Abstract: A composite hard magnetic recording layer for a magnetic storage comprises a hard magnetic layer and a capping layer. The composite recording layer has a crystal structure where crystal grains include a portion within the magnetic layer and a portion within the capping layer.

Abstract: A magnetic storage device stable in write characteristic is provided. A first nonmagnetic film is provided over a recording layer. A first ferromagnetic film is provided over the first nonmagnetic film and has a first magnetization and a first film thickness. A second nonmagnetic film is provided over the first ferromagnetic film. A second ferromagnetic film is provided over the second nonmagnetic film, is coupled in antiparallel with the first ferromagnetic film, and has a second magnetization and a second film thickness. An antiferromagnetic film is provided over the second ferromagnetic film. The sum of the product of the first magnetization and the first film thickness and the product of the second magnetization and the second film thickness is smaller than the product of the magnetization of the recording layer and the film thickness of the recording layer.

Abstract: A magnetic stack includes multiple granular layers, at least one of the multiple granular layers is a magnetic layer that includes exchange coupled magnetic grains separated by a segregant having Ms greater than 100 emu/cc. Each of the multiple granular layers have anisotropic thermal conductivity.

Abstract: Provided is a data recording medium having improved data recording/storage characteristics and with an improved structure to have a higher data storage capacity, and a method of recording and/or easing data using the same. The data recording medium may include a Cu electrode layer on a substrate, and a data recording layer formed of a compound including a metal and at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te, on the Cu electrode layer. Data is recordable to or erasable from the data recording layer by changing the resistance of the data recording layer by diffusing Cu ions from the Cu electrode layer to the data recording layer or by erasing Cu ions from the data recording layer by diffusing Cu ions from the data recording layer back to the Cu electrode layer, according to a voltage pulse applied to the data recording layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a soft magnetic underlayer having an amorphous structure or a microcrystalline structure, a first seed layer comprised of a magnetic material having an fcc crystal structure including a CoFe alloy formed on a substrate side, and a second seed layer formed on the first seed layer, the second seed layer comprised of a nonmagnetic material having an fcc crystal structure including a NiW alloy. The medium also includes an intermediate layer comprised of Ru or an alloy thereof, a magnetic recording layer, and a protective layer, wherein the layers are sequentially stacked on a substrate in the foregoing order and the protective layer is closer to the substrate than the soft magnetic underlayer. Other embodiments of magnetic recording media, and methods of fabrication, are also described.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to align crystal c-axes in magnetic layers near two opposed junction wall surfaces of a magnetoresistive element so as to be almost perpendicular to the junction wall surfaces. A magnetic sensor stack body has, on sides of opposed junction wall surfaces of a magnetoresistive element, field regions for applying a bias magnetic field to the element. The field region has first and second magnetic layers having magnetic particles having crystal c-axes, the first magnetic layer is disposed adjacent to the junction wall surface in the field region, the crystal c-axes in the first magnetic layer are aligned and oriented along an ABS in a film plane, the second magnetic layer is disposed adjacent to the first magnetic layer in the field region, and the crystal c-axis directions in the second magnetic layer are distributed at random in a plane.

Abstract: A method includes activating a stress-effecting layer of a thin film structure, having the stress effecting layer adjacent to a magnetic layer, to induce a magneto-elastic anisotropy in the magnetic layer.

Abstract: A binder composition for a magnetic recording medium contains a vinyl copolymer having a structural unit of general formula [1]: wherein R1 is H, halogen, or methyl, L1 is a single bond or a divalent linking group, and Y is an alicyclic group; a structural unit of general formula [2]: wherein R2 is H, halogen, or methyl, L2 is a single bond or a divalent linking group, and Z is a hydrocarbon group with a carbon number of from 8 to 50; and a structural unit of general formula [3]: wherein R3 is H, halogen, or methyl, and L3 is a single bond or a divalent linking group.

Abstract: Systems and methods for flaw detection and monitoring at elevated temperatures with wireless communication using surface embedded, monolithically integrated, thin-film, magnetically actuated sensors, and methods for fabricating the sensors. The sensor is a monolithically integrated, multi-layered (nano-composite), thin-film sensor structure that incorporates a thin-film, multi-layer magnetostrictive element, a thin-film electrically insulating or dielectric layer, and a thin-film activating layer such as a planar coil. The method for manufacturing the multi-layered, thin-film sensor structure as described above, utilizes a variety of factors that allow for optimization of sensor characteristics for application to specific structures and in specific environments. The system and method integrating the multi-layered, thin-film sensor structure as described above, further utilizes wireless connectivity to the sensor to allow the sensor to be mounted on moving components within the monitored assembly.

Abstract: Approaches to reduce switching field distribution in energy assisted magnetic storage devices involve first and second exchange coupled magnetic elements. The first magnetic elements have anisotropy, Hk1, volume, V1 and the second magnetic elements are magnetically exchange coupled to the first magnetic elements and have anisotropy Hk2, and volume V2. The thermal stability of the exchange coupled magnetic elements is greater than about 60 kBT at a storage temperature of about 300 K. The magnetic switching field distribution, SFD, of the exchange coupled magnetic elements is less than about 200% at a predetermined magnetic switching field and a predetermined assisting switching energy.

