Patents by Inventor Yoshitaka Sasaki

Yoshitaka Sasaki 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).

  • Method of forming a magnetic write head
    Patent number: 9412397
    Abstract: A magnetic write head has a plated coil with narrow pitch and is suitable for writing at high frequencies on magnetic media with high coercivity. The narrow pitch is obtained without such disadvantages as overplating that has adversely affected prior art attempts to produce such narrow pitches. The process that produces the magnetic write head is characterized by an RIE plasma etch using O2/N2 to etch plating trenches into a baked layer of photoresist with the ratio of gases being 5/45 sccm so that a dilute O2 concentration does not create unwanted side etching of the plating trenches. In addition, a Cu seed layer is coated with an insulating layer of Al2O3 which redeposits on the trench sidewalls to inhibit redeposition of any Cu from the seed layer and prevent outward growth of the plated Cu that would result in overplating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Araki, Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Seiichiro Tomita, Kazuki Sato, Hideo Mamiya
  • METHOD OF FORMING A MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD
    Publication number: 20160225391
    Abstract: A magnetic write head has a plated coil with narrow pitch and is suitable for writing at high frequencies on magnetic media with high coercivity. The narrow pitch is obtained without such disadvantages as overplating that has adversely affected prior art attempts to produce such narrow pitches. The process that produces the magnetic write head is characterized by an RIE plasma etch using O2/N2 to etch plating trenches into a baked layer of photoresist with the ratio of gases being 5/45 sccm so that a dilute O2 concentration does not create unwanted side etching of the plating trenches. In addition, a Cu seed layer is coated with an insulating layer of Al2O3 which redeposits on the trench sidewalls to inhibit redeposition of any Cu from the seed layer and prevent outward growth of the plated Cu that would result in overplating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Hironori Araki, Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Seiichiro Tomita, Kazuki Sato, Hideo Mamiya
  • Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including two side shields and main pole including lower protrusion
    Patent number: 9406318
    Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. A second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The distance between the first sidewall and the third sidewall decreases with increasing proximity to the top surface of a substrate. The second and fourth sidewalls are close to perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has an edge farthest from the top surface of the substrate, the edge being parallel to the medium facing surface. The main pole has a first, a second, a third and a fourth side surface. The first side surface is opposed to the first sidewall. A portion of the second side surface is opposed to the second sidewall. The third side surface is opposed to the third sidewall. A portion of the fourth side surface is opposed to the fourth sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Kazuki Sato, Hiroyuki Ito, Hironori Araki, Shigeki Tanemura, Kazumasa Yasuda
  • THERMALLY-ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD INCLUDING A MAIN POLE AND A PLASMON GENERATOR
    Publication number: 20160210994
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a plasmon generator. The main pole has a front end face located in the medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface. The front end face of the main pole includes a first end face portion and a second end face portion. The second end face portion is located farther from the near-field light generating surface than is the first end face portion, and is greater than the first end face portion in width in the track width direction. The first end face portion and the near-field light generating surface are equal in width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka SASAKI, Hiroyuki ITO, Shigeki TANEMURA, Hideo MAMIYA, Hironori ARAKI, Seiichiro TOMITA
  • Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium for reducing noise in a captured image
    Patent number: 9384531
    Abstract: A non-local means method is insufficient in its noise reduction effect or edge retainability due to a perfect match between blocks in a case where a reference pixel matches a target pixel. Therefore, information on a target region and plural reference regions is obtained for the target pixel. Whether the target region matches any one of the reference regions is determined from the obtained information. Switching between weight derivation methods based on similarity between the target region and the reference region is performed according to a determined result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yahata, Yoshitaka Sasaki
  • Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head including a waveguide and two plasmon generators
    Patent number: 9378762
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a waveguide, a first plasmon generator, and a second plasmon generator. The waveguide includes a core and a cladding. The first plasmon generator is located on the leading side of the core. The second plasmon generator is located on the trailing side of the core. The cladding includes a first interposition section and a second interposition section, the first interposition section being interposed between the core and the first plasmon generator, the second interposition section being interposed between the core and the second plasmon generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Kazuki Sato, Seiichiro Tomita
  • Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including a main pole with a lower protrusion
    Patent number: 9336798
