Abstract: Magnetic sensors using spin Hall effect and methods for fabricating same are provided. One such magnetic sensor includes a spin Hall layer including an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material, a magnetic free layer adjacent to the spin Hall layer, a pair of push terminals configured to enable an electrical current to pass through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer in a direction that is perpendicular to a plane of the free and spin Hall layers, and a pair of sensing terminals configured to sense a voltage when the electrical current passes through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer, where each of the push and sensing terminals is electrically isolated from the other terminals.

Abstract: Magnetic sensors using spin Hall effect and methods for fabricating same are provided. One such magnetic sensor includes a spin Hall layer including an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material, a magnetic free layer adjacent to the spin Hall layer, a pair of push terminals configured to enable an electrical current to pass through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer in a direction that is perpendicular to a plane of the free and spin Hall layers, and a pair of sensing terminals configured to sense a voltage when the electrical current passes through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer, where each of the push and sensing terminals is electrically isolated from the other terminals.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recording module having electrical lapping guides located within and adjacent to an array of magnetic read/write elements. Electrical leads connected with the electrical lapping guides are buried deep within the head build, close to the substrate so that they can pass beneath the electrical leads of the read/write elements without any capacitive coupling between the electrical lapping guide leads and the read/write element leads. The presence of the electrical lapping guides within and adjacent to the read/write element leads provides much more accurate control of read/write element stripe height during lapping.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recording module having electrical lapping guides located within and adjacent to an array of magnetic read/write elements. Electrical leads connected with the electrical lapping guides are buried deep within the head build, close to the substrate so that they can pass beneath the electrical leads of the read/write elements without any capacitive coupling between the electrical lapping guide leads and the read/write element leads. The presence of the electrical lapping guides within and adjacent to the read/write element leads provides much more accurate control of read/write element stripe height during lapping.

Abstract: A tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) read head for magnetic tape has a tape-bearing surface (TBS) and includes a first magnetic shield, a first gap layer on the first shield, a TMR sensor on the first gap layer and recessed from the TBS, a second gap layer on the TMR sensor, a second magnetic shield on the second gap layer, and a magnetic flux guide between the first and second gap layers between the TBS and the recessed TMR sensor. The first gap layer has an insulating portion with an edge at the TBS and a non-magnetic electrically-conducting portion recessed from the TBS, with the TMR sensor located on the conductive portion. The sense current is between the two shields. An insulating isolation layer may be located between the first gap layer and the first shield layer with the sense current being between the second shield and the first gap layer.

Abstract: A tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) read head for magnetic tape has a tape-bearing surface (TBS) and includes a first magnetic shield, a first gap layer on the first shield, a TMR sensor on the first gap layer and recessed from the TBS, a second gap layer on the TMR sensor, a second magnetic shield on the second gap layer, and a magnetic flux guide between the first and second gap layers between the TBS and the recessed TMR sensor. The first gap layer has an insulating portion with an edge at the TBS and a non-magnetic electrically-conducting portion recessed from the TBS, with the TMR sensor located on the conductive portion. The sense current is between the two shields. An insulating isolation layer may be located between the first gap layer and the first shield layer with the sense current being between the second shield and the first gap layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensing system includes a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive (CPP-MR) read head and adjustable biasing circuitry connected to the read head for adjusting the relative magnetizations of one or more of the ferromagnetic layers in the read head. The biasing circuitry generates a bias current in the read head that generates a bias-adjusting magnetic field that acts on one or more of the ferromagnetic layers. For a conventional read head, the bias-adjusting field acts orthogonal to the field from the reference layer to change the angle between the magnetization of the free layer and the magnetization of the reference layer. For a scissoring-type read head, the bias-adjusting field acts parallel to the transverse bias field to change the angle between the magnetizations of the two free layers. This results in an improvement in the sensitivity of the read head to bring the soft error rate (SER) below an acceptable level.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for forming a magnetic read head with pinned layers extending to the ABS of the read head and magnetically coupled with an antiferromagnetic layer that is recessed in relation to the ABS of the read head. Portions of the antiferromagnetic layer and a magnetic layer that are extending to the ABS are removed, exposing a shield. A shielding material is formed on the exposed shield and a seed layer is formed on the shield and on or over a portion of the remaining antiferromagnetic layer. A pinned layer structure is formed on the seed layer and the magnetic layer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to resistive shunt design in a read sensor for providing accurate measurements from an electronic lapping guide (ELG). More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to a transducer resistor shunt structure for low cost probing. A bleed resistor network for a read sensor may comprise one or more first resistors arranged in parallel with one another and a second resistor arranged in series with the one or more first resistors. The resistor arrangement may require a small physical area and reduce or prevent ELG measurement errors.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for forming a magnetic read head with pinned layers extending to the ABS of the read head and magnetically coupled with an antiferromagnetic layer that is recessed in relation to the ABS of the read head. Portions of the antiferromagnetic layer and a magnetic layer that are extending to the ABS are removed, exposing a shield. A shielding material is formed on the exposed shield and a seed layer is formed on the shield and on or over a portion of the remaining antiferromagnetic layer. A pinned layer structure is formed on the seed layer and the magnetic layer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to resistive shunt design in a read sensor for providing accurate measurements from an electronic lapping guide (ELG). More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to a transducer resistor shunt structure for low cost probing. A bleed resistor network for a read sensor may comprise one or more first resistors arranged in parallel with one another and a second resistor arranged in series with the one or more first resistors. The resistor arrangement may require a small physical area and reduce or prevent ELG measurement errors.

