Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

International Business Machines Corporation

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Other

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Hitachi Global Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hardayal Singh Gill

Mustafa Pinarbasi

James Mac Freitag

Wen-Chien David Hsiao

Douglas Johnson Werner

Wipul Jayasekara

Jih-Shiuan Luo

Kuok San Ho

Tsann Lin

Bruce Alvin Gurney

David Eugene Heim

Yimin Hsu

Marie-Claire Cyrille

Joseph Francis Smyth

Quang Le

Suping Song

Ching Hwa Tsang

Albert John Wallash

Alexander Michael Zeltser

Xiao Z Wu

John David Westwood

Virgil S Speriosu

Yinshi Liu

Ciaran Avram Fox

Xiaoyu Sui

Werner J Douglas

Andy Cuong Tran

Dwight Cornwell, Jr

Zheng Gao

Haiwen Xi

Vladimir Nikitin

David John Seagle

Edward Hin Pong Lee

Richard Hsiao

Stefan Maat

Neil Smith

Jordan Asher Katine

Xiaoyong Liu

Ying Hong

Jinshan Li

Satoru Araki

Patrick Rush Webb

Savas Gider

Huey-Ming Tzeng

Edward Hinpong Lee

Prakash Kasiraj

Kouichi Nishioka

Samuel Wonder Yuan

Xiaodong Che

Michael Paul Salo

Wen-yaung Lee

Gurinder P Singh

Guangli Liu

Dustin William Erickson

Jila Tabib

Chang-Man Park

Shiwen Huang

Serhat Metin

Christopher Dana Keener

David Ernest Call

Chang Man Park

Kenneth Donald Mackay

Hamid Balamane

Hiroaki Chihaya

Kenneth David Mackay

Virgil Simon Speriosu

Damaris Davis

Yangsheng Luo

Gautam Ratilal Patel

A scissor type magnetic sensor having a magnetic bias structure extending from the back edge of first and second magnetic free layers. The magnetic bias structure is constructed of a magnetic material having a high magnetic moment, such as NiFe with a high Fe content or CoFe. The high magnetic moment bias structure reduces magnetic signal asymmetry while also maintaining high signal amplitude.

Scissor type magnetic sensor with high magnetic moment bias structure for reduced signal asymmetry

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a magnetic head having a sensor stack and a bias material that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to a media facing surface. The sensor stack and a first portion of the bias material are laterally bookended by synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structures, and a second portion of the bias material is laterally bookended by a dielectric material. In this configuration, the SAF structures are decoupled from the bias material, which minimizes the disturbance to the bias material.

Scissor reader with side shield decoupled from bias material

A magnetic sensor having a first sensor stack portion that includes a free layer, non-magnetic spacer or barrier layer and a portion of a pinned layer structure. The sensor has second sensor stack portion formed over the first sensor stack portion. The second sensor stack portion include includes a second portion of the pinned layer structure and a layer of antiferromagnetic material formed over the. The first sensor stack portion is configured with a width and stripe height that define the functional width and strip height of the sensor, whereas the upper portion can be made wider and deeper without affecting sensor performance. Because the patterning of the first sensor stack portion is performed on a thinner structure than would be necessary to pattern the entire sensor stack, the patterning can be performed with smaller dimensions and increased resolution.

Magnetic sensor having narrow trackwidth and small read gap

A magnetoresistive sensor having employing a Mn containing Huesler alloy for improved magnetoresistive performance in a structure that minimizes corrosion and Mn migration. The sensor can be constructed with a pinned layer structure that includes a lamination of layers of CoMnX and CoFe, where X is Al, Ge or Si. The CoMnX can be sandwiched between the layers of CoFe to prevent Mn migration into the spacer/barrier layer. The free layer can also be constructed as a lamination of CoMnX and CoFe layers, and may also be constructed so that the CoMnX layer is sandwiched between CoFe layers to prevent Mn migration.

Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistive sensor employing half metal alloys for improved sensor performance

A magnetic read sensor having improved robustness to withstand thermal variations resulting from thermal fly height heating. Improved thermal robustness comes as a result of improved pinned layer pinning. The read head includes an AFM layer having an increased thickness to provide a higher blocking temperature. The read head further includes a pinned layer structure that includes a first magnetic layer adjacent to and exchange coupled with the AFM layer. The first layer comprises a Co&#x2014;Fe layer with an increased Fe content of 20-30 atomic percent. The pinned layer structure also includes a second magnetic layer that is antiparallel coupled with the AP1 layer. The AP2 layer can be a multi-layer structure that includes a layer of CoFe, a layer of Co&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;Hf formed on the layer of Co&#x2014;Fe, a layer of Co&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;B formed on the layer of Co&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;Hf, and a second layer of Co&#x2014;Fe formed on the layer of Co&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;B.

