Patents by Inventor Michael Kuok San Ho

Michael Kuok San Ho 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: 11682418
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Michael Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 11600293
    Abstract: A magnetic recording device includes a main pole, a coil around the main pole, a trailing shield, and a leading shield. A trailing gap is between the main pole and the trailing shield. In one embodiment, the trailing gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. In another embodiment, the trailing gap includes a spin torque oscillator device. A leading gap is between the main pole and the leading shield. The leading gap includes a non-magnetic conductive material. The main pole is coupled to a first terminal. The trailing shield coupled to a second terminal. The leading shield is coupled to a third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Yaguang Wei, Zhigang Bai, Muhammad Asif Bashir
  • Patent number: 11557314
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to magnetic recording systems, and more particularly to a magnetic recording system with a current-assisted write head. The write head comprises a main pole, a trailing shield disposed above the main pole, a trailing gap disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield, a side shield surrounding three sides of the main pole, the side shield being in contact with and disposed below the trailing shield and the trailing gap, and a side gap disposed between the side shield and each of the three sides of the main pole. The side gap comprises a non-magnetic electrically-conducting material to dissipate heat away from the main pole, lowering the resistance and temperature rise due to heating. The trailing gap may further comprise a non-magnetic electrically-conducting material. The write head may have a two terminal or three terminal connection configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Terence Lam, Youfeng Zheng, Changqing Shi, Michael Kuok San Ho, Xinjiang Shen, Suping Song, Lijie Guan, Venkatesh Chembrolu
  • Patent number: 11437058
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Michael Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 11430469
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head, a second write head, at least one read head, and a thermal fly height control element. The first write head is a wide writing write head comprising a first main pole and a first trailing shield. The second write head a narrow writing write head comprising a second main pole, a trailing gap, a second trailing shield, and one or more side shields. The first main pole has a shorter height and a greater width than the second main pole. The second main pole has a curved or U-shaped surface disposed adjacent to the trailing gap. The thermal fly height control element and the at least one read head are aligned with a center axis of the second main pole of the second write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thao A. Nguyen, Michael Kuok San Ho, Zhigang Bai, Zhanjie Li, Quang Le
  • Patent number: 11373675
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes at least one electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Anna Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Yaguang Wei, Suping Song, Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 11276422
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, an STO disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole, and a non-magnetic conductive structure (or non-magnetic conductive layers) adjacent to the main pole and in contact with the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure provides additional paths for electrical currents to flow to the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure enables higher current density to the STO without creating hot spots at the MFS. Maximum current efficiency and uniformity can be achieved with the non-magnetic conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Quang Le, Michael Kuok San Ho, Suping Song, Goncalo Marcos Baião De Albuquerque
  • Publication number: 20210390976
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head, a second write head, at least one read head, and a thermal fly height control element. The first write head is a wide writing write head comprising a first main pole and a first trailing shield. The second write head a narrow writing write head comprising a second main pole, a trailing gap, a second trailing shield, and one or more side shields. The first main pole has a shorter height and a greater width than the second main pole. The second main pole has a curved or U-shaped surface disposed adjacent to the trailing gap. The thermal fly height control element and the at least one read head are aligned with a center axis of the second main pole of the second write head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thao A. NGUYEN, Michael Kuok San HO, Zhigang BAI, Zhanjie LI, Quang LE
  • Patent number: 11127417
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head, a second write head, at least one read head, and a thermal fly height control element. The first write head is a wide writing write head comprising a first main pole and a first trailing shield. The second write head a narrow writing write head comprising a second main pole, a trailing gap, a second trailing shield, and one or more side shields. The first main pole has a shorter height and a greater width than the second main pole. The second main pole has a curved or U-shaped surface disposed adjacent to the trailing gap. The thermal fly height control element and the at least one read head are aligned with a center axis of the second main pole of the second write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Thao A. Nguyen, Michael Kuok San Ho, Zhigang Bai, Zhanjie Li, Quang Le
  • Publication number: 20210280208
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping SONG, Zhanjie LI, Michael Kuok San HO, Quang LE, Alexander M. ZELTSER
  • Publication number: 20210233559
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, an STO disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole, and a non-magnetic conductive structure (or non-magnetic conductive layers) adjacent to the main pole and in contact with the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure provides additional paths for electrical currents to flow to the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure enables higher current density to the STO without creating hot spots at the MFS. Maximum current efficiency and uniformity can be achieved with the non-magnetic conductive structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Quang LE, Michael Kuok San HO, Suping SONG, Goncalo Marcos BAIÃO DE ALBUQUERQUE
