Patents by Inventor James L. Nix

James L. Nix 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).

  • Patent number: 7978430
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a reverse air bearing surface head with trailing shield design for perpendicular recording. A reverse air bearing surface head for perpendicular recording is provided with an inversed bevel shape to handle skew when recording data on a magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Quang Le, James L. Nix, Aron Pentek, Walter E. Weresin, Mason L. Williams
  • Patent number: 7791844
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having a magnetically stable free layer fabricated from a material having a positive magnetostriction such as a Co—Fe—B alloy. Although the free layer is fabricated from a material that has a positive magnetostriction, which would ordinarily make the free layer unstable, the magnetization of the free layer remains stable because of an induced magnetic anisotropy that has an easy axis of magnetization oriented parallel to the Air-bearing Surface (ABS). This magnetic anisotropy of the free layer is induced by an anisotropic texturing of the surface of the free layer. The resulting anisotropic surface texture is produced by an ion milling process that utilizes an ion beam directed at an acute angle relative to the normal to the surface of the wafer whereon the sensor is fabricated while the wafer is held on a stationary chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Matthew Joseph Carey, Jeffrey Robinson Childress, Stefan Maat, James L. Nix
  • Patent number: 7558019
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a flux conductor in contact with the write pole. The flux conductor is substantially wider than the write pole tip in the cross-track direction and has a blunt end that is recessed from the pole tip end. The region of the flux conductor where its blunt end is in contact with the pole tip is the “choke” point for the write pole, i.e., the point where the flux density is highest. The flux conductor enables the write pole to be made with no flare, or with a flare angle and throat height with a much wider tolerance, which substantially simplifies the manufacturing process. The write head may have a trailing shield and side shields that substantially surround the write pole tip and remove stray fields that may be produced by the flux conductor, so that regions of the recording layer other than the track being written are not adversely affected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Quang Le, James L. Nix, Neil Leslie Robertson, Neil Smith, Petrus Antonius VanDerHeijden
  • Patent number: 7382586
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having a self biased free layer. The free layer is constructed upon an underlayer that has been treated by a surface texturing process that configures the underlayer with an anisotropic roughness that induces a magnetic anisotropy in the free layer. The treated layer underlying the free layer can be a spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and pinned layer or can be a separate underlayer formed opposite the spacer layer. Alternatively, the texturing of an underlayer can be used to induce a magnetic anisotropy in a bias layer that is separated from the free layer by an orthogonal coupling layer. This self biasing of the free layer induced by texturing can also be used in conjunction with biasing from a hard-bias structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Matthew Joseph Carey, Jeffrey Robinson Childress, James L. Nix, Stefan Maat, Ian Robson McFadyen
  • Publication number: 20080117546
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a flux conductor in contact with the write pole. The flux conductor is substantially wider than the write pole tip in the cross-track direction and has a blunt end that is recessed from the pole tip end. The region of the flux conductor where its blunt end is in contact with the pole tip is the “choke” point for the write pole, i.e., the point where the flux density is highest. The flux conductor enables the write pole to be made with no flare, or with a flare angle and throat height with a much wider tolerance, which substantially simplifies the manufacturing process. The write head may have a trailing shield and side shields that substantially surround the write pole tip and remove stray fields that may be produced by the flux conductor, so that regions of the recording layer other than the track being written are not adversely affected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: HITACHI GLOBAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Quang Le, James L. Nix, Neil Leslie Robertson, Neil Smith, Petrus Antonius VanDerHeijden
  • Publication number: 20080112080
    Abstract: A write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a write pole and first and second return poles. The write head can include a first magnetomotive force source for delivering a magnetomotive force to the first return pole and the write pole and a second magnetomotive force source for delivering magnetomotive force to the second return pole and the write pole. The first and second magnetomotive force sources can be operated independently of one another so that different relative amounts of magnetomotive force can be applied to the first and second return poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Byron Hassberg Lengsfield, Ian Robson McFadyen, James L. Nix, James Terrence Olson, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden, Bruce Wilson
