Storage Technology Corporation

Oracle America, Inc.

Carl Anthony Helms

Edward Virgil Denison

Carl Stephen Arnold

John P Nibarger

Kevin Dale McKinstry

Joseph M Schmalhorst

Jing He

Mark Lee Watson

Francis Campos

April Lynn Alstrin

Stein Klevdal

In at least one embodiment, a magnetic recording head comprising first and second linear levels of magnetic recording devices is provided. Each device in the first linear level is aligned adjacently in a row and is spaced apart from another device in the first linear level. The first linear level is perpendicular to a comparative direction of a recording media travel. The second linear level of magnetic recording devices being connected to the first linear level of magnetic recording devices. Each device in the second linear level is aligned adjacently in a row and is spaced apart from another device in the second linear level. Each device in the second linear level is aligned with an insulating gap between the each device in the first linear level.

Multi-level, multi-track magnetic recording head

A magneto-resistive sensor head and a method of manufacturing the magneto-resistive sensor head. The magneto-resistive sensor head includes a first lead and a second lead. A magneto-resistive layer and a biasing layer are disposed between the first lead and the second lead. A grating is disposed in the magneto-resistive layer. The topography of the biasing layer is unaffected by the presence of the grating.

Top formed grating stabilizer

A method and system are provided for implementing discrete step stabilization of AMR read sensors in tape or disk drives. In one implementation, a plurality of discrete step stabilizers and AMR read sensor elements are arranged with a rotational symmetry coupled with a plane inversion for an odd number of steps, and no inversion for an even number of steps. Preferably, the steps are oriented at 45 degrees, or approximately parallel to the desired bias direction. For relatively narrow track widths (e.g., approximately 5 microns), the edges of the sensor element nearest the permanent magnets are especially important to stabilize. Therefore, in one implementation, an edge of a stabilizer preferably intersects the edge of the sensor element at one half of the stripe height. Also, the rising and falling edges of the stabilizers do not always have the same slope. In order to compensate for the different slopes of a stabilizer's edges, the rising and falling edges of a stabilizer's pattern are interchanged by a 'stabilizer phase' transformation to produce the complement (phase conjugate) of the stabilizer pattern. As such, if a single rising edge of a stabilizer pattern intersects the center of a sensor element, the 'stabilizer phase' transformation changes this structure to a single falling edge that intersects the center of the sensor element.

Discrete step stabilization of narrow-track AMR read sensors

A magnetoresistive read head having a corrugated magnetoresistive layer wherein the corrugated section does not encroach on magnetic elements on either end of the magnetoresistive layer. The corrugations in the magnetoresistive layer stabilize the magnetization in the center region of the read head, while the magnetic elements stabilize the magnetization at the ends. By separating the two stabilization methods, unfavorable interactions between them is reduced.

Non-penetration of periodic structure to PM

An apparatus and method for step-stabilization of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) based read heads are provided. With the apparatus and method, gratings or periodic structures are generated in the underlayer of the magnetoresistive (MR) sensor stack and the edges, or 'steps', in these structures are the magnetically active features. These 'steps' are oriented approximately parallel to the desired bias direction and provide a restoring force towards the bias direction for any perturbations, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. In the case of a GMR sensor, where the easy axis is parallel to the permanent magnet set direction, these stabilizer steps are oriented parallel to the magnetization direction of the permanent magnets.

Apparatus and method for step-stabilization of GMR-based read sensors

A head includes first and second read modules. The first module has an MR element formed on a wafer having a grating directed along a first direction. The magnetization of the first module element is directed along the first direction. The first module element is biased with a first current directed along a direction such that magnetically stable operation of the element results, that is along an opposite second direction. The second module has an element formed on a wafer having a grating directed along the first direction. The second module is flipped respect to the first module such that the grating is directed along the second direction. The magnetization of the second module element is directed along the second direction. The second module element is biased with a second current directed along the direction opposite to the first current, i.e., the second current is directed along the first direction.

Magnetic recording head having modules with opposing read elements and opposing periodic structures

Nonlinearities in the interaction between a servo read head and a servo track are considered to more accurately determine the position error or offset between the servo read head and the servo track. A position error expression is determined based on a track profile for the servo read head. A servo track signal is generated by reading a servo track with the servo read head. The position error is determined based on the servo track signal and the position error expression.

Growing community of inventors

Lafayette, CO, United States of America

Carl Anthony Helms