公开(公告)号：US06842306B2

公开(公告)日：2005-01-11

申请号：US10284988

申请日：2002-10-31

申请人： Marie-Claire Cyrille ,  Wen-Chien David Hsiao ,  Yongho Sungtaek Ju ,  Wen-Yaung Lee ,  Stefan Maat ,  Howard Gordon Zolla

发明人： Marie-Claire Cyrille ,  Wen-Chien David Hsiao ,  Yongho Sungtaek Ju ,  Wen-Yaung Lee ,  Stefan Maat ,  Howard Gordon Zolla

IPC分类号： G11B5/31 ,  G11B5/39 ,  G11B5/235

CPC分类号： G11B5/3906

摘要： A magnetic head has highly thermally conductive insulator materials containing cobalt-oxide so that heat can more effectively dissipate from the magnetic head. In one illustrative example, the magnetic head has first and second gap layers and a read sensor disposed between the first and the second gap layers. The first and the second gap layers are advantageously made of cobalt-oxide (CoOx) (e.g. CoO or Co2O3), which may exhibit a thermal conductivity of between 5-8 watts/meter-Kelvin or greater. In another illustrative example, a magnetic head is made of a substrate; first and second shield layers; an undercoat layer formed between the substrate and the first shield layer; first and second gap layers formed between the first and the second shield layers; and a read sensor formed between the first and the second gap layers. The undercoat layer is also made of CoOx. The improved dissipation of heat from the magnetic head improves the read sensor performance and reduces the likelihood of other problems, such as head-to-disk interface problems.

摘要翻译： 磁头具有含有氧化钴的高导热绝缘体材料，使得热量可以更有效地从磁头中消散。 在一个说明性示例中，磁头具有第一和第二间隙层以及设置在第一间隙层和第二间隙层之间的读取传感器。 第一和第二间隙层有利地由氧化钴（CoO x）（例如CoO或Co 2 O 3）制成，其可以表现出5-8瓦/米 - 开尔文或更高的热导率。 在另一示例性实例中，磁头由衬底制成; 第一和第二屏蔽层; 形成在所述基板和所述第一屏蔽层之间的底涂层; 形成在第一和第二屏蔽层之间的第一和第二间隙层; 以及形成在第一间隙层和第二间隙层之间的读取传感器。 底涂层也由CoOx制成。 来自磁头的热量的改善消耗提高了读取传感器的性能，并降低了其他问题的可能性，例如磁头到磁盘的接口问题。

公开(公告)号：US06836392B2

公开(公告)日：2004-12-28

申请号：US09841942

申请日：2001-04-24

申请人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Eric Edward Fullerton ,  Bruce Alvin Gurney ,  Thai Le ,  Stefan Maat ,  Philip Milton Rice

发明人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Eric Edward Fullerton ,  Bruce Alvin Gurney ,  Thai Le ,  Stefan Maat ,  Philip Milton Rice

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G01R33/093 ,  G11B5/012 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3967 ,  H01F10/3277

摘要： An exchange-coupled magnetic structure includes a ferromagnetic layer, a coercive ferrite layer, such as cobalt-ferrite, for biasing the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer, and an oxide underlayer, such as cobalt-oxide, in proximity to the coercive ferrite layer. The oxide underlayer has a lattice structure of either rock salt or a spinel and exhibits no magnetic moment at room temperature. The underlayer affects the structure of the coercive ferrite layer and therefore its magnetic properties, providing increased coercivity and enhanced thermal stability. As a result, the coercive ferrite layer is thermally stable at much smaller thicknesses than without the underlayer. The exchange-coupled structure is used in spin valve and magnetic tunnel junction magnetoresistive sensors in read heads of magnetic disk drive systems. Because the coercive ferrite layer can be made as thin as 1 nm while remaining thermally stable, the sensor satisfies the narrow gap requirements of high recording density systems.

