Seagate Technology Incorporated

Anthony M Mack

Zheng Gao

Sining Mao

Edward Stephens Murdock

Nurul Amin

Ladislav Rudolf Pust

Brenda Anne Everitt

Richard P Michel

Christopher James Rea

Michael Allen Seigler

Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov

Mark Thomas Kief

Patrick Joseph Ryan

Mark William Covington

Taras Grigorievich Pokhil

Alexander Mikhailovich Shukh

Erik Jon Hutchinson

Dian Song

Kevin Richard Heim

Jumna P Ramdular

Sunita B Gangopadhyay

Levent Colak

Ananth Naman

Steve A Mastain

Timothy Radke

Jin Li

Jay A Loven

An apparatus that includes a writer that includes a write pole, at least one return pole, a writer coil and a write pole tip, wherein the write coil wraps around the write pole such that the flow of electrical current through the write coil generates a magnetic flux at the write pole tip, and wherein the write coil has a writer coil shape; and a heater that includes a resistive material, wherein the heater has a heater shape that substantially matches the writer coil shape.

Magnetic device containing a heater

A magnetic element is generally provided that can be implemented as a transducing head. Various embodiments may configure a magnetic stack to be separated from a side shield lamination on an air bearing surface (ABS). The side shield lamination can be constructed to have a plurality of magnetic and non-magnetic layers each coupled to a top shield.

Magnetic element with top shield coupled side shield lamination

Disclosed are a spin valve magnetoresistive sensor and methods of fabricating the same. The sensor includes a free layer, a synthetic antiferromagnetic. (SAF) layer, a spacer layer positioned between the free layer and the SAF layer, and a Mn-based antiferromagnetic pinning layer in contact with the SAF layer. The SAF layer includes first and second ferromagnetic CoFe layers and an Ru spacer layer positioned between and directly in contact with the first and second CoFe ferromagnetic layers.

Spin valve/GMR sensor using synthetic antiferromagnetic layer pinned by Mn-alloy having a high blocking temperature

Methods of fabricating spin valve sensors in accordance with the invention include forming a pinning layer from an antiferromagnetic material and forming a synthetic antiferromagnet adjacent the pinning layer. A free ferromagnetic layer is formed, and exchange tabs are formed adjacent outer portions of the free ferromagnetic layer for biasing the free layer. The exchange tabs are formed from the same antiferromagnetic material as the first pinning layer. Then, the magnetic moments of the synthetic antiferromagnet are set, and the magnetic moment of the free ferromagnetic layer is biased, during a single anneal in the presence of a single magnetic field.

Data head and method using a single antiferromagnetic material to pin multiple magnetic layers with differing orientation

A read/write head includes a bottom shield and a shared shield. The shared shield includes a first domain and a plurality of closure domains. The read/write head also includes a magnetoresistive sensor deposited adjacent an air bearing surface between the bottom shield and the shared shield. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a magnetoresistor aligned with the first domain. Non-magnetic material separates the magnetoresistive sensor from the bottom shield and the shared shield. The shared shield includes a shaped feature that defines an unambiguous direction of magnetization for the first domain.

Domain control in shields of a magnetic transducer

A spin valve sensor comprising a ferromagnetic free layer, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a layer of non-ferromagnetic material positioned between the free layer and the pinned layer, and an antitferromagnetic pinning layer positioned adjacent to the pinned layer such that the pinning layer is in direct contact with the pinned layer. The free layer comprises a multi-layer stack including a non-magnetic insulating spacer positioned between a first and a second ferromagnetic sublayer. The non-magnetic insulating spacer provides a specular electron scattering effect. The first and the second ferromagnetic sublayers each have passive end regions separated by a central active region. The spin valve sensor further includes bias means positioned between the first and the second ferromagnetic sublayers in the passive end regions.

Spin valve sensor having increased GMR ratio and decreased sensitivity to crosstalk noise

A disc drive includes a disc and a read/write head accessing the disc. The head includes a thermally conductive substrate and a write coil window surrounded by a shared pole piece thermally coupled to the substrate, a central core, a write pole piece and a write gap. A bottom coil adjacent the shared pole piece has multiple turns that have bottom narrowed regions passing through the window. A top coil adjacent the write pole piece has multiple turns that have top narrowed regions passing through the window. The top turns are fewer in number and flattened relative to the bottom turns.

Disc drive with layered write coil

A method of fabricating a spin valve sensor includes sequentially depositing, without breaking vacuum, a seed layer and an antiferromagnetic layer. Sequentially depositing the seed layer and the antiferromagnetic layer includes depositing a seed layer on a substrate; depositing a Mn-alloy layer of the antiferromagnetic layer directly on top of the seed layer; and depositing a buffer layer of the antiferromagnetic layer directly on top of the Mn-alloy layer. The seed layer, the Mn-alloy layer and the buffer layer are annealed. After annealing, a portion of the buffer layer is etched and a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer is deposited on top of the buffer layer. A spacer layer is deposited on top of the synthetic antiferromagnetic layer, and a free layer is deposited on top of the spacer layer.

Method of fabricating a spin valve/GMR sensor having a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer pinned by Mn-alloy

A spin valve sensor is disclosed that comprises a first layer of ferromagnetic material and a second layer of ferromagnetic material. A first layer of non-ferromagnetic material is positioned between the first and second layers of ferromagnetic material. A pinning layer is positioned adjacent to the first layer of ferromagnetic material such that the pinning layer is in contact with the first layer of ferromagnetic material. The spin valve includes synthetic antiferromagnetic bias means extending over passive end regions of the second layer of ferromagnetic material for producing a longitudinal bias in the passive end regions of a level sufficient to maintain the passive end regions in a single domain state. A method for forming a spin valve sensor with exchange tabs is also disclosed.

Spin valve sensor with exchange tabs

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Anthony M Mack