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.

Abstract: Data storage systems having barriers that may reduce erasure flux and increase write-ability are provided. Data storage systems include a writing element. The writing element has a write pole with a flare region. A magnetic flux barrier is located along the write pole flare region. The magnetic flux barrier is illustratively made from an in-plane magnetically anisotropic material that has an easy plane of magnetization. In another embodiment, a data storage system includes a writing element having an air bearing surface and a shield at the air bearing surface. The shield has a magnetic permeability of approximately zero. The shield illustratively includes alternating layers of positive and negative permeabilities. The shield optionally includes a plurality of shields that may include top, bottom, and side shields.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole; a leading shield below a leading side of the main magnetic pole; a leading gap between the leading shield and the main magnetic pole; a trailing shield above a trailing side of the main magnetic pole; a trailing gap between the trailing shield and the main magnetic pole; and a nonmagnetic leading bump between the main magnetic pole and the leading shield. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic write head is fabricated with its main pole attached to and magnetically coupled to a tapered yoke. The tapered yoke can be a top yoke (on the trailing side of the pole), a bottom yoke (on the leading side of the pole) or a combination of top and bottom configurations. The tapered portion of the yoke is at the distal end of the yoke and it is an extension of an otherwise uniformly thick yoke. It is found that the taper enables the yoke to be close to the ABS for better response times and a high data rate, while simultaneously being distant, producing less field disturbance by the shields and corresponding improvement of BER, and ATE/WATE. A taper of 45° is optimal for its production of uniform magnetization of the pole and optimal response times.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic write head includes a waveguide, a magnetic pole, and a plasmon generator interposed between the waveguide and the magnetic pole. The magnetic pole includes a first surface exposed on an air bearing surface, a second surface facing the plasmon generator, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: A data writer may be constructed, in accordance with some embodiments, with a write pole tip that is configured with leading and trailing edges on opposite sides of a tip body. The trailing edge may be shaped by a recess that extends into the tip body towards the leading edge.

Abstract: A method, including depositing a layer of material onto a base portion of a wafer, is disclosed. The layer of material has a first surface adjacent the base portion. The method also includes depositing a pattern of masking material onto a portion of a second surface of the layer. Material from the layer of material that is unprotected by the pattern of masking material is removed from the layer of material. By removing such material a portion of the layer of material is suspended from the base portion.

Abstract: A transducing head writer comprising a write pole having write pole tip, a yoke disposed on the write pole at a location that is recessed from the write pole tip, and a bridge feature disposed on the write pole between the yoke and the write pole tip, where the bridge feature has a geometry that is larger at a recessed end adjacent to the yoke compared to a proximate end adjacent to the write pole tip.

Abstract: A magnetic shield is adjacent a write pole. The write pole has a body portion with a body thickness and an extension portion with parallel first and second sides that each tilt towards the magnetic shield at a predetermined angle proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS). The extension portion may be capable of enhancing a write field gradient of the magnetic shield by reducing magnetic saturation.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head has a high write performance because its shape is smooth without roughness. The thin-film magnetic head includes a slider substrate, a write element and an antireflection film. The slider substrate has an air bearing surface at one side and supports a first support layer. The first support layer has a leading shield, and the leading shield has a low-level flat part, a slope part and a high-level flat part continuously arranged at one side in the recited order toward the air bearing surface. The antireflection film entirely covers the low-level flat part, the slope part and the high-level flat part of the leading shield. The write element has a recording magnetic pole film, and the recording magnetic pole film is formed above the antireflection film.

