| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 360324000 |
Having Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) or Colossal Magnetoresistive (CMR) sensor formed of multiple thin films
| 225 |
| 360319000 |
Detail of magnetic shielding
| 180 |
| 360314000 |
Having multiple interconnected multiple film MR sensors (e.g., dual spin valve magnetoresistive sensor)
| 35 |
| 360323000 |
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection
| 12 |
| 360317000 |
Combined with inductive write head in piggyback/merged configuration
| 10 |
| 360315000 |
Having multiple interconnected single film MR sensors (e.g., dual magnetoresistive sensor)
| 8 |
| 360320000 |
Detail of head insulation | 4 |
| 20090015970 | MAGNETIC HEAD WITH PROTECTIVE FILMS - A magnetic, head according to one embodiment includes a substrate; a sensor formed above the substrate; a second shield formed above the sensor and the substrate; a first insulation layer positioned between the substrate and the sensor; a second insulation layer positioned between the sensor and the second shield; and a nonmagnetic, non-electrically insulative layer formed between the substrate and the sensor. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20110043950 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE (TMR) READ HEAD WITH LOW MAGNETIC NOISE - A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording disk drive, has low magnetic damping, and thus low mag-noise, as a result of the addition of a ferromagnetic backing layer to the ferromagnetic free layer. The backing layer is a material with a low Gilbert damping constant or parameter α, the well-known dimensionless coefficient in the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The backing layer may have a thickness such that it contributes up to two-thirds of the total moment/area of the combined free layer and backing layer. The backing layer may be formed of a material having a composition selected from (Co | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110228428 | TRILAYER READER WITH CURRENT CONSTRAINT AT THE ABS - A magnetoresistive read sensor with improved sensitivity and stability is described. The sensor is a trilayer stack positioned between two electrodes. The trilayer stack has two free layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer and a biasing magnet positioned at the rear of the stack and separated from the air bearing surface by the stripe height distance. Current in the sensor is confined to regions close to the air bearing surface by an insulator layer to enhance reader sensitivity. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20120268847 | TRILAYER READER WITH CURRENT CONSTRAINT AT THE ABS - A magnetoresistive read sensor is described. The sensor is a magnetically responsive stack positioned between top and bottom electrodes on an air bearing surface. Current in the sensor is confined to regions close to the air bearing surface by a first multilayer insulator structure between the stack and at least one electrode to enhance reader sensitivity. | 10-25-2012 |
| 360316000 |
Having multiple independent MR sensors | 4 |
| 20090207531 | MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE - A magnetic recording read head is provided capable of achieving high reproduction output, resolution, and SNR, even at a high linear density. There is also provided a magnetic recording and reproducing device capable of achieving sufficient error bit rate. The magnetic recording read head includes a differential read head and a write head. The differential read head has a multilayer structure formed by laminating a first magnetoresistive sensor having a first free layer, a differential gap layer, and a second magnetoresistive sensor having a second free layer. Outside the multilayer structure, a pair of electrodes and a pair of magnetic shields are provided respectively. A ratio (Gl/bl) of an inside distance (Gl) between the first and second free layers to a bit length (bl) is set to 0.6 or more and 1.6 or less. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20100103563 | Magnetoresistive element including a pair of ferromagnetic layers coupled to a pair of shield layers - A magnetoresistive element includes first and second shield portions and an MR stack. Each of the first and second shield portions includes a shield bias magnetic field applying layer, and a closed-magnetic-path-forming portion that forms a closed magnetic path in conjunction of the shield bias magnetic field applying layer. The closed-magnetic-path-forming portion includes a single magnetic domain portion. The MR stack is sandwiched between the respective single magnetic domain portions of the first and second shield portions. The closed-magnetic-path-forming portion includes a magnetic-path-expanding portion that forms a magnetic path, the magnetic path being a portion of the closed magnetic path and located between the shield bias magnetic field applying layer and the single magnetic domain portion. The magnetic-path-expanding portion has two end portions located at both ends of the magnetic path, and a middle portion located between the two end portions. A cross section of the magnetic path at the middle portion is greater in width than a cross section of the magnetic path at each of the two end portions. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20110181987 | MAGNETIC RECORDING/REPRODUCTION HEAD - Provided is a differential type reproduction head which can obtain a preferable bit error rate without causing a baseline shift even when two magnetoresistive elements have different maximum resistance change amounts. The differential type reproduction head has a layered structure formed by a first magnetoresistive element having a first free layer, a differential gap layer, and a second magnetoresistive element having a second free layer. When DR | 07-28-2011 |
| 20150380027 | TRANSDUCER RESISTOR SHUNT STRUCTURE FOR LOW-COST PROBING - Embodiments described herein generally relate to resistive shunt design in a read sensor for providing accurate measurements from an electronic lapping guide (ELG). More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to a transducer resistor shunt structure for low cost probing. A bleed resistor network for a read sensor may comprise one or more first resistors arranged in parallel with one another and a second resistor arranged in series with the one or more first resistors. The resistor arrangement may require a small physical area and reduce or prevent ELG measurement errors. | 12-31-2015 |
| 360326000 |
Having Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) or Colossal Magnetoresistive (CMR) sensor formed of a single thin film | 2 |
| 20080297955 | SENSOR TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION - A device includes a pair of individual sensors spaced apart from each other. A current source provides current to both of the individual sensors. A differential temperature sensor is coupled thermally proximate the individual sensors and provides a temperature difference signal that is combined with current from the current source to provide a correction factor for a temperature gradient across the individual sensors. Alternatively, temperature responsive excitation sources may be positioned thermally proximate the sensors to provide temperature compensation. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20110032645 | MAGNETIC SENSOR STACK BODY, METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME, FILM FORMATION CONTROL PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - The present invention is directed to align crystal c-axes in magnetic layers near two opposed junction wall faces of a magnetoresistive element so as to be almost perpendicular to the junction wall faces. A magnetic sensor stack body has, on a substrate, a magnetoresistive element whose electric resistance fluctuates when a bias magnetic field is applied and, on sides of opposed junction wall faces of the magnetoresistive element, field regions including magnetic layers for applying the bias magnetic field to the element. The magnetoresistive element has at least a ferromagnetic stack on a part of an antiferromagnetic layer, and width of an uppermost face of the ferromagnetic stack along a direction in which the junction wall faces are opposed to each other is smaller than width of an uppermost face of the antiferromagnetic layer in the same direction. | 02-10-2011 |
