Abstract: A magnetic recording head comprises a write pole having a tip adjacent to an air bearing surface of the recording head, a return pole magnetically coupled to the write pole, a conductor positioned adjacent to an edge of the write pole at the air bearing surface, a first conductive heat sink connected to the conductor, and a second conductive heat sink connected to the conductor, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second conductive heat sinks is positioned adjacent to the air bearing surface and wherein each of the first and second conductive heat sinks includes a structure for augmenting confinement of a magnetic write field adjacent to the write pole. Magnetic storage devices that include the magnetic recording head are also included.

Abstract: A single pole magnetic recording head is provided according to the present invention for perpendicular magnetic recording on a recording medium. The magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole and a coil magnetically coupled to the main pole for magnetizing the main pole in a first magnetization direction. The magnetic recording head further includes a layer of ferromagnetic material anti-ferromagnetically coupled to the main pole such that magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer is in a second magnetization direction substantially anti-parallel to the first magnetization direction of the main pole.

Abstract: A ferromagnetic shield material having a minimized anisotropic magneto-resistance effect permits the use of a combined shield/electrical lead for magneto-resistive read elements. The shields/electrical leads may therefore be placed closer together, maximizing the recording density that may be read by a magnetic recording head using a read element having such shields/leads.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a hard magnetic recording layer and a soft magnetic underlayer adjacent the hard magnetic recording layer. The soft magnetic underlayer includes first and second ferromagnetically coupled multilayer structures and a coupling layer positioned between the first and second multilayer structures for antiferromagnetically coupling the first and second multilayer structures. A magnetic disc drive storage system incorporating such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium and a method of making such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium are also included.

Abstract: A single pole magnetic recording head is provided according to the present invention for perpendicular magnetic recording on a recording medium. The magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole having a first end positionable adjacent the recording medium and a second end spaced from the first end. A coil is magnetically coupled to the main magnetic pole for producing a write flux. The magnetic recording head further includes a magnetic return pole forming first and second return paths for the magnetic flux. The magnetic return pole includes first and second return poles disposed on opposite sides of, and spaced from, the main magnetic pole, and a magnetic via connecting the first and second poles and extending over the main magnetic pole forming a back shield.

Abstract: A head slider moveable relative to a storage media having a storage layer is disclosed. The disc head slider comprises a read head formed on the head slider, and comprises a first electrical contact layer adapted to carry a sensor current, a second electrical contact layer adapted to carry the sensor current, a read sensor and a bias magnet. The read sensor is configured to carry the sense current perpendicular to plane. The read sensor also has a top sensor edge, and has a bottom sensor edge aligned with the air-bearing surface to access data in the storage disc. The bias magnet magnetically biases the read sensor. Further, the first and second electrical contact layers are made of a material that does not magnetically shield the read sensor.

Abstract: A longitudinal recording head for use with magnetic recording media includes first and second writes poles in which the second pole has sides that wrap around a portion of the first pole in order to reduce or eliminate side fringing fields. The wrapped around sides of the second pole have relatively small cross sections away from the air bearing surface of the recording head, and relatively large cross sections at the air bearing surface. The sides may saturate in the narrow regions away from the air bearing surface, but do not saturate in the broad regions adjacent the air bearing surface. Longitudinal recording heads incorporating the wrapped around second pole sides effectively reduce or eliminate side fringing and are capable of improved recording densities.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head comprises a write pole having a pole tip adjacent to an air bearing surface, a return pole, a pedestal for magnetically coupling the write pole to the return pole, a coil for inducing magnetic flux in the write pole, and a shield for coupling magnetic flux from the coil to the return pole. Disc drives that include such recording heads are also provided.

Abstract: A single pole magnetic recording head is provided according to the present invention for perpendicular magnetic recording on a recording medium. The magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole and a coil magnetically coupled to the main pole for magnetizing the main pole in a first magnetization direction. The magnetic recording head further includes a layer of ferromagnetic material anti-ferromagnetically coupled to the main pole such that magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer is in a second magnetization direction substantially anti-parallel to the first magnetization direction of the main pole.

Abstract: An integrated read/write perpendicular recording head facilitates the use of magnetic storage media having a high magnetic recording density and high data rates. The use of a perpendicular write portion provides adequate space between the main and opposing poles for a read element and associated electrical contacts therebetween. The use of a differential dual spin valve as a read element eliminates the need for magnetic shielding of the read element. Such a structure permits the read element and main write pole to be close together, thereby minimizing seek time, and permitting rapid transition from read to write operations, and vice versa.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head for use in conjunction with a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording head includes a hybrid write pole structure for applying a magnetic write field to the magnetic recording medium. The write pole includes a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer has a first saturation magnetic moment and the second layer has a second saturation magnetic moment that is greater than the first saturation magnetic moment. The magnetic recording head also includes a means for heating the magnetic recording medium proximate to where the write pole applies the magnetic write field to the recording medium. A method of heat assisted magnetic recording is also included.

