Abstract: A near-field light generating element includes a plasmon generator, and the plasmon generator has a base plate and a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes from one side of the base plate, wherein when H represents a height direction of the protrusion from the one side and W represents a width direction perpendicular to the height direction (H), a section taken along a W-H plane is of a rectangular shape whose opposite corners in the height direction (H) are rounded.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: providing a bar and a plurality of light source units, the bar including a plurality of thermally-assisted magnetic recording head sections arranged in a first direction, and each of the light source units including a substrate and a light source; and bonding a second surface of the substrate to the bar with an adhesive layer in between, where the plurality of light source units are so aligned to the respective thermally-assisted magnetic recording head sections on the bar, as to allow a first surface of the substrate, which supports the light source, to be parallel to the first direction, the bonding allowing the substrates of the light source units to be irradiated with a first laser beam and allowing the bar to be irradiated with a second laser beam, to thereby allow the adhesive layer to be melted.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head including an MR laminated body composed of a first and second MR magnetic layers, first and second shield layers, and a bias magnetic field application layer provided on an opposite side of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the MR laminated body in order to apply a bias magnetic field orthogonal relative to the ABS. The first shield layer includes a first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and a first antiferromagnetic layer; and the second shield layer includes a second exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure (CPP-GMR device) comprising a spacer layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked together with said spacer layer sandwiched between them, with a sense current passed in the stacking direction, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer function such that the angle made between the directions of magnetizations of both layers change relatively depending on an external magnetic field, said spacer layer contains a semiconductor oxide layer, and a nitrogen element-interface protective layer is provided at a position where the semiconductor oxide layer forming the whole or a part of said spacer layer contacts an insulating layer.

Abstract: A giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a spacer layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked one upon another with the spacer layer interposed between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein the spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interposed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, the semiconductor oxide layer that forms a part of the spacer layer contains zinc oxide as its main component wherein the main component zinc oxide contains an additive metal, and the additive metal is less likely to be oxidized than zinc.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a dielectric waveguide to propagate propagation light; a metal waveguide facing the dielectric waveguide, coupling to the propagation light propagating through the dielectric waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, generating first surface plasmon with larger wavenumber than that of the propagation light, and propagating the first surface plasmon; a near-field light generating element facing the metal waveguide and extending to ABS, coupling to the first surface plasmon propagating on the metal waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, generating second surface plasmon with wavenumber larger than that of the first surface plasmon, propagating the second surface plasmon to an end part on the ABS side, and generating near-field light at the end part on the ABS side; and a recording magnetic pole provided in the vicinity of the near-field light generating element and having an end part positioned on the ABS.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: providing a light source unit including a light source; providing a substrate having a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section thereon, the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section including a magnetic pole, a plasmon generator, and an optical waveguide; inserting a metal between the light source unit and the substrate, and thus allowing the metal to be melted; and performing alignment between the light source unit and the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section under application of pressure in a direction that allows the light source unit and the substrate to approach each other, while maintaining the metal melted.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic head that has an air bearing surface (ABS) facing a recording medium and that performs magnetic recording while heating the recording medium includes: a magnetic recording element that includes a pole of which an edge part is positioned on the ABS and which generates magnetic flux traveling to the recording medium; a waveguide that is configured with a core through which light propagates and a cladding, surrounding a periphery of the core, at least one part of which extends to the ABS; a plasmon generator that faces a part of the core and that extends toward the ABS side; and a bank layer that is positioned between the plasmon generator and the pole, and of which an edge part on the ABS side protrudes relative to the plasmon generator.

Abstract: The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: a magnetic pole; a waveguide allowing a transverse-electric (TE) wave oscillating in a cross-track direction to propagate toward an air bearing surface; and a plasmon generator having a tip portion near the air bearing surface, the tip portion being provided to overlap, in a down-track direction, with both the magnetic pole and the waveguide, and having a quadrangular cross-section substantially parallel to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: An exhaust pipe injection control device to optimally control a degree of exhaust gas recirculation (“EGR”) opening during diesel particulate filter (“DPF”) regeneration. The device includes a regeneration-time opening control unit which controls a degree of EGR opening of an EGR device during DPF regeneration, and a regeneration-time opening map in which an optimal degree of EGR opening of the EGR device during DPF regeneration is set in advance according to an engine rotation speed and a fuel injection amount of an engine. The regeneration-time opening control unit performs exhaust gas recirculation by referring to the regeneration-time opening map based on the engine rotation speed and the fuel injection amount of the engine and controlling the degree of EGR opening of the EGR device.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that includes an air bearing surface facing a recording medium and that performs a magnetic recording while heating the recording medium includes a waveguide configured with a core through which light propagates and a cladding that surrounds a periphery of the core and that includes at least a portion extending to the air bearing surface; and a heat radiation layer that is embedded in the cladding that surrounds the periphery of the core on the air bearing surface, and that is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity coefficient than the cladding.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that includes a pole that generates a writing magnetic field, a waveguide through which light propagates, a plasmon generator that surface-evanescent-couples with the light propagating through the waveguide, wherein the plasmon generator includes a portion where a cross-sectional area gradually decreases as going toward a depth side from an air bearing surface when being observed from a cross section parallel to the air bearing surface. The volume of the plasmon generator can be decreased and an exposed area of a front surface on the air bearing surface can be increased. When a thermal expansion from the temperature increase occurs in the plasmon generator, a rate that the plasmon generator projects from the air bearing surface is suppressed to extremely low levels. Accordingly, a chronological degradation of output can be suppressed and thermally-assisted recording having a high and long-term reliability is achieved.