| 360318000 |
Combined with inductive write head and having MR inside of inductive head | 2 |
| 20080278860 | EXTRAORDINARY MAGNETORESISTIVE (EMR) DEVICE WITH NOVEL LEAD STRUCTURE - An extraordinary magnetoresistive sensor (EMR sensor) having reduced size and increased resolution is described. The sensor includes a plurality of electrically conductive leads contacting a magnetically active layer and also includes an electrically conductive shunt structure. The electrically conductive leads of the sensor and the shunt structure can be formed in a common photolithographic masking and etching process so that they are self aligned with one another. This avoids the need to align multiple photolithographic processing steps, thereby allowing greatly increased resolution and reduced lead spacing. The EMR sensor can be formed with a magnetically active layer that can be close to or at the air bearing surface (ABS) for improved magnetic spacing with an adjacent magnetic medium of a data recording system. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20120268845 | WRITE POLE AND SHIELD WITH DIFFERENT TAPER ANGLES - A first trench sidewall has a continuous first taper angle that terminates at a first plane. At least one layer may be deposited that forms a second trench sidewall with a continuous second taper angle that extends a predetermined depth past the first plane and is less than the first taper angle. A write pole may then be formed on the second trench sidewall with the write pole being closer to the first trench sidewall at the predetermined depth than at the first plane. | 10-25-2012 |
| 360321000 |
Having flux guide detail | 1 |
| 20110019313 | SELF-ALIGNED DOUBLE FLUX GUIDED TMR SENSOR - A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes an array of sensor structures formed on a common substrate. Each sensor structure further comprises: a magnetic tunnel junction sensor spaced from a media-facing surface of the head; and a flux guide between the media-facing surface of the head and the sensor, the flux guide guiding magnetic flux from a magnetic medium adjacent the media-facing surface to the sensor. Additional systems and methods are also presented. | 01-27-2011 |
| 360327000 |
Having Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor formed of a single thin film | 1 |
| 20180025840 | PERMANENT MAGNET COMPRISING A STACK OF N PATTERNS | 01-25-2018 |
| Entries |
| Document | Title | Date |
|---|
| 20080198512 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, MAGNETIC RECORDING APPARATUS - A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprises a soft-magnetic backing layer formed on a substrate, an orientation control layer formed on the soft-magnetic backing layer, a first foundation layer of a continuous film of Ru or a Ru alloy formed on the orientation control layer, a second foundation layer including a plurality of crystal grains of Ru or a Ru alloy formed on the first foundation layer with a gap separating the plurality of crystal grains from each other, and a recording layer including a plurality of magnetic particles formed on the second foundation layer respectively in correspondence to the plurality of crystal grains, each of the magnetic particles having an easy axis of magnetization in a direction generally perpendicular to a substrate surface, and a non-magnetic grain boundary phase isolating said plurality of magnetic particles from each other, wherein the first foundation layer comprises a plurality of crystal grains formed in contact with each other at respective grain boundaries, one of the plurality of crystal grains constituting the second foundation layer being formed in correspondence to one of the plurality of crystal grains constituting the first foundation layer, and wherein there are provided a plurality of nuclei at an interface between the crystal grain of the second foundation layer corresponding to the one crystal grain of the plurality of crystal grains constituting the first foundation layer and the orientation control layer. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080218907 | MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT AND THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD - A magneto-resistance effect element (MR element) used for a thin film magnetic head is configured by a buffer layer, an anti-ferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, a spacer layer, a free layer, and a cap layer, which are laminated in this order, and a sense current flows through the element in a direction orthogonal to the layer surface, via a lower shield layer and a upper shield layer. The pinned layer comprises an outer layer in which a magnetization direction is fixed, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and an inner layer which is a ferromagnetic layer. The spacer layer comprises a first non-magnetic metal layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second non-magnetic metal layer. The first non-magnetic metal layer and the second non-magnetic metal layer comprise CuPt films having a thickness ranging from a minimum of 0.2 nm to a maximum of 2.0 nm, and the Pt content ranges from a minimum of 5 at % to a maximum of 25 at %. The semiconductor layer comprises a ZnO film, ZnS film, or GaN film having a thickness ranging from a minimum of 1.0 nm to a maximum of 2.5 nm. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080218908 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole layer; and a return yoke layer laminated on the main magnetic pole layer with a magnetic gap layer formed of a nonmagnetic material disposed on an opposing surface opposite a recording medium. The return yoke layer includes a first throat part opposing the main magnetic pole layer at a side close to the recording medium-opposing surface with a first gap spacing corresponding to a film thickness of the magnetic gap layer; and a second throat part extending to a deeper side than the first throat part in a height direction and opposing the main magnetic pole layer with a second gap spacing greater than the first gap spacing. A throat height determining layer is provided on the main magnetic pole layer or the magnetic gap layer, the throat height determining layer defining a dimension of the first throat part of the return yoke layer in the height direction and formed of an inorganic nonmagnetic material. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080231998 | MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT DEVICE AND MAGNETIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY USING THE SAME - A magnetoresistive effect element includes a magnetization fixed layer having substantially fixed magnetization direction. A magnetization variable layer has a variable magnetization direction, consists of a magnetic alloy that has a BCC structure and is expressed by Fe | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080239582 | Magnetoresistive Effect Element Having Bias Layer With Internal Stress Controlled - Provided is an MR effect element in which the magnetization of the pinned layer is stably fixed even after going through high temperature process. The MR effect element comprises: a non-magnetic intermediate layer; a pinned layer and a free layer stacked so as to sandwich the non-magnetic intermediate layer; an antiferromagnetic layer stacked to have a surface contact with the pinned layer, for fixing a magnetization of the pinned layer to a direction in-plane of the pinned layer and perpendicular to a track width direction; and hard bias layers provided on both sides in the track width direction of the free layer, for applying a bias field to the free layer, a product λ | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080247095 | Method and apparatus for temperature sensing in a hard disk drive - A slider comprising a platinum layer including a first end and a second end, where slider temperature may be estimated based upon the platinum layer resistance. A head gimbal assembly including the slider. A head stack assembly including the head gimbal assembly. A preamplifier including an analog to digital converter for measuring the platinum layer resistance. An embedded circuit for electrically coupling to the head stack assembly to use the platinum layer to successively estimate slider temperature and estimate head disk impact events and maintain a head disk impact count. A hard disk drive including the slider and measuring the resistance of the platinum layer to estimate slider temperature and/or head disk impact events and increment and maintain a head disk impact count. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080253032 | Thin film magnetic head, head gimbal assembly, head arm assembly, magnetic disk device and method of forming thin film magnetic head - A thin film magnetic head is provided, in which thermal protrusion can be suppressed. The thin film magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer which conducts a magnetic flux into the recording medium so that the recording medium is magnetized in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the recording medium, a first return yoke layer provided in a trailing side of the main magnetic pole layer, and has a recess in a top surface, a second return yoke layer provided so as to fill at least the recess of the first return yoke layer, and a thermal expansion suppression layer provided in a trailing side of the second return yoke layer. Thus, since the thermal expansion suppression layer can be provided on a surface having no recess, a possibility of a crack in the thermal expansion suppression layer can be eliminated. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080253033 | Thin-film magnetic head having electric lapping guide and method of making the same - A magnetic head in which the size of MR height is controlled precisely, a head gimbal assembly and a hard disk drive which are mounted with such a magnetic head, and a method of making a magnetic head in which the size of MR height is controlled precisely. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080266718 | TESTING METHOD AND APPARATUS OF THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD - A testing method of a thin-film magnetic head has an MR read head element with a multi-layered structure including a magnetization-fixed layer, a magnetization-free layer and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer or a tunnel barrier layer sandwiched between the magnetization-fixed layer and the magnetization-free layer. The method includes a step of feeding through the MR read head element a sense current, a step of measuring non-signal output versus frequency characteristics of the MR read head element over a frequency range that covers at least FMR of the magnetization-fixed layer, and a step of discriminating whether the thin-film magnetic head is a head providing high-temperature noises by comparing a frequency of a peak of the non-signal output resulting from FMR of the magnetization-fixed layer with a threshold. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080266719 | Process methods for noise reduction of TMR magnetic transducer - A hard disk drive slider comprises a tunneling magnetoresistance transducer, which comprises an insulator barrier. A nitrogen atom from a nitrogen atmosphere occupies an oxygen atom vacancy within the insulator barrier, such that noise in read data from the tunneling magnetoresistance transducer is reduced. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080291577 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING MAGNETIC HEAD WITH TMR ELEMENT - A magnetic head testing apparatus having the function of evaluating pin holes in a tunnel barrier layer of a TMR element by a non destructive inspection is disclosed. The testing apparatus comprises a temperature control unit which sets a circumferential temperature of a TMR element, a bias electric current control unit which applies an electric current for measuring a resistance value, an element resistance measuring unit and a CPU which calculates a temperature coefficient. The CPU determines a pin hole state in the tunnel barrier layer based on the temperature coefficient. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080291578 | SUBSTRATE, MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND MAGNETIC STORAGE APPARATUS - This perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a nonmagnetic substrate and a magnetic recording structure formed above the substrate. The magnetic recording structure has at least a soft magnetic underlayer, an intermediate layer and a magnetic layer. The substrate has a surface profile curve whose angle of inclination is 2.0 degree or less, or whose surface roughness of the substrate, with cycle (wavelength components) in the ranges of 83 nm or less to 30 nm or less, is 0.15 nm or less. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080297950 | MAGNETIC SIGNAL REPRODUCTION SYSTEM AND MAGNETIC SIGNAL REPRODUCTION METHOD - The magnetic signal reproduction system comprises a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic layer comprising a ferromagnetic powder and a binder on a nonmagnetic support; and a reproduction head, wherein a number of protrusions equal to or greater than 10 nm in height on the magnetic layer surface, as measured by an atomic force microscope, ranges from 50 to 2500/10,000 μm | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090034129 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD COMPRISING MAGNETO-RESISTIVE EFFECT DEVICE, AND HARD DISK SYSTEM - The thin-film magnetic head of the invention comprises a magneto-resistive effect device including a multilayer film and a bias mechanism portion including a bias magnetic field-applying layer formed on each widthwise end of the multilayer film. When the magneto-resistive effective device including a multilayer film and the bias mechanism portion are viewed in plane on their own, the uppermost extremity of the rear end of the magneto-resistive effect device and the uppermost extremity of the rear end of the bias mechanism portion lie at substantially the same depth-wise position, and the rear slant of the bias mechanism portion is gentler in gradient than the rear slat of the magneto-resistive effect device. It is thus possible just only to facilitate the fabrication of the device but also to achieve several advantages of being a lower rate of occurrence of noise, higher reliability and higher yields. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090046393 | Method for reading magnetic data - A method of reading magnetic data from a magnetically-activatable sheet product carrying magnetic data. The product comprises a pair of laminated outer sheets between which is a magnetic layer comprising magnetically-activatable particles in a binder matrix. For reading the data, a thin-film magnetoresistive sensor is used in which the shape anisotropy of the sensor is enhanced in a direction transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sensor. