Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100284103 | MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT DEVICE, MAGNETIC HEAD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE APPARATUS - A magnetoresistive effect device includes an underlayer, an antiferromagnetic layer, a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer which are multilayered in this order on a substrate. The underlayer is formed of a metal nitride, and the antiferromagnetic layer is formed of an antiferromagnetic material including Ir and Mn. | 11-11-2010 |
20120320473 | MAGNETIC SENSOR HAVING A HARD BIAS SEED STRUCTURE - A magnetic sensor having a novel hard bias structure that provides reduced gap spacing for increased data density. The magnetic sensor includes a sensor stack with first and second sides formed on a magnetic shield. A thin insulation layer is formed over the sides of the sensor stack and over the bottom shield. An under-layer comprising Cu—O is formed over the insulation layer and a hard magnetic bias layer is formed over the under-layer. The use of Cu—O as the under-layer allows the under-layer to be made thinner while still maintaining excellent magnetic properties in the hard bias layers formed thereover. This reduced thickness of the under-layer allows the gap spacing (spacing between the top and bottom magnetic shields) to be reduced, which in turn provides increased data density. | 12-20-2012 |
20130128381 | MAGNETORESISTIVE HEAD HAVING PERPENDICULARLY OFFSET ANISOTROPY FILMS AND A HARD DISK DRIVE USING THE SAME - In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a lower shield layer, a sensor stack positioned above the lower shield layer, the sensor stack including a free layer, a layered hard bias magnet positioned above the lower shield layer and on both sides of the sensor stack in a track width direction, and an upper shield layer positioned above the hard bias magnet and the sensor stack. The hard bias magnet includes a perpendicular anisotropy film positioned above the lower shield layer and aligned with both sides of the sensor stack in the track width direction, wherein the perpendicular anisotropy film directs magnetic fields in a direction perpendicular to planes of formation thereof, and an in-plane anisotropy film positioned above the perpendicular anisotropy film, wherein the in-plane anisotropy film directs magnetic fields in a direction of planes of formation thereof. | 05-23-2013 |
20130308228 | READ SENSOR HAVING A STRUCTURE FOR REDUCING MAGNETIC COUPLING BETWEEN A MAGNETIC BIAS LAYER AND AN UPPER MAGNETIC SHIELD - A magnetic sensor having reduced read gap thickness, reduced signal noise and improved signal to noise ratio. The sensor includes a sensor stack and hard bias structures formed at either side of the sensor stack for biasing the free layer of the sensor. A protective layer is formed over a portion of the hard bias structure, however a portion of the hard bias structure extends upward toward the upper shield and is disposed between the protective layer and the sensor stack as a result of the process used to form the magnetic bias structure. This portion of the hard bias structure that extends toward the upper shield has a reduced magnetization relative to the rest of the hard bias structure so that it will not magnetically couple with the upper shield. | 11-21-2013 |
20140104723 | READ SENSOR WITH A HARD BIAS LAYER HAVING A HIGH STATIC FIELD RESISTANCE - In one embodiment, a magnetic sensor comprises a read element and a magnetic-domain-control film positioned on both sides of the read element in a cross-track direction. The magnetic-domain-control film has a flare shape which causes the magnetic-domain-control film to flare away in an element height direction from the depthwise end of read element and extending in both directions away from the read element in a cross-track direction. In another embodiment, a method for forming a magnetic sensor includes forming a read element and forming a magnetic-domain-control film positioned on both sides of the read element in a cross-track direction, wherein the magnetic-domain-control film has a flare shape which causes the magnetic-domain-control film to flare away from the depthwise end of read element extending in both directions in a cross-track direction. | 04-17-2014 |
20150085395 | MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING A LONG THROAT HEIGHT PINNED LAYER WITH A SHORT HEIGHT HARD BIAS LAYER - In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a lower shield, a magnetoresistive (MR) film positioned above the lower shield, the MR film including a pinned layer, an intermediate layer positioned above the pinned layer, and a free layer positioned above the intermediate layer, the free layer being configured for sensing data on a magnetic medium, wherein a track width of the MR film is defined by a width of the free layer in a cross-track direction, a bias layer positioned on both sides of the MR film in the cross-track direction, a track insulating film positioned on both sides of the MR film in the cross-track direction and between the MR film and the bias layer, and an upper shield positioned above the bias layer and the MR film, wherein a length of the free layer in an element height direction perpendicular to an air bearing surface of the magnetic head is less than a