Patents Examined by Kevin Bernatz
  • Patent number: 9276192
    Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetoelectric (ME) composite including both a piezoelectric material and a magnetostrictive material, wherein a piezoelectric single crystal material having high piezoelectric properties is used as the piezoelectric material, and a metal magnetostrictive material having high magnetostrictive properties is used as the magnetostrictive material, thus achieving an ME composite having a layered structure via adhesion. When the ME layered composite is manufactured such that a <011> crystal orientation of the piezoelectric single crystal material is set to a thickness direction, high ME voltage coefficient, which is at least doubled, compared to a conventional <001> crystal orientation, can be obtained, and such an effect is further maximized in the resonance of the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF MACHINERY AND MATERIALS
    Inventors: Jungho Ryu, Jong-Woo Kim, Woon-Ha Yoon, Dong-Soo Park
  • Patent number: 9263668
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic tunnel junction device and a manufacturing method thereof. The magnetic tunnel junction device includes: i) a first magnetic layer including a compound having a chemical formula of (A100-xBx)100-yCy; ii) an insulating layer deposited on the first magnetic layer; and iii) a second magnetic layer deposited on the insulating layer and including a compound having a chemical formula of (A100-xBx)100-yCy. The first and second magnetic layers have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, A and B are respectively metal elements, and C is at least one amorphizing element selected from a group consisting of boron (B), carbon (C), tantalum (Ta), and hafnium (Hf).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Gyung-Min Choi, Byoung Chul Min, Kyung Ho Shin
  • Patent number: 9251831
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a recording medium may be provided. The recording medium may include a servo layer. The recording medium may further include a data recording layer. The recording medium may additionally include a crystal-like soft underlayer (SUL). The data recording layer and the servo layer may be on a same side of the crystal-like soft underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianzhong Shi, Wee Kiat Lim
  • Patent number: 9251822
    Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is formed of magnetic nanoparticles that are encapsulated within nanotubes (e.g., carbon nanotubes), which are arranged in a substrate to facilitate the reading and writing of information by a read/write head. The substrate may be flexible or rigid. Information is stored on the magnetic nanoparticles via the read/write head of a storage device. These magnetic nanoparticles are arranged into data tracks to store information through encapsulation within the carbon nanotubes. As carbon nanotubes are bendable, the carbon nanotubes may be arranged on flexible or rigid substrates, such as a polymer tape or disk for flexible media, or a glass substrate for rigid disk. A polymer may assist holding the nanoparticle-filled carbon tubes to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Tyson York Winarski
  • Patent number: 9248637
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for magnetically imprinting indicia into a layer on an article, the layer comprising a composition in which magnetic or magnetizable particles are suspended. The apparatus comprises: a soft magnetizable sheet, having an outer surface arranged to face the article in use, and an opposing interior surface; and a permanent magnet, shaped such that its magnetic field contains perturbations giving rise to indicia. The permanent magnet is disposed adjacent the interior surface of the soft magnetizable sheet. The soft magnetizable sheet enhances the perturbations of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet such that when the layer to be imprinted is located adjacent the outer surface of the soft magnetizable sheet, the magnetic or magnetizable particles are oriented by the magnetic field to display the indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: DE LA RUE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Sameer Mohammed Bargir, Paul Howland
  • Patent number: 9245549