  • Patent number: 7367112
    Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a head for perpendicular recording with self-aligning side shields. The voids where the side shields will be formed are milled into the layer of material for the pole tip to achieve self-alignment. A mask is patterned with openings defining initial shape of the pole piece tip nearest the air-bearing surface including the width and the point at which the pole tip widens out. A film of soft magnetic material to form the side shields is deposited over the wafer. A chemical-mechanical-polishing process is preferably used to remove the mask and the material deposited on it. A new mask is patterned over the predetermined area for the final shape of the pole tip and the side shields. The excess side shield material and pole tip material outside of the mask is then removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: James L. Nix, Neil Leslie Robertson, Mason Lamar Williams
  • Patent number: 7296338
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a reverse air bearing surface head with trailing shield design for perpendicular recording. A reverse air bearing surface head for perpendicular recording is provided with an inversed bevel shape to handle skew when recording data on a magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Quang Le, James L. Nix, Aron Pentek, Walter E. Weresin, Mason L. Williams, III
  • Patent number: 7268985
    Abstract: A magnetic head having an improved read head structure. The read head includes a free magnetic layer with hard bias elements disposed proximate its ends, where the hard bias elements include an improved hard bias magnetic grain structure. This is accomplished by fabricating the hard bias element as a bilayer structure having a first hard bias sublayer, a nonmagnetic midlayer and a second hard bias sublayer. The midlayer is preferably composed of a nonmagnetic material such as chromium, and the hard bias sublayers are composed of a magnetic material such as CoPtCr. Each sublayer is formed with its own magnetic grains, and because there are two sublayers, the hard bias element is fabricated with approximately twice the number of magnetic grains as the prior art single layer hard bias element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, James L. Nix, Mustafa Michael Pinarbasi
  • Patent number: 7161763
    Abstract: Magnetic data storage devices use read/write heads to transfer data between the magnetic storage medium and the rest of the system. The read head is constructed with a magnetic layer called a free layer whose magnetic axis rotates based upon external magnetic influences of the magnetic storage medium. The free layer is biased into a predetermined magnetic orientation with the magnetic influence of a layer called a hard bias layer. Orientation of magnetic axes within the hard bias layer is desired. This document describes a hard bias layer whose magnetization exhibits uniaxial magnetic anisotropy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kuok San Ho, Prakash Kasiraj, Ernesto E. Marinero, James L. Nix
  • Patent number: 6977800
    Abstract: A read head has a bottom lead made of material that is relatively polish resistant and a top lead layer that polishes down more easily than the bottom layer. With this structure, when the layers are deposited and then polished down, the top layer recesses away from the sensor (and bottom lead layer) in a controlled fashion, providing an acceptable lead structure that reduces the mismatch between the read head physical read width and magnetic read width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Marie-Claire Cyrille, Frederick Hayes Dill, Kuok San Ho, Jui-Lung Li, Scott Arthur MacDonald, James L. Nix, Ching Hwa Tsang
  • Patent number: 6972935
    Abstract: A current-in-the-plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) spin valve sensor has its free layer magnetization stabilized by longitudinal biasing through the use of free layer end-region antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. An antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, such as Ru, is formed on the free layer and a ferromagnetic bias layer is formed on the APC layer. The bias layer is a continuous layer that extends across the entire width of the free layer. The central region of the bias layer is formed of nonmagnetic oxides of one or more of the elements making up the bias layer, with the bias layer end regions remaining ferromagnetic. The oxidized central region of the bias layer defines the central active track-width region of the underlying free layer. The ferromagnetic end regions of the bias layer are antiferromagnetically coupled across the APC layer to the corresponding underlying free layer end regions to provide the longitudinal biasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Dobisz, Robert E. Fontana, Jr., James L. Nix, Neil Smith
  • Patent number: 6778364
