Patents Examined by Jefferson Evans
  • Patent number: 11676633
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to disk separator plates that include a coating to increase the water contact angle of the exterior surface of the disk separator plate so as to decrease its wettability. The present disclosure also involves hard disk drives that include such a disk separator plate and related methods of forming such a coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Yi Zhao Yao, XiaoJin Wu, Bo Shi, May Choo Pang
  • Patent number: 11657837
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole and a trailing shield disposed adjacent to the main pole. A recessed edge of the trailing shield has throat heights varying in the cross-track direction. In one embodiment, a central portion of the trailing shield disposed adjacent or closest to the main pole has a first throat height less than a second throat height of outer portions of the trailing shield further from the main pole. In another embodiment, the central portion of the trailing shield has a first throat height greater than a second throat height of outer portions of the trailing shield. The trailing shield having varying throat heights in the cross-track direction strengthens the writing capability or improves the XTI of the magnetic recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Quan-Chiu Harry Lam, Mark H. Burkhardt, El-Amine Salhi
  • Patent number: 11646052
    Abstract: A magnetic recording write head and system has a spin-torque oscillator (STO) located between the write head's write pole and trailing shield. The STO's ferromagnetic free layer is located near the write pole with a multilayer seed layer between the write pole and the free layer. The STO's nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the free layer and the STO's ferromagnetic polarizer. The polarizer may be the trailing shield of the write head, one or more separate polarizer layers, or combinations thereof. The STO electrical circuitry causes electron flow from the write pole to the trailing shield. The multilayer seed layer removes the spin polarization of electrons from the write pole, which enables electrons reflected from the polarizer layer to become spin polarized, which creates the spin transfer torque on the magnetization of the free layer. The multilayer seed layer includes a Mn or a Mn-alloy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Zheng Gao, Masahiko Hashimoto, Sangmun Oh
  • Patent number: 11640833
    Abstract: A disk-shaped substrate for a magnetic disk has a diameter D of 85 mm or more and a thickness T of 0.6 mm or less, and a material of the substrate has a Young's modulus E of 90 GPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Eda
  • Patent number: 11636874
    Abstract: This magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole, a write shield, and an oscillation element. The oscillation element has a first oscillation portion, a second oscillation portion, and a non-magnetic conductive layer provided therebetween. The oscillation element has a first current path connecting the main magnetic pole and the non-magnetic conductive layer to each other, and a second current path connecting the write shield and the non-magnetic conductive layer to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Zhenyao Tang
  • Patent number: 11621392
    Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element includes: a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; and a non-magnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a first layer and a second layer in order from the side closer to the non-magnetic layer, the first layer contains a crystallized Co-based Heusler alloy, at least a part of the second layer is crystallized, the second layer contains a ferromagnetic element, boron element and an additive element, and the additive element is any element selected from a group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Zr, Mo, Ru, Pd, Ta, W, Ir, Pt, and Au.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinto Ichikawa, Kazuumi Inubushi, Katsuyuki Nakada
  • Patent number: 11605401
    Abstract: The technology disclosed herein enables automatic implementation of a physical barrier to protect access to data on removable storage media. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining that the item moved into a storage position using an automatic transfer mechanism and determining that a condition for protecting the item is satisfied. Upon determining that the condition is satisfied, the method provides implementing a physical barrier that prevents the automatic transfer mechanism from removing the item from the storage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Quantum Corporation
    Inventors: Carsten Prigge, Turguy Goker, Robert Yang, Bruno Hald, Robert Munio, Randall Elmer, Ryan Duffy, Scott Rockwell
  • Patent number: 11605400
    Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes measuring a baseline servo band difference (SBD) from a beginning of a tape (BOT) to an end of the tape (EOT), and storing values of the baseline SBD measurements in a memory. A shorter length of the tape that is less than an entire length of the tape is cycled a plurality of times to acclimate the shorter length of the tape. A post cycling SBD of the shorter length of the tape is determined and an acclimation change amount of the shorter length of the tape that is a difference between the baseline SBD of the shorter length and the post cycling SBD of the shorter length is determined. The method further includes adjusting the baseline SBD values based on the determined acclimation change amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Bruce Judd, Eiji Ogura
  • Patent number: 11600293
    Abstract: A magnetic recording device includes a main pole, a coil around the main pole, a trailing shield, and a leading shield. A trailing gap is between the main pole and the trailing shield. In one embodiment, the trailing gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. In another embodiment, the trailing gap includes a spin torque oscillator device. A leading gap is between the main pole and the leading shield. The leading gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. The main pole is coupled to a first terminal. The trailing shield coupled to a second terminal. The leading shield is coupled to a third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Yaguang Wei, Zhigang Bai, Muhammad Asif Bashir
  • Patent number: 11585873
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect element includes: a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; and a non-magnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, wherein the non-magnetic layer includes a first layer and a second layer, and wherein a lattice constant ? of the first layer and a lattice constant ? of the second layer satisfy a relationship of ??0.04×??2×???+0.04×?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: TDK CORPORATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Shinto Ichikawa, Katsuyuki Nakada, Hiroaki Sukegawa, Seiji Mitani, Tadakatsu Ohkubo, Kazuhiro Hono
  • Patent number: 11574648
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording comprising an air bearing surface (ABS). The slider comprises a write pole at or near the ABS, and a near-field transducer (NFT) at or near the ABS and proximate the write pole. A main waveguide is configured to receive light from a laser source and communicate the light to the NFT. An optical power sensor comprises a tap waveguide optically coupled to the main waveguide and comprising a first end and an opposing second end. The optical power sensor also comprises a bolometer optically coupled to the tap waveguide and configured to receive a portion of the light extracted from the main waveguide by the tap waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Chubing Peng, Vivek Krishnamurthy, Nils Jan Gokemeijer
