International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Other

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Ching Hwa Tsang

Robert Fontana

Kuok San Ho

James Mac Freitag

Tsann Lin

Mustafa Pinarbasi

Mao-Min Chen

Kochan Ju

Jeffrey Childress

Yimin Hsu

Stuart Stephen Parkin

Frederick Hayes Dill

Mohamad Towfik Krounbi

Bruce David Terris

Kenneth Ting-Yuan Kung

Jordan Asher Katine

Hal Jervis Rosen

Frances Anne Houle

Andreas Moser

Rodney E Lee

Hardayal Singh Gill

Zheng Gao

Po-Kang Wang

Kim Yang Lee

Neil Leslie Robertson

Albert John Wallash

James K Howard

Wipul Jayasekara

Tao Pan

Ying Hong

Jyh-Shuey Jerry Lo

Hugo Alberto Santini

Mason Lamar Williams

Marie-Claire Cyrille

Hung-Liang Hu

Son Van Nguyen

Quang Le

Thomas R Albrecht

Jeffrey Scott Lille

Daniele Mauri

David John Seagle

Barry C Stipe

Bruce Alexander Wilson

Edward Hin Pong Lee

Bruce Alvin Gurney

Masafumi Mochizuki

Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

Jui-lung Li

Kevin Robert Coffey

Elizabeth Ann Dobisz

Meng Ding

Roger William Wood

Patrick Rush Webb

John Stewart Best

Scott Arthur MacDonald

Tsung Yuan Chen

Huey-Ming Tzeng

Michael Andrew Parker

David Eugene Heim

Michael Joseph Rooks

Goran Mihajlovic

Virgil S Speriosu

Kouichi Nishioka

James Lamar Nix

Sangmun Oh

Hung Liang Hu

Joseph Francis Smyth

James Hsi-Tang Lee

Raman Gobichettipalayam Viswanathan

Dennis R Wilhoit

Todd L Hylton

Ernst Kratschmer

Kenneth Lee

Tsann Linn

Kashmira J Carey

Yaw S Tang

Robert M Valletta

Jyh-Shiliey Jerry Lo

Michael F Toney

An in-plane SOT MRAM non-volatile memory cell has enhanced thermal stability due to coercive pinning provided by an adjacent antiferromagnetic layer that has a thickness that is less than a minimum critical thickness needed to provide exchange bias.

Spin orbit torque MRAM memory cell with enhanced thermal stability

A read head is provided with a scissors sensor. The read head may include a bottom magnetic shield, and a first non-magnetic seed layer, a magnetic seed layer, a second non-magnetic seed layer, an antiferromagnetic layer, a coupling layer, a first free magnetic layer, a spacer layer, and a second free magnetic layer positioned above the bottom magnetic shield, in this order. A pair of magnetic side shield layers may be positioned on respective sides of the second free magnetic layer.

Tunnel magnetoresistance magnetic sensor with scissor sensor and multi-seed layer configuration

The embodiments disclosed generally relate to a read head in a magnetic recording head. The read head utilizes a sensor structure having: a pinned magnetic structure recessed from a media facing surface; and a reader gap structure. The reader gap structure has a spacer layer recessed from the media facing surface and disposed on top of the pinned magnetic structure, a recessed first free layer partially recessed from the media facing surface and disposed on top of the barrier layer, a second free layer extending to the media facing surface an disposed on top of the barrier layer, and a cap layer extending to the media facing surface disposed atop the second free layer. The pinned magnetic structure, the spacer, and the first free layer have a common face which is on an angle relative to the media facing surface.

TMR/CPP reader for narrow reader gap application

A transducer according to one embodiment comprises a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; and an electrically conductive layer positioned between the ferromagnetic layers; wherein a length of the first ferromagnetic layer in a first direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a length of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction such that a first end of the first ferromagnetic layer extends beyond an end of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction, wherein an electrical current enters or exits the end of the first ferromagnetic layer that extends beyond the end of the electrically conductive layer in the first direction. Additional transducer structures, and systems implementing such transducers, are also disclosed.

Read transducer and magnetic storage system implementing same

A magnetic structure in one embodiment includes a tunnel barrier layer; a free layer; and a buffer layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer, wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof, wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the direction parallel to the plane of deposition thereof. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Low resistance tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) structure

Magnetic memories and methods are disclosed. A magnetic memory as described herein includes a plurality of stacked data storage layers to form a three-dimensional magnetic memory. Bits may be written to a data storage layer in the form of magnetic domains. The bits can then be transferred between the stacked data storage layers by heating a neighboring data storage layer, which allows the magnetic fields from the magnetic domains to imprint the magnetic domains in the neighboring data storage layer. By imprinting the magnetic domains into the neighboring data storage layer, the bits are copied from one data storage layer to another.