    Abstract: A current-in-the-plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) spin valve sensor has its free layer magnetization stabilized by longitudinal biasing through the use of free layer end-region antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. An antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, such as Ru, is formed on the free layer and a ferromagnetic bias layer is formed on the APC layer. The bias layer is a continuous layer that extends across the entire width of the free layer. The central region of the bias layer is formed of nonmagnetic oxides of one or more of the elements making up the bias layer, with the bias layer end regions remaining ferromagnetic. The oxidized central region of the bias layer defines the central active trackwidth region of the underlying free layer. The ferromagnetic end regions of the bias layer are antiferromagnetically coupled across the APC layer to the corresponding underlying free layer end regions to provide the longitudinal biasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Dobisz, Robert E. Fontana, Jr., James L. Nix, Neil Smith
  • Publication number: 20040042131
    Abstract: A current-in-the-plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) spin valve sensor has its free layer magnetization stabilized by longitudinal biasing through the use of free layer end-region antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. An antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, such as Ru, is formed on the free layer and a ferromagnetic bias layer is formed on the APC layer. The bias layer is a continuous layer that extends across the entire width of the free layer. The central region of the bias layer is formed of nonmagnetic oxides of one or more of the elements making up the bias layer, with the bias layer end regions remaining ferromagnetic. The oxidized central region of the bias layer defines the central active trackwidth region of the underlying free layer. The ferromagnetic end regions of the bias layer are antiferromagnetically coupled across the APC layer to the corresponding underlying free layer end regions to provide the longitudinal biasing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Dobisz, Robert E. Fontana, James L. Nix, Neil Smith
  • Patent number: 5634260
    Abstract: An improved magnetoresistive device and method for fabricating the same which results in improved Barkhausen noise suppression. A generally coplanar device is described having an MR structure conductive region longitudinally biased by opposing permanent magnet layers separated therefrom by a non-magnetic metal or dielectric separation layer. Significant reduction of the demagnetization energy near the MR-to-permanent magnet junction is achieved, particularly in the use of an elliptically shaped conductive region and the resultant generally coplanar device is readily fabricated and reproducible using a self-aligning process. The longitudinal bias technique described can be used in conjunction with all known transverse bias techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Quantum Peripherals Colorado, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Nix, Guy F. Ruse, Paul D. Reinholz, Anthony C. Helms, Daniel J. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5485334
    Abstract: An improved magnetoresistive device and method for fabricating the same which results in improved Barkhausen noise suppression. A generally coplanar device is described having an MR structure conductive region longitudinally biased by opposing permanent magnet layers separated therefrom by a non-magnetic metal or dielectric separation layer. significant reduction of the demagnetization energy near the MR-to-permanent magnet junction is achieved, particularly in the use of an elliptically shaped conductive region and the resultant generally coplanar device is readily fabricated and reproducible using a self-aligning process. The longitudinal bias technique described can be used in conjunction with all known transverse bias techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Quantum Peripherals Colorado, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Nix, Guy F. Ruse, Paul D. Reinholz, Anthony C. Helms, Daniel J. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 5001586
    Abstract: A soft film biased magnetoresistive sensor (10) is fabricated to have reduced Barkhausen noise. The magnetic ratio of the film layers (14 and 18) is controlled to be in the range of 1.7 to 1.95 and the optimum bias point is controlled to be in the range of 35 and 41 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph A. Aboaf, Vincent N. Kahwaty, James L. Nix, Frank B. Shelledy
  • Patent number: 4967301
    Abstract: A magnetic head is disclosed in which thin strips of shielding are inlaid into the surface of the magnetic head between the read and write gaps for reducing feedthrough. The shielding extends across a substantial portion of the tape-engaging surface between the read and write gaps. Further reduction of feedthrough is achieved by inlaying additional shielding outboard of the read gaps. The shielding does not encircle individual read or write gaps, but may extend across tracks in a multitrack head. The shielding is made of a magnetically permeable material which absorbs magnetic flux which otherwise strays from the magnetic cores. Material and manufacturing costs are maintained low because the shields are small and simple in geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolph M. Lopez, James L. Nix, Robert E. Weinstein