Abstract: A selective catalytic reduction system that can defrost urea aqueous solution without interruption of warm air of an engine or heating of a vehicle cabin. The system includes a defrosting control unit to open a tank heater valve at the time of starting the engine and close the tank heater valve when the temperature of the urea aqueous solution detected by a temperature sensor reaches a predetermined defrosting completion determination value, and a warm air priority control unit to prohibit the opening of the valve by the defrosting control unit when the temperature of the cooling water is less than a predetermined defrosting permission value and permit the opening of the valve by the defrosting control unit when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or more than the defrosting permission value.

Abstract: An SCR system that can detect a NOx concentration accurately irrespective of an operation state of an engine is provided. The SCR system including: an SCR device 103 provided in an exhaust pipe 102 for an engine E; a dosing valve 104 that injects urea solution on an upstream side of the SCR device 103; a NOx sensor 110 provided in the exhaust pipe 102; and an urea solution injection control unit 127 that controls a urea solution injection quantity according to a NOx concentration value detected by the NOx sensor 110 includes a pressure estimation unit 131 that estimates a NOx sensor pressure that is a pressure inside the exhaust pipe 102 at a position where the NOx sensor 110 is provided, and a NOx concentration detection value correction unit 136 that corrects the NOx concentration value detected by the NOx sensor 110, according to the NOx sensor pressure estimated by the pressure estimation unit 131.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: providing a light source unit including a laser diode; providing a slider having a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section thereon, the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section including a magnetic pole, an optical waveguide, and a plasmon generator, the magnetic pole and the optical waveguide both extending toward an air bearing surface, the plasmon generator being located between the magnetic pole and the optical waveguide; driving the laser diode to allow a light beam to be emitted therefrom, the light beam including both a TE polarization component and a TM polarization component; performing an alignment between the light source unit and the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head section, based on a light intensity distribution of the TE polarization component in the light beam which has been emitted from the laser diode and then passed through the optical waveguide; and bonding the light source unit

Abstract: A plasmon generator positioned away from the substrate and extending to the air bearing surface (ABS) as facing a part of the waveguide. The plasmon generator has a propagation edge extending in a longitudinal direction. The propagation edge has an overlapping part overlapping the waveguide in the longitudinal direction, and a near field light generator positioned on the ABS and located in the vicinity of the edge part of the recording magnetic pole. The overlapping part of the propagation edge is coupled with the laser light propagating through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode so that a surface plasmon is generated. The propagation edge propagates the surface plasmon generated in the overlapping part to the near field light generator. The magnetic recording element further has a grounding element electrically connecting the plasmon generator and the substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic recording element that faces a recording medium and that executes a magnetic recording while the recording medium is heated, the element including a waveguide that is configured with a core and a cladding, the core, through which laser light propagates, including an enlarged part, which is enlarged at an air bearing surface facing the recording medium; and the cladding surrounding a periphery of the core.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that includes a pole that generates a writing magnetic field, a waveguide through which light propagates, a plasmon generator that surface-evanescent-couples with the light propagating through the waveguide, wherein the plasmon generator includes a portion where a cross-sectional area gradually decreases as going toward a depth side from an air bearing surface when being observed from a cross section parallel to the air bearing surface. The volume of the plasmon generator can be decreased and an exposed area of a front surface on the air bearing surface can be increased. When a thermal expansion from the temperature increase occurs in the plasmon generator, a rate that the plasmon generator projects from the air bearing surface is suppressed to extremely low levels. Accordingly, a chronological degradation of output can be suppressed and thermally-assisted recording having a high and long-term reliability is achieved.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head enables even steeper magnetization reversal between adjacent magnetic domains of a magnetic recording medium and satisfies the demand for high SN ratio and high recording density. The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a pole that generates a writing magnetic field from an end surface that forms a part of an air bearing surface that opposes a magnetic recording medium, a waveguide through which light for exciting surface plasmon propagates, and a plasmon generator that couples to the light in a surface plasmon mode. The plasmon generator has a plane part and a projection part, the pole has a projection part opposing surface that opposes the projection part, and the distance between the projection part opposing surface and the projection part is 10-40 nm.

Abstract: The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: a magnetic pole; a waveguide propagating light in a first direction, the first direction intersecting with an air bearing surface; a plasmon generator having a base and a projection, the base having a surface, and the projection having a top, standing partially on the surface of the base and extending in the first direction. The plasmon generator has a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion and the second portion are provided in this order from the air bearing surface in a direction away from the air bearing surface. Herein, the top of the projection and the surface of the base in the first portion define a first step, and the top of the projection and the surface of the base in the second portion define a second step. The first step is larger than the second step.