Imation Corporation

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Medtronic, Inc.

Michael B Hintz

Kristin Joy Duxstad

Eric Walter Singleton

Joseph J Viavattine

Paul B Aamodt

Vadim A Yakovlev

Brian P Schmidt

Nicholas H Finstrom

Song Sheng Xue

Dallas W Meyer

Brad Conrad Tischendorf

Lance Eugene Stover

Joachim Hossick-Schott

Hailiang Zhao

Richard W Swenson

Joseph H Sexton

Jeffrey J Louwagie

Puqiang Zhang

Chao Hu

Kevin D O'Connell

Vincent Brama

Qing I He

William John Taylor

Jeffrey M Florczak

Hong Ying Wang

James M DePuydt

Brian William Karr

James P Mathers

Kathleen M Humpal

Stephen J Rothermel

Paul B Young

Jeffery K Berkowitz

Wayne M Hector

Richard E Jewett

John W Ulseth

William C Mitchell

Steven L Lindblom

Edward M Simpson

Walter R Eppler

Peter D Yurek

Kevin D O'CONNELL

Puquiang Zhang

In some examples, a battery assembly for an implantable medical device. The battery assembly may include an electrode stack comprising a plurality of electrode plates, wherein the plurality of electrode plates comprises a first electrode plate including a first tab extending from the first electrode plate and a second electrode plate including a second tab extending from the second electrode plate; a spacer between the first tab and the second tab; and a rivet extending through the first tab, second tab, and spacer, wherein the rivet is configured to mechanically attach the first tab, second tab, and spacer to each other.

Battery assembly for medical device

A component of an implantable medical device comprises a body comprising at least one external surface, the body comprising at least one of titanium, titanium-based alloys, and composites thereof, and a corrosion-resistant surface region at the at least one external surface, the corrosion-resistant surface region comprising at least one of titanium nitride, dititanium nitride, and a solid solution of nitrogen dissolved in the body, wherein the corrosion-resistant surface region is formed by thermal nitridation of the body.

Thermal nitriding process for components of implantable medical devices

Methods of preparing an electrode are provided. A metal powder can be sintered onto a portion of a lead wire to form a connection region. An additional metal powder can be de-oxidation sintered onto the connection region to form the electrode. The oxides formed during the de-oxidation sintering are then removed from the electrode.

Method of preparing an electrode

A magnetic field strength detector includes a magnetic field sensing element that outputs voltage as a function of magnetic field strength. In some embodiments, the magnetic field sensing element comprises a coil, and voltage is induced across the coil as a function of the magnetic field strength. A magnetic field strength detector also includes an indicator that alters as a function of the voltage output by the magnetic field sensing element when the magnetic field strength exceeds a threshold. The alteration is substantially irreversible and, in some embodiments, visible. The detector may be used to, for example, measure the strength of a magnetic field generated by a degaussing device, or to confirm that a particular medium was exposed to a magnetic field with a strength adequate to degauss the medium.

Magnetic field strength detector

Perpendicular magnetic media are described for use in magnetic recording and data storage. Seed layer compositions are described which can facilitate perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in subsequently deposited magnetic layers. In particular, nickel-iron-chromium (NiFeCr) alloys or nickle-chromium (NiCr) alloys can be used as seed layers which cause a subsequently multi-layered magnetic stack to assume perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. In this manner, high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be achieved and storage densities of media may be increased.

NiCr and NiFeCr seed layers for perpendicular magnetic recording media

This invention presents a method and structure for magnetic spin valves. The spin valve structure includes a first ferromagnetic layer separated from a second ferromagnetic layer by a non-magnetic layer. The spin valve structure also includes a first specular scattering layer separated from a second specular scattering layer by the first ferromagnetic layer, the non-magnetic layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer can include a free layer and the non-magnetic layer can include a spacer layer. The second ferromagnetic layer can include a pinned layer or a reference layer. The specular scattering layers can include a material such as Y O , HfO , MgO, Al O , NiO, Fe O , and Fe O . The specular scattering layers can also be used in a SAF structure. In the SAF structure, the antiferromagnetic coupling material can be co-deposited with the second specular scattering layer.