  • Patent number: 11568890
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording device for utilizing assisted magnetic recording includes a magnetic head, a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, and a controller. The magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, a magnetic element, and a coil. The magnetic element is located between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole. The magnetic element includes a first magnetic layer. The first circuit is configured to supply a coil current to the coil. The second circuit is configured to supply an element current to the magnetic element. The third circuit is configured to detect an electrical resistance of the magnetic element. The controller is configured to control the element current by controlling the second circuit based on the electrical resistance detected by the third circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Suto, Tazumi Nagasawa, Masayuki Takagishi, Naoyuki Narita, Tomoyuki Maeda, Hitoshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 11562769
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to tape assembly implementations for magnetic recording devices, such as tape embedded drives (TEDs). In one or more embodiments, one or more of a first reel and/or a second reel is laterally movable relative to a side wall of a casing of the tape assembly. In one or more embodiments, a drive assembly laterally moves the first reel and the second reel substantially simultaneously such that a spindle distance between a first spindle and a second spindle is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Erhard Schreck, Robert Smith
  • Patent number: 11532326
    Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk. A spiral track is written on the disk, and a disk locked clock (DLC) is synchronized to the spiral track. The spiral track is read to generate a spiral track crossing signal, and the spiral track crossing signal is processed to generate a position error signal (PES) representing a position of the head over the disk. When the DLC indicates a first part of the spiral track crossing signal is corrupt, the corruption is compensated in order to generate a compensated PES. While servoing the head over the disk based on the PES, a plurality of concentric servo sectors are written on the disk based on the DLC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason H. Laks
  • Patent number: 11532323
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relate to spin-orbit torque (SOT) magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices comprising a topological insulator (TI) modulation layer. The TI modulation layer comprises a plurality of bismuth or bismuth-rich composition modulation layers, a plurality of TI lamellae layers comprising BiSb having a (012) crystal orientation, and a plurality of texturing layers. The TI lamellae layers comprise dopants or clusters of atoms, the clusters of atoms comprising a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, or a composite ceramic material. The clusters of atoms are configured to have a grain boundary glass forming temperature of less than about 400° C. Doping the TI lamellae layers comprising BiSb having a (012) crystal orientation with clusters of atoms comprising a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, or a composite ceramic material enable the SOT MTJ device to operate at higher temperatures while inhibiting migration of Sb from the BiSb of the TI lamellae layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Quang Le, Brian R. York, Cherngye Hwang, Susumu Okamura, Xiaoyong Liu, Kuok San Ho, Hisashi Takano
  • Patent number: 11525873
    Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer; and a second non-magnetic layer, wherein, the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are formed so that at least one of them includes a Heusler alloy layer, the first non-magnetic layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second non-magnetic layer is in contact with any surface of the Heusler alloy layer and has a discontinuous portion with respect to a lamination surface, and the second non-magnetic layer is made of a material different from that of the first non-magnetic layer and is a (001)-oriented oxide containing Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinto Ichikawa, Kazuumi Inubushi, Katsuyuki Nakada
  • Patent number: 11521645
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides: a magnetoresistive element having a large magnetoresistance change ratio (MR ratio); and a magnetic sensor, a reproducing head and a magnetic recording and reproducing device. The magnetoresistive element comprises a magnetoresistive film including a pair of body centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure CoFe ferromagnetic layers with a (001) crystal orientation, the pair of layers separated by a non-magnetic layer of Cu with bcc crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Kresna Bondan Fathoni, Yuya Sakuraba, Taisuke Sasaki, Tomoya Nakatani, Yoshio Miura, Kazuhiro Hono
  • Patent number: 11508400
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a recording medium, a recording head including a main magnetic pole, a write shield magnetic pole, a coil, and a spin torque oscillator provided between the main magnetic pole and the write shield magnetic pole and a controller including a record current supply circuit and a drive current supply circuit. The controller executes a process of monitoring variation of a resistance value of the spin torque oscillator while increasing the record current in a state in which the spin torque oscillator is energized and detecting a record current value when the resistance value is increased most largely, and a process of setting the detected record current value to a lower limit of the record current supplied to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11495250
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member provided between the first and second magnetic members, and a first layer provided between the first and second magnetic members, and including at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Mn, Ti and Sc. The first magnetic member includes first magnetic regions and a first non-magnetic region. A direction from one of the first magnetic regions toward another one of the first magnetic regions is along a first direction from the first magnetic pole toward the second magnetic pole. The first non-magnetic region is between the one of the first magnetic regions and the other one of the first magnetic regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Iwasaki, Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Masayuki Takagishi, Tazumi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11487508
    Abstract: A true random number generator (TRNG) device having a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure coupled to a domain wall wire. The MTJ structure is formed of a free layer (FL) and a reference layer (RL) that sandwiches a tunnel barrier layer. The free layer has anisotropy energy sufficiently low to provide stochastic fluctuation in the orientation of the magnetic state of the free layer via thermal energy. The domain wall wire is coupled to the MTJ structure. The domain wall wire has a domain wall. Movement of the domain wall tunes a probability distribution of the fluctuation in the orientation of the magnetic state of the free layer. The domain wall can be moved by application of a suitable current through the wire to tune the probability distribution of 1's and 0's generated by a readout circuit of the TRNG device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rasit O. Topaloglu, Jonathan Z. Sun, Matthias G. Gottwald, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman