Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Tdk Corporation

Jiun-Ting Lee

Yuhui Tang

Yue Liu

Moris Musa Dovek

Ying Liu

Yaguang Wei

Min Li

Cherng-Chyi Han

Zhigang Bai

Yan Wu

Xiaomin Liu

Yiming Wang

Shiwen Huang

Yoshitaka Sasaki

Atsushi Yamaguchi

Fenglin Liu

Min Zheng

Jianing Zhou

Michitaka Nishiyama

Hideyuki Ukita

Feiyue Li

Ping-Wei Zhuang

Cherng-Chyi Yan

Po-Kang Wang

Mao-Min Chen

Lijie Guan

Tai Min

Kowang Liu

Weihao Xu

Cherng Chyi Han

Shengyuan Wang

Kei Hirata

Feng-Yu Tsai

The present embodiments relate to a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with an STO element and configured to direct an electric current between elements of the write head. A first example embodiment describes a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head. The PMR write head can include a main pole comprising a tip portion disposed adjacent to an air bearing surface (ABS) and is configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. The PMR write head can also include a spin torque oscillator (STO) element disposed adjacent to the main pole. The PMR write head can also include a side shield layer with a portion of the side shield layer disposed adjacent to the ABS. The PMR write head can also include a metallic side gap layer disposed between the main pole and the side shield layer.

Perpendicular magnetic recording head equipping a spin torque oscillator element with an electric current in side gaps

A magnetic recording writer is disclosed. In some embodiments, the writer includes a main pole having a front portion and a back portion, a gap layer surround the main pole at the ABS, and a shield structure. The front portion includes a pole tip at an ABS plane, a pole tip thickness in a down-track direction, and curved sidewalls on each side of a center plane that is orthogonal to the ABS and bisects the main pole. The back portion includes first flared sidewalls extending from the curved sidewalls at an angle between 0 and 25 degrees relative to planes parallel to the center plane. The shield structure includes sidewalls having a sidewall portion facing the main pole and formed substantially conformal to the curved sidewalls up to a height of about 30-200 nm where the sidewall portions no longer follow the shape of the main pole.

Magnetic recording writer with improved main pole shape

A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) write head configured for thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) and microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) is made adaptive to writing at different frequencies by inserting thin layers of magnetic material into the material filling the side gaps (SG) between the magnetic pole (MP) and the side shields (SS). At high frequencies, the thin magnetic layers saturate and lower the magnetic potential of the bulky side shields.

Writer with adaptive side gap

A PMR writer is disclosed wherein the trailing shield (TS) structure has a high moment trailing shield (HMTS) with a saturation (Bs) from 19 kiloGauss (kG) to 24 kG and a width (w) from 10 nm to 500 nm and is separated from the main pole (MP) trailing side at an air bearing surface (ABS) by a first write gap (WG) portion of thickness tA second WG portion of thickness twhere ttadjoins the sides of the first WG portion, and has an outer side at a cross-track distance &#xbd; wfrom a center plane that bisects the MP trailing side where ww. A first TS layer is formed on the HMTS and on the second WG portion, and has an outer side coplanar with the second WG portion outer side. Accordingly, there is improvement in tracks per inch capability and adjacent track interference.

Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer with narrow high moment trailing shield

A method is disclosed for forming a perpendicular magnetic recording writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design wherein a surface of the leading shield that contacts the lead gap has a notch that is recessed 20 to 120 nm from the air bearing surface (ABS) and has a first side with a down-track dimension of 20-200 nm that is aligned parallel to the ABS. In one embodiment, the notch is aligned below the main pole leading side and has a cross-track width substantially the same as the track width of the main pole trailing side. The notch has two sidewalls formed equidistant from a center plane that bisects the leading shield wherein each sidewall intersects the first side at an angle of 90 to 170 degrees. Accordingly, overwrite and bit error rate are improved while adjacent track interference and tracks per square inch capability are substantially maintained.

Method of forming a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with patterned leading edge taper

A PMR writer is disclosed wherein a top yoke (TY) is extended toward the air bearing surface (ABS) and below a top coil for faster saturation speed and better frequency extendibility without wide adjacent track erasure trade-off. The TY extension has a front side recessed 0.9-1.3 microns from the ABS, and has a backside below an inner corner of a PP3 trailing shield that is 2-2.6 microns from the ABS. TY thickness is from 0.3-0.8 micron and the TY is preferably used with a 1+1T coil design, and a PP3 trailing shield apex angle of 60&#xb0; to 80&#xb0; for better high data rate performance. Magnetic modeling shows rise time is shorter than for a conventional TY. The top yoke design is compatible with various base writer structures. When used in selectable double writers or selectable triple writers, each writer has a separate TY, main pole, and bottom yoke.

Ultimate double yoke (uDY) combined with one turn coil designs for perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR)

A method of forming a PMR writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design in which one or more of the leading shield, side shields, and trailing shield (TS) structure (except the hot seed layer) at the air bearing surface (ABS) are comprised of an alloy having a damping parameter &#x3b1; of &#x2265;0.04 to minimize wide area track erasure (WATE). The TS structure comprises two outer magnetic layers with an 8-16 kiloGauss (kG) saturation magnetic moment (Ms) on each side of a center stack with a lower write gap, a middle hot seed layer (Ms of 19-24 kG), and an upper magnetic layer (Ms of 16-24 kG). The hot seed layer and upper TS magnetic layer promote improved area density capability (ADC). A second TS layer with Ms of 16-24 kG and a full width at the ABS may be formed on the upper magnetic layer.

