Patents Examined by Carlos E Garcia
  • Rotating body for fluid dynamic bearing capable of being thinned and being improved in rotational accuracy and method of producing the rotating body for fluid dynamic bearing
    Patent number: 8837078
    Abstract: A rotating body for a fluid dynamic bearing used for rotating a recording disk that has been mounted therein include: a rotating shaft portion in which a cylindrical portion that serves as a rotating shaft and a protruding portion extended radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion are formed integrally with each other; and a hub that is to be connected to the end portion near to the outer circumference of the protruding portion and that has a mounting seat portion on which the recording disk is to be mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Akira Muramatsu, Takuji Yamada
  • Laminated touchdown sensor for hard disk drives
    Patent number: 8837081
    Abstract: A method and system provide a touchdown sensor for use in disk drive. The touchdown sensor includes a sensor layer including a plurality of magnetic layers interleaved with at least one nonmagnetic layer. The plurality of magnetic layers are magnetically coupled and single domain. Further, the sensor has a temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) of at least 0.15%/° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Chengtao R. Yu, Dehua Han, Ying Hong, Feng Liu, Laurence L. Chen, Zhanjie Li, Zhigang Bai, Yu Lo, Yunfei Ding
  • Perpendicular magnetic recording write head with ladder network compensation circuitry on slider body for write current overshoot at write current switching
    Patent number: 8824077
    Abstract: Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. The write enhancement circuitry is formed on the head carrier as ladder network blocks. A first ladder network block is a first capacitor C1 located in parallel with the write coil. The second ladder network block includes a second capacitor C2 having substantially the same inductance L2. The compensation circuitry is referred to as a ladder network because additional ladder blocks, like the second block but with different values of capacitance and inductance, may be located on the head carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: John Thomas Contreras, Samir Y. Garzon, David John Seagle
  • Optical pickup device
    Patent number: 8819710
    Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided, a cover of which covering a housing is prevented from deforming. A principal surface of an optical pickup device of the present invention is covered with a cover 13. The cover 13 includes: a cover portion 13G; a hole portion 13 provided at an end in the longitudinal direction and is screwed; an engagement portion 13A provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction and is engaged with the housing; and an engagement portion 13D engaged with the opening portion of the housing in the middle part. The engagement portion 13D placed in the middle part of the cover portion 13G is engaged with the housing to prevent the cover portion 13G from bulging outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taishi Okazaki
  • Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistive sensor employing half metal alloys for improved sensor performance
    Patent number: 8810973
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having employing a Mn containing Huesler alloy for improved magnetoresistive performance in a structure that minimizes corrosion and Mn migration. The sensor can be constructed with a pinned layer structure that includes a lamination of layers of Co2MnX and CoFe, where X is Al, Ge or Si. The Co2MnX can be sandwiched between the layers of CoFe to prevent Mn migration into the spacer/barrier layer. The free layer can also be constructed as a lamination of Co2MnX and CoFe layers, and may also be constructed so that the Co2MnX layer is sandwiched between CoFe layers to prevent Mn migration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Hardayal Singh Gill
  • Magnetic sensor stack body, method of forming the same, film formation control program, and recording medium
    Patent number: 8810974
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to align crystal c-axes in magnetic layers near two opposed junction wall faces of a magnetoresistive element so as to be almost perpendicular to the junction wall faces. A magnetic sensor stack body has, on a substrate, a magnetoresistive element whose electric resistance fluctuates when a bias magnetic field is applied and, on sides of opposed junction wall faces of the magnetoresistive element, field regions including magnetic layers for applying the bias magnetic field to the element. The magnetoresistive element has at least a ferromagnetic stack on a part of an antiferromagnetic layer, and width of an uppermost face of the ferromagnetic stack along a direction in which the junction wall faces are opposed to each other is smaller than width of an uppermost face of the antiferromagnetic layer in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Abarra Einstein Noel, Masahiro Suenaga, Yoshinori Ota, Tetsuya Endo
  • Perpendicular write head having a stepped flare structure and method of manufacture thereof
    Patent number: 8797685
    Abstract: A magnetic write head for data recording having a magnetic write pole with a stepped magnetic shell structure that defines a secondary flare point. The secondary flare point defined by the magnetic shell portion can be more tightly controlled with respect to its distance from the air bearing surface (ABS) of the write head than can a traditional flare point that is photolithographically on the main pole structure. This allows the effective flare point of the write head to be moved much closer to the ABS than would otherwise be possible using currently available tooling and photolithography techniques. The write head also includes a non-magnetic spacer layer formed over the magnetic shell structure that is recessed from the ABS by a distance that is greater than that of the magnetic shell portion. A magnetic shield is formed over the magnetic shell and non-magnetic spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Christian Rene Bonhote, Jeffrey S. Lille, Scott Arthur MacDonald, Xhavin Sinha, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden
