Patents by Inventor Eric W. Singleton

Eric W. Singleton 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).

  • Publication number: 20160319419
    Abstract: A method of making an MgO barrier layer for a TMR sensor, the method including depositing a first Mg layer in a first chamber, depositing a second Mg layer on the first Mg layer using a reactive oxide deposition process in the presence of oxygen in the first chamber or in a second chamber different than the first chamber, depositing a third Mg layer on the second MgO layer in either the first chamber, the second chamber, or a third chamber, and annealing the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer to form an MgO barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Qing He, Jae Young Yi, Eric W. Singleton
  • Patent number: 9442171
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor assembly includes first and second shields each comprised of a magnetic material. The first and second shields define a physical shield-to-shield spacing. A sensor stack is disposed between the first and second shields and includes a seed layer adjacent the first shield, a cap layer adjacent the second shield, and a magnetic sensor between the seed layer and the cap layer. At least a portion of the seed layer and/or the cap layer comprises a magnetic material to provide an effective shield-to-shield spacing of the magnetic sensor assembly that is less than the physical shield-to-shield spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Qing He, Jae-Young Yi, Matt Johnson, Zheng Gao, Dimitar V. Dimitrov, Song S. Xue
  • Patent number: 9396745
    Abstract: Apparatus for sensing data from a magnetic recording medium using a multi-sensor reader with different readback sensitivities. In accordance with some embodiments, a data transducing head has first and second read sensors. The first read sensor is optimized for reading data and the second read sensor is optimized to detect thermal asperity (TA) events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Declan Macken, Jason Gadbois, Eric W. Singleton, John M. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20160093319
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that is magnetically coupled to a side shield element. The SAF structure includes at least one magnetic amorphous layer that is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The amorphous magnetic layer may be in contact with a non-magnetic layer and antiferromagnetically coupled to a layer in contact with an opposite surface of the non-magnetic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi
  • Patent number: 9251815
    Abstract: An apparatus disclosed herein includes a sensor stack including a first layer and an AFM stabilized bottom shield in proximity to the first layer, wherein the AFM stabilized bottom shield is magnetically coupled to the first layer. The apparatus reduces shield-to-shield spacing. The pinned layer of the bottom shield and a pinned layer of the sensor stack are stabilized using the AFM layer in the bottom shield. In one implementation, the bottom shield is made of the SAF structure, with the top layer of the structure adjacent to a pinned layer in the sensor stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Konstantin Nikolaev, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Victor Boris Sapozhnikov, Mohammed Sharia Ullah Patwari
  • Patent number: 9230575
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide for a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that is magnetically coupled to a side shield element. The SAF structure includes at least one magnetic amorphous layer that is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The amorphous magnetic layer may be in contact with a non-magnetic layer and antiferromagnetically coupled to a layer in contact with an opposite surface of the non-magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi
  • Publication number: 20150369879
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide a system comprising an external magnetic field generator, wherein the external field magnetic field generator is configured to rock an effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle compared to a desired pinning field orientation in an AFM/PL structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Konstantin Nikolaev, Victor Sapozhnikov, Taras Pokhil, Jae-Young Yi, Mohammed Patwari, Eric W. Singleton
  • Publication number: 20150332714
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each includes a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Konstantin Nikolaev
  • Publication number: 20150325260
    Abstract: A reader stack, such as for a magnetic storage device, the stack having a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer, a magnetic capping layer adjacent to the top SAF layer, an RKKY coupling layer adjacent to the magnetic capping layer opposite the top SAF layer, and a free layer adjacent to the RKKY coupling layer opposite the magnetic capping layer. Also included is a method for biasing a free layer in a reader stack by providing an exchange coupling between the free layer and a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer using a layer having RKKY coupling property positioned between the free layer and the top SAF layer and a magnetic capping layer between the SAF layer and the layer having RKKY coupling property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Konstantin Nikolaev, Zhiguo Ge
  • Publication number: 20150311430
