Seagate Technology Incorporated

Janusz Josef Nowak

Mark Thomas Kief

Sining Mao

Taras Grigorievich Pokhil

Konstantin Nikolaev

Eric Shane Linville

Jian Chen

Khoung T Tran

Zheng Gao

Song Sheng Xue

Victor Sapozhnikov

Olle Gunnar Heinonen

Brian William Karr

Andrzej Adam Stankiewicz

Khuong T Tran

Horng-Shiong Shawn Chen

A sensor includes a sensor stack and a layer of high resistivity material having a precursor within the sensor stack. When a current is applied at the precursor, a current confining path is formed through the layer of high resistivity material at the precursor. The shape of the current confining path is adjustable by adjusting a thickness of the layer of high resistivity material.

Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistive sensor pre-product with current confining path precursor

A magnetoresistive sensor having two free layers with shape anisotropy induced magnetic alignment is disclosed. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a first ferromagnetic free layer having a first quiescent state magnetization direction. The magnetoresistive sensor also includes a second elongated free layer having a second quiescent state magnetization direction and positioned such that the first quiescent state magnetization direction is generally orthogonal to the second quiescent state magnetization direction. Further, a portion of the second ferromagnetic free layer overlaps a portion of the first ferromagnetic free layer proximal to an air bearing surface to form a v-shape. A nonmagnetic spacer layer is also positioned between the first ferromagnetic free layer and the second ferromagnetic free layer.

V-shape magnetic field sensor with anisotropy induced orthogonal magnetic alignment

The sensor of the present invention is a tunneling magnetoresistive read sensor that includes first and second electrodes, and a stack positioned between the electrodes. The stack includes at least one sense layer and a tunnel barrier. A shunt member is operatively coupled to the electrodes in parallel with the stack. The shunt member diverts current flowing from the first electrode to the second electrode when the sensor is operational so that current simultaneously flows through the stack and the shunt member to reduce the effective resistance of the sensor.

TMR head structure with conductive shunt

A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor having a decreased electrical profile due to a confining of the device sense current within a conductive nanoconstriction. The MR sensor includes a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) stack and a layer of high resistivity material within the GMR stack. The layer of high resistivity material includes a nanoconstriction precursor. When a punch current is applied at the nanoconstriction precursor, a conductive nanoconstriction is formed through the layer of high resistivity material at the nanoconstriction precursor.

Method of making a current-perpendicular to the plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor

A magnetic sensor including a tunneling magnetoresistive stack with a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) free layer.

High sensitivity tunneling GMR sensors with synthetic antiferromagnet free layer

The present invention is a tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) stack configured to operate in a current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) mode, wherein a sense current flows substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal plane of the barrier layer. The TMR stack has a plurality of layers including a barrier layer. The barrier layer may made of titanium and may be oxidized with an aggressive oxidation method, such as with UV illumination, for a predetermined time period. The barrier layer may be formed on a first ferromagnetic layer before oxidation, and then a second ferromagnetic layer may be formed on the oxidized barrier layer. The TMR stack exhibits an increased magnetoresistive (MR) ratio, a lower RA product, a higher breakdown voltage of the TMR stack, and greater thermal stability.

Oxidation of material for tunnel magneto-resistive sensors

A tunneling magnetoresistive stack configured to operate in a current-perpendicular-to-plane mode has a plurality of layers including a barrier layer. The TMR stack has a plurality of layers including a barrier layer, wherein the barrier layer is comprised of an insulating material selected from a group consisting of HfO, HfAlO, ZrO, TiO, TaO or NdO. The TMR stack exhibits a low resistance-area (RA) product, a stable magnetoresistive (MR) ratio, a lower RA product, a higher breakdown voltage of the TMR stack and enhanced thermal stability.

Tunneling barrier material for a magnetic recording head

A magnetoresistive sensor for sensing a magnetic storage medium includes a free layer that has a magnetic anisotropy that supports stable magnetic states. A magnetic field generator biases the stable states of the free layer. The magnetic field generator may permanently bias the free layer through the use of permanent magnets or may intermittently bias the free layer with a magnetic field generated by an alternating current. A magnetic storage medium is located proximate to the magnetoresistive sensor. The magnetoresistive sensor switches between stable magnetic states in response to the data on the magnetic storage medium. The magnetoresistive sensor senses the data stored in sectors on a magnetic medium by magnetically biasing the free layer, positioning the sensor proximate to a sector of the magnetic medium to be sensed, removing the magnetic bias and then sensing the magnetic state of the free layer while the magnetic bias is removed.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Janusz Josef Nowak