Patents by Inventor Neil D. Knutson

Neil D. Knutson 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: 9564150
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic read apparatus. The magnetic read apparatus includes a substrate and an isolation circuit. The isolation circuit includes a bias resistor and a capacitor residing on the substrate. The bias resistor and the capacitor are connected in parallel through the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
    Inventors: Savas Gider, Neil D. Knutson, Steven C. Rudy
  • Patent number: 9441938
    Abstract: Systems and methods for using NFT disc test structures for controlling NFT disc length during manufacture of an HAMR writer are disclosed. An NFT is manufactured concurrently with one or more pairs of pin-disc and disc-less test structures. The NFT disc and pin dimensions may be substantially similar to the pin and disc dimensions of the pin-disc test structure. The disc length of the pin-disc test structure is measured as a function of the difference in resistance between the two test structures and other parameters. Capturing the disc length variation subsequently enables adjustment of the NFT electronic lapping guide stripe height to reduce length variation in the NFT pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Steven C. Rudy, Nurul Amin, Luc Ving Chung, Neil D. Knutson
  • Patent number: 9042052
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a main pole and at least one coil for energizing the main pole. The coil(s) have a number of turns. The magnetic transducer also includes at least one shunt coupled to at least one of the number of turns. At least one remaining turn of the number of turns carries a current. The shunt(s) carry a portion of the current from the shunted turn of the number of turns. Thus, the coil(s) have an effective number of turns is less than the number of turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: El-Amine Salhi, Tao Pan, Zhigang Bai, Donghong Li, Yan Chen, Neil D. Knutson
  • Patent number: 8665561
    Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic read and/or write transducer for use in disk drive. A read transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) and includes a read sensor, a nonmagnetic gap, a heater, and an expander. The nonmagnetic gap is adjacent to a portion of the read sensor and has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The heater heats a portion of the magnetic read transducer. The expander is adjacent to a portion of the nonmagnetic gap and has a second CTE greater than the first CTE. The write transducer includes a pole, a coil, an insulator adjacent to and for insulating the coil, a heater and an expander. The expander has a CTE greater than the insulator's CTE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Neil D. Knutson, Yu Lo