    Abstract: A main pole includes a main body and a lower protrusion. The lower protrusion is located at a distance from a medium facing surface. The main body includes a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion has a first side surface and a second side surface. The lower protrusion has a third side surface and a fourth side surface. A first side shield has a first sidewall opposed to the first side surface. A second side shield has a second sidewall opposed to the second side surface. A bottom shield includes a receiving section. The receiving section has a third sidewall opposed to the third side surface, and a fourth sidewall opposed to the fourth side surface. The receiving section and the lower protrusion are formed in a self-aligned manner by using the first and second side shields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Kazuki Sato, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Yukinori Ikegawa
  • Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having a heat sink
    Patent number: 9330702
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, a plasmon generator, and a heat sink. The heat sink includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is interposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. Each of the first and second metal layers is formed of a metal material. The intermediate layer is formed of a material that is higher in Vickers hardness than the metal material used to form the first metal layer and the metal material used to form the second metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Hironori Araki, Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Yukinori Ikegawa
  • METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD INCLUDING A COIL AND A MAGNETIC PATH FORMING SECTION
    Publication number: 20160115612
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a coil, a magnetic path forming section, and an insulating film. The magnetic path forming section includes first and second magnetic material portions. The coil includes first and second coil elements located between the first and second magnetic material portions. The insulating film includes an underlying portion located under the first and second coil elements. In a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head, the insulating film is formed to cover the first and second magnetic material portions, and then a seed layer is formed selectively on the underlying portion of the insulating film. The coil is formed by plating using the seed layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yukinori IKEGAWA, Yoshitaka SASAKI, Hiroyuki ITO, Hironori ARAKI, Seiichiro TOMITA, Hideo MAMIYA
  • Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including a heater
    Patent number: 9324341
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, an expansion member, and a heater. The main pole has an end face located in a medium facing surface. The expansion member is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the main pole and adjacent to the main pole in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface. The heater heats the expansion member. The expansion member has a linear expansion coefficient higher than that of the main pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Kazuki Sato, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • RECLINING DEVICE AND VEHICLE SEAT
    Publication number: 20160059742
    Abstract: A reclining device including: a lower frame member that configures a portion of a frame of a vehicle seat; an upper frame member that configures a portion of the frame of the vehicle seat; a recliner that is provided between and welded to both the lower frame member and the upper frame member, and that couples the upper frame member to the lower frame member such that a relative rotation angle of the upper frame member is adjustable relative to the lower frame member; a lower side engagement portion that is provided at the lower frame member and that is formed in a circular arc shape that is concentric with the recliner; and an extension member that extends from the upper frame member toward a lower frame member side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Yusuke Ohkawara, Takeshi Chokyu, Hiroaki Inaba, Shunitirou Osa, Tetuki Takano, Eiki Mita
  • Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head including a plasmon generator
    Patent number: 9275658
    Abstract: A return path section includes first and second yoke portions and first, second and third columnar portions. The first and second yoke portions and the first columnar portion are located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to a waveguide core. The second and third columnar portions are located on opposite sides of a plasmon generator and connected to a shield. The first yoke portion connects a main pole to the first columnar portion. The second yoke portion connects the first columnar portion to the second and third columnar portions. A coil is wound around the first columnar portion. A heater and an expansion layer are located on the rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Kazuki Sato, Hironori Araki, Ryuji Fujii
  • MAGNETIC HEAD FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING INCLUDING TWO SIDE SHIELDS
    Publication number: 20160055869
    Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. A second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The distance between the first sidewall and the third sidewall decreases with increasing proximity to the top surface of a substrate. The second and fourth sidewalls are close to perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has an edge farthest from the top surface of the substrate, the edge being parallel to the medium facing surface. The main pole has a first, a second, a third and a fourth side surface. The first side surface is opposed to the first sidewall. A portion of the second side surface is opposed to the second sidewall. The third side surface is opposed to the third sidewall. A portion of the fourth side surface is opposed to the fourth sidewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka SASAKI, Kazuki SATO, Hiroyuki ITO, Hironori ARAKI, Shigeki TANEMURA, Kazumasa YASUDA
  • Lenticular lens, image generation apparatus, and image generation method
    Patent number: 9264698