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a free layer comprising a first layer of CoFeB or CoFe/CoFeB and a second layer made of an alloyed layer including a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. An implementation of the MR sensor further includes a cap layer adjacent to the second layer wherein the cap layer does not include any tantalum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Konstantin Nikolaev
  • Patent number: 9165570
    Abstract: A magnetic element capable of reading data may generally be configured at least with a magnetic seed lamination disposed between a data reader stack and a magnetic shield. The magnetic seed lamination may be constructed at least with one magnetic layer coupled to the bottom shield and at least one non-magnetic layer decoupling the data reader stack from the at least one magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Zhengqi Lu, Ann Lynch, Daniel Hassett, Jiansheng Xu, Jae-Young Yi, Liwen Tan, Eric W. Singleton
  • Patent number: 9147409
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide a method comprising rocking an effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle compared to a desired pinning field orientation in an AFM/PL structure, wherein an angular amplitude of rocking the effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle gradually decreases towards the desired orientation of pinning in the AFM/PL structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Konstantin Nikolaev, Victor Sapozhnikov, Taras Pokhil, Jae-Young Yi, Mohammed Patwari, Eric W. Singleton
  • Publication number: 20150255092
    Abstract: Apparatus for sensing data from a magnetic recording medium using a multi-sensor reader with different readback sensitivities. In accordance with some embodiments, a data transducing head has first and second read sensors. The first read sensor is optimized for reading data and the second read sensor is optimized to detect thermal asperity (TA) events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Declan Macken, Jason Gadbois, Eric W. Singleton, John M. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9121886
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each include a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Konstantin Nikolaev
  • Publication number: 20150170686
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide for a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that is magnetically coupled a side shield element. The SAF structure includes at least one magnetic amorphous layer that is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The amorphous magnetic layer may be in contact with a non-magnetic layer and antiferromagnetically coupled to a layer in contact with an opposite surface of the non-magnetic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi
  • Patent number: 9030782
    Abstract: A data reader and associated method of making are generally provided. A data reader capable of sensing adjacent data bits may be configured at least with a magnetic stack disposed between first and second side shields. Each side shield may have a polish stop layer that is tuned to provide a first predetermined polish rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Shaun Eric McKinlay, Eric W. Singleton, Carolyn Pitcher Van Dorn, Levent Colak, Thu-Van Thi Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20150103438
    Abstract: A magnetic element capable of reading data may generally be configured at least with a magnetic seed lamination disposed between a data reader stack and a magnetic shield. The magnetic seed lamination may be constructed at least with one magnetic layer coupled to the bottom shield and at least one non-magnetic layer decoupling the data reader stack from the at least one magnetic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Zhengqi Lu, Ann Lynch, Daniel Hassett, Jiansheng Xu, Jae-Young Yi, Liwen Tan, Eric W. Singleton
  • Publication number: 20150084624
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each include a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Konstantin Nikolaev
  • Patent number: 8932667
    Abstract: A method including forming a multilayer structure. The multilayer structure includes a seed layer comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of a Pt-group metal, Fe, Mn, Ir and Co. The multilayer structure also includes an intermediate layer comprising the first component and a second component selected from the group consisting of a Pt-group metal, Fe, Mn, Ir and Co. The second component is different than the first component. The multilayer structure further includes a cap layer comprising the first component. The method further includes heating the multilayer structure to an annealing temperature to cause a phase transformation of the intermediate layer. Also a hard magnet including a seed layer comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of a Pt-group metal, Fe, Mn, Ir and Co. The hard magnet also includes a cap layer comprising the first component. The hard magnet further includes an intermediate layer between the seed layer and the cap layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Jiaoming Qiu, Younghua Chen, Xilin Peng, Shaun McKinlay, Eric W. Singleton, Brian W. Karr
  • Publication number: 20150002962
    Abstract: An apparatus disclosed herein includes a sensor stack including a first layer and an AFM stabilized bottom shield in proximity to the first layer, wherein the AFM stabilized bottom shield is magnetically coupled to the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Eric W. Singleton, Konstantin Nikolaev, Liwen Tan, Jae-Young Yi, Victor Boris Sapozhnikov, Mohammed Sharia Ullah Patwari