摘要翻译： 交换耦合磁性结构包括强磁性层，用于偏置铁磁性层的磁化的钴铁氧体的矫顽铁氧体层以及邻近矫顽铁氧体层的氧化钴底层，例如氧化钴。 氧化物底层具有岩盐或尖晶石的晶格结构，并且在室温下不显示磁矩。 底层影响矫顽铁氧体层的结构，因此影响其磁特性，提供增强的矫顽力和增强的热稳定性。 结果，矫顽铁氧体层的热稳定性比没有底层要小得多的厚度。 交换耦合结构用于磁盘驱动系统读磁头中的自旋阀和磁隧道结磁阻传感器。 由于矫顽铁氧体层可以制成1nm的薄而保持热稳定性，所以传感器满足高记录密度系统的窄间隙要求。

公开(公告)号：US20120156522A1

公开(公告)日：2012-06-21

申请号：US12969466

申请日：2010-12-15

申请人： Stefan Maat ,  Alexander M. Zeltser

发明人： Stefan Maat ,  Alexander M. Zeltser

IPC分类号： G11B5/39

CPC分类号： G11B5/3909 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G11B2005/3996 ,  Y10T428/1121

摘要： A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor has an improved seed layer structure for the ferromagnetic hard (high coercivity) bias layer that is used to longitudinally bias the sensor's free ferromagnetic layer. The seed layer structure is a trilayer consisting of a first seed layer of tantalum (Ta), a second seed layer of one or both titanium (Ti) and Ti-oxide on and in contact with the Ta layer, and a third seed layer of tungsten (W) on and in contact with the second seed layer.

摘要翻译： 电流垂直于平面（CPP）磁阻（MR）传感器具有用于铁磁硬（高矫顽力）偏置层的改进的种子层结构，其用于纵向偏置传感器的自由铁磁层。 种子层结构是由钽（Ta）的第一种子层，与Ta层接触并与Ta层接触的钛（Ti）和Ti氧化物中的一种或两种的第二晶种层组成的三层，以及第三种子层 钨（W）与第二种子层接触并接触。

公开(公告)号：US08015694B2

公开(公告)日：2011-09-13

申请号：US11959102

申请日：2007-12-18

申请人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat ,  Neil Smith

发明人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat ,  Neil Smith

IPC分类号： G11B5/127 ,  H04R31/00

CPC分类号： G11B5/3909 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G01R33/098 ,  G11B5/3932 ,  G11B2005/3996 ,  Y10T29/49043 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49046 ,  Y10T29/49048 ,  Y10T29/49052

摘要： A “scissoring-type” current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor with dual ferromagnetic sensing or free layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer has improved stability as a result of etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in each of the free layers. Each of the two ferromagnetic free layers has an etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and an in-plane magnetic moment substantially parallel to its uniaxial anisotropy in the quiescent state, i.e., the absence of an applied magnetic field. The etch-induced uniaxial anisotropy of each of the free layers is achieved either by direct ion etching of each of the free layers, and/or by ion etching of the layer on which each of the free layers is deposited. A strong magnetic anisotropy is induced in the free layers by the etching, which favors generally orthogonal orientation of the two free layers in the quiescent state.

摘要翻译： 具有双铁磁感测或由非磁性间隔层隔开的自由层的“扫描型”电流垂直平面（CPP）磁阻传感器具有改善的稳定性，这是由于每个中的蚀刻诱导的单轴磁各向异性 自由层。 两个铁磁自由层中的每一个具有蚀刻诱导的单轴磁各向异性和在静止状态下基本上平行于其单轴各向异性的面内磁矩，即不存在施加的磁场。 每个自由层的蚀刻诱导的单轴各向异性通过对每个自由层的直接离子蚀刻和/或通过其上沉积有每个自由层的层的离子蚀刻来实现。 通过蚀刻在自由层中诱发强烈的磁各向异性，这有利于静止状态下的两个自由层的大致正交取向。

公开(公告)号：US07649719B2

公开(公告)日：2010-01-19

申请号：US11525790

申请日：2006-09-21

申请人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  Stefan Maat

发明人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  Stefan Maat

IPC分类号： G11B5/39 ,  G11B5/127

CPC分类号： G01R33/093 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G11B5/3906 ,  H01F10/3236 ,  H01F10/3263 ,  H01F10/3272

摘要： A current perpendicular to plane dual giant magnetoresistive sensor (dual CPP GMR sensor) that prevents spin torque noise while having high dR/R performance. The sensor has a design that maximizes the GMR effect (dR/R) by providing a pinned layer structure that maximizes the positive GMR contribution of the AP2 layer (or magnetic layer closest to the spacer layer) while minimizing the negative GMR contribution of the AP1 layer. The pinned layer structure includes an AP1 layer that includes a thin CoFe layer that is exchange coupled with an IrMn or IrMnCr AFM layer and has two or more Co layers with a spin blocking layer sandwiched between them. The use of the Co layers and the spin blocking layer in the AP1 layer minimizes the negative contribution of the AP1 layer. The AP2 layer has a plurality of CoFe layers with nano-layers such as Cu sandwiched between the CoFe layers.