Method of forming write head designs with sandwich trailing shield (STS) for high data rate perpendicular recording

A method is disclosed for forming a perpendicular magnetic recording writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design wherein one or more of the leading shield, trailing shield, and side shields are a composite wherein a magnetic 'hot seed' layer made of a &#x3e;19 kG to 24 kG material adjoins a gap layer, and a side of the hot seed layer opposite the gap layer adjoins a high damping magnetic layer made of a 10-16 kG material (or a 16-19 kG material in the trailing shield) having a Gilbert damping parameter &#x3b1;&#x3e;0.04. In one embodiment, the high damping magnetic layer is FeNiRe with a Re content of 3 to 15 atomic %. The main pole leading and trailing sides may be tapered. Side shields may have a single taper or dual taper structure. Higher writer speed with greater areal density capability is achieved.

Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer with hybrid shield layers

A PMR writer is disclosed with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design in which one or more of the leading shield, side shields, and trailing shield (TS) structure (except the hot seed layer) at the air bearing surface (ABS) are comprised of an alloy having a damping parameter &#x3b1; of &#x2265;0.04 to minimize wide area track erasure (WATE). The TS structure comprises two outer magnetic layers with an 8-16 kiloGauss (kG) saturation magnetic moment (Ms) on each side of a center stack with a lower write gap, a middle hot seed layer (Ms of 19-24 kG), and an upper magnetic layer (Ms of 16-24 kG). The hot seed layer, and upper TS magnetic layer promote improved area density capability (ADC). A second TS layer with Ms of 16-24 kG and a full width at the ABS may be formed on the upper magnetic layer.

Write head designs with sandwich trailing shield (STS) for high data rate perpendicular recording

A perpendicular magnetic recording writer is disclosed with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design in which a surface of the leading shield that contacts the lead gap is comprised of a notch that is recessed 20 to 120 nm from the air bearing surface (ABS) and has a first side with a down-track dimension of 20-200 nm that is aligned parallel to the ABS. In one embodiment, the notch is aligned below the main pole leading side and has a cross-track width substantially the same as the track width of the main pole trailing side. The notch has two sidewalls formed equidistant from a center plane that bisects the leading shield wherein each sidewall intersects the first side at an angle of 90 to 170 degrees. Accordingly, overwrite and bit error rate are improved while adjacent track interference and tracks per square inch capability are substantially maintained.

PMR write head with patterned leading edge taper

A PMR writer is disclosed with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design in which one or more of the leading shield, side shields, and trailing shield (TS) structure (except the hot seed layer) at the air bearing surface (ABS) are comprised of an alloy having a damping parameter &#x3b1; of &#x2265;0.04 to minimize wide area track erasure (WATE). The TS structure comprises two outer magnetic layers with an 8-16 kiloGauss (kG) saturation magnetic moment on each side of a center stack with a lower write gap, a middle hot seed layer having a 19-24 kG saturation magnetic moment, and an upper magnetic layer with a 16-24 kG saturation magnetic moment, and each having a first cross-track width. The hot seed layer, upper TS magnetic layer and an overlying PP3 trailing shield promote improved area density capability (ADC).

A perpendicular magnetic recording writer is disclosed with a side shield separated from a write pole side by a gap layer at an air bearing surface (ABS) where the side shield has a first sidewall facing the write pole with an end at height (h) from the ABS, and a second sidewall at height hthat is parallel to the ABS. The write pole side is curved such that a first portion proximate to the ABS is at an angle of 0 to 40 degrees with respect to a center plane formed orthogonal to the ABS, and a second section proximate to a corner where the curved side connects with a flared main pole side is formed substantially parallel to the second sidewall. When his 30-80 nm, and the corner is 80-150 nm from the ABS, overwrite is improved while cross-track field gradient is enhanced.

Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with improved shapes of side shield and main pole

A perpendicular magnetic recording writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design wherein one or more of the leading shield, trailing shield, and side shields comprises a magnetic hot seed layer made of a &#x3e;19 kG to 24 kG material that adjoins a gap layer, and a side of the hot seed layer opposite the gap layer adjoins a high damping magnetic layer made of a 10-16 kG material (or a 16-19 kG material in the trailing shield) having a Gilbert damping parameter a &#x3e;0.04. In one embodiment, the high damping magnetic layer is FeNiRe with a Re content of 3 to 15 atomic %. The main pole leading and trailing sides may be tapered. Side shields may have a single taper or dual taper structure. Higher writer speed with greater areal density capability is achieved.

A PMR writer is disclosed wherein a hot seed layer (HS) made of a 19-24 kilogauss (kG) magnetic material is formed between a gap layer and a 10-16 kG magnetic layer in the side shields, and between the leading gap and a 16-19 kG magnetic layer in the leading shield to improve the track field gradient and cross-track field gradient while maintaining write-ability. The HS is from 10 to 100 nm thick and has a first side facing the write pole with a height of &#x2266;0.15 micron, and a second side facing a main pole flared side that may extend to a full side shield height of &#x2266;0.5 micron. The trailing shield has a second hot seed layer on the write gap and a 16-19 kG magnetic layer that contacts the 10-16 kG side shield magnetic layer thereby forming an all wrap around (AWA) shield configuration.

High moment side shield design for area density improvement of perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer

A PMR writer is disclosed with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design in which one or more of the leading shield, trailing shield, and side shields are comprised of a composite wherein a magnetic 'hot seed' layer made of a &#x3e;19 kG to 24 kG material adjoins a gap layer, and a side of the hot seed layer opposite the gap layer adjoins a high damping magnetic layer made of a 10-16 kG material (or a 16-19 kG material in the trailing shield) having a Gilbert damping parameter &#x3b1;&#x3e;0.04. In a preferred embodiment, the high damping magnetic layer is FeNiRe with a Re content of 3 to 15 atomic %. One or both of the main pole leading and trailing sides may be tapered. Side shields may have a single taper or dual taper structure. Higher writer speed with greater areal density capability is achieved.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Jiun-Ting Lee