Abstract: The present invention provides a modified perpendicular magnetic recording head which generates a relatively small magnetic field in a radial direction through the soft underlayer of a magnetic recording disk in order to reduce unwanted noise from the underlayer. The radial magnetic field is sufficiently strong to effectively drive the magnetic domains out of the soft underlayer underneath the head.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a hard magnetic recording layer and a soft magnetic underlayer adjacent the hard magnetic recording layer. The soft magnetic underlayer includes first and second ferromagnetically coupled multilayer structures and a coupling layer positioned between the first and second multilayer structures for antiferromagnetically coupling the first and second multilayer structures. A magnetic disc drive storage system incorporating such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium and a method of making such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium are also included.

Abstract: A writer for perpendicular recording on bilayer media with suppressed skew angle effect on the width of the recorded track is disclosed. The writer has a wide and flat trailing edge and a narrow leading edge. In a preferred embodiment, the pole has a trapezoidal cross-section. To suppress the skew effect on the width of the recorded track, the slope angle of the pole sides may be greater than the maximum skew angle in a drive.

Abstract: A single pole magnetic recording head is provided according to the present invention for perpendicular magnetic recording on a recording medium. The magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole having a first end positionable adjacent the recording medium and a second end spaced from the first end. A coil is magnetically coupled to the main magnetic pole for producing a write flux. The magnetic recording head further includes a magnetic return pole forming first and second return paths for the magnetic flux. The magnetic return pole includes first and second return poles disposed on opposite sides of, and spaced from, the main magnetic pole, and a magnetic via connecting the first and second poles and extending over the main magnetic pole forming a back shield.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a write pole, a first return pole adjacent an end of the write pole, and a second return pole adjacent an opposing end of the write pole. The perpendicular magnetic recording head also includes a side shield, adjacent a side of the write pole, that extends at least partially between the first return pole and the second return pole to minimize side writing from the recording head. The perpendicular magnetic recording head may also include an additional side shield adjacent an opposing side of the write pole.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) head using soft adjacent layer (SAL) transverse biasing and having electrical leads with the facing surfaces lying in planes canted with respect to the easy axis of magnetization of the magnetoresistive sensor element for improving the off-track performance of the MR head by making the off-track performance profile more symmetrical, thereby minimizing the difference between the location of its physical center and its magnetic center.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head, and process for making the same, features a thin film magnetic transducer formed from multiple layers of film and having a magnetic yoke interacting with an electrical coil. The yoke has multiple magnetic flux circuits, deposited on multiple layers of film, encircling the center of the transducer and connected together by proximal and distal vias. A coil has multiple turns intertwined with the yoke, passing between the distal and proximal vias so that the distal vias are exterior to the coil and the proximal vias are interior to the coil, to provide at least four magnetic flux interactions between the coil and the yoke. In preferred embodiments at least one layer of the film is deposited with at least two pole pieces having different easy axis orientations.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head, and process for making the same, features a thin film magnetic transducer formed from multiple layers of film and having a magnetic yoke interacting with an electrical coil. The yoke has multiple magnetic flux circuits, deposited on multiple layers of film, encircling the center of the transducer and connected together by proximal and distal vias. A coil has multiple turns intertwined with the yoke, passing between the distal and proximal vias so that the distal vias are exterior to the coil and the proximal Vias are interior to the coil, to provide at least four magnetic flux interactions between the coil and the yoke. In preferred embodiments at least one layer of the film is deposited with at least two pole pieces having different easy axis orientations.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording head for high-density recording applications. The head includes a pole formed from at least two ferromagnetic material layers with one layer having high anisotropy (H.sub.k) and low permeability (.mu.), and the other layer having low H.sub.k and high .mu.. The high H.sub.k layer provides the lower magnetic impedance flux path in the tip region and the low H.sub.k layer provides the lower magnetic impedance path in the yoke region of the head. A non-magnetic film may be disposed between the layers, with a thickness chosen to minimize domain flux coupling of the two magnetic layers, while allowing magnetic signal flux transfer between layers at an appropriate point between the tip and the yoke. The pole may be sculpted so that the low H.sub.k layer extends only partially into the tip region, or so that the high H.sub.k layer extends only partially into the yoke.