Patents by Inventor Alan C. Lam

Alan C. Lam has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Near field transducer having an adhesion layer coupled thereto
    Patent number: 9852749
    Abstract: An apparatus, according to one embodiment, comprises a near field transducer; an adhesion layer on a media facing side of the near field transducer, the adhesion layer comprising Ni and Cr; and a protective layer on a media facing side of the adhesion layer. Other apparatuses, systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoping Bian, Qing Dai, Alan C. Lam, Barry C. Stipe
  • NEAR FIELD TRANSDUCER HAVING AN ADHESION LAYER COUPLED THERETO
    Publication number: 20170186451
    Abstract: An apparatus, according to one embodiment, comprises a near field transducer; an adhesion layer on a media facing side of the near field transducer, the adhesion layer comprising Ni and Cr; and a protective layer on a media facing side of the adhesion layer. Other apparatuses, systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Xiaoping Bian, Qing Dai, Alan C. Lam, Barry C. Stipe
  • Near field transducer having an adhesion layer coupled thereto
    Patent number: 9633677
    Abstract: A system, according to one embodiment, includes a near field transducer; an adhesion layer on a media facing side of the near field transducer, the adhesion layer comprising Ni and Cr; and a protective layer on a media facing side of the adhesion layer. Other systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoping Bian, Qing Dai, Alan C. Lam, Barry C. Stipe
  • NEAR FIELD TRANSDUCER HAVING AN ADHESION LAYER COUPLED THERETO
    Publication number: 20160372140
    Abstract: A system, according to one embodiment, includes a near field transducer; an adhesion layer on a media facing side of the near field transducer, the adhesion layer comprising Ni and Cr; and a protective layer on a media facing side of the adhesion layer. Other systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Xiaoping Bian, Qing Dai, Alan C. Lam, Barry C. Stipe
  • Method for making a perpendicular magnetic recording disk with template layer formed of nanoparticles embedded in a polymer material
    Patent number: 8821736
    Abstract: A method for making a perpendicular magnetic recording disk includes forming a template layer below a Ru or Ru alloy underlayer, with a granular Co alloy recording layer formed on the underlayer. The template layer is formed by depositing a solution of a polymer with a functional end group and nanoparticles, allowing the solution to dry, annealing the polymer layer to thereby form a polymer layer with embedded spaced-apart nanoparticles, and then etching the polymer layer to a depth sufficient to partially expose the nanoparticles so they protrude above the surface of the polymer layer. The protruding nanoparticles serve as controlled nucleation sites for the Ru or Ru alloy atoms. The nanoparticle-to-nanoparticle distances can be controlled during the formation of the template layer. This enables control of the Co alloy grain diameter distribution as well as grain-to-grain distance distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Bruce Alvin Gurney, Dan Saylor Kercher, Alan C Lam, Ricardo Ruiz, Manfred Ernst Schabes, Kentaro Takano, Shi-Ling Chang Wang, Qing Zhu
  • METHOD FOR MAKING A PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH TEMPLATE LAYER FORMED OF NANOPARTICLES EMBEDDED IN A POLYMER MATERIAL
    Publication number: 20140231383
    Abstract: A method for making a perpendicular magnetic recording disk includes forming a template layer below a Ru or Ru alloy underlayer, with a granular Co alloy recording layer formed on the underlayer. The template layer is formed by depositing a solution of a polymer with a functional end group and nanoparticles, allowing the solution to dry, annealing the polymer layer to thereby form a polymer layer with embedded spaced-apart nanoparticles, and then etching the polymer layer to a depth sufficient to partially expose the nanoparticles so they protrude above the surface of the polymer layer. The protruding nanoparticles serve as controlled nucleation sites for the Ru or Ru alloy atoms. The nanoparticle-to-nanoparticle distances can be controlled during the formation of the template layer. This enables control of the Co alloy grain diameter distribution as well as grain-to-grain distance distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Bruce Alvin Gurney, Dan Saylor Kercher, Alan C. Lam, Ricardo Ruiz, Manfred Ernst Schabes, Kentaro Takano, Shi-Ling Chang Wang, Qing Zhu