Patents by Inventor Terence T. LAM

Terence T. LAM 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: 11881235
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a magnetic recording head having an exchange biased leading shield or leading edge shield (LES). The LES is a bilayer structure. One or more layers are coupled below the LES such that the LES is disposed between the main pole and the one or more layers. The one or more layers exchange bias the LES such that the upper layer of the LES has a magnetization parallel to the magnetization of the trailing shield. The lower layer of the LES has a magnetization that is antiparallel to the magnetization of the upper layer of the LES. The one or more layers set the preferred direction for the lower layer of the LES and sets the LES as a two-domain state without relying upon the anisotropy field (Hk) of either the upper or lower layers of the LES.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Zhanjie Li, Terence T. Lam, Suping Song
  • Patent number: 11862207
    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, a trailing shield, and a MAMR stack including at least one magnetic layer. The magnetic layer has a surface facing the main pole, and the surface has a first side at a media facing surface (MFS) and a second side opposite the first side. The length of the second side is substantially less than the length of the first side. By reducing the length of the second side, the area to be switched at a location recessed from the MFS is reduced as a current flowing from the main pole to the trailing shield or from the trailing shield to the main pole. With the reduced area of the magnetic layer, the overall switch time of the magnetic layer is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkatesh H Chembrolu, Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden, Terence T. Lam, Yaguang Wei
  • Patent number: 11854581
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording device. The magnetic recording device comprises a trailing gap disposed adjacent to a first surface of a main pole, a first side gap disposed adjacent to a second surface of the main pole, a second side gap disposed adjacent to a third surface of the main pole, and a leading gap disposed adjacent to a fourth surface of the main pole. A side shield surrounds the main pole and comprises a heavy metal first layer and a magnetic second layer. The first layer surrounds the first, second, and third surfaces of the main pole, or the second, third, and fourth surfaces of the main pole. The second layer surrounds the second and third surfaces of the main pole, and may further surround the fourth surface of the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Terence T. Lam, Lijie Guan
  • Publication number: 20230267953
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a magnetic recording head having an exchange biased leading shield or leading edge shield (LES). The LES is a bilayer structure. One or more layers are coupled below the LES such that the LES is disposed between the main pole and the one or more layers. The one or more layers exchange bias the LES such that the upper layer of the LES has a magnetization parallel to the magnetization of the trailing shield. The lower layer of the LES has a magnetization that is antiparallel to the magnetization of the upper layer of the LES. The one or more layers set the preferred direction for the lower layer of the LES and sets the LES as a two-domain state without relying upon the anisotropy field (Hk) of either the upper or lower layers of the LES.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander GONCHAROV, Zhanjie LI, Terence T. LAM, Suping SONG
  • Patent number: 11657835
    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: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Youfeng Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Yaguang Wei, Suping Song, Terence T. Lam, Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 11615806
    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 first and second electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layers. The spin torque oscillator stack is coupled to the first 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: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang Bai, Youfeng Zheng, Venkatesh Chembrolu, Supradeep Narayana, Yaguang Wei, Suping Song, Terence T. Lam, Kuok San Ho, Changqing Shi, Lijie Guan, Jian-Gang Zhu
  • Publication number: 20220358959
    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, a trailing shield, and a MAMR stack including at least one magnetic layer. The magnetic layer has a surface facing the main pole, and the surface has a first side at a media facing surface (MFS) and a second side opposite the first side. The length of the second side is substantially less than the length of the first side. By reducing the length of the second side, the area to be switched at a location recessed from the MFS is reduced as a current flowing from the main pole to the trailing shield or from the trailing shield to the main pole. With the reduced area of the magnetic layer, the overall switch time of the magnetic layer is decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkatesh H CHEMBROLU, Muhammad ASIF BASHIR, Petrus Antonius VAN DER HEIJDEN, Terence T. LAM, Yaguang WEI
  • Publication number: 20220343944
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording device. The magnetic recording device comprises a trailing gap disposed adjacent to a first surface of a main pole, a first side gap disposed adjacent to a second surface of the main pole, a second side gap disposed adjacent to a third surface of the main pole, and a leading gap disposed adjacent to a fourth surface of the main pole. A side shield surrounds the main pole and comprises a heavy metal first layer and a magnetic second layer. The first layer surrounds the first, second, and third surfaces of the main pole, or the second, third, and fourth surfaces of the main pole. The second layer surrounds the second and third surfaces of the main pole, and may further surround the fourth surface of the main pole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping SONG, Zhanjie LI, Terence T. LAM, Lijie GUAN
  • Publication number: 20220238135
    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: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang BAI, Youfeng ZHENG, Venkatesh CHEMBROLU, Supradeep NARAYANA, Yaguang WEI, Suping SONG, Terence T. LAM, Kuok San HO, Changqing SHI, Lijie GUAN, Jian-Gang ZHU
  • Publication number: 20220208220
    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: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Zhigang BAI, Youfeng ZHENG, Venkatesh CHEMBROLU, Supradeep NARAYANA, Yaguang WEI, Suping SONG, Terence T. LAM, Kuok San HO, Changqing SHI, Lijie GUAN, Jian-Gang ZHU