Abstract: A STT-RAM MTJ is disclosed with a MgO tunnel barrier formed by natural oxidation process. A Co10Fe70B20/NCC/Co10Fe70B20, Co10Fe70B20/NCC/Co10Fe70B20/NCC, or Co10Fe70B20/NCC/Co10Fe70B20/NCC/Co10Fe70B20 free layer configuration where NCC is a nanocurrent channel layer made of Fe(20%)-SiO2 is used to minimize Jc0 while enabling higher thermal stability, write voltage, read voltage, Ho, and Hc values that satisfy 64 Mb design requirements. The NCC layer is about 10 Angstroms thick to match the minimum Fe(Si) grain diameter size. The MTJ is annealed with a temperature of about 330° C. to maintain a high magnetoresistive ratio while maximizing Hk?(interfacial) for the free layer thereby reducing Heff and lowering the switching current. The Co10Fe70B20 layers are sputter deposited with a low pressure process with a power of about 15 Watts and an Ar flow rate of 40 standard cubic centimeters per minute to lower Heff for the free layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method are generally directed to a magnetic shield capable of screening magnetic flux with in-plane anisotropy. Various embodiments of the present invention may have at least one magnetic shield. The shield may be constructed of a Cobalt-Iridium compound capable of providing in-plane anisotropy along a longitudinal plane of the shield.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first magnetic layer including a plurality of grains. The first magnetic layer has a first anisotropy value. The apparatus also includes a second magnetic layer including a plurality of grains. The second magnetic layer has a second anisotropy value that is different than the first anisotropy value. The apparatus also includes an exchange tuning layer including a plurality of grains and located between the first and second magnetic layers. The exchange tuning layer has stronger inter-granular exchange coupling than the first and second magnetic layers. The exchange tuning layer has an anisotropy value less than the first and second anisotropy values.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a composite soft underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer overlying the composite soft underlayer. The composite soft underlayer may include a growth template layer, a negative magnetic anisotropy layer overlying the growth template layer, and a magnetically soft layer overlying the negative magnetic anisotropy layer. In some embodiments, the negative magnetic anisotropy layer includes a plurality of grains, and substantially all the grains have negative magnetic anisotropy along an axis substantially perpendicular to a major plane of the composite soft underlayer. In some embodiments, the negative magnetic anisotropy layer includes a thickness of less than or equal to about 3 nm.

Abstract: Techniques and magnetic devices associated with a magnetic element that includes a fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer having a changeable free layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy.

Abstract: A method of producing bit-patterned media is provided whereby a shell structure is added on a bit-patterned media dot. The shell may be an antiferromagnetic material that will help stabilize the magnetization configuration at the remanent state due to exchange coupling between the dot and its shell. Therefore, this approach also improves the thermal stability of the media dot and helps each individual media dot maintain a single domain state.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a waveguide having a core layer and an end adjacent to an air bearing surface, first and second poles magnetically coupled to each other and positioned on opposite sides of the waveguide, wherein the first pole includes a first portion spaced from the waveguide and a second portion extending from the first portion toward the air bearing surface, with the second portion being structured such that an end of the second portion is closer to the core layer of the waveguide than the first portion, and a heat sink positioned adjacent to the second portion of the first pole.

Abstract: A data storage medium includes a carrier substrate having an electrode layer on the surface thereof and a sensitive material layer extending along the electrode layeradapted to be locally modified between two electrical states by the action of a localized electric field. A reference plane extends globally parallel to the sensitive material layer and is configured to accommodate at least one element for application of an electrostatic field in combination with the electrode layer the electrode layer including a plurality of conductive portions having a dimension at most equal to 100 nm in at least one direction parallel to the reference plane and separated by at least one electrically insulative zone, where at least some of the conductive portions are electrically interconnected, the conductive portions defining data write/read locations within the sensitive material layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that reduces the noise of granular recording layers, obtains sufficient overwrite characteristic that suppresses an increase in the magnetic cluster size, and allows high-density recording. According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising substrate having thereon at least soft magnetic layer, nonmagnetic intermediate layer, a perpendicular recording layer and protective layer formed in that order. The perpendicular recording layer consists of three or more layers of first recording layer, a second recording layer, and a third recording layer from the side nearer to the substrate. The first recording layer and the second recording layer have a granular structure comprising a grain boundary of an oxide surrounding ferromagnetic crystal grains containing Co and Pt, and the third recording layer has a non-granular structure mainly comprising Co and not containing an oxide.

Abstract: Magnetic tunnel junction cells and methods of making magnetic tunnel junction cells that include a radially protective layer extending proximate at least the ferromagnetic free layer of the cell. The radially protective layer can be specifically chosen in thickness, deposition method, material composition, and/or extent along the cell layers to enhance the effective magnetic properties of the free layer, including the effective coercivity, effective magnetic anisotropy, effective dispersion in magnetic moment, or effective spin polarization.