Abstract: Methods for fabrication of tapered magnetic poles with a non-magnetic front bump layer. A magnetic pole may have a plurality of tapered surfaces at or near an air bearing surface (ABS), wherein a thickness of the write pole increases in a direction away from the ABS. A non-magnetic front bump layer may be formed on one or more of the tapered surfaces of the magnetic pole at a distance from the ABS. The front bump layer may increase the separation distance between a shield layer and the magnetic pole near the tapered surface, thereby improving the performance of the write head.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic head, a manufacturing method therefor, a head assembly, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. According to the present invention, it includes a magnetic pole layer, a non-magnetic layer, a trailing gap layer, and a trailing shield layer. The magnetic pole layer has a pole tip exposed on a magnetic medium-facing surface. The non-magnetic layer is laid on the magnetic pole layer. The trailing shield layer is exposed on the magnetic medium-facing surface and laid over the magnetic pole layer and the non-magnetic layer with the trailing gap layer between. The magnetic pole layer and the non-magnetic layer have a continuous tapered face opposed to a lower side of the trailing shield layer. Moreover, the tapered face extends from a trailing edge of the pole tip at a constant inclination angle.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic recording head is described. The magnetic recording head has an ABS configured to reside in proximity to a media during use. The magnetic recording head includes a main pole, first and second auxiliary poles, a backgap, a nonmagnetic spacer, and at least one coil. The main pole includes a pole tip occupying a portion of the ABS and a back edge distal from the ABS. Each auxiliary pole has a front recessed from the ABS and a back portion. A portion of the main pole distal from the ABS resides between the auxiliary poles. The auxiliary poles are magnetically coupled with the main pole. The backgap magnetically couples the back portions of the auxiliary poles. The nonmagnetic spacer adjoins the back edge of the main pole and is between the auxiliary poles. The coil(s) energize the main pole.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head comprises a write pole including a throat region with a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and first and second side edges opposite one another. The magnetic recording head further comprises a first side wall gap layer disposed alongside the first side edge of the throat region, and a second side wall gap layer disposed alongside the second side edge of the throat region. Each of the first and second side wall gap layers has a first width at the leading edge of the throat region smaller than a second width at the trailing edge of the throat region.

Abstract: A non-conformal integrated side shield structure is disclosed for a PMR write head wherein the sidewalls of the side shield are not parallel to the pole tip sidewalls. Thus, the side gap distance between the leading pole tip edge and side shield is different than the side gap distance between the trailing pole tip edge and side shield. As a result, there is a reduced side fringing field and improved overwrite performance. The side gap distance is constant with increasing distance from the ABS along the main pole layer. A fabrication method is provided where the trailing shield and side shield are formed in the same step to afford a self-aligned shield structure. Adjacent track erasure induced by flux choking at the side shield and trailing shield interface can be eliminated by this design. The invention encompasses a tapered main pole layer in a narrow pole tip section.

Abstract: A recording head having a narrowed track has a high recording magnetic field strength and a high recording magnetic field gradient has certain problems which may be difficult to overcome. In one embodiment, a magnetic film, which overhangs from a track width, is provided on a trailing side of a. region retracted from an ABS of a main pole facing a recording medium. Thereby, a magnetic field strength on the trailing side is increased so that a difference in distribution of magnetic field strength defined by a geometrical bevel angle given to the main pole is increased. Consequently, writing performance of the main pole is improved while forming a large magnetic clearance angle with respect to an adjacent track and suppresses writing into an adjacent track when skew occurs. Other systems and methods are also disclosed regarding a head with a high recording magnetic field using an overhanging magnetic film.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a side shield layer and an encasing layer. The side shield layer has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, a second end face opposite to the first end face, and a first groove accommodating a portion of a pole layer. The first end face includes two portions located on both sides of an end face of the pole layer that are opposite to each other in a track width direction. The encasing layer is formed of a nonmagnetic material and disposed on a side of the side shield layer opposite to a medium facing surface. The encasing layer has a front end face touching the second end face of the side shield layer, and a second groove accommodating another portion of the pole layer. The distance from the medium facing surface to an arbitrary point on the second end face of the side shield layer decreases with decreasing distance from the arbitrary point to the top surface of a substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a write pole comprising a throat region. The throat region includes a lower portion having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, and an upper portion having a substantially rectangular cross-section. In a beveled region of the write pole, the substantially rectangular cross-section of the upper portion decreases in height towards an air bearing surface of the magnetic recording head.

Abstract: A stepped main pole for a perpendicular write head and methods of making the stepped main pole. The stepped main pole has a main pole tip and a base portion. The main pole tip has a surface that forms part of the ABS and a first thickness. The base portion extends from the main pole tip and has a thickness that varies from the first thickness to a second thickness to form a slanted surface with an apex angle adjacent the main pole tip. By placing the base portion away from the ABS and providing a thickness that increases in a direction away from the ABS, the stepped pole can provide the necessary magnetic flux for writing, while avoiding undesired leakage and fringing. To form embodiments of the stepped main pole of the invention, a fluorine-based reactive ion etch (RIE) may be used. By using an RIE to define the stepped main pole, the apex angle can be better controlled and tight edge control can be achieved.