Magnetic sensor having improved resistance to thermal stress induced instability

A method for enhancing thermal stability, improving biasing and reducing damage from electrical surges in self-pinned abutted junction heads. The method includes forming a free layer, forming first hard bias layers abutting the free layer and forming second hard bias layers over the first hard bias layers discontiguous from the free layer, the second hard bias layers being anti-parallel to the first hard bias layers, the first and second hard bias layers providing a net longitudinal bias on the free layer.

Method for enhancing thermal stability, improving biasing and reducing damage from electrostatic discharge in self-pinned abutted junction heads

Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to manufacturing pre-sliders by annealing to saturation. According to one embodiment, pre-sliders are lapped to prepare for air bearing surfaces for the pre-sliders. The pre-sliders are annealed to saturation to level off the amount of overcoat expansion for the pre-sliders.

Method of manufacturing pre-sliders for read write heads by annealing to saturation

A current to perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistance (MR) read head using current confinement proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS) is disclosed. A CPP MR read head includes a first shield, an MR sensor formed on the first shield, and a second shield contacting the MR sensor proximal to an ABS. The CPP MR read head further includes insulating material between the MR sensor and the second shield, where the insulating material is distal to the ABS to electrically isolate the MR sensor from the second shield distal to the ABS. Sense current injected from the second shield through the MR sensor and into the first shield is confined proximal to the ABS at a location where the second shield contacts the MR sensor.

Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistance read head design using a current confinement structure proximal to an air bearing surface

A magnetoresistive tunnel junction sensor having improved free layer stability, as well as improved free sensitivity. The free layer is constructed to have a low magnetic coercivity which improves free layer sensitivity. The free layer is also constructed to have a negative magnetostriction which improves free layer stability by preventing the free layer from having an easy axis that is oriented perpendicular to the air bearing surface.

Tunnel junction magnetoresistive sensor having a near zero magnetostriction free layer

A magnetic head having an electrostatic shunt structure for preventing damage to the magnetic head during manufacture. A portion of the shunt structure is removed during manufacture, however another portion remains. In order to prevent the remaining portions of the shunt structure from picking up stray magnetic and electromagnetic fields, an electromagnetic shield, is provided between the remaining portions of the shunt structure and the substrate.

Magnetoresistive sensor design for signal noise pickup reduction for use with deep gap electrostatic discharge shunt

A magnetic write head arranged to maximize efficiency of an optical device used to locally heat a magnetic medium during use, also to maximize efficiency of a heater element for thermal fly height control. The magnetic head is constructed with a read head, a write head and a slider body. The write head is located between the read head and the slider body. A heater element can be located between the read head and the write head and an optical device such as an optical waveguide can be located between the write head and the slider body. The write head can be constructed to have a write pole that is closer to the slider body than the return pole is, thereby allowing the write pole to be adjacent to the optical device.

Thermally assisted magnetic head

Magnetoresistive (MR) elements having flux guides defined by the free layer. The MR element includes a free layer, a spacer/barrier layer, a pinned layer, and a pinning layer. A back edge of the free layer (opposite the sensing surface of the MR element) extends past a back edge of the spacer/barrier layer. The portion of the free layer extending past the back edge of the spacer/barrier layer defines a continuous flux guide. The flux guide is processed to reduce the conductive characteristics of the flux guide, thereby reducing current shunt loss in the flux guide.

Method of fabricating a magnetoresistive (MR) element having a continuous flux guide defined by the free layer

Methods and apparatus provide a refill configuration adjacent a back-edge that defines a height of a magnetoresistive read sensor. Milling through layers of the sensor forms the back-edge and may be initially conducted at a first angle of incidence greater than a second angle of incidence. In combination, an insulating material and a polish resistant material, such as a non-magnetic metal, disposed on the insulating material fills a void created by the milling. The sensor further includes first and second magnetic shields with the layers of the sensor along with the polish resistant material and insulating material disposed between the first and second magnetic shields.

Read sensors and methods of making same with back-edge milling and refilling

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Hardayal Singh Gill