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090052092 | Perpendicular magnetic recording head laminated with AFM-FM phase change material - A PMR writer is disclosed that minimizes pole erasure during non-writing and maximize write field during writing through an AFM-FM phase change material that is in an AFM state during non-writing and switches to a FM state by heating during writing. The main pole layer including the write pole may be comprised of a laminated structure having a plurality of “n” ferromagnetic layers and “n-1” AFM-FM phase change material layers arranged in an alternating manner. The AFM-FM phase change material is preferably a FeRh or FeRhX alloy (X=Pt, Pd, or Ir) having a Rh content >35 atomic %. AFM-FM phase change material may also be used as a flux gate to prevent yoke flux from leaking into the write pole tip. Heating for the AFM to FM transition is provided by write coils and/or a coil located near the AFM-FM phase change material to enable faster transition times. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090067098 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The PMR head includes: a main pole; a coil enclosing the main pole as a solenoid type to allow the main pole to generate a magnetic field required for recording data on a recording medium; and a return yoke forming a magnetic path of a magnetic field together with the main pole and having a throat disposed opposite the main pole with a gap between the return yoke and the main pole. One end of the gap disposed near an air bearing surface (ABS) is thinner than the other end of the gap, such that the throat tapers from the other end of the gap to the one end of the gap. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090080118 | EMR SENSOR WITH INTEGRATED SIGNAL AMPLIFICATION - A Lorentz magnetoresistive sensor having integrated signal amplification. The sensor is constructed upon a substrate such as a semiconductor material, and an amplification circuit such as transistor is constructed directly into the substrate on which the magnetoresistive device is constructed. This integrated signal amplification greatly enhances sensor performance by eliminating a great deal of signal noise that would otherwise be added to the read signal. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090080119 | HEAD SLIDER, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING HEAD SLIDER - According to an aspect of an embodiment, a head slider includes: a slider substrate; and an operating unit arranged on the slider substrate, the operating unit having a pair of electrodes and a piezoelectric component arranged between the pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes being constituted by a first electrode and a second electrode, in which the product of the Young's modulus and the thickness of the first electrode in the direction from the first electrode to the second electrode is larger than the product of the Young's modulus and the thickness of the second electrode in the direction from the first electrode to the second electrode. The head slider further includes a magnetic head arranged on the slider substrate with the operating unit, opposite to the slider substrate. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090103214 | MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD COMPRISING CONICAL MAIN POLE TIP AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Provided is a vertical magnetic recording head having a main pole, a return yoke, and a coil, all of which are formed on a substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same. The main pole includes a vertical portion which is vertical to the substrate, a horizontal portion that connects a lower part of the vertical portion to the return yoke, and a main pole tip formed on the vertical portion of the main pole. The main pole tip has a conical shape vertical to the substrate. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090116151 | POSITION SENSOR AND BIAS MAGNETIC FIELD GENERATING DEVICE - Disclosed herein is a position sensor including, a magnetic recording medium including two incremental layers and an absolute layer, the absolute layer provided between the incremental layers, each of the layers having magnetic information recorded therein, and a magnetic detection section including three magnetoresistance effect devices opposite to the layers of the magnetic recording medium, being moved relative to the magnetic recording medium in the extending direction of the layers, and being operative to detect the magnetic information in the layers by the magnetoresistance effect devices. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090128962 | READ-HEAD, MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC STORAGE APPARATUS - The read-head is capable of corresponding to high recording density without deteriorating characteristics even if a small size read-element is used. The read-head of the present invention comprises: a read-element including a free layer; and a magnetic domain control layer for domain-controlling the free layer. The magnetic domain control layer is composed of a soft magnetic material including at least one substance selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co and Ni. A ratio (a/b) of a length (a) of the magnetic domain control layer in the core width direction to a length (b) thereof in the height direction is 5 or more, and the length (b) is 100 nm or less. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090128963 | NARROW TRACK EXTRAORDINARY MAGNETO RESISTIVE [EMR] DEVICE WITH WIDE VOLTAGE TABS AND DIAD LEAD STRUCTURE - A Lorenz magnetoresistive sensor having a pair of voltage leads and a pair of current leads. The voltage leads are located at either side of one of the current leads and are separated by a distance that is substantially equal to the length of a bit to be measured. The Lorenz magnetoresistive sensor can be, for example an extraordinary magnetoresistive sensor having a quantum well structure such as a two dimensional electron gas and a shunt structure formed on an edge of the quantum well structure opposite the voltage and current leads. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090147408 | HEAD IC, READ CIRCUIT, MEDIA STORAGE DEVICE AND AMPLIFIER GAIN ADJUSTMENT METHOD FOR HEAD IC - A head IC adjusts an amplitude level of a read signal of a head and outputs the adjusted signal to a read channel having an AGC amplifier. A head IC includes: a differential amplifier; an AGC circuit; external gain setting sections; and a switch. The AGC amplifier is disposed in the head IC, and the amplitude from the head is automatically adjusted in the head IC. The signal level can be adjusted within the input dynamic range of the AGC amplifier of the read channel. An estimated gain value converted from a result of measuring a resistance value of the head is used as an initial value for the adjustment of the AGC amplifier. It becomes possible attempting to prevent an increase in the lock-in times of the AGC, to guarantee stability, and to prevent judgment errors of the AGC. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090147409 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT, MAGNETIC SENSOR, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT - The thickness of an antiferromagnetic layer (IrMn) and the thickness of a nonmagnetic interlayer (Cu) are adjusted so as to be within the area surrounded by boundaries a to f on the graph of | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090154024 | THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH THROUGH HOLES REACHING MEDIUM-OPPOSED SURFACE - Provided is a thin-film magnetic head for reading data from a magnetic recording medium and/or writing data to a magnetic recording medium, in which the magnetic spacing can be controlled appropriately by stably adjusting the pressure working between the thin-film magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium according to the change of conditions such as the change over time. This thin-film magnetic head comprises at least one through hole reaching a surface opposed to the magnetic recording medium of the thin-film magnetic head, for adjusting a pressure working between the thin-film magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium. Preferably, the head further comprises at least one flow-amount control means for controlling the flow amount of gas that flows via the at least one through hole. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090161261 | Magnetic Sensor - A magnetic sensor having at least a first and at least a second structure of soft-magnetic material that are spatially separated and define a first gap therebetween. The first and second structure of soft-magnetic material are adapted to form a gap magnetic field pointing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the elongation of the first gap in the vicinity of the first gap in response to an external magnetic field. Additionally, the magnetic sensor comprises at least a first magnetoresistive layered structure that is positioned in the vicinity of the first gap including inside the first gap and that is sensitive to the gap magnetic field. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090168253 | METHOD OF MAKING A MAGNETORESISTIVE READER STRUCTURE - A method of making a magnetoresistive sensor includes defining a track width of a magnetoresistive element stack of the sensor. Further, processes of the method enable depositing of hard magnetic bias material on each side of the stack. These processes may permit both milling of excess depositions of the material outside of regions where the hard magnetic bias material is desired via use of a photoresist and making the material have a planar surface via chemical mechanical polishing, which also removes the material on top of the stack. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090168254 | Test device and method for measurement of tunneling magnetoresistance properties of a manufacturable wafer by the current-in-plane-tunneling technique - A combined manufacturable wafer and test device for measuring a tunneling-magnetoresistance property of a tunneling-magnetoresistance, sensor-layer structure. The combined manufacturable wafer and test device comprises a tunneling-magnetoresistance, sensor-layer structure disposed on a substrate. The combined manufacturable wafer and test device also comprises a plurality of partially fabricated tunneling-magnetoresistance sensors; at least one of the partially fabricated tunneling-magnetoresistance sensors is disposed at one of a plurality of first locations. The test device is disposed on the substrate at a second location different from the plurality of first locations. The test device allows measurement of the tunneling-magnetoresistance property of the tunneling-magnetoresistance, sensor-layer structure using a current-in-plane-tunneling technique. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090174967 | FILLED PATTERNED MAGNETIC HEAD - In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a substrate having a media support surface; a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer; a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface; and a material formed in one or more recesses extending into the media support surface of at least one of the substrate and the closure. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090180215 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT AND SPIN MOS FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR - A magnetoresistive effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, Cr layer, Heusler alloy layer, barrier layer, and second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer has the body-centered cubic lattice structure. The Cr layer is formed on the first ferromagnetic layer and has the body-centered cubic lattice structure. The Heusler alloy layer is formed on the Cr layer. The barrier layer is formed on the Heusler alloy layer. The second ferromagnetic layer is formed on the barrier layer. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090190267 | RuTi AS A SEED LAYER IN PERPENDICULAR RECORDING MEDIA - A method for reducing thin film media layer thickness while maintaining adequate magnetic recording performance includes providing a substrate comprising a rigid support structure, depositing a soft underlayer on top of the substrate, depositing an interlayer on top of the soft underlayer and depositing a exchange break layer on top of the interlayer, wherein the exchange break layer comprises a flash layer of RuTi and a seed layer of Ru. The flash layer is deposited in place of a pure Ru layer, thereby reducing the amount of Ru deposited as well as decreasing the thickness of the overall intermediate layer. The magnetic performance of the media is maintained with the substitution of a RuTi flash layer for a pure Ru layer. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090201613 | MAGNETIC HEAD WITH INTERCONNECT ELEMENT - A magnetic head in one embodiment comprises a plurality of components separated from each other by insulative portions; and at least one connective element coupling the components together. A magnetic tape head in another embodiment comprises a substrate; a closure separated from the substrate by an insulative portion; and at least one connective element coupling the substrate and closure together. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090244787 | PERPENDICULAR HEAD WITH WIDE TRACK WRITING CAPABILITY AND METHODS OF MEDIA TESTING - A system according to one embodiment comprises a head having a perpendicular writer, the writer comprising: a first pole structure having a pole tip positioned towards an air bearing surface of the head, the first pole structure having a portion that is recessed from an extent of the pole tip closest the air bearing surface; a return pole having an end positioned towards the air bearing surface of the head; and a gap between the first pole structure and the return pole, wherein the recessed portion is recessed less than about 1.25 microns relative to the extent of the pole tip closest the air bearing surface. Additional embodiments as well as methods are presented. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090268348 | WRITE HEAD LAPPING GUIDE ABOUT ALIGNED TO A NON-MAGNETIC LAYER SURROUNDING A WRITE POLE AND A METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A method in one embodiment includes forming an electric lapping guide layer; forming a write pole; forming a first gap layer over the write pole; masking a portion of the first gap layer for defining a window over the write pole and at least a portion of the electric lapping guide layer; and forming a bump over the write pole in the window. A system in one embodiment includes an electric lapping guide layer; a write pole positioned to one side of the electric lapping guide layer; and a bump formed over the write pole in a window, wherein a back end of the electric lapping guide layer and a front end of the bump are about a same distance from a lapped surface of a head. Additional methods and systems are presented. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090273862 | FLAT E-YOKE FOR CUSP WRITE HEAD - A magnetic write pole structure that is configured to greatly simplify the manufacture of a perpendicular magnetic write head. The write head has a magnetic yoke that is oriented along a plane that is perpendicular to the direction of the data track. This allows the entire yoke to be formed in a single electroplating step, rather than being built up in several plated layers. The yoke can also be formed with magnetic side shields, or with a trailing or wrap around shield, which can be integral with the rest of the yoke and can be advantageously formed in the same, single electroplating step. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090290264 | MAGNETORESISTIVE DEVICE OF THE CPP TYPE, AND MAGNETIC DISK SYSTEM - The invention provides a magnetoresistive device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magnetoresistive unit, and a first, substantially soft magnetic shield layer positioned below and a second, substantially soft magnetic shield layer positioned above, which are located and formed such that the magnetoresistive effect is sandwiched between them from above and below, with a sense current applied in the stacking direction. The magnetoresistive unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that said nonmagnetic intermediate layer is sandwiched between them. At least one of the first shield layer positioned below and the second shield layer positioned above is configured in a framework form having a planar shape (X-Y plane) defined by the width and length directions of the device. The framework has a front frame-constituting portion located on a medium opposite plane side in front and near where the magnetoresistive unit is positioned, and any other frame portion. The any other frame portion partially comprises a combination of a nonmagnetic gap layer with a bias magnetic field-applying layer. The bias magnetic field-applying layer is constructed by repeating the stacking of a multilayer unit at least twice or up to | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090290265 | MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC DISK UNIT - The magnetic head having shielding layers is capable of preventing fluctuation of output caused by magnetic domain structures of the shielding layers, stabilizing the output, restraining variation of products and improving production yield. The magnetic head comprises: shielding layers for magnetically shielding a magnetoresistance effect reproducing element; hard films being located on the both sides of the magnetoresistance effect reproducing element as seen from a facing surface which faces a recording medium; and soft magnetic layers being composed of a soft magnetic material, the soft magnetic layers being located on the both sides of the shielding layers as seen from the facing surface. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090303638 | MAGNETORESISTANCE DEVICE - A magnetoresistance device has a channel extending between first and second ends in a first direction comprising non-ferromagnetic semiconducting material, such as silicon, a plurality of leads connected to and spaced apart along the channel, a gate structure for applying an electric field to the channel in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction so as to form an inversion layer in the channel and a face which lies substantially in a plane defined by the first and second directions and which is configured such that an edge of the channel runs along the face. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090303639 | MAGNETORESISTANCE DEVICE - A device capable of exhibiting the extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) effect includes an elongate channel formed of silicon. A conductor comprising heavily doped silicon is connected to the channel along one side of the channel so as to provide a shunt. A gate arrangement including a gate electrode is provided on the channel. Applying a bias of appropriate polarity and sufficient magnitude to the gate electrode results in the formation of an inversion layer in the channel. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090323227 | Ta/W film as heating device for dynamic fly height adjustment - A dynamic fly heater (DFH) for improved lifetime and better film uniformity is disclosed for a magnetic head. The heater has a lower amorphous Ta layer and an upper W layer to promote small grain size and reduced electro-migration. The composite film is especially advantageous for heaters greater than 1000 Angstroms thick where dR/R is difficult to control in the prior art. The DFH may be a (Ta/W) | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100033878 | TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTIVE THIN FILM AND MAGNETIC MULTILAYER FORMATION APPARATUS - The present invention provides a tunnel magnetoresistive thin film having a high MR ratio by improving heat resistance while maintaining a thin film of a Ru layer used as a non-magnetic layer so that the Ru layer expresses preferable exchange coupling magnetic field even through annealing at high temperature. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100053817 | COATED MAGNETIC HEAD AND METHODS FOR FABRICATION THEREOF - In one general embodiment, a magnetic head includes a module having a substrate and a gap, the gap having an array of transducers therein, wherein the gap is recessed from a plane extending across a tape bearing surface side of the substrate; and a coating of aluminum oxide above at least a tape bearing surface side of the gap, the aluminum oxide having polycrystalline portions and amorphous portions. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100091412 | Method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus - A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element is provided. The magneto-resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer. The method includes: forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer; performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals on the film; and performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of helium ions, helium plasma, helium radicals, neon ions, neon plasma and neon radicals on the film submitted to the first treatment. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100103562 | Magnetoresistive element including a pair of ferromagnetic layers coupled to a pair of shield layers - A magnetoresistive element includes a pair of shield portions, and an MR stack and a bias magnetic field applying layer that are disposed between the pair of shield portions. The shield portions respectively include single magnetic domain portions. The MR stack includes a pair of ferromagnetic layers magnetically coupled to the pair of single magnetic domain portions, and a spacer layer disposed between the pair of ferromagnetic layers. The MR stack has a front end face, a rear end face and two side surfaces. The magnetoresistive element further includes two flux guide layers disposed between the pair of single magnetic domain portions and respectively adjacent to the two side surfaces of the MR stack. Each of the two flux guide layers has a front end face and a rear end face. The bias magnetic field applying layer has a front end face that faces the rear end face of the MR stack and the respective rear end faces of the two flux guide layers. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100134929 | Multi-Channel Thin-Film Magnetic Head And Magnetic Tape Drive Apparatus With The Multi-Channel Thin-Film Magnetic Head - A multi-channel thin-film magnetic head includes a head section provided with a plurality of thin-film magnetic head elements and a sliding surface for a magnetic tape, a slot section running in a direction perpendicular to a magnetic tape transport direction, the slot section being arranged adjacent to the head section in the magnetic tape transport direction, and an outrigger section provided with a sliding surface for the magnetic tape and arranged to separate from the head section by the slot section in the magnetic tape transport direction. The sliding surface of the outrigger section includes a sloped surface with a height that reduces as approaching the head section. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100142098 | Method for manufacturing magnetoresistance effect element using simultaneous sputtering of Zn and ZnO - A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive (MR) effective element having a pair of magnetic layers and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer including a ZnO film, wherein a relative angle of magnetization directions of the pair of magnetic layers varies according to an external magnetic field. The method includes a step for introducing a mix gas of oxygen gas and argon gas into a depressurized chamber, wherein a first target of ZnO, a second target of Zn and a substrate having a right-below layer are disposed in the chamber, and a step for depositing the ZnO film on the right-below layer by applying each of a first and second direct current (DC) application power to spaces between the first and second targets and the substrate respectively after the mix gas introducing step, wherein the first and second targets are set at negative potential, and the substrate is set at positive potential. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100142099 | LOW RESISTANCE TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTANCE (TMR) STRUCTURE - A magnetic structure in one embodiment includes a tunnel barrier layer; a free layer; and a buffer layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer, wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof, wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the direction parallel to the plane of deposition thereof. Additional systems and methods are also presented. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100142100 | Magnetoresistive Head With A CPP Structure Having Suppressed Side Reading - According to one embodiment, a CPP structure magnetoresistive head includes a magnetoresistive sensor film between a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer and a longitudinal biasing layer disposed at each side of the magnetoresistive sensor film via a read track width defining insulator film. In the stripe height direction, the length of the longitudinal biasing layer is longer than the length of a second ferromagnetic layer in which its magnetization rotates in response to the external magnetic field. The second ferromagnetic layer is one of the layers comprising the magnetoresistive sensor film. At a stripe height, the surface of each longitudinal biasing layer has a step to change the thickness thereof across the step so that the air bearing surface section thereof has a larger thickness than any other section. Other structures using a magnetoresistive head and methods of production thereof are described as well. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100149696 | MAGNETIC SENSOR INCLUDING AN ELEMENT FOR GENERATING SIGNALS RELATED TO RESISTANCE CHANGES - A magnetic device includes first and second electrodes and a sensor stack connected to the first and second electrodes proximate a sensing surface of the magnetic sensor. A resistive element is connected to the first and second electrodes in parallel or in series with the sensor stack and adjacent the sensing surface. In some embodiments, the resistive element is configured to generate signals related to changes in its resistance. A controller to respond to the resistive element signals can also be included. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100296202 | THREE-TERMINAL DESIGN FOR SPIN ACCUMULATION MAGNETIC SENSOR - A spin accumulation sensor having a three terminal design that allows the free layer to be located at the air bearing surface. A non-magnetic conductive spin transport layer extends from a free layer structure (located at the ABS) to a reference layer structure removed from the ABS. The sensor includes a current or voltage source for applying a current across a reference layer structure. The current or voltage source has a lead that is connected with the non-magnetic spin transport layer and also to electric ground. Circuitry for measuring a signal voltage measures a voltage between a shield that is electrically connected with the free layer structure and the ground. The free layer structure can include a spin diffusion layer that ensures that all spin current is completely dissipated before reaching the lead to the voltage source, thereby preventing shunting of the spin current to the voltage source. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110007425 | MAGNETIC SENSOR WITH COMPOSITE MAGNETIC SHIELD - A magneto-resistive reader includes a first magnetic shield element, a second magnetic shield element and a magneto-resistive sensor stack separating the first magnetic shield element from the second magnetic shield element. The first shield element includes two ferromagnetic anisotropic layers separated by a grain growth suppression layer. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110007426 | TRAPEZOIDAL BACK BIAS AND TRILAYER READER GEOMETRY TO ENHANCE DEVICE PERFORMANCE - A magnetoresistive sensor having a trilayer sensor stack with two ferromagnetic freelayers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer is disclosed. The sensor is biased with a back biasing magnet adjacent a back of the trilayer sensor. The back biasing magnet, the trilayer sensor stack, or both have substantially trapezoidal shapes to enhance the biasing field and to minimize noise. In some embodiments, the trilayer sensor or back bias magnet have a shape designed to stabilize a micromagnetic “C” shape or concentrate magnetic flux in the trilayer sensor stack. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110019312 | MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT HEAD, MAGNETIC STORAGE AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - A magneto-resistance effect element, a magneto-resistance effect head, a magnetic storage and a magnetic memory, in which noise caused by a spin-transfer torque is reduced, are provided. In a fixed magnetization layer or a free magnetization layer of a magneto-resistance effect element including the fixed magnetization layer, a spacer layer and the free magnetization layer; a layer containing one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au is disposed. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110051293 | Tapered PMR write pole with straight side wall portion - A main pole layer with a tapered trailing side is disclosed that has three sections each with a write pole portion along the ABS and a yoke portion. A lower section has a bottom surface including a leading edge at the write pole tip and sidewalls with a bevel angle between 4 and 20 degrees. The middle section has essentially vertical sidewalls with a tapered side starting at the trailing edge and extending to a back side of the write pole and into the yoke. An upper section includes a portion of the tapered side and a top surface of the main pole layer and has a sidewall with a bevel angle from 0 to 45 degrees. The thickness of the middle section is greater than the pole height variation caused by variations in back end processes including ion milling and lapping to reduce erase width (EW) variations. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110051294 | NON RECTANGULAR READER FOR ULTRA HIGH DENSITY MAGNETIC RECORDING - A magnetic sensor or magnetoresistive read head comprises a sensor stack and magnetic bias elements positioned adjacent each side of the sensor stack. The sensor stack and bias elements have non-rectangular shapes, such as substantially trapezoidal or parallelogram shapes having non-perpendicular corners. In some embodiments, the sensor stack and bias elements have a shape that stabilizes a “C” state or “S” state magnetization pattern. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110134572 | DOUBLE BIASING FOR TRILAYER MR SENSORS - A trilayer magnetoresistive sensor includes first and second ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer. A high coercivity permanent magnet bias element biases the first ferromagnetic layer in a first direction. A high moment permanent magnet bias element biases the second ferromagnetic layer in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110141629 | SPIN TORQUE OSCILLATOR SENSOR EMPLOYING ANTIPARALLEL COUPLED OSCILATION LAYERS - A spin torque magnetoresistive sensor having a very small gap thickness. The sensor operates by measuring the change in frequency of a spin torque induced magnetic oscillation in magnetic layers of the sensor to detect the presence of a magnetic field. The sensor includes a pair of free magnetic layers that are antiparallel coupled by a thin non-magnetic coupling layer there-between. The sensor does not include a pinned layer structure nor an associated AFM pinning layer, which allows the sensor to be constructed much thinner than prior art sensors. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110188157 | TMR device with novel free layer structure - A composite free layer having a FL | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110216447 | Process of octagonal pole for microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) writer - A microwave assisted magnetic recording writer is disclosed with an octagonal write pole having a top portion including a trailing edge that is self aligned to a spin transfer oscillator (STO). Leading and trailing edges are connected by two sidewalls each having three sections. A first section on each side is coplanar with the STO sidewalls and is connected to a sloped second section at a first corner. Each second section is connected to a third section at a second corner where the distance between second corners is greater than the distance between first corners. A method of forming the writer begins with a trapezoidal shaped write pole in an insulation layer. Two ion beam etch (IBE) steps are used to shape top and middle portions of the write pole and narrow the pole width to <50 nm without breakage. Finally, a trailing shield is formed on the STO. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20120002330 | CPP-Type Magnetoresistive Element Including Spacer Layer - An MR element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. The spacer layer includes a nonmagnetic metal layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, and a second oxide semiconductor layer that are stacked in this order. The nonmagnetic metal layer is made of Cu, and has a thickness in the range of 0.3 to 1.5 nm. The first oxide semiconductor layer is made of a Ga oxide semiconductor, and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 nm. The second oxide semiconductor layer is made of a Zn oxide semiconductor, and has a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 nm. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120176705 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENOSOR HAVING A QUANTUM WELL STRUCTURE AND A TRAPPING LAYER TO PREVENT SURFACE CHARGE CARRIERS FROM MIGRATING TO THE QUANTUM WELL STRUCTURE - A Lorentz Magnetoresistive sensor having an ultrathin trapping layer disposed between a quantum well structure and a surface of the sensor. The trapping layer prevents charge carriers from the surface of the sensor from affecting the quantum well structure. This allows the quantum well structure to be formed much closer to the surface of the sensor, and therefore, much closer to the magnetic field source, greatly improving sensor performance. A Lorentz Magnetoresistive sensor having a top gate electrode to hinder surface charge carriers diffusing into the quantum well, said top gate electrode being either a highly conductive ultrathin patterned metal layer or a patterned monoatomic layer of graphene. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120182647 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT - According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a first ferromagnetic layer a magnetization direction of which is pinned, a second ferromagnetic layer a magnetization direction of which is changed depending on an external magnetic field, an intermediate layer arranged between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and including an insulating layer and a magnetic conductive column, an alloy layer formed between the magnetic conductive column in the intermediate layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and including at least one of FeCoAl and FeCoAlCu, and a pair of electrodes configured to supply a current perpendicularly to a film plane of a stacked film including the first ferromagnetic layer, the intermediate layer, the alloy layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120229935 | Magnetic Element With Increased Scissoring Angle - An apparatus and associated method is presently disclosed for a data sensing element capable of detecting changes in magnetic states. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a magnetically responsive lamination that has a spacer layer disposed between a first and second ferromagnetic free layer. The lamination having at least one free layer with a shape feature that increases a scissoring angle between the free layers. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20130003228 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING ASYMMETRY IN A MAGNETIC READER - In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor having a first and second electrode positioned at a first side of the MR sensor and a third electrode positioned at a second side of the MR sensor opposite the first side. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20140016234 | HARDENED LAYER ON A DRIVE HEAD - A method of forming a hardened layer on a tape drive head assembly comprising building a tape drive head assembly, in which a number of layers of amorphous material are applied along read and write components of the tape drive head assembly as the tape drive head assembly is built and selectively heating portions of the amorphous material. A drive head assembly comprising a write component, a magnetic resistive element, and a number of layers of amorphous material, in which a portion of the amorphous material is hardened. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140268428 | COUPLING FEATURE IN A TRILAYER LAMINATION - A data storage device may be generally directed to a data transducing head capable of magnetoresistive data reading. Such a data transducing head may be configured with at least a trilayer reader that contacts and is biased by a coupling feature. The coupling feature may have a smaller extent from an air bearing surface (ABS) than the trilayer reader. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150302872 | SPIN TRANSPORT SENSOR - The implementations disclosed herein provide for a spin transport sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent a shield element. The SAF extends to an air-bearing surface (ABS) and provides a current path from a current source to an ABS-region of a spin conductor layer. Spin current diffuses from the spin conductor layer to an adjacent free layer, which generates a measurable electrical voltage in a free layer of the spin transport sensor. The SAF serves as both a magnetic shield and a spin injector to the spin conductor layer. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20160099014 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD, AND MAGNETIC RECORDING AND READING APPARATUS - A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a multilayer element including a first magnetic layer, a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer being pinned, a nonmagnetic layer disposed on the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed in a first region on the nonmagnetic layer, a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer being pinned and antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer disposed in a second region that is different from the first region on the nonmagnetic layer near one of two opposite end faces of the nonmagnetic layer, a magnetization direction of the third magnetic layer being changeable by an external magnetic field, a lower face of the nonmagnetic layer being in contact with an upper face of the first magnetic layer. | 04-07-2016 |
| 20160154071 | MAGNETIC SENSOR, MAGNETIC HEAD, AND BIOMAGNETIC SENSOR | 06-02-2016 |
| 20160254012 | DATA READER WITH RESONANT TUNNELING | 09-01-2016 |
