Abstract: A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a coil, a main pole, and a substrate. The main pole includes a first layer, and a second layer lying on the first layer. The first layer includes a thickness-changing portion whose dimension in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate decreases with decreasing distance to the medium facing surface. At least part of the second layer is located on the thickness-changing portion.

Abstract: A method for forming a write pole comprises the steps of providing a structure comprising a substrate layer, a ruthenium layer over the substrate layer, and a tantalum layer over the ruthenium layer, providing an opening in the tantalum layer over a portion of the ruthenium layer, performing a first reactive ion etching step on the portion of the ruthenium layer under the opening in the tantalum layer to provide an opening in the ruthenium layer over a portion of the substrate layer, performing a second reactive ion etching step on the portion of the substrate layer under the opening in the ruthenium layer to form a damascene trench therein, and filling the damascene trench with a magnetic material to form the write pole.

Abstract: A reader sensor having a composite shield and a sensor stack. The composite shield includes a high magnetic moment layer having a magnetic moment greater than 1.0 T, a low magnetic moment layer, and a spacer therebetween. The high magnetic moment layer is closer to the stack than the low magnetic moment layer. The high magnetic moment layer may be a single layer or have a plurality of layers.

Abstract: A data writer can be configured with at least a write pole separated from a front shield by a non-magnetic gap layer. The front shield may consist of at least a seed layer and a shielding layer with the shielding layer having an easy axis coercivity along a first direction of 4 Oe or more and a hard axis coercivity along a second direction of 0.5 Oe or more.

Abstract: A ferromagnetic thin-film based magnetic field detection system used for detecting the presence of selected molecular species. A magnetic field sensor supported on a substrate has a binding molecule layer positioned on a side thereof capable of selectively binding to the selected molecular species held on a magnetic particle. The magnetic field sensor can be substantially covered by an electrical insulating layer having a recess therein adjacent to the sensor in which the binding molecule layer is provided. A thin-film channel structure to the sensor is supported on the substrate that can be accompanied by a reservoir structure, and an electrical interconnection conductor is supported on the substrate at least in part between the sensor and the substrate, and is electrically connected to the sensor. The magnetic field sensor can be provided in a bridge circuit, and can be formed by a number of interconnected individual sensors.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic read transducer is described. The magnetic recording transducer includes a write pole, a nonmagnetic gap, a magnetic seed layer, a trailing shield and coil(s) that energize the write pole. The write pole is configured to write to a media. The nonmagnetic gap is between the write pole and the magnetic seed layer. The magnetic seed layer includes a high moment layer and a magnetic buffer layer. The high moment layer is between the nonmagnetic gap and the magnetic buffer layer. The high moment layer has a saturation magnetization greater than 2.3 T and a first corrosion potential. The magnetic buffer layer has a second corrosion potential less than the first corrosion potential. The magnetic seed layer is between the trailing shield and the nonmagnetic gap layer. The magnetic buffer layer is between the trailing shield and the high moment layer.

Abstract: A magnetic layer that may serve as a top pole layer and bottom pole layer in a magnetic write head is disclosed. The magnetic layer has a composition represented by FeWCoXNiYVZ in which w, x, y, and z are the atomic % of Fe, Co, Ni, and V, respectively, and where w is between about 60 and 85, x is between about 10 and 30, y is between 0 and about 20, z is between about 0.1 and 3, and wherein w+x+y+z=100. An electroplating process having a plating current density of 3 to 30 mA/cm2 is used to deposit the magnetic layer and involves an electrolyte solution with a small amount of VOSO4 which is the V source. The resulting magnetic layer has a magnetic saturation flux density BS greater than 1.9 Telsa and a resistivity ? higher than 70 ?ohms-cm.

Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer that includes an underlayer. The method and system include providing a recessed region in the underlayer. The recessed region includes a front having an angle from horizontal. The angle is greater than zero and less than ninety degrees. The method and system further includes providing an assist pole layer in the recessed region and providing a main pole layer. A portion of the main pole layer resides on the assist pole layer. A main pole is defined from the assist pole layer and the main pole layer.

Abstract: A magnetic writer includes a write element having a write element tip and a conductive structure adjacent the write element. The conductive structure includes two conductive elements positioned substantially parallel to one another and separated by an electrically insulating material. Each of the conductive elements carries a time-varying signal to generate an oscillating magnetic field from a displacement current between the two conductive elements, with the oscillating magnetic field being proximate the write element tip and extending parallel to the air bearing surface. A frequency of the oscillating magnetic field is a function of a frequency of the time-varying signal.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a thin-film magnetic head with a write head has a lower core member made of a soft magnetic film, a planar upper core member made of a soft magnetic film, and a coil conductor positioned between the lower and upper core members. The rear end is equipped with a magnetic body, which at least magnetically joins the lower and upper core members. A magnetic pole piece is in contact with the lower core member and positioned toward an air bearing surface, which faces a recording medium. A first nonmagnetic film is provided between a pedestal magnetic pole piece and upper core member. The write head is structured so that the first nonmagnetic film constitutes a write gap. A second nonmagnetic film is provided above or below the first nonmagnetic film. The edge of the second nonmagnetic film is retracted from the air bearing surface. The upper core member's flare point is positioned toward the air bearing surface rather than the edge of the second nonmagnetic film.

Abstract: A method for providing a magnetic recording transducer is disclosed. The method includes providing a first pole having front and rear portions and a back gap on the rear portion. The method also includes providing an insulator on the first pole. The method includes providing a write gap and providing a portion of a second pole on at least the write gap. A portion of the write gap resides on the front portion of the first pole. A portion of the insulator covers a portion of the first pole between the portion of the second pole and the back gap. The method also includes providing a mask that covers the back gap and exposes the portion of the second pole and the insulator. The method also includes performing a pole trim that can substantially remove the portion of the insulator covering the remaining portion of the first pole.

Abstract: A magnetic head structure having enhanced protrusion and having a first pole structure, a second pole structure forming a yoke with the fist pole, a coil structure disposed in the yoke, and a layer of partially cured polymer operatively coupled to the yoke. Also disclosed is a magnetic head having a first pole structure, a second pole structure forming a yoke with the fist pole, a coil structure disposed in the yoke, and a layer of at least partially insulative material operatively coupled to the read and/or write head for providing enhanced protrusion, the at least partially insulative material having a coefficient of thermal expansion higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of fully cured hard bake novalac. Further embodiments include disk drive systems having the head structures described herein.