer thereby forming at least one encapsulated MEMs component within the first MEMS wafer, and bonding a wire to the metal layer through an open end of the at least one through hole via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Pezhman Monadgemi, Lei Wang
  • Method of manufacturing a magnetic read head
    Patent number: 9214172
    Abstract: A tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor having a tabbed AFM layer and an extended pinned layer and methods for making the same are provided. The TMR read sensor has an AFM layer recessed from the air bearing surface, providing a reduced shield-to-shield distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Shaoping Li, Yuankai Zheng, Gerardo A. Bertero, Qunwen Leng, Michael L. Mallary, Rongfu Xiao, Ming Mao, Zhihong Zhang, Anup G. Roy, Chen Jung Chien, Zhitao Diao, Ling Wang
  • Double patterning hard mask for damascene perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer
    Patent number: 9202480
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the subject disclosure provide a double patterning process that uses two patterning steps to produce a write structure having a nose shape with sharp corners. In one embodiment, a method for forming a write structure on a multi-layer structure comprising a substrate and an insulator layer on the substrate is provided. The method comprises forming a hard mask layer over the insulator layer, performing a first patterning process to form a pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer, performing a second patterning process to remove rounded corners of the pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer, removing a portion of the insulator layer corresponding to the pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer to form a trench in the insulator layer, and filling the trench with a magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC.
    Inventors: Xiaohai Xiang, Yun-Fei Li, Jinqiu Zhang, Hongping Yuan, Xianzhong Zeng, Hai Sun
  • Method of making an ultra-sharp tip mode converter for a HAMR head
    Patent number: 9202493
    Abstract: A mode converter for use in a Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) read head to couple or bend light (e.g., from an external laser diode) into a tapered waveguide, and subsequently, to a near field transducer is provided. The mode converter may have an ultra-sharp tip, e.g., less than 200 nm to achieve a desired optical output. Manufacturing such a mode converter involves a two-pattern transform process, where overlay control (using a first edge, such as a right edge, as a reference layer relative to which positioning of a second edge, such as a left edge, is measured) allows for aligning of the right and left edges of a tip portion of the mode converter to ultimately create the ultra-sharp tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
    Inventors: Dujiang Wan, Ge Yi, Lijie Zhao, Zhong Shi, Hai Sun
  • Method and structure for soldering a laser submount to a mounting face of a slider
    Patent number: 9202478
    Abstract: A head and a method to manufacture a head are disclosed. A slider is provided and has a mounting face that is opposite but substantially parallel to its air bearing surface. According to an example embodiment, a first plurality of layers may be deposited on the mounting face, including a tin layer, a first underlayer that comprises platinum, and an interface layer disposed between the first underlayer and the tin layer. The interface layer may comprise Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, or W. A submount with an attached laser diode may include a gold layer and be positioned adjacent to the first plurality of layers. The tin layer may then be melted so that the gold layer is dissolved therein, upon solidification attaching the submount to the mounting face by a solder layer that preferably comprises at least 45% gold by weight dissolved in tin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventor: Alexander V. Demtchouk
  • Systems and methods for using white light interferometry to measure undercut of a bi-layer structure
    Patent number: 9194692
    Abstract: Systems and methods for using white light interferometry to measure undercut of a bi-layer structure are provided. One such method involves performing a first scan of a first bi-layer structure with a microscope using a first scan range, where the microscope is configured for white light interferometry, generating a first interferogram using data from the first scan, performing a second scan of the first bi-layer structure with the microscope using a second scan range, generating a second interferogram using data from the second scan, determining a first distance between features of the first interferogram, determining a second distance between features of the second interferogram, and calculating a width of the undercut based on the first distance and the second distance. One such system involves using the microscope and/or a computer to perform one or more actions of this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Beye, Sean T. Poh