Patents by Inventor Hiraku Hirabayashi

Hiraku Hirabayashi 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: 20080094755
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film magnetic head which surely improves the writing and reading characteristic with reducing the flying height and surely handles the contact or collision with the magnetic recording medium. A thin-film magnetic head is provided, which includes, an substrate with ABS; a read or write head element provided on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one protrusion adjustment portion whose end reaches a slider end surface on the ABS side, which provides on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one heating portion provided rear at least one protrusion adjustment portion viewed from the slider end surface on the ABS side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikazu OTA, Tetsuya ROPPONGI, Hiraku HIRABAYASHI, Yuichi WATABE
  • Publication number: 20080087630
    Abstract: A method of producing a thin film magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a second lower magnetic pole layer in a part on a first lower magnetic pole layer; forming, over the entire wafer surface, an insulating layer so as to be thicker than the thickness of the second lower magnetic pole layer in the stacking direction, the insulating layer being less likely to be etched than the second lower magnetic pole layer; carrying out a planarizing process by CMP on the entire wafer surface until the second lower magnetic pole layer is exposed; forming a concave portion including the second lower magnetic pole layer and the insulating layer by ion beam etching on the entire wafer surface; forming a recording gap layer over the entire wafer surface; and forming a first upper magnetic pole layer in the upper magnetic pole layer so as to fill the concave portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Ito, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi, Nobuya Oyama
  • Publication number: 20080068749
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head that the TPTP phenomenon due to the environment temperature is surely suppressed without providing a new particular component is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuki Kurihara, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Norikazu Ota
  • Patent number: 7321480
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower magnetic layer, an upper magnetic layer, a recording gap layer, and a thin-film coil. The lower magnetic layer has a first magnetic pole tip layer, and a first yoke layer which is connected to the first magnetic pole tip layer. The first yoke layer has an extended part which is relatively thick and a reduced part which is relatively thin in the area in which the first yoke layer confronts the first magnetic pole tip layer, the extended part being positioned on the side of the air bearing surface. Further, the first magnetic pole tip layer is connected to the first yoke layer at the extended part, and is insulated from the first yoke layer at the reduced part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Oike, Kiyoshi Noguchi, Shin Narushima, Takamitsu Sakamoto, Hiraku Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20080013210
    Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic having improved write characteristics in the high-frequency band. The head comprises an electromagnetic coil element comprising upper and lower magnetic layers, a write gap layer and a write coil layer, and in the electromagnetic coil element, at least one non-magnetic layer is provided within the upper magnetic layer, and further, an upper surface, a lower surface, at least a portion of a front surface and at least a portion of a rear surface of the non-magnetic layer are covered with magnetic material of at least one of the upper magnetic layer and the lower magnetic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenkichi ANAGAWA, Hiraku HIRABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20070291411
    Abstract: A multi-channel head includes a substrate, a plurality of write elements arranged in a track width direction above the substrate in a lamination direction, and a plurality of read elements arranged in the track width direction above the plurality of write elements in the lamination direction. At least one of the plurality of write elements is offset from the others in the lamination direction. All the plurality of read elements are located higher than an uppermost one of the plurality of write elements in the lamination direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicants: TDK CORPORATION, SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko MAEJIMA, Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi, Nobuya Oyama, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Hiroki Matsukuma, Naoto Matono
  • Publication number: 20070253104
    Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic head capable of suppressing ATE while ensuring sufficient controllability of the magnetic pole width and sufficient write field intensity. The head includes an electromagnetic coil element comprising: upper and lower magnetic layers; a write gap layer; and a write coil layer, the lower magnetic layer comprising: a lower yoke layer, a non-magnetic portion formed on an end portion on the ABS side of the lower yoke layer and extending to a head end surface on the ABS side; and a lower magnetic pole layer, an upper surface of the lower magnetic pole layer being in contact with the write gap layer, and an end surface in the head end surface of the lower magnetic pole layer having a shape whose width along a track width direction is defined by a predetermined magnetic pole width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiraku HIRABAYASHI, Kenkichi Anagawa
  • Publication number: 20070223140
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a thin-film element having a lower layer with a narrower width is provided, which comprises steps of: forming a first film and a second film on the first film; forming a second layer having a width WUP obtained by trimming the second film; forming a mask film having a smaller etching rate than the first film so as to cover the second layer; forming a pattern having a width WTR larger than the width WUP, obtained by collectively trimming the mask film covering the second layer and at least an upper portion of the first film; and forming a first layer having a width WLO smaller than the width WUP or having a portion with a width WLO smaller than the width WUP, obtained by trimming the first film without changing the width WUP of the second layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiraku Hirabayashi, Yohei Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 7239480