    Abstract: In one embodiment, magnetic read head includes a seed layer including an amorphous alloy film and Ru film positioned thereon, and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer positioned above the seed layer, the AFM layer including an alloy of MnIr having an L12 ordered phase, the amorphous alloy including a Co—X alloy having more Co than any other element, with X including at least one of: Zr, Nb, Ta, Hf, W, Si, and Al. In another embodiment, a method for forming a magnetic read head includes forming a seed layer above a substrate, heating at least the substrate to a first temperature in a range from about 150° C. to about 300° C., cooling at least the substrate to a second temperature of less than about 100° C., and forming an AFM layer above the seed layer between the heating and the cooling, the AFM layer comprising a MnIr alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kouichi Nishioka, Koujiro Komagaki
  • Patent number: 9242888
    Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a glass blank for magnetic disk and a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for magnetic disk, which are capable of producing a glass blank for magnetic disk having a good surface waviness by press forming, and a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for magnetic disk. A method for manufacturing a glass blank for magnetic disk, which includes a forming process of press-forming a lump of molten glass using a pair of dies, wherein in the forming process, press forming is performed using thermally equalizing means for reducing a difference in temperature in the press forming surface of the die during pressing of the molten glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Isono, Hidekazu Tanino, Akira Murakami, Takashi Sato, Masamune Sato
  • Patent number: 9236068
    Abstract: A hard bias (HB) structure for producing longitudinal bias to stabilize a free layer in an adjacent spin valve is disclosed and includes a composite seed layer made of at least Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (Co/Ni)x laminated layer. The (Co/Ni)x HB layer deposition involves low power and high Ar pressure to avoid damaging Co/Ni interfaces and thereby preserves PMA. A capping layer is formed on the HB layer to protect against etchants in subsequent process steps. After initialization, magnetization direction in the HB layer is perpendicular to the sidewalls of the spin valve and generates an Mrt value that is greater than from an equivalent thickness of CoPt. A non-magnetic metal separation layer may be formed on the capping layer and spin valve to provide an electrical connection between top and bottom shields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhang Kunliang, Li Min, Zhou Yuchen, Zheng Min
  • Patent number: 9236077
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, provided is glass for use in substrate for information recording medium, which comprises, denoted as molar percentages, a total of 70 to 85 percent of SiO2 and Al2O3, where SiO2 content is equal to or greater than 50 percent and Al2O3 content is equal to or greater than 3 percent; a total of equal to or greater than 10 percent of Li2O, Na2O and K2O; a total of 1 to 6 percent of CaO and MgO, where CaO content is greater than MgO content; a total of greater than 0 percent but equal to or lower than 4 percent of ZrO2, HfO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, La2O3 Y2O3 and TiO2; with the molar ratio of the total content of Li2O, Na2O and K2O to the total content of SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, HfO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, La2O3, Y2O3 and TiO2 ((Li2O+Na2O+K2O)/(SiO2+Al2O3+ZrO2+HfO2+Nb2O5+Ta2O5+La2O3+Y2O3+TiO2)) being equal to or less than 0.28.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Tachiwana, Yoichi Hachitani, Xuelu Zou, Mikio Ikenishi, Kinobu Osakabe
  • Patent number: 9236075
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a crystallized glass which has various properties required for employing the substrate for information recording medium of the next generation, and also has significantly low specific gravity; and a crystallized glass substrate for information recording medium. A crystallized glass containing, as a crystal phase, one or more selected from RAl2O4 and R2TiO4 (wherein R is one or more selected from Mg and Fe), the crystallized glass comprising the components of SiO2 of 50% to 70%, Al2O3 of 10% to 26%, TiO2 of 1 to 15%, MgO of 2.5% to 25%, FeO of 0% to 8%, and ZnO of 0% to less than 2%, expressed in terms of mass percentage on an oxide basis, wherein the value of (Al2O3+MgO)/SiO2 is 0.30 or more and 0.65 or less, and a specific gravity is less than 2.63.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: OHARA INC.