Three-dimensional magnetic memory

Read/write elements for three-dimensional magnetic memories are disclosed. One embodiment describes an array of integrated read/write elements. The array includes read conductors formed proximate to one of the layers (i.e., storage stacks) of the three-dimensional magnetic memory. The array also includes flux caps formed proximate to the read conductors, and read sensors formed proximate to the flux caps. The array also includes a magnetic pole having a first end contacting the read sensor and a second end opposite the first end. First write conductors are fabricated between the magnetic poles, and second write conductors are also fabricated between the magnetic poles orthogonal to the first write conductors. The first write conductors and the second write conductors form current loops around the magnetic poles.

Read/write elements for a three-dimensional magnetic memory

An improved magnetic head for a hard disk drive including a lead overlaid read head in which the read width and read gap are reduced. The read width, which corresponds to the distance between the inner ends of the overlaid electrical leads, is reduced by the fabrication of a thin read width insulation member prior to the fabrication of the overlaid electrical leads. The read gap is reduced by fabricating the overlaid electrical leads from a magnetic, electrically conductive material such as NiFe, whereby the overlaid electrical leads also function as a magnetic shield. The read gap, which is the distance between the first and second magnetic shields is thus reduced as compared to the prior art by the thickness of the electrical leads and the thickness of the prior art second insulation layer formed between the electrical leads and the second magnetic shield.

Magnetoresistive sensor with overlaid combined leads and shields

A magnetic structure for use in a magnetic head for avoiding stray field writing. The magnetic structure can be for example a magnetic shield or could be a magnetic pole of a write head and is particularly advantageous for use in a perpendicular recording system, because such perpendicular recording systems are especially susceptible to stray field writing. The magnetic structure includes a forward protruding portion that extends toward the air bearing surface (ABS) of the head also includes first and second wing portions that extend laterally from the forward protruding portion. The wing portions each have a front edge that is recessed from the ABS. The wings are tapered so that the amount of recess of the front edge of the wings increases with lateral distance from the center of the magnetic structure.

Notched shield and pole structure with slanted wing for perpendicular recording

A current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor having a current path defined by first and second overlying insulation layers between which an electrically conductive lead makes content with a surface of the sensor stack. The current path being narrower than the width of the sensor stack allows the outer edges of the sensor stack to be moved outside of the active area of the sensor. This results in a sensor that is unaffected by damage at outer edges of the sensor layers. The sensor stack includes a free layer that is biased by direct exchange coupling with a layer of antiferromagnetic material (AFM layer). The strength of the exchange field can be controlled by adding Cr to the AFM material to ensure that the exchange field is sufficiently weak to avoid pinning the free layer.

Magnetoresistive sensor having biasing AFM layer in contact with free layer and a track width defined by a lead contact area

A magnetoresistive sensor having a lead overlay defined trackwidth and a pinned layer that extends beyond the stripe height defined by the free layer of the sensor. The extended pinned layer has a strong shape induced anisotropy that maintains pinning of the pinned layer moment. The extended portion of the pinned layer has sides beyond the stripe height that are perfectly aligned with the sides of the sensor within the stripe height. This perfect alignment is made possible by a manufacturing method that uses a mask structure for more than one manufacturing phase, eliminating the need for multiple mask alignments. The lead overlay design allows narrow, accurate trackwidth definition.

Magnetoresistive sensor having an enhanced lead overlay design and shape enhanced pinning

A lead overlay design of a magnetic sensor is described with sensor and free layer dimensions such that the free layer is stabilized by the large demagnetization field due to the shape anisotropy. In one embodiment the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect under the leads is destroyed by removing the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and pinned layers above the free layer. The overlaid lead pads are deposited on the exposed spacer layer at the sides of the mask that defines the active region. In other embodiment a layer of electrically insulating material is deposited over the sensor to encapsulate it and thereby insulate it from contact with the hardbias structures. Various embodiments with self-aligned leads are also described. In a variation of the encapsulation embodiment, the insulating material is also deposited under the lead pads so the electrical current is channeled through the active region of the sensor and sidewall deposited lead pads.

Magnetic sensor with extended free layer and overlaid leads

A double notched magnetic structure for use in a magnetic head for avoiding stray field writing. The structure could be a magnetic shield, magnetic pole of a write head or some other magnetic structure used in a magnetic head of a magnetic recording system, and has notches formed at both the front end (adjacent to the ABS) and at the back end (away from the ABS). The notches at the front end form a forward protruding portions that performs the necessary function of the structure, such as magnetic shielding, and has laterally extending recessed portions (recessed by the front notches) that move the flux focal points of the structure away from the ABS to avoid stray field writing. The back notches form a backward extending portion that affects the geometry of the structure to prevent the focusing of magnetic flux caused by stray magnetic fields having a component perpendicular to the ABS.

Double notched shield and pole structure for stray field reduction in a magnetic head

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to structures of a recording head having a winged design for reducing corner stray magnetic fields. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a magnetic recording head comprising a plurality of components. In embodiments of the present invention at least one of the plurality of components comprises a surface exposed to an air bearing surface when in operation with a recording medium. The surface exposed to the air bearing surface comprises notched edges for constraining corner stray magnetic fields associated therewith.

Winged design for reducing corner stray magnetic fields

Three-dimensional magnetic memory having bits transferrable between storage layers

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ching Hwa Tsang