    Abstract: An image generation apparatus to generate an image includes an acquisition unit, an input unit, and a generation unit. The acquisition unit acquires image data. The input unit inputs brightness information with respect to the image data and lens characteristics of a lenticular lens. The generation unit generates a plurality of pieces of image data which is varied in brightness for being synthesized to the lenticular lens based on the brightness information and the lens characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Sasaki
  • Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including angled side shield surfaces
    Patent number: 9251812
    Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. A second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The distance between the first sidewall and the third sidewall decreases with increasing proximity to the top surface of a substrate. The second and fourth sidewalls are close to perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has an edge farthest from the top surface of the substrate, the edge being parallel to the medium facing surface. The main pole has a first, a second, a third and a fourth side surface. The first side surface is opposed to the first sidewall. A portion of the second side surface is opposed to the second sidewall. The third side surface is opposed to the third sidewall. A portion of the fourth side surface is opposed to the fourth sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Kazuki Sato, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Kazumasa Yasuda
  • SEATBACK FRAME AND VEHICLE SEAT
    Publication number: 20160009210
    Abstract: There is provided a seatback frame including: left and right side frames that are provided at left and right side portions of a seatback of a vehicle seat, with the respective lower end portions of the side frames coupled to a rear end portion of a seat cushion frame provided to a seat cushion of the vehicle seat; and a back face panel that is formed of sheet metal, that spans across between rear end portions of lower portions of the left and right side frames with its thickness direction along a seatback front-rear direction, that is fixed to the left and right side frames, and that includes an undulating shaped portion bent such that peaks and troughs alternate in a to along a seat width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Akitoshi Yamashita, Tomo Ishibashi, Hiroaki Inaba
  • Near-field light generator including a waveguide and a plasmon generator
    Patent number: 9236082
    Abstract: A plasmon generator includes a first portion and a second portion that are adjacent in a first direction orthogonal to the direction of travel of light propagating through a core. The second portion includes a front end face located in a medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The core has a concave portion recessed from the top surface of the core. At least part of the first portion is received in the concave portion. The concave portion has a surface including an evanescent light generating portion. The first portion includes a plasmon exciting portion opposed to the evanescent light generating portion. The evanescent light generating portion is inclined relative to a first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignees: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Hideo Mamiya, Ryuji Fujii
  • Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including a coil having an inclined front end face
    Patent number: 9230568
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a trailing shield, a gap section, a return path section, and a coil underlayer. The main pole has a top surface including a first inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a bottom surface facing toward the top surface of the main pole, and a front end face inclined with respect to a medium facing surface. The coil underlayer lies under the specific coil element, and has a front end face. The trailing shield includes a portion interposed between the front end face of the coil underlayer and the medium facing surface. The bottom surface of the specific coil element includes a second inclined portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yukinori Ikegawa, Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Kazuki Sato, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki
  • MAGNETIC HEAD FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING INCLUDING ANGLED SIDE SHIELDS SURFACES
    Publication number: 20150380016
    Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. A second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The distance between the first sidewall and the third sidewall decreases with increasing proximity to the top surface of a substrate. The second and fourth sidewalls are close to perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has an edge farthest from the top surface of the substrate, the edge being parallel to the medium facing surface. The main pole has a first, a second, a third and a fourth side surface. The first side surface is opposed to the first sidewall. A portion of the second side surface is opposed to the second sidewall. The third side surface is opposed to the third sidewall. A portion of the fourth side surface is opposed to the fourth sidewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka SASAKI, Kazuki SATO, Hiroyuki ITO, Shigeki TANEMURA, Hironori ARAKI, Kazumasa YASUDA
  • Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head including a heat sink
    Patent number: 9218835
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a heat sink. The heat sink includes two first portions and two second portions. The two first portions are located on opposite sides of the main pole in the track width direction and are each spaced from the main pole. The two second portions are located between the main pole and the two first portions. The main pole and the two first portions are each formed of a magnetic metal. The two second portions are formed of a nonmagnetic metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Kazuki Sato, Yukinori Ikegawa, Seiichiro Tomita, Hideo Mamiya