  • Magnetic writer configured for high data rate recording
    Patent number: 8797684
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a write pole and a coil. The write pole has a pole tip and a yoke. The coil energizes the write pole and includes a plurality of turns. A turn of the plurality of turns has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first length in a stripe height direction substantially perpendicular to the ABS. The second portion has a second length in the stripe height direction. The second length is greater than the first length and extends at least to at least one adjacent turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Ut Tran, Zhigang Bai, Kevin K. Lin
  • Tray locking device for optical disc drive
    Patent number: 8793711
    Abstract: A tray locking device adapted to an optical disc drive for locking and releasing a tray is provided. The optical disc drive has an optical head connected to a lead screw and driven to move by the lead screw. The tray locking device includes a pushing member driven to move by the lead screw, a latching hook for locking and releasing a protruding pin, and a transmission assembly configured between the pushing member and the latching hook. The transmission assembly includes a first rod and a second rod movably configured in the tray. The first rod has a first driving portion, and the second rod has a second driving portion. When the transmission assembly is located at an initial position, the first driving portion is located on a moving path of the pushing member, while the second driving portion is not located on the moving path of the pushing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Chung Hsu, Yung-Han Wu, Sz-Shian He, Ming-Chun Tsao, In-Shuen Lee
  • Robust gimbal design for head gimbal assembly
    Patent number: 8792212
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flexure for a head/gimbal assembly suspension for a disk drive. The flexure comprises a metal base layer that includes two outrigger beams and a support island supported by a pair of beams extending from a flexure tongue. The flexure further comprises: a trace layer that is disposed over the base layer that includes a plurality of conductive traces, each conductive trace having a curved section that terminates in a trace termination pad; and a dielectric layer disposed between the trace and base layers including a portion underlying the trace termination pads and overlying the support island. The support island is supported by the pair of beams extending from the flexure tongue and is sized to fully support the trace termination pads of the conductive traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Tzong-Shii Pan, Theerawat Petdee
  • Head-slider including thin-film magnetic-recording head having reduced thermal protrusion
    Patent number: 8786986
    Abstract: A head-slider. The head-slider includes a slider, and a thin-film magnetic-recording head. The thin-film magnetic-recording head includes: a read element; a write element; a non-magnetic insulating protective layer disposed around both read and write elements; a resist disposed at a position further away from an air-bearing surface than the read element; and, a hard-material member including a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide and tungsten, which is disposed at a position further away from the air-bearing surface than the read element and the write element. Both an end of the resist and an end of the hard-material member overlap the write element when viewed in a stacking direction. A ratio of a distance from the air-bearing surface to a deepest end of the hard-material member to a distance from the air-bearing surface to a deepest end of the resist is at least 0.9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Shigeo Fujita, Masahiko Soga, Hideaki Tanaka, Yuji Ueda, Tomohiro Okada, Takayoshi Ohtsu, Wataru Kimura, Yohji Maruyama
  • Optical disc apparatus
    Patent number: 8789074
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus of the present invention is configured to include: a chassis which includes a supporting portion that supports an optical pickup, a pickup moving mechanism, and a disc motor, and coupling portions that are coupled to a tray at plural points, which is formed of a synthetic resin material, and in which the supporting portion and the coupling portions are integrated with each other; and a flexible flat cable which electrically couples between a first circuit substrate fixed to the bottom case side and a second circuit substrate fixed to the tray or the chassis side, and which is arranged between a bottom cover and a bottom case while its plane surface is folded in a state where the tray is inserted into an apparatus body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Ishizuka, Shinsuke Takatsuka, Koji Matsumoto
  • Perpendicular magnetic write head having a current carrying element for in-plane field assisted magnetic recording
    Patent number: 8786984
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole configured to produce a magnetic writing field applied to a magnetic medium at an overall angle with respect to a magnetic anisotropy axis which is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a plane of a surface of the magnetic medium, and at least one current carrying element positioned near a media facing surface of the main pole configured to produce an assisting magnetic field applied in a cross-track direction parallel to the plane of the surface of the magnetic medium. In another embodiment, a method includes applying a writing magnetic field to write data to a magnetic medium and applying an assisting magnetic field to the magnetic medium for assisting the writing magnetic field, the assisting magnetic field being applied in a cross-track direction of the magnetic medium and parallel to a plane of a surface of the magnetic medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Sarbanoo Das, Masafumi Mochizuki