Spin valve structures with specular reflection layers

A method and apparatus for protecting a thin film sensor such as a magnetoresistive head from damaging electrical transients, such as electrostatic discharge. A thin film sensor assembly includes a thin film sensor in electrical contact with a first and a second electrical contact. A shunting structure is deposited between and in electrical communication with the first and second electrical contacts such that the shunting structure as deposited is a high resistance path between the first and second electrical contacts and does not electrically short the first and second electrical contacts. Heat treating the shunting structure then forms a low resistance path between the first and second electrical contacts to provide protection of the sensor from electrostatic discharge.

ESD protection by a high-to-low resistance shunt

A giant magnetoresistive spin valve read sensor includes a bilayer seed layer and a stack of films. The bilayer seed layer includes a TaN seed layer and a NiFeCr seed layer. The stack of films includes a free layer adjacent the NiFeCr seed layer, a pinning layer, a pinned layer positioned between the free layer and the pinning layer, and a spacer layer positioned between the free layer and the pinned layer. The bilayer seed layer is used to promote the texture and grain growth of each of the layers subsequently grown upon the seed layer. The free layer has a rotatable magnetic moment, while the pinned layer has a fixed magnetic moment. The resistance of the giant magnetoresistive spin valve read sensor varies as a function of an angle formed between the magnetization of the free layer and the magnetization of the pinned layer.

GMR spin valve having a bilayer TaN/NiFeCr seedlayer to improve GMR response and exchange pinning field

A magnetoresistive element has a height that extends from the air-bearing surface of a head. The height is determined by a slot in the head extending from the air-bearing surface adjacent the sensor portion at an acute angle to both the air bearing surface and the height of the magnetoresistive element to separate the magnetoresistive element into the sensor portion and a dormant portion. Alternatively, the height is determined by a recess of design depth in the magnetoresistive element at the air bearing surface. Alternatively, the height of the magnetoresistive element is determined by a stepped thickness to the first and second bias current carrying contacts along the height of the magnetoresistive element.

Shaped magnetoresistive readers

Optical disc stampers, methods of manufacturing the optical disc stampers, systems for manufacturing the optical disc stampers, and methods of replicating optical discs using the stampers are disclosed. The optical disc stamper is formed directly on a substrate that supports a patterning material including at least one layer of a first material and at least one layer of a second material. The first and second materials can include a metal and semiconductor. The patterning material is exposed to energy in selected areas. Unexposed areas of the patterning material are then removed, resulting in an optical disc stamper. The first and second materials can form an amorphous alloy in the exposed selected areas that remains after removal of the unexposed patterning material. The optical disc stamper can be used in the replication of optical data storage discs. Also disclosed arc systems for practicing the methods to produce optical data storage disc stampers.

Optical disc stampers and methods/systems for manufacturing the same

A dual layer pre-recorded optical disc includes a transparent substrate, a partially reflective layer, a transparent spacer layer, and a highly reflective layer. One pattern of data pits is provided on the substrate, adjacent the partially reflective layer, and another pattern of data pits is provided on the spacer layer, adjacent the highly reflective layer. The transparent spacer layer comprises at least two sublayers. The partially reflective layer may be made of silicon carbide. A substrate-incident beam can be used to read data encoded in either data pit pattern depending on which layer the laser is focused upon. The dual layer disc has twice the data storage capacity of conventional single layer discs.

Dual layer optical medium having multilayered spacer layer between

A stable amorphous rare earth oxide, such as Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, including a stabilizer, such as carbon, silicon carbide, or hafnium oxide. The stable amorphous rare earth oxide can be used in a dielectric layer in a magneto-optical recording medium.

Amorphous rare earth oxides

A dual layer pre-recorded optical disc includes a transparent substrate, a partially reflective layer, a transparent spacer layer, and a highly reflective layer. One pattern of data pits is provided on the substrate, adjacent the partially reflective layer, and another pattern of data pits is provided on the spacer layer, adjacent the highly reflective layer. The partially reflective layer may be made of silicon carbide. A substrate-incident beam can be used to read data encoded in either data pit pattern depending on which layer the laser is focused upon. The dual layer disc has twice the data storage capacity of conventional single layer discs.

Dual layer optical medium having partially reflecting thin film layer

Growing community of inventors

Mahtomedi, MN, United States of America

Michael B Hintz