Abstract: A non-conformal integrated side shield structure is disclosed for a PMR write head wherein the sidewalls of the side shield are not parallel to the pole tip sidewalls. Thus, the side gap distance between the leading pole tip edge and side shield is different than the side gap distance between the trailing pole tip edge and side shield. As a result, there is a reduced side fringing field and improved overwrite performance. The side gap distance is constant with increasing distance from the ABS along the main pole layer. A fabrication method is provided where the trailing shield and side shield are formed in the same step to afford a self-aligned shield structure. Adjacent track erasure induced by flux choking at the side shield and trailing shield interface can be eliminated by this design. The invention encompasses a tapered main pole layer in a narrow pole tip section.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a perpendicular recording magnetic head. A main magnetic pole film of a perpendicular recording element is a plated film formed on an electrode film and having a small width portion and a large width portion. The small width portion is a portion for emitting a perpendicular magnetic field from a front end thereof, while the large width portion is portion being continuous with a rear end of the small width portion and having an increased width. The electrode film is different in film thickness between beneath a portion of the plated film forming at least the front end of the small width portion and beneath a portion of the plated film forming the large width portion.

Abstract: A laminated main pole layer is disclosed in which a non-AFC scheme is used to break the magnetic coupling between adjacent high moment layers and reduce remanence in a hard axis direction while maintaining a high magnetic moment and achieving low values for Hch, Hce, and Hk. An amorphous material layer with a thickness of 3 to 20 Angstroms and made of an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride of one or more of Hf, Zr, Ta, Al, Mg, Zn, or Si is inserted between adjacent high moment stacks. The laminated structure also includes an alignment layer below each high moment layer within each stack. In one embodiment, a Ru coupling layer is inserted between two high moment layers in each stack to introduce an AFC scheme. An uppermost Ru layer is used as a CMP stop layer. A post annealing process may be employed to further reduce the anisotropy field (Hk).

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a perpendicular magnetic head with a narrow track and excellent high frequency characteristics. In one embodiment, a recording magnetic head includes coil conductors and magnetic pole pieces putting the same therebetween, in which a main magnetic pole piece is formed into a planar structure and a magnetic film connected with the main magnetic pole piece in a magnetic coupling relation is curved in the direction of the film thickness. Further, a shield material disposed near the main magnetic pole piece is made of a material of higher resistance than that of the material for the read shield.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head and a method of manufacturing the magnetic recording head are provided. The perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole layer and a return path layer that face each other with a gap therebetween in a lamination direction. A non-magnetic insulating layer is interposed between the main magnetic pole layer and the return path layer. At least one stepped portion is formed on a facing surface of at least one of the main magnetic pole layer and the return path layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film magnetic head capable of suppressing unintentional wiring to a neighboring track and preventing information recorded on a recording medium from being erased. A main magnetic pole layer is constructed so that height of a widened end surface in a lower main magnetic pole layer specifying a wide portion is smaller than height of an exposed surface in an upper main magnetic pole layer (front end portion) specifying a uniform width portion.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording according to the present invention comprises a coil to generate a magnetic field, and a main pole layer to perform the perpendicular recording using the magnetic field generated by said coil. The lower surface as to the layer-forming direction of said main pole layer has irregularities at the medium-facing surface side end.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises first and second magnetic layers, a gap layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, a coupling portion for magnetically coupling the first and second magnetic layers to each other at a distance from a medium facing surface ABS, and a thin-film coil, part of which is disposed between the first and second magnetic layers. The second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer and a yoke portion layer. The thin-film magnetic head further comprises a non-magnetic layer that is in contact with the surface of the pole portion layer farther from the gap layer. The non-magnetic layer prevents the surface of the pole portion layer farther from the gap layer from being damaged during the manufacturing process of the head, and thereby maintains the flatness of the surface.