Abstract: Disk drives with sliders including with an impedance compensation network in the signal path for the read sensor are described. The read signal bandwidth at the preamplifier is improved by the impedance compensation network to allow signals in the multi-GHz range from spin torque oscillators as well as tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors to be used. An embodiment of the invention achieves a signal layout balance by constructing two inductor-capacitor pair structures on the trailing edge of the slider that are integrated into the differential read signal traces. The differential balanced structure helps to suppress external signal interference pick-up from transferring from common-mode pick-up to differential mode.

Abstract: Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. The write enhancement circuitry is formed on the head carrier as ladder network blocks. A first ladder network block is a first capacitor C1 located in parallel with the write coil. The second ladder network block includes a second capacitor C2 having substantially the same inductance L2. The compensation circuitry is referred to as a ladder network because additional ladder blocks, like the second block but with different values of capacitance and inductance, may be located on the head carrier.

Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes an array of sensor structures formed on a common substrate. Each sensor structure further comprises: a magnetic tunnel junction sensor spaced from a media-facing surface of the head; and a flux guide between the media-facing surface of the head and the sensor, the flux guide guiding magnetic flux from a magnetic medium adjacent the media-facing surface to the sensor. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. The write enhancement circuitry is formed on the head carrier as ladder network blocks. A first ladder network block is a first capacitor C1 located in parallel with the write coil. The second ladder network block includes a second capacitor C2 having substantially the same inductance L2. The compensation circuitry is referred to as a ladder network because additional ladder blocks, like the second block but with different values of capacitance and inductance, may be located on the head carrier.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein provides methods for manufacturing an electronic lapping guide and a magnetic read head assembly. The magnetoresistive head assembly includes a sensing element that has a front edge and a front flux guide that has a back edge, such that the sensing element front edge and the front flux guide back edge share a common interface that defines an interface plane normal to the surface of a wafer substrate. The electronic lapping guide comprises a conductive material adapted to attach to two electrical leads for measuring a resistance through the conductive material. The conductive material may include a conductive material back edge aligned with the interface plane. The resistance of the conductive material may be inversely proportional to a conductive material length normal to the interface plane.

Abstract: A system in one approach includes a sensor stack formed of a plurality of thin film layers; a shunt formed of at least some of the same layers as the sensor stack, the shunt being spaced from the sensor stack; a first lead coupled to the sensor stack and the shunt; and a second lead coupled to the sensor stack and the shunt. A method in one embodiment includes forming a plurality of thin film layers; removing a portion of the thin film layers for defining at least a portion of a sensor stack and at least a portion of a shunt spaced front the sensor stack; forming a first lead coupled to the at least a portion of the sensor stack and the at least a portion of the shunt and a second lead coupled to the at least a portion of the sensor stack and the at least a portion of the shunt. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic head with an electrostatic discharge resistor for preventing electrostatic discharge damage to magnetic head. The electrostatic discharge resistor is formed by a processes that saves manufacturing time and cost by forming resistor in the same deposition and patterning steps used to form the magnetoresistive sensor. However, the resistor includes only a portion of the layers used to form the magnetoresistive sensor, thereby ensuring that the resistor will have sufficient resistivity.

Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes forming a mask above a thin film sensor stack; forming an electrically insulating layer above the mask and sensor stack, the insulating layer having a portion extending along a nonhorizontal end of the mask; selectively removing the insulating layer except for the portion thereof extending along the nonhorizontal end of the mask; removing portions of the sensor stack that are not covered by the mask and the portion of the insulating layer, wherein an end of the portion of the insulating layer positioned away from the mask is about aligned with a back end of the sensor stack after removing the portions thereof; and removing the mask.

Abstract: A magnetic head having an electrostatic shunt structure for preventing damage to the magnetic head during manufacture. A portion of the shunt structure is removed during manufacture, however another portion remains. In order to prevent the remaining portions of the shunt structure from picking up stray magnetic and electromagnetic fields, an electromagnetic shield, is provided between the remaining portions of the shunt structure and the substrate.