Headway Technologies, Incorporated

International Business Machines Corporation

Maxtor Corporation

Tdk Corporation

Sae Magnetics (h.k.) Limited

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Hitachi Global Technologies

Moris Musa Dovek

Joe Smyth

Yue Liu

Yuhui Tang

Kenichi Takano

Yan Wu

Lijie Guan

Yuchen Zhou

Po-Kang Wang

Zhigang Bai

Cherng-Chyi Han

Kowang Liu

Xuhui Jin

Glen A Garfunkel

Yaguang Wei

Jiun-Ting Lee

Min Li

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Tai Min

Po Kang Wang

Yoshitaka Sasaki

Kunliang Zhang

Robert Fontana

Mohamad Towfik Krounbi

Virgil S Speriosu

Yiming Wang

Mao-Min Chen

Tobias Maletzky

Chyu-Jiuh Torng

Richard Hsiao

John S Foster

Chen-Jung Chien

David Hu

Dayu Zhou

Jibin Geng

Liejie Guan

Ying Liu

Gang Herbert Lin

Joseph Francis Smyth

Xiaomin Liu

Wenjie Chen

Rod Lee

Atsushi Yamaguchi

Suping Song

Hugo Alberto Emilio Santini

Andrew M Homola

Yun-Fei Li

Hugo Alberto Santini

Min Zheng

Devendra S Chhabra

Jianing Zhou

Michitaka Nishiyama

Hideyuki Ukita

Jaquelin K Spong

Luis P Franco

Eric Cheuk Wing Leung

Jeffrey William Carr

Pak Kin Wong

Sanghyun Lim

Xiaohua Lou

Anthony Wai Yuen Lai

Gene Michael Sandler

George L Best

Shigeki Tanemura

Gordon James Smith

Thomas R Albrecht

Bruce A Liikanen

Masayuki Takagishi

Hironori Araki

Bruce Alvin Gurney

Hiroyuki Itoh

Akihiko Takeo

Tomomi Funayama

Tong Zhao

Wenyu Chen

Masahiro Takashita

Luc Thomas

John Charles Purkett

Pokang Wang

Michael McNeil

Cherng Chyi Han

Timothy C O'Sullivan

Shiwen Huang

Feiyue Li

Randall T Kerth

Daniel Gerard Abels

Linda Hope Lane

Erich Sawatzky

Edward Hin Lee

G Herbert Lin

Jen-Wei C Koo

Tetsuya Roppongi

Yiu Liu

Yu-Hsai Chen

Jeu-Wei C Koo

Donald K Lam

Shehrin Sayed

Haowen Ren

Yuzuru Iwai

The present embodiments relate to a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with a Two Tunable bias branch design that can electrical separate a WS1/PP3 and a SS/LS to form two tunable bias branches. A write head can include a main pole, a write gap(WG) disposed adjacent to the main pole, and a hot seed (HS) layer connected to the WG. The PMR write head can also include a trailing shield, a side shield and a leading shield. Two tunable bias branches can be formed to electrically separate the trailing shield and the side and leading shields. A first branch can include a first electrical path between the main pole and the trailing shield. The tunable bias branches can also include a second branch forming a second electrical path between the main pole and the side and leading shields.

Perpendicular magnetic recording writer with tunable two bias branches

The present embodiments relate to a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with a Tunable Pole Protrusion or Tunable Pole Performance (TPP) side bridge design. A PMR write head can include a main pole including a tip portion configured to be disposed at an air-bearing surface (ABS) and configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. The PMR write head can also include a hot seed (HS) portion and a first write shield. The PMR write head can also include a first metallic side bridge disposed between the tip portion of the main pole and the HS portion. The PMR write head can also include a bias circuit including at least a first bias electrical pad and a second electrical bias pad directing an electrical current flow along an electrical path between the tip portion of the main pole and the write shield portion via the first metallic side bridge.

Perpendicular magnetic recording writer with tunable pole side bridge design

The present embodiments can generally provide a magnetic write head structure with optimized gap current distribution to maximize the current-assisted areal density capacity (ADC) gain in hard-disk-drive storage devices. In a first example embodiment, a non-dual-write-shield (nDWS) write head can include a main pole (MP), a trailing shield (TS), and a write gap (WG) disposed between the MP and the TS. The write head can also include a side shield (SS), a leading shield (LS), and a write shield (WS). The write head can include a side gap (SG) between the MP and the SS on both sides of the MP tip, and a leading gap (LG) between the MP and the LS. The write head can also include a coil wrapped around the MP through a PP3 shield that is configured to direct a time-dependent write current to saturate magnetization of the MP.

Optimizing a current distribution in write heads for efficient energy-assisted magnetic recording

A method of forming a PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) head that includes a tapered write pole that is fully surrounded by wrapped-around magnetic shields, including laterally disposed side shields, a trailing shield and a leading shield. A layer of high magnetic saturation material (high B) is formed on the leading edge of the trailing shield and extends rearward, away from the ABS plane to define a cross-sectional write gap shape that is not conformal with the shape of the tapered write pole. The cross-sectional shape of this shield layer enables it to absorb flux from the write pole so that the flux for writing is enhanced and concentrated at the area of the recording medium being written upon and does not extend to adjacent tracks or to downtrack positions at which such flux is not desired.

Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer with improved trailing shield design

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 dual perpendicular magnetic recording writer is disclosed wherein the better of two writers on a slider is determined by performance testing, and is then integrated into a head gimbal assembly. Main pole layers in the two writers are separated by a cross-track width &#x3c;10 microns to minimize read-write offset. Each of the driving coil (DC) and bucking coil (BC) have two outer portions forming a U shape with a front side, and each have a center portion connected to the front side proximate to an air bearing surface and a backend contacting an interconnect. A write current passes from a BC outer portion below the main pole in the selected writer through the BC center portion to the interconnect, and then through the DC center portion to a DC outer portion above the main pole in the selected writer. Area density capability mean and sigma are improved.

Magnetic core and coil design for double perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writers

A pad/trace line layout for a PMR writer structure having two or more writers on a slider, and a process for selecting the best of the multiple writers is disclosed. Each writer is individually probed with a spin stand test device to generate performance results including bit error rate (BER), and area density capability (ADC). After the best writer is determined, the slider is integrated in a HGA. Only the best writer is connected through trace lines to a preamp to enable functionality. At least one trace line has a plurality of arms that enable flexibility in connecting the best writer to the preamp while other arms are not connected. In some embodiments, all writers share a common W&#x2212; pad that is connected to the preamp through one of two trace lines while the other trace line has one of the plurality of arms connected to the best writer.

Designs for multiple perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writers and related head gimbal assembly (HGA) process

A dual PMR writer is disclosed wherein the better of the two writers on a slider is integrated into a head gimbal assembly to improve area density capability mean and sigma values, and the other writer is disabled. Each of a driving coil (DC) and bucking coil (BC) have two outer portions that form a U shape with a front side, and have a center portion connected to each of the two outer portions with a narrow arm in which direct current resistance (DCR) is enhanced during a write process. As a result, when writer (coil) induced write gap (WG) protrusion is overlaid on the dynamic fly height (DFH) protrusion profile, the net WG protrusion profile has a maximum value at a cross-track position aligned with a main pole tip in the better writer thereby substantially minimizing magnetic spacing loss compared with conventional dual PMR writers.

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 dual PMR writer is disclosed wherein the better writer at outer diameter (OD) skew is paired with a suspension after dynamic performance (DP) spin stand testing so that the better writer is the inner writer formed closer to a recording disk center than the other writer. Accordingly, lower read write offset is achieved at OD skew and better area density capability is realized. Preferably, there is a symmetrical or substantially symmetrical air bearing surface design after lapping and spin stand testing to afford flexibility in pairing an up facing (UP) head configuration with an UP suspension, or a down facing (DN) head configuration with a DN suspension to enable the better writer to be the inner writer. The dual PMR writer may have a dual dynamic fly height heater on each side of a center plane separating the two writers to improve write gap protrusion in the better writer.

Dual perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer application with special up and down head assignment for best areal density in hard disk drive (HDD)

A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) head includes a tapered write pole that is fully surrounded by wrapped-around magnetic shields, including laterally disposed side shields, a trailing shield and a leading shield. A layer of high magnetic saturation material (high B) is formed on the leading edge of the trailing shield and extends rearward, away from the ABS plane to define a cross-sectional write gap shape that is not conformal with the shape of the tapered write pole. The cross-sectional shape of this shield layer enables it to absorb flux from the write pole so that the flux for writing is enhanced and concentrated at the area of the recording medium being written upon and does not extend to adjacent tracks or to downtrack positions at which such flux is not desired.

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 PMR writer is disclosed wherein magnetic flux return from a magnetic medium to a main pole is substantially greater through a trailing shield structure than through a leading return loop comprised of a leading shield, return path layer (RTP), and back gap connection (BGC). Magnetic impedance is increased between the RTP and main pole in the leading return loop by removing one or more layers in the BGC and replacing with dielectric material and non-magnetic metal to form a dielectric gap between the RTP and main pole. The non-magnetic metal may be Cu that is electrically isolated from coils within the write head. As a result, area density control and bit error rate are improved over a conventional dual write shield (DWS) structure comprising two flux return pathways. Moreover, adjacent track erasure is maintained at a level similar to a DWS design.

Areal density improvement of perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head by tuning magnetic flux loops

A PMR writer is disclosed wherein magnetic flux return from a magnetic medium to a main pole is substantially greater through a trailing shield structure than through a leading shield and return path layer (RTP). Magnetic impedance is increased between the RTP and main pole in the leading return loop by modifying the size and shape of the back gap connection (BGC), by decreasing Bs in the RTP or reducing its thickness, or by removing one or more layers in the BGC and replacing with dielectric material or non-magnetic metal to form a dielectric gap between the RTP and main pole. As a result, area density control and bit error rate are improved over a conventional dual write shield (DWS) structure comprising two flux return pathways. Moreover, adjacent track erasure is maintained at a level similar to a DWS design.

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

Growing community of inventors

San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Moris Musa Dovek