  • Patent number: 11049514
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a MAMR stack disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. The MAMR stack includes a seed layer and at least one magnetic layer. The seed layer is fabricated from a thermally conductive material having electrical resistivity lower than that of the main pole. The seed layer has a stripe height greater than a stripe height of the at least one magnetic layer. With the extended seed layer, the bias current from the trailing shield to the main pole spreads further away from the MFS along the extended seed layer before flowing into the main pole, reducing temperature rise at or near the MAMR stack, leading to improved write head reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Kuok San Ho, Yunfei Ding, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Terence Lam, Goncalo Marcos Baião De Albuquerque, Xinjiang Shen, Feng Q. Liu
  • Patent number: 11049512
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Michael Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Publication number: 20210158839
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head, a second write head, at least one read head, and a thermal fly height control element. The first write head is a wide writing write head comprising a first main pole and a first trailing shield. The second write head a narrow writing write head comprising a second main pole, a trailing gap, a second trailing shield, and one or more side shields. The first main pole has a shorter height and a greater width than the second main pole. The second main pole has a curved or U-shaped surface disposed adjacent to the trailing gap. The thermal fly height control element and the at least one read head are aligned with a center axis of the second main pole of the second write head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Thao A. NGUYEN, Michael Kuok San HO, Zhigang BAI, Zhanjie LI, Quang LE
  • Patent number: 11017801
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and a record element located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The record element includes an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material portion which is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the record element across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the record element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Venkatesh Chembrolu, Zhigang Bai, Yaguang Wei, Anna Zheng, Supradeep Narayana, Suping Song, Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 10997988
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a trailing shield, a main pole, an STO disposed between the trailing shield and the main pole, and a non-magnetic conductive structure (or non-magnetic conductive layers) adjacent to the main pole and in contact with the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure provides additional paths for electrical currents to flow to the STO. The non-magnetic conductive structure enables higher current density to the STO without creating hot spots at the MFS. Maximum current efficiency and uniformity can be achieved with the non-magnetic conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventors: Quang Le, Michael Kuok San Ho, Suping Song, Goncalo Baiao De Albuquerque
  • Publication number: 20210125631
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes at least one electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Zhigang BAI, Anna ZHENG, Venkatesh CHEMBROLU, Supradeep NARAYANA, Yaguang WEI, Suping SONG, Terence LAM, Michael Kuok San HO, Changqing SHI, Lijie GUAN, Jian-Gang ZHU
  • Patent number: 10957348
    Abstract: A magnetic recording write head has an electrically-conductive structure in the write gap between the write pole and the trailing shield and electrical circuitry for directing current through the write gap. The current through the electrically-conductive structure generates a circular Ampere field which, at the disk-facing end of the write pole, is substantially parallel to the disk-facing end of the write pole. The electrically-conductive structure in the write gap may be a STO or an electrically-conductive layer that is not part of a STO. The current direction through the electrically-conductive structure in the write gap is selected so that the generated Ampere field at the write pole end is in substantially the same direction as the magnetization direction of the write head side shields, which has been discovered to result in minimization of cross-track interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Alexander Taratorin, Anna Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Suping Song, Yaguang Wei, Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan
  • Patent number: 10891975
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes at least one electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SanDiskTechnologies LLC.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Anna Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Yaguang Wei, Suping Song, Terence Lam, Michael Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 10885933
    Abstract: A magnetic recording device includes a main pole, a coil around the main pole, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillation device between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillation device includes one or more first layers, a spacer layer, and a field generation layer. The one or more first layers are over the main pole. The one or more first layers have a first heat conductance or include a low-heat-conductance material. The spacer layer is over the one or more first layers. The field generation layer is over the spacer layer. A heat sink is in contact with the trailing shield. The heat sink has a second heat conductance or includes a high-heat-conductance material. The second heat conductance of the heat sink is higher than the first heat conductance of the one or more first layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zhanjie Li, Suping Song, Michael Kuok San Ho