摘要翻译： 垂直于平面双巨磁阻传感器（双CPP GMR传感器）的电流，可防止旋转扭矩噪声，同时具有高dR / R性能。 传感器具有通过提供使AP2层（或最靠近间隔层的磁性层）的正GMR贡献最大化的钉扎层结构来最大化GMR效应（dR / R）的设计，同时使AP1的负GMR贡献最小化 层。 钉扎层结构包括AP1层，其包括与IrMn或IrMnCr AFM层交换耦合的薄CoFe层，并且具有夹在其间的自旋阻挡层的两个或更多个Co层。 在AP1层中使用Co层和自旋阻挡层使AP1层的负面贡献最小化。 AP2层具有夹在CoFe层之间的具有纳米层的多个CoFe层，例如Cu。

公开(公告)号：US20090323228A1

公开(公告)日：2009-12-31

申请号：US12553864

申请日：2009-09-03

申请人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat

发明人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat

IPC分类号： G11B5/127

CPC分类号： H01L43/10 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G01R33/098 ,  G11B5/3906 ,  G11B5/3909

摘要： A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording hard disk drive, has a magnesium oxide (MgO) tunneling barrier layer and a ferromagnetic underlayer beneath and in direct contact with the MgO tunneling barrier layer. The ferromagnetic underlayer comprises a crystalline material according to the formula (CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey, where the subscripts represent atomic percent, x is between about 45 and 55, and y is between about 26 and 37. The ferromagnetic underlayer may be the CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey portion of a bilayer of two ferromagnetic layers, for example a CoFe/(CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey bilayer. The specific composition of the ferromagnetic underlayer improves the crystallinity of the MgO tunneling barrier after annealing and improves the tunneling magnetoresistance of the TMR device.

摘要翻译： 隧道磁阻（TMR）器件，如磁记录硬盘驱动器的TMR读头，具有氧化镁（MgO）隧道势垒层和在MgO隧道势垒层下面直接接触的铁磁性底层。 铁磁底层包含根据式（CoxFe（100-x））（100-y）Gey的结晶材料，其中下标表示原子百分比，x在约45和55之间，y在约26和37之间。 铁磁底层可以是两个铁磁层的双层的CoxFe（100-x））（100-y）Gey部分，例如CoFe /（CoxFe（100-x））（100-y）Gey双层。 铁磁性底层的具体组成提高了退火后MgO隧道势垒的结晶度，提高了TMR器件的隧穿磁阻。

公开(公告)号：US07502206B2

公开(公告)日：2009-03-10

申请号：US11492375

申请日：2006-07-24

申请人： Bruce Alvin Gurney ,  Stefan Maat ,  Ernesto E. Marinero ,  Bruce Alexander Wilson

发明人： Bruce Alvin Gurney ,  Stefan Maat ,  Ernesto E. Marinero ,  Bruce Alexander Wilson

IPC分类号： G11B5/33

CPC分类号： G11B5/3948 ,  G11C11/14

摘要： An extraordinary magnetoresistive device EMR sensor that is capable of reading two separate tracks of data simultaneously. The EMR sensor has a semiconductor structure with an electrically conductive shunt structure at one side. The other side of the semiconductor structure is connected with a pair of current leads. Each of the current leads is disposed between a pair of voltage leads. Each pair of voltage leads is capable of independently reading a magnetic signal by measuring the voltage potential change across the pair of voltage leads. The EMR structure minimizes the number of leads needed to read two magnetic signals by using a single pair of current leads to read two tracks of data.

摘要翻译： 一个非凡的磁阻器件EMR传感器，能够同时读取两个独立的数据轨迹。 EMR传感器具有在一侧具有导电分流结构的半导体结构。 半导体结构的另一侧与一对电流引线连接。 每个电流引线设置在一对电压引线之间。 每对电压引线可以通过测量一对电压引线上的电压电位变化来独立读取磁信号。 EMR结构通过使用单对电流引线读取两个数据轨迹来最小化读取两个磁信号所需的引线数量。

公开(公告)号：US07436634B2

公开(公告)日：2008-10-14

申请号：US11615840

申请日：2006-12-22

申请人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  Stefan Maat

发明人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  Stefan Maat

IPC分类号： G11B5/10 ,  G11B5/39

CPC分类号： G11B5/3166 ,  G11B5/3163 ,  G11B5/3196 ,  G11B5/3932 ,  G11C11/14 ,  H01L43/12 ,  Y10T29/49021 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49046

