Patents Examined by Kevin Bernatz
  • Patent number: 8338005
    Abstract: A media for perpendicular recording and a method of creating the media is provided. The media includes a hard recording layer and a soft underlayer (SUL). The SUL is composed of at least two anti-ferromagnetically coupled (AFC) sub-underlayers. The sub-underlayers respond to a magnetic field established during dynamic reversal with respective magnetic fields. The sub-underlayers are formed and disposed to differ in one or more magnetic moment, anisotropy, and thickness, so that their respective magnetic fields constructively interfere in one or more points in the hard recording layer, thereby reducing a total SUL magnetic field response to the dynamic reversal field approximately to zero at one or more points in the hard recording layer, which reduces side track erasure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kaizhong Gao, Qixu Chen, Chung-Hee Chang, Thomas Patrick Nolan
  • Patent number: 8338007
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium a magnetic recording medium includes a soft magnetic layer formed on a substrate, magnetic patterns made of a protruded ferromagnetic layer separated from each other on the soft magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer formed between the magnetic patterns, a nitrogen concentration therein being higher on a surface side than on a substrate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kaori Kimura, Yoshiyuki Kamata, Satoshi Shirotori, Tsuyoshi Onitsuka
  • Patent number: 8339749
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention reduce generation of a magnetic field with a polarity reverse to that of the recording magnetic field, without deteriorating a gradient in the magnetic field. An embodiment of a magnetic disk device according to the present invention suppresses deviation and erase of already recorded data. In an embodiment, the perpendicular magnetic recording head includes the main magnetic pole, an auxiliary magnetic pole, a trailing shield disposed on the trailing side of the main magnetic pole with a non-magnetic film placed in-between, and side shields disposed on both the sides of the main magnetic pole in the direction of the track width with a non-magnetic film placed in-between. The trailing shield has on the trailing side a portion where film thickness is thinner on the trailing side than the thickness of its element in the height direction in its position facing the main magnetic pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masafumi Mochizuki, Hideaki Maeda, Shuji Nishida, Takaaki Izumida
  • Patent number: 8339750
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor comprises a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetization layer disposed on a first part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer, a fixed magnetization layer disposed on a second part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer different from the first part, upper and lower first magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and free magnetization layer interposed therebetween, upper and lower second magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and fixed magnetization layer interposed therebetween, and an electrically insulating layer disposed between the lower second magnetic shield layer and the nonmagnetic conductive layer, while the lower first magnetic shield layer is arranged closer to the nonmagnetic conductive layer than is the lower second magnetic shield layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8329320
    Abstract: A laminated high moment film with a non-AFC configuration is disclosed that can serve as a seed layer for a main pole layer or as the main pole layer itself in a PMR writer. The laminated film includes a plurality of (B/M) stacks where B is an alignment layer and M is a high moment layer. Adjacent (B/M) stacks are separated by an amorphous layer that breaks the magnetic coupling between adjacent high moment layers and reduces remanence in a hard axis direction while maintaining a high magnetic moment and achieving low values for Hch, Hce, and Hk. The amorphous material layer may be made of an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride of one or more of Hf, Zr, Ta, Al, Mg, Zn, Ti, Cr, Nb, or Si, or may be Hf, Zr, Ta, Nb, CoFeB, CoB, FeB, or CoZrNb. Alignment layers are FCC soft ferromagnetic materials or non-magnetic FCC materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kunliang Zhang, Min Li, Min Zheng, Fenglin Liu, Xiaomin Liu
  • Patent number: 8329319
    Abstract: The invention relates to a phase change magnetic composite material for use in an information recording medium, said material comprising a phase change material component, and a ferromagnetic material component, wherein said material exhibits both magnetic effects and phase change effects, and is usable for optical media, phase change random access memory (PCRAM) devices, magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices, solid state memory devices, sensor devices, logical devices, cognitive devices, artificial neuron network, three level device, control device, SOC (system on chip) device, and semiconductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Agency for Science, Technology and Research
    Inventors: Luping Shi, Wendong Song, Xiangshui Miao, Tow Chong Chong
  • Patent number: 8329321
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is disclosed that achieves improved recordability without deteriorating thermal stability by reducing the switching field. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium of the invention has a first magnetic recording layer and a second magnetic recording layer between with is interposed a coupling layer that ferromagnetically couples the two layers. The first and second magnetic recording layers satisfy an inequality Ku1T1>Ku2T2 in the case where Hk1 >Hk2 and an inequality Ku1T1<Ku2T2 in the case where Hk1<Hk2, where Hk1 and Hk2 are anisotropy magnetic fields, Ku1 and Ku2 are uniaxial anisotropy constants, and T1 and T2 are thicknesses of the first magnetic recording layer and the second recording layer, respectively. An exchange coupling energy between the magnetic recording layers is preferably at least 5×10?3 erg/cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunji Takenoiri, Yasushi Sakai
  • Patent number: 8313846
    Abstract: A magnetic artificial superlattice is composed of laminated thin films including two or more kinds of magnetic flaky particles (magnetic titania nanosheets) obtained by exfoliation of a layer titanium oxide in which Ti atoms in the lattice have been substituted with magnetic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: National Institute of Materials Science
    Inventors: Minoru Osada, Takayoshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8315019
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer is described. The method and system include providing a magnetoresistive structure having a plurality of sides. At least one oxidation buffer layer covers at least the plurality of sides. The method and system also include providing at least one oxide layer after the oxidation buffer layer is provided. The oxide layer(s) reside between the sides and the oxidation buffer layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Ming Mao, Wei Zhang, Mahendra Pakala
  • Patent number: 8310791
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect element is structured in the manner that the antiferromagnetic layer interposed between the upper and lower shields is eliminated and the antiferromagnetic layer is positioned in a so-called shield layer. Therefore, it is realized to solve a pin reversal problem and to allow narrower tracks and narrower read gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Machita, Tomohito Mizuno, Koji Shimazawa, Tsutomu Chou, Daisuke Miyauchi, Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Shinji Hara, Toshiyuki Ayukawa
  • Patent number: 8289648
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a magnetic recording head for a data storage system having improved write field characteristics. In one example, an apparatus having magnetic properties is provided. The apparatus includes a pole, a shield, and a multilayer block positioned between the pole and the shield. The multilayer block includes a plurality of layers wherein at least one of the plurality of layers comprises a magnetic material. In one embodiment, the multilayer block provides an antiferromagnetic coupling between the pole and the shield such that a magnetization of the pole is in a first direction and a magnetization of the shield in a second direction that is substantially anti-parallel to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mark Thomas Kief, Sharat Batra, Inturi Venkateswara Rao
  • Patent number: 8288023
    Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction cell having a free layer, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, and a barrier layer therebetween. The free layer has a central ferromagnetic portion and a stabilizing portion radially proximate the central ferromagnetic portion. The construction can be used for both in-plane magnetic memory cells where the magnetization orientation of the magnetic layer is in the stack film plane and out-of-plane magnetic memory cells where the magnetization orientation of the magnetic layer is out of the stack film plane, e.g., perpendicular to the stack plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kaizhong Gao, Haiwen Xi
  • Patent number: 8277960
    Abstract: The invention relates to inorganic, intermetallic, inhomogeneous compounds having a magnetic resistance effect and an intrinsic field sensitivity of at least 7% at 1 T at room temperature. The invention further relates to a method for the production and use thereof, particularly as magnetic field sensors or in spin electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
    Inventors: Frederick Casper, Claudia Felser
  • Patent number: 8274764
    Abstract: A magneto-resistive effect (MR) element includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer in which a relative angle of magnetization directions of the first and second magnetic layers changes according to an external magnetic field; and a spacer layer that is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The spacer layer contains gallium nitride (GaN) as a main component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Hara, Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Tsutomu Chou, Hironobu Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 8274811
    Abstract: A spin transfer oscillator (STO) structure is disclosed that includes two assist layers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) to enable a field generation layer (FGL) to achieve an oscillation state at lower current density for MAMR applications. In one embodiment, the STO is formed between a main pole and write shield and the FGL has a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure. The STO configuration may be represented by seed layer/spin injection layer (SIL)/spacer/PMA layer 1/FGL/spacer/PMA layer 2/capping layer. The spacer may be Cu for giant magnetoresistive (GMR) devices or a metal oxide for tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) devices. Alternatively, the FGL is a single ferromagnetic layer and the second PMA assist layer has a synthetic structure including two PMA layers with magnetic moment in opposite directions in a seed layer/SIL/spacer/PMA assist 1/FGL/spacer/PMA assist 2/capping layer configuration. SIL and PMA assist layers are laminates of (CoFe/Ni)x or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kunliang Zhang, Min Li, Yuchen Zhou
  • Patent number: 8270125
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive tunnel junction sensor having improved free layer stability, as well as improved free sensitivity. The free layer is constructed to have a low magnetic coercivity which improves free layer sensitivity. The free layer is also constructed to have a negative magnetostriction which improves free layer stability by preventing the free layer from having an easy axis that is oriented perpendicular to the air bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Hardayal Singh Gill
  • Patent number: 8270112
    Abstract: It is made possible to provide a magnetic head that generates a sufficient high-frequency magnetic field for assisting recording operations, and a magnetic recording device that includes the magnetic head. A magnetic head includes: a recording magnetic pole; a return yoke magnetically coupled to the recording magnetic pole; and at least two spin torque oscillators provided near the recording magnetic pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomomi Funayama, Kenichiro Yamada, Masayuki Takagishi, Masahiro Takashita, Mariko Shimizu, Junichi Akiyama, Hitoshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8257845
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to produce discrete track media and bit patterned media having both excellent recording and reproducing performance and reliability. According to one embodiment, a manufacturing method forms a nonmagnetic layer mainly composed of the same element as a nonmagnetic element contained in magnetic recording layers and on the magnetic recording layers and a mask layer having apertures for forming more concentrated parts of the nonmagnetic element in the magnetic recording layers on the nonmagnetic layer. The method implants ions of the nonmagnetic element through the nonmagnetic layer masked by the mask layer to form the more concentrated parts of the nonmagnetic element in the magnetic recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hinoue, Hiroshi Kanai, Toshinori Ono, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Inaba
  • Patent number: 8259413
    Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a write pole having an end region positioned towards an air bearing surface, a first flare point, and a second flare point positioned between the air bearing surface and the first flare point; and a shield positioned above the write pole, wherein a cross sectional area of the write pole at a point between the first and second flare points along a plane passing through the write pole and oriented about parallel to the air bearing surface is greater than a cross sectional area of the end region of the write pole along a plane oriented parallel to the plane passing through the second flare point. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Christian René Bonhôte, Quang Le, Jeffrey S. Lille, Vladimir Nikitin, Aron Pentek
  • Patent number: 8254060
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a write pole comprising a throat region. The throat region includes a lower portion having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, and an upper portion having a substantially rectangular cross-section. In a beveled region of the write pole, the substantially rectangular cross-section of the upper portion decreases in height towards an air bearing surface of the magnetic recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Changqing Shi, Ming Jiang