length of the pinned layer in the element height direction. | 03-26-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080204946 | MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE - A magnetoresistance effect element having a free magnetic layer is provided. The free magnetic layer is formed in a laminate including a fixed magnetization layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a non-magnetic layer formed on the fixed magnetization layer, a first ferromagnetic layer, a non-magnetic metallic layer formed on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer formed on the non-magnetic metallic layer. The free magnetic layer includes magnetic recording regions, and in each region, the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are coupled such that their magnetization directions are anti-parallel with each other, and one of the magnetic recording regions is opposite to the fixed magnetization layer with the non-magnetic layer therebetween. | 08-28-2008 |
20080232003 | MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT DEVICE, MAGNETIC LAMINATION STRUCTURAL BODY, AND MANUFACTURE METHOD FOR MAGNETIC LAMINATION STRUCTURAL BODY - An underlying layer ( | 09-25-2008 |
20090097170 | FERROMAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION ELEMENT, MAGNETIC RECORDING DEVICE AND MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE - A ferromagnetic tunnel junction element is a magnetoresistance effect element wherein an electric resistance varies in accordance with a magnetic field applied. The ferromagnetic tunnel junction element includes a pinned layer wherein at least a part of a magnetization direction is held, and an insulation layer formed on the pinned layer, creating an energy barrier that electrons can flow through by a tunnel effect. A first free layer made of a first ferromagnetic material containing boron atoms, is formed on the insulation layer. In the first free layer, a direction of the magnetization switches under an influence of an external magnetic field. A second free layer made of a first ferromagnetic material containing boron atoms, is formed on the first free layer. The direction of magnetization of the second free layer switches under the influence of the external magnetic field, exchanging and coupling with the first free layer. | 04-16-2009 |
20090141410 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE STRUCTURE MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME AND STORAGE APPARATUS - An electrically-conductive or insulating non-magnetic intermediate layer is inserted between a free magnetic layer and a pinned magnetic layer in a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) structure magnetoresistive element. At least one of the free magnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer is made of a nitrided magnetic metal alloy. This nitrided magnetic layers allows the CPP structure magnetoresistive element to enjoy an increased magnetoresistance change (ΔRA). In addition, the saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) decreases in a nitrided magnetic metal alloy. The inversion of magnetization is thus easily caused in the low Bs magnetic layer. The detection sensitivity of the CPP structure magnetoresistive element is improved. The CPP structure magnetoresistive element is thus allowed to detect magnetic bit data with higher accuracy. | 06-04-2009 |
20090244790 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND LAYERED OBJECT - An magnetoresistive element includes: an underlayer made of a nitride; a pinning layer made of an antiferromagnetic layer overlaid on the underlayer, the pinning layer having the close-packed surface in the (111) surface of crystal, the pinning layer setting the (002) surface of crystal in parallel with the surface of the underlayer; a reference layer overlaid on the pinning layer, the reference layer having the magnetization fixed in a predetermined direction based on the exchange coupling with the pinning layer; a nonmagnetic layer overlaid on the reference layer, the nonmagnetic layer made of a nonmagnetic material; and a free layer overlaid on the nonmagnetic layer, the free layer made of a ferromagnetic material, the free layer enabling a change in the direction of the magnetization under the influence of an external magnetic field. | 10-01-2009 |
20110164448 | Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, its manufacture method, magnetic head and magnetic memory using TMR device - A barrier layer is disposed over a pinned layer made of ferromagnetic material having a fixed magnetization direction, the barrier layer having a thickness allowing electrons to transmit therethrough by a tunneling phenomenon. A first free layer is disposed over the barrier layer, the first free layer being made of amorphous or fine crystalline soft magnetic material which changes a magnetization direction under an external magnetic field. A second free layer is disposed over the first free layer, the second free layer being made of crystalline soft magnetic material which changes a magnetization direction under an external magnetic field and being exchange-coupled to the first free layer. A tunneling magnetoresistance device is provided which has good magnetic characteristics and can suppress a tunnel resistance change rate from being lowered. | 07-07-2011 |