Abstract: A magnetic tunnel transistor (MTT) is formed with a self-pinned emitter layer. The self-pinned emitter layer decreases resistance in by eliminating a thick resistive adjacent anti-ferromagnetic pinning layer. Also, the present invention reduces a series resistance in a base of the magnetic tunnel transistor by removing a pinned layer from the base.

Abstract: To provide a disk supporting apparatus, a disk holding apparatus and a disk apparatus whose planar dimension is minimized, and which can be manufactured simply and inexpensively. A plurality of supporting portions 44 inclines with respect to a top portion 46 as a vertex. A tray 26 is formed into a substantially triangular pyramid (three-dimensional) configuration, and a planar dimension of the tray 26 can be smaller than that of a conventional turntable. Accordingly, a plurality of disks can be mounted on the tray 26. The supporting portion 44 of the tray 26 can be placed in parallel to a door leaf without a slide mechanism that has conventionally been used for sliding a tray. Accordingly, a desired disk can be attached/detached merely by rotating and driving the tray 26, and a mechanism disposed at a stereo apparatus is made compact and manufactured inexpensively.

Abstract: An exchange coupling film including an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer so as to generate an exchange coupling magnetic field is provided. A PtMn alloy is used as the material of the antiferromagnetic layer. Crystal planes of the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer preferentially aligned parallel to the interface are crystallographically identical and crystallographically identical axes lying in these crystal planes are oriented, at least partly, in different directions between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer. Thus, a proper order transformation occurs in the antiferromagnetic layer as a result of heat treatment and an increased exchange coupling magnetic field can be obtained.

Abstract: A high-density magneto-optical recording medium having excellent jitter properties is provided. A pattern-dependent shift of the length of a recorded mark does not occur even when a minute mark has increased sensitivity to a recording magnetic field. A magneto-optical recording medium has at least a displacement layer, a memory layer, and an auxiliary memory layer. A mark with a length up to the diffraction-limit of the optical system is recorded and read out. The magneto-optical recording medium includes an in-plane magnetization-inducing layer principally made of cobalt on the auxiliary memory layer.

Abstract: A disk drive structure with an adjustable bearing structure for guide bars therein is introduced. The disk drive includes a base, a spindle motor, a main guide bar located aside the spindle motor, a secondary guide bar located also aside the spindle motor but opposing to the main guide bar, an optical pickup head riding at the main guide bar and the secondary guide bar, and four bearing structures to sustain ends of the main guide bar and the secondary guide bar. The disk drive is characterized in that at least one of the four bearing structures is an adjustable bearing structure. The adjustable bearing structure includes a housing, a through hole, a spring arm, and a cam pillar pivotally mounted under the housing and sent into the through hole. By providing the cam pillar and the spring arm to hold the end of the respective guide bar, the position of the guide bar can be adjusted by turning the cam pillar.

Abstract: A PtMn alloy film known as an antiferromagnetic material having excellent corrosion resistance is used for an antiferromagnetic layer. However, an exchange coupling magnetic field is decreased depending upon the conditions of crystal grain boundaries. Therefore, in the present invention, the crystal grain boundaries formed in an antiferromagnetic layer (PtMn alloy film) and the crystal grain boundaries formed in a ferromagnetic layer are made discontinuous in at least a portion of the interface between both layers. As a result, the antiferromagnetic layer can be appropriately transformed to an ordered lattice by heat treatment to obtain a larger exchange coupling magnetic field than a conventional element.

Abstract: A method for forming an abutted junction GMR bottom spin valve sensor in which the free layer has a maximum effective length due to the elimination or minimization of bias layer and conducting lead layer overspreading onto the sensor element and the consequent reduction of current shunting. The overspreading is eliminated by forming a thin dielectric layer on the upper surface of the sensor element. When the biasing and conducting leads are formed on the abutted junction, they overspread onto this layer and the overspread can be removed by an ion-milling process during which the dielectric layer protects the sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic head testing apparatus having the function of evaluating pin holes in a tunnel barrier layer of a TMR element by a non destructive inspection is disclosed. The testing apparatus comprises a temperature control unit which sets a circumferential temperature of a TMR element, a bias electric current control unit which applies an electric current for measuring a resistance value, an element resistance measuring unit and a CPU which calculates a temperature coefficient. The CPU determines a pin hole state in the tunnel barrier layer based on the temperature coefficient.

Abstract: A tray drive mechanism has a simple structure, and yet both an optical disc clamping operation and a tray opening and closing operation can be driven by one feed motor. The tray drive mechanism comprises: a feed gear and a tray drive gear that are rotated by a feed motor; a rack member to mesh with the feed gear so as to be driven in direction to inner circumference of the optical disc; a plate trigger driven by the rack member so as to slide; and a cam slider to slide in linkage with the plate trigger. When the cam slider is slided in linkage with plate trigger so as to be driven in direction by the tray drive gear meshing with a rack, a boss of the cam slider pushes a slope portion of each of cam grooves and provided in a tray, so that the tray slides to cause a rack of the tray to mesh with the tray drive gear. Thus, the tray is opened and closed by the feed motor.

Abstract: In a disc driving device that performs loading operation to transfer a disc, which is a disc-shaped storage medium, in its radial direction, and chucking operation to transfer the disc substantially in the direction of the thickness, the loading operation and the chucking operation are to be performed by a single driving source, and miniaturization and reduction in thickness or the like of the device are to be realized easily. The disc driving device has roller arm parts that sway parallel to the radial direction of a disc, a chucking arm part that sways substantially in the direction of the thickness of the disc, and a cam. The cam has a cam groove for regulating swaying of the roller arm parts so as to position the disc transferred in the radial direction at a predetermined position, and a cam groove for regulating swaying of the chucking arm part so as to transfer the disc situated at the predetermined position substantially into the direction of the thickness.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus includes a main chassis; a sub chassis on which a cassette is mountable, the sub chassis being movable relative to the main chassis; and a first guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis. The first guide section includes a first guide groove; and a first projection engageable with the first guide groove and movable along the first guide groove. The first guide groove has two ends, the first projection is contactable with at least one of the two ends at two points and the at least one end is formed such that the movement of the first projection toward the at least one end is stopped by the contact with the two points, and the two points have a distance therebetween which is shorter than a width of the first guide groove.