    Inventors: Kiyoyuki Momono, Katsuhiko Yamaguchi, Toshitaka Yagi, Naoyuki Goto
  • Patent number: 9231191
    Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes a reference layer having a surface, a tunnel insulating layer formed over the surface of the reference layer, a free layer formed over the tunnel insulating layer, and a magnetic field providing layer formed over the free layer. A magnetization direction in each of the reference layer and the free layer is substantially perpendicular to the surface. The magnetic field providing layer is configured to provide a lateral magnetic field in the free layer, the lateral magnetic field being substantially parallel to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Sheng-Huang Huang, Kuei-Hung Shen, Yung-Hung Wang
  • Patent number: 9230588
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic layer including an alloy having an L10 type crystal structure as a main component thereof, a plurality of underlayers arranged between the substrate and the magnetic layer, and a barrier layer made of a material having an NaCl structure. The plurality of underlayers include at least one crystalline underlayer including Mo as a main component thereof, and at least one of Si and C in a range of 1 mol % to 20 mol % and an oxide in a range of 1 vol % to 50 vol %. The barrier layer is provided between the magnetic layer and the at least one crystalline underlayer including Mo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Tetsuya Kanbe, Yuji Murakami, Kazuya Niwa
  • Patent number: 9224411
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Kaizhong Gao, Yingguo Peng
  • Patent number: 9219226
    Abstract: The spacer in a spin-valve is replaced with an organic layer, allowing for numerous applications, including light-emitting structures. The invention demonstrates that the spin coherence of the organic material is sufficiently long that the carriers do not lose their spin memory even in traversing a thicker passive barrier. At least three methods to fabricate the organic spin-valve devices are disclosed, in which the difficulties associated with depositing the ferromagnetic (FM) and organic layers are addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jing Shi, Valy Vardeny
  • Patent number: 9202486
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for providing ESD protection to an element of an electronic device includes preventing formation of agglomerates of electrically conductive fillers in an ESD adhesive that includes a polymeric thin film, the electrically conductive fillers dispersed therein, and a solvent by subjecting the ESD adhesive to high-energy mixing during formation thereof, applying the ESD adhesive across exposed leads, such as leads of a cable, PCB, or other substrate, and evaporating solvent from the ESD adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan J. Boday, Myron H. Gentrup, Icko E. T. Iben
  • Patent number: 9196281
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is disclosed. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a first layer, and a second layer positioned immediately below the first layer. Among the materials in the first layer and the second layer, if the interface energy when two different materials—material a and material b—are in contact is defined as Ei(a//b), the surface energy when material a exists independently is defined as Es(a), and the energy resulting by subtracting the sum of the respective surface energies (?Es) from the interface energy is defined as G(a//b), then when G(1//3)<G(1//4) holds, either G(2//4) or G(1//3) is the minimum among G(1//3), G(1//4), G(2//3) and G(2//4), and when G(1//3)<G(1//4) does not hold, G(2//4) is the minimum among G(1//3), G(1//4), G(2//3) and G(2//4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Inaba, Takayuki Hirose
  • Patent number: 9190100
    Abstract: A bottom surface of an optical component is bonded to a mounting surface. The bottom surface includes a first opaque feature and the mounting surface includes a second opaque feature. The first and second opaque features are hidden between the bottom surface and the mounting surface after the bonding. An infrared image is obtained through a top surface of the optical component that is opposed to the bottom surface. The infrared image includes a view of a region proximate first and second opaque features. One or more of an optical alignment and a bond line thickness between the optical component and the mounting surface is determined via the infrared image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Alok Dhawan, Jon Paul Hurley
  • Patent number: 9182460
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetoresistive element, the method comprising: forming a first plurality of layers without breaking a vacuum, the first plurality of layers sequentially comprising: a first nonmagnetic conductive layer; a first ferromagnetic layer comprising an amorphous structure and a first magnetization direction; a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer; a second ferromagnetic layer comprising an amorphous structure and a second magnetization direction, and a getter layer having a direct contact with the second ferromagnetic layer; annealing the first plurality of layers; removing the getter layer and a portion of the second ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the getter layer; forming above the second ferromagnetic layer a second plurality of layers such that interface between the second ferromagnetic layer and the second plurality of layers is formed without breaking a vacuum after removing the getter layer and the portion of the second ferromagnetic layer, the second plurality of layers sequentially c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Inventor: Alexander Mikhailovich Shukh
  • Patent number: 9183867
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming implanted capping layers in magnetic media for magnetic recording are provided. One such method includes providing an underlayer, providing a magnetic recording layer on the underlayer, the magnetic recording layer including a bottom surface and a top surface where the bottom surface is between the top surface and the underlayer, and implanting a capping material in the top surface of the magnetic recording layer using a direct implantation technique or an indirect implantation technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Gerardo A. Bertero, Michael Alex
  • Patent number: 9183869
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium 100 having a magnetic recording layer 122, wherein a particle diameter of crystal grains in layer 122 improves a SNR while a high coercive force is maintained. There also is at least a ground layer 118, a first magnetic recording layer 122a, and a second magnetic recording layer 122b in this order on a disk base 110. The first layer 122a and the second layer 122b are ferromagnetic layers, each having a granular structure in which a grain boundary part made of a non-magnetic substance is formed between crystal grains each grown in a columnar shape, and A<B when an average particle diameter of the crystal grains in the first magnetic recording layer 122a is taken as A nm and an average particle diameter of the crystal grains in the second magnetic recording layer 122b is taken as B nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Onoue