Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a pole tip shielded laterally by a graded side shield that is conformal to the shape of the pole tip at an upper portion of the shield but not conformal to the pole tip at a lower portion. The shield includes a trailing shield, that is conformal to the trailing edge of the pole tip and may include a leading edge shield that magnetically connects two bottom ends of the graded side shield.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be antiparallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes: a pole layer including a track width defining portion and a wide portion; and an accommodation layer disposed on a bottom forming layer and having a groove that accommodates the pole layer. The groove includes a first portion for accommodating at least part of the track width defining portion, and a second portion for accommodating at least part of the wide portion. A manufacturing method for the magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a groove defining layer on a nonmagnetic layer that is intended to later become the accommodation layer; forming a mask that covers an area of the nonmagnetic layer where to form the first portion of the groove; etching the nonmagnetic layer so that the second portion of the groove is formed in the nonmagnetic layer; removing the mask; and taper-etching the nonmagnetic layer so that the first portion of the groove is formed in the nonmagnetic layer and the groove is thereby completed.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a pole tip shielded laterally by a graded side shield that is conformal to the shape of the pole tip at an upper portion of the shield but not conformal to the pole tip at a lower portion. The shield includes a trailing shield, that is conformal to the trailing edge of the pole tip and may include a leading edge shield that magnetically connects two bottom ends of the graded side shield.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes: a pole layer including a track width defining portion and a wide portion; and an accommodation layer disposed on a bottom forming layer and having a groove that accommodates the pole layer. The groove includes a first portion for accommodating at least part of the track width defining portion, and a second portion for accommodating at least part of the wide portion. A manufacturing method for the magnetic head includes the steps of; forming a groove defining layer on a nonmagnetic layer that is intended to later become the accommodation layer; forming a mask that covers an area of the nonmagnetic layer where to form the first portion of the groove; etching the nonmagnetic layer so that the second portion of the groove is formed in the nonmagnetic layer; removing the mask; and taper-etching the nonmagnetic layer so that the first portion of the groove is formed in the nonmagnetic layer and the groove is thereby completed.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: An improved soft underlayer structure for perpendicular magnetic recording. The structure includes at least two soft underlayers separated by a non-magnetic spacer layer. The soft underlayer structure incorporates exchange coupling induced anisotropy for improved perpendicular magnetic recording properties, including an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduced adjacent track erasure.