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head is provided to reduce excess magnetostatic leakage field in order to generate a sufficient recording magnetic field. The pole end portion has a width to define a recording track width. The pole rear portion has one end which is magnetically connected with the pole end portion at or in the vicinity of an edge portion of an insulating film and defines a first flare point, the other end which is connected with the upper yoke portion and defines a second flare point, and both side edges in the track width direction which are inclined so that the width in the track width direction gradually increases from the second flare point toward the first flare point. The width of the pole end portion at the first flare point is smaller than the maximum width of the pole rear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiraku Hirabayashi, Kiyoshi Noguchi, Taro Oike, Shin Narushima, Takamitsu Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060291098
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head that has an improved protrusion efficiency under the condition of not only assuring the reliability of the-heating operation, but also stabilizing the read output is provided. The head comprises: a magnetic head element for writing and/or reading data signals; a heating element for generating heat at least during operations of the magnetic head element; and a first heatsink element provided adjacent to the heating element for receiving a part of the heat generated from the heating element, the first heatsink element being a distance from the magnetic head element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Norikazu Ota, Katsuki Kurihara, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Taro Oike, Hiroki Matsukuma
  • Publication number: 20060256472
    Abstract: A write shield layer that forms a part of a thin-film magnetic head is set with respect to the widthwise full length W thereof lying substantially on an air bearing surface that is opposite to the recording medium such that when the full length W is trisected, the maximum thickness H1/3side thereof in a range of widthwise ?W size positioned at both ends thereof is larger than the average thickness Hm of the whole write shield layer from the air bearing surface up to the rear (H1/3side>Hm), so that the so-called external magnetic field resistance is improved, and inadvertent erasure of the information already recorded in the recording medium is avoided as much as possible. Besides, the PTP (pole tip protrusion) phenomenon arising from the generation of heat from coils, and external temperature changes can be held back.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiraku HIRABAYASHI, Norikazu Ota
  • Publication number: 20060256481
    Abstract: A composite thin-film magnetic head includes a substrate, an under layer formed on the substrate, an MR read head element formed on the under layer and provided with a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer and an MR layer in which a sense current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the MR layer through the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer, an inter-shield insulation layer laminated on the MR read head element, an inductive write head element formed on the inter-shield insulation layer and provided with a first magnetic pole layer, a nonmagnetic layer, a second magnetic pole layer whose end portion is opposed to an end portion of the first magnetic pole layer through the nonmagnetic layer, and a write coil, and an additional shield layer formed between the upper shield layer and the first magnetic pole layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeo Kagami, Hiroshi Kiyono, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Eiichi Omata, Seiji Yari, Takamitsu Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060077591
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head with a higher protrusion efficiency is provided, which comprises: a substrate with an air bearing surface (ABS); a read head element including a lower and upper shield layers, and a write head element including a magnetic pole layer; a heating element provided in a position opposite to the ABS in relation to the read and write head elements; and a heatsink element including a heatsink layer provided adjacent to an end opposite to an end in the ABS side of at least one layer of the lower and upper shield layers and the magnetic pole layer, the heatsink element having a shape that a pattern width in the track-width direction of an end portion in the ABS side is larger than a pattern width in the track-width direction of an end portion opposite to the end portion in the ABS side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuki Kurihara, Taro Oike, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Norikazu Ota
  • Publication number: 20050264934
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprising an inductive element including at least: a lower magnetic pole; a write gap layer; and an upper magnetic pole opposed to the lower magnetic pole through the write gap layer, a width WP2 in a track-width direction at a facing-to-magnetic-medium top end of the upper magnetic pole being larger than a width WP1 in the track-width direction at a facing-to-magnetic-medium top end of the lower magnetic pole, and a distance FPDP2 between the top end of the upper magnetic pole and a flare point of the upper magnetic pole being smaller than a distance FPDP1 between the top end of the lower magnetic pole and a flare point of the lower magnetic pole, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Oike, Hiraku Hirabayashi, Shin Narushima, Takamitsu Sakamoto, Kiyoshi Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20050195526
    Abstract: The present invention is intended for a thin film magnetic head which can provide reduction in the excess magnetostatic leakage field even if the flare point is set near to the ABS in order to generate a sufficient recording magnetic field and which can assure stable overwrite characteristics even if there are variations in upper pole portion patterns. The pole end portion 223 has a width W11 to define a recording track width. The pole rear portion 222 has one end which is magnetically connected with the pole end portion 223 at or in the vicinity of an edge portion of an insulating film 273 and defines a first flare point FP1, the other end which is connected with the upper yoke portion 221 and defines a second flare point FP2, and both side edges in the track width direction which are inclined so that the width in the track width direction gradually increases from the second flare point FP2 toward the first flare point FP1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiraku Hirabayashi, Kiyoshi Noguchi, Taro Oike, Shin Narushima, Takamitsu Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20050057851
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower magnetic layer, an upper magnetic layer, a recording gap layer, and a thin-film coil. The lower magnetic layer has a first magnetic pole tip layer, and a first yoke layer which is connected to the first magnetic pole tip layer. The first yoke layer has an extended part which is relatively thick and a reduced part which is relatively thin in the area in which the first yoke layer confronts the first magnetic pole tip layer, the extended part being positioned on the side of the air bearing surface. Further, the first magnetic pole tip layer is connected to the first yoke layer at the extended part, and is insulated from the first yoke layer at the reduced part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Oike, Kiyoshi Noguchi, Shin Narushima, Takamitsu Sakamoto, Hiraku Hirabayashi