  • Read transducer and magnetic storage system implementing same
    Patent number: 8780507
    Abstract: A transducer according to one embodiment comprises a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; and an electrically conductive layer positioned between the ferromagnetic layers; wherein a length of the first ferromagnetic layer in a first direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a length of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction such that a first end of the first ferromagnetic layer extends beyond an end of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction, wherein an electrical current enters or exits the end of the first ferromagnetic layer that extends beyond the end of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction. Additional transducer structures, and systems implementing such transducers, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ying Hong, Kochan Ju, Ching Hwa Tsang
  • Base for motor and hard disk drive including the same
    Patent number: 8780495
    Abstract: There is provided a base for a motor, the base including: a base body formed of a steel plate through a pressing process; and an outer wall part defining an exterior of the base body, in which the outer wall part has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the steel plate in order to increase a contact area with a sealing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Il Geun Jeon
  • Magnetic element with biased side shield lamination
    Patent number: 8780508
    Abstract: A magnetic element is generally provided that can be implemented as a transducing head. Various embodiments may configure a magnetic stack having a magnetically free layer with a predetermined magnetization. A side shield lamination can be separated from the magnetic stack on an air hearing surface (ABS) and biased to a bias magnetization that opposes the predetermined magnetization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov, Dian Song, Mark William Covington
  • Systems and methods for providing adsorptive surface coatings on internal components of a storage drive
    Patent number: 8773812
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing adsorptive surface coatings on internal components of a storage drive to adsorb contaminants are provided. One such system relates to a storage device including a magnetic media configured to store information, a head configured to read information from the media and to write information to the media, and at least one internal component selected from the group consisting of an internal surface of a housing of the storage device, a recirculation filter, an anti-disk, an actuator arm for moving the head, and a voice coil motor, where a contaminant adsorptive coating is disposed on a portion of the at least one internal component, where the contaminant adsorptive coating is configured to bond with preselected contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Gustafson, Frederick J. Hanke, Jon E. Jacoby
  • Magnetic recording head having a non-conformal side gap and methods of production thereof
    Patent number: 8767344
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole having a leading side and a trailing side relative to a downtrack direction, a side gap layer positioned adjacent to the main pole in a crosstrack direction, and a side shield layer positioned adjacent the side gap layer in a crosstrack direction. The downtrack direction is in a direction of medium travel relative to the main pole, the crosstrack direction is perpendicular to the downtrack direction, the side gap layer is characterized by having a groove therein in the downtrack direction having the main pole positioned therein, the side shield is characterized by having a groove formed therein in the downtrack direction having the side gap layer positioned therein, the side gap is non-conformal in shape, and a position of the side shield relative to a position of the main pole is characterized as being self-aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Ishibashi, Kimitoshi Eto, Mikito Sugiyama
  • Magnetic head having a planar hall effect read sensor
    Patent number: 8760801
    Abstract: In one embodiment a magnetic head includes a sensor thin film adapted for producing a planar Hall voltage, the sensor thin film having a thickness along a down-track direction that is greater than a thickness along a cross-track direction. The down-track direction is in a direction of travel of a magnetic medium relative to the sensor thin film, and the cross-track direction is perpendicular to the down-track direction. In another embodiment, at least one magnetic head as described above is included in a magnetic data storage system, which includes a magnetic medium, a drive mechanism for passing the magnetic medium over the at least one magnetic head, and a controller electrically coupled to the at least one magnetic head for controlling operation of the at least one magnetic head. Other heads and systems are described according to various other embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Sarbanoo Das, Masafumi Mochizuki
  • Substrate nitrogen plasma treatment for softer CoFe main pole writer formation
    Patent number: 8760804
    Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a nonmagnetic gap layer in a trench; a pole seed layer above the nonmagnetic gap layer; and a pole layer of a magnetic material above the pole seed layer, wherein at least one of the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer and the pole layer has nitrogen therein. A magnetic head according to another embodiment includes a nonmagnetic gap layer in a trench; a pole seed layer above the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer being comprised primarily of a material selected from a group consisting of NiCr, Ta/Ru, Ta/Rh, NiCr/Ru, NiCr/Rh, NiCr, CoOx, Ru, Rh, Cu, Au/MgO, Ta/Cu; and a pole layer comprised primarily of CoFe above the pole seed layer, wherein at least one of the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer and the pole layer has nitrogen therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Brinkman, Ning Shi, Brian R. York