Abstract: A patterned, synthetic, longitudinally exchange biased GMR sensor is provided which has a narrow effective trackwidth and reduced side reading. The advantageous properties of the sensor are obtained by satisfying a novel relationship between the magnetizations (M) of the ferromagnetic free layer (F1) and the ferromagnetic biasing layer (F2) which enables the optimal thicknesses of those layers to be determined for a wide range of ferromagnetic materials and exchange coupling materials. The relationship to be satisfied is MF2/MF1=(Js+Jex)/Js, where Js is the synthetic coupling energy between F1 and F2 and Jex is the exchange energy between F2 and an overlaying antiferromagnetic pinning layer. An alternative embodiment omits the overlaying antiferromagnetic pinning layer which causes the relationship to become MF2/MF1=1.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a stitched CPP synthetic spin-valve sensor with in-stack stabilization of its free layer. The method can also be applied to the formation of a stitched tunneling magnetoresistive sensor. The free layer is strongly stabilized by magnetostatic coupling through the use of a longitudinal biasing formation that includes a ferromagnetic layer, denoted LBL, within the pillar portion of the sensor and a synthetic exchange coupled tri-layer within the stitched portion of the sensor. The tri-layer consists of two ferromagnetic layers, FM1 and FM2 separated by a coupling layer and magnetized longitudinally in antiparallel directions. A criterion for the magnetic thicknesses of the layers: [t(LBL)+t(FM1)]/t(FM2)=70/90 angstroms of CoFe insures a strong exchange coupling. The magnetization of the tri-layer is done in a low field anneal that does not disturb the previous magnetization of the ferromagnetic free layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided while including a recording layer in which magnetic materials are in the shape of a circular cylinder and uniformity and size reduction are achieved simultaneously. The magnetic recording medium includes a recording layer and an electrode layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the recording layer and the electrode layer are disposed in the same plane. The above-described electrode layer is disposed adjacently to the end portion of the plane in which the recording layer on the substrate is disposed. A matrix surrounding magnetic material portions of the above-described recording layer contains alumina as a constituent provided by anodization of aluminum. Alternatively, the matrix surrounding the magnetic material portions of the above-described recording layer contains at least one of Si and Ge or an oxide thereof as a constituent.

Abstract: A magnetic head actuator provided with a finely movable tracking device having a piezoelectric element is provided for easy wiring to the piezoelectric element and reducing problems such as wire breakage and continuity defects. In the magnetic head actuator, a portion of an FPC board resin base is removed to expose a portion of the feeding line that extends onto a voltage impressing electrode. An electrical and mechanical connection is made between the electrode and the exposed portion of the feeding line by ultrasonic bonding, Au ball bonding, or stud bumping.

Abstract: A converter that records or reproduces information to or from a recording medium while making a movement relative to the recording medium is mounted on a slider. The slider has at least a pair of openings on a side face thereof, and airflow generated by the movement relative to the recording medium flows in via one of the paired openings, passes in a vicinity of a surface of the converter other than a surface thereof facing the recording medium, and thereafter flows out via the other one of the paired openings. With this, the ability to cool the converter is improved.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a head positioning suspension for a modern disc drive. The suspension has a base, a load beam, and a bend section. The load beam extends in a first plane and has a longitudinal axis extending between its first and second ends. The load beam also has a transverse axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is also within the first plane. The bend section connects the base to one end of the load beam and includes a longitudinal axis and transverse axis parallel to each of the respective longitudinal and transverse axis of the load beam. The bend section includes a plate with a given width extending substantially within the first plane and a rail that extends across a portion of that width in a direction that is parallel to the transverse axis of the bend section. The bend section rail further extends in a direction out of the first plane.

Abstract: A pick for a compact disc controller is provided in which a tip of the pick defines a plurality of flexible outer wall segments. An internal plunger is used to expand the wall segments in a radial direction, thereby retaining a CD onto the outer perimeter of the pick. Upon release of the plunger, the pick returns to its original dimensions and thereby releases the CD.

Abstract: An exchange coupling film including an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer so as to generate an exchange coupling magnetic field is provided. A PtMn alloy is used as the material of the antiferromagnetic layer. Crystal planes of the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer preferentially aligned parallel to the interface are crystallographically identical and crystallographically identical axes lying in these crystal planes are oriented, at least partly, in different directions between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer. Thus, a proper order transformation occurs in the antiferromagnetic layer as a result of heat treatment and an increased exchange coupling magnetic field can be obtained.

Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) spin valve (SV) sensor and fabrication method with a contiguous junction type geometry that increases sensor resistance by up to two orders of magnitude over conventional CPP GMR geometry for a particular track read-width. The superior CPP GMR coefficient (?r/R) is implemented at an increased sensor resistance by using two small self-aligned SV stacks disposed with the sense current flowing perpendicular thereto when also flowing parallel to the free layer deposition plane. With the CPP geometry of this invention, thicker conductive spacer layers may be used without unacceptable sense current shunting, so the two self-aligned SV stacks may be completed following the free-layer track-mill step. The two SV stacks may be connected in parallel or back-to-back in series to provide different sense voltages.