Seagate Technology Incorporated

Konstantin Nikolaev

Eric Walter Singleton

Taras Grigorievich Pokhil

Jae-Young Yi

Victor Sapozhnikov

Song Sheng Xue

Patrick Joseph Ryan

Yonghua Chen

Mohammed Patwari

Liwen Tan

Xilin Peng

Shaun Eric McKinlay

Andrzej Adam Stankiewicz

Stacey Christine Wakeham

Victor Sapazhnikov

Zheng Gao

Kaizhong Gao

Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov

Shaoping Li

Mark Thomas Kief

Paul E Anderson

Janusz Josef Nowak

Juren Ding

Mohammed Shariat Ullah Patwari

Qing I He

Mark Ostrowski

Zhongyan Wang

Mohammed Sharia Ullah Patwari

Hao Meng

Yifan Zhang

Zhiguo Ge

Khuong T Tran

Khoung T Tran

Paul Edward Anserson

Implementations described and claimed herein provide a system comprising an external magnetic field generator, wherein the external field magnetic field generator is configured to rock an effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle compared to a desired pinning field orientation in an AFM/PL structure.

Magnetic sensor annealing using a rocking field

Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each includes a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack.

Magnetoresistive sensor

A reader stack, such as for a magnetic storage device, the stack having a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer, a magnetic capping layer adjacent to the top SAF layer, an RKKY coupling layer adjacent to the magnetic capping layer opposite the top SAF layer, and a free layer adjacent to the RKKY coupling layer opposite the magnetic capping layer. Also included is a method for biasing a free layer in a reader stack by providing an exchange coupling between the free layer and a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer using a layer having RKKY coupling property positioned between the free layer and the top SAF layer and a magnetic capping layer between the SAF layer and the layer having RKKY coupling property.

Sensor stack structure with RKKY coupling layer between free layer and capping layer

A reader sensor having a dusting layer having a thickness less than 5 Angstroms between and in contact with the AFM layer and with the pinned layer. The dusting layer comprises a non-magnetic, electrically conducting material, such as ruthenium or iridium. The reader sensor has a free layer composed of a material free of nickel (Ni).

Sensor structure having increased thermal stability

A stack having a seed layer structure with a first part having a first cross-track width and a free layer deposited over the seed layer structure and with a second cross-track width, wherein the first cross-track width is greater than the second cross-track width. In one implementation, the seed layer structure further comprises an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer and a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer. In one alternate implementation, the cross-track width of the seed layer structure is substantially equal to the combined cross-track width of the free layer and cross-track width of two permanent magnets.

Stack with wide seed layer

An apparatus disclosed herein includes a sensor stack including a first layer and an AFM stabilized bottom shield in proximity to the first layer, wherein the AFM stabilized bottom shield is magnetically coupled to the first layer. The apparatus reduces shield-to-shield spacing. The pinned layer of the bottom shield and a pinned layer of the sensor stack are stabilized using the AFM layer in the bottom shield. In one implementation, the bottom shield is made of the SAF structure, with the top layer of the structure adjacent to a pinned layer in the sensor stack.

Magnetoresistive sensor with AFM-stabilized bottom shield

A reader sensor that has a sensor stack with an AFM layer, a pinned stabilization layer, and a pinned layer, with the pinned stabilization layer closer to the AFM layer than to the pinned layer. The stack also includes a non-magnetic spacer layer between and in contact with the pinned stabilization layer and with the pinned layer. A magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the pinned layer is no more than 50% of a magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the AFM layer.

Sensor structure with pinned stabilization layer

Implementations disclosed herein provide a method comprising rocking an effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle compared to a desired pinning field orientation in an AFM/PL structure, wherein an angular amplitude of rocking the effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle gradually decreases towards the desired orientation of pinning in the AFM/PL structure.

Implementations disclosed herein allow a signal detected by a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor to be improved by providing for one or more alloyed layers that each include a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The alloyed layers are provided adjacent to a shield element or between soft magnetic layers of the sensor stack.

Magnetoresistive sensor including an amorphous insertion layer excluding glass former elements

Various embodiments may be generally directed to a data storage device with at least a magnetic element having a magnetic stack positioned adjacent to and separated from at least one side shield on an air bearing surface (ABS). The side shield can be configured with a predetermined anisotropy variation along a down-track direction.

Data storage device with variable anisotropy side shield

A method of creating a stack having multiple layers of material deposited onto a substrate. The method includes controlling atom mobility to provide a uniform thickness for the deposited layers and increasing or decreasing a deposition temperature to control the atom mobility and/or roughness for the deposited layers. In an illustrated embodiment, the deposition temperature is increased to increase the atom mobility and the deposition temperature is decreased to decrease the atom mobility to control roughness and provide a uniform layer thickness. In another embodiment, the deposition temperature is increased or decreased for different portions of a layer. As described, a first amount of a material is deposited at a first deposition temperature to provide an optimum surface interface with a prior layer and a second amount of the material is deposited at a second deposition temperature to provide a uniform layer thickness.

Controlling thickness uniformity and interfaces in stacks

In some embodiments, a current perpendicular to the plane giant magneto-resistance (CPP GMR) read sensor may include a reference layer and/or a free layer that includes a plurality of sub-layers. For example, at least one of the reference layer or free layer may include a first ferromagnetic sub-layer, a second ferromagnetic sub-layer, and a Heusler alloy layer located between the first ferromagnetic sub-layer and the second ferromagnetic sub-layer. In some embodiments, a CPP GMR read sensor may include a current closed path (CCP) spacer layer between the reference layer and the free layer. The CCP spacer layer may include Ag and AlO. In further embodiments, a CPP GMR read sensor may include a Heusler alloy free layer, a Heusler alloy reference layer, and a CCP spacer layer.

Data reader with heusler alloy reference lamination

A magnetoresistive device includes a free layer, a separating layer, a pinned layer, and a magnetic stabilizer in close proximity to the pinned layer, wherein the magnetic stabilizer may enhance the stability of the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

Growing community of inventors

Edina, MN, United States of America

Konstantin Nikolaev