摘要： A magnetic shield for use in a magnetic head. The magnetic shield has a magnetic anisotropy associated with a magnetic easy axis of magnetization oriented substantially parallel with the air bearing surface. The magnetic anisotropy of the shield is induced by an anisotropic surface texture. This anisotropic surface texture can be formed in a surface of one or more magnetic layers of the shield, or can be formed in a surface of an under-layer on which the shield is deposited. The shield could also be constructed as a lamination of magnetic layers separated by non-magnetic layers, with the anisotropic surface texture being formed on one or more of the non-magnetic layers.

摘要翻译： 用于磁头的磁屏蔽。 磁屏蔽具有与磁性易磁化轴相关联的磁各向异性，该磁性易磁化轴基本上平行于空气轴承表面定向。 屏蔽的磁各向异性由各向异性表面纹理引起。 这种各向异性表面纹理可以形成在屏蔽的一个或多个磁性层的表面中，或者可以形成在其上沉积有屏蔽层的下层的表面中。 屏蔽也可以被构造为由非磁性层分离的磁性层的叠层，各向异性表面纹理形成在一个或多个非磁性层上。

公开(公告)号：US07423847B2

公开(公告)日：2008-09-09

申请号：US11268275

申请日：2005-11-03

申请人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat ,  Neil Smith

发明人： Matthew J. Carey ,  Jeffrey R. Childress ,  Stefan Maat ,  Neil Smith

IPC分类号： G11B5/39

CPC分类号： G11B5/398 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G01R33/093 ,  G11B5/3906

摘要： A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has an insulating layer with at least one aperture that confines the flow of sense current through the active region. The apertures are located closer to the sensing edge of the sensor than to the back edge of the sensor. The aperture (or apertures) are patterned by e-beam lithography, which enables the number, size and location of the apertures to be precisely controlled. The insulating layer may be located inside the electrically conductive nonmagnetic spacer layer, or outside of the magnetically active layers of the spin-valve. More than one insulating layer may be included in the stack to define conductive current paths where the apertures of the insulating layers overlap. The apertures are filled with electrically conductive material, typically the same material as that used for the spacer layer.

摘要翻译： 电流 - 垂直于平面的自旋阀（CPP-SV）磁阻传感器具有绝缘层，其具有至少一个限制感应电流通过有源区域的孔径。 孔比传感器的后边缘更靠近传感器的感测边缘。 孔（或孔）通过电子束光刻被图案化，这使得能够精确地控制孔的数量，尺寸和位置。 绝缘层可以位于导电非磁性间隔层内部，或位于自旋阀的磁性有效层的外部。 堆叠中可以包括多于一个绝缘层，以限定绝缘层的孔重叠的导电电流路径。 孔被填充有导电材料，通常与用于间隔层的材料相同。

公开(公告)号：US07382586B2

公开(公告)日：2008-06-03

申请号：US11177990

申请日：2005-07-07

申请人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  James L. Nix ,  Stefan Maat ,  Ian Robson McFadyen

发明人： Matthew Joseph Carey ,  Jeffrey Robinson Childress ,  James L. Nix ,  Stefan Maat ,  Ian Robson McFadyen

IPC分类号： G11B5/39

CPC分类号： H01F10/3272 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y40/00 ,  G11B5/3932 ,  H01F10/16 ,  H01F10/30 ,  H01F41/306 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12

摘要： A magnetoresistive sensor having a self biased free layer. The free layer is constructed upon an underlayer that has been treated by a surface texturing process that configures the underlayer with an anisotropic roughness that induces a magnetic anisotropy in the free layer. The treated layer underlying the free layer can be a spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and pinned layer or can be a separate underlayer formed opposite the spacer layer. Alternatively, the texturing of an underlayer can be used to induce a magnetic anisotropy in a bias layer that is separated from the free layer by an orthogonal coupling layer. This self biasing of the free layer induced by texturing can also be used in conjunction with biasing from a hard-bias structure.

摘要翻译： 具有自偏置自由层的磁阻传感器。 自由层被构造在已经通过表面纹理化处理处理的底层上，该表面构造过程用在各自自由层中引起磁各向异性的各向异性粗糙度来构造底层。 自由层下面的处理层可以是夹在自由层和被钉扎层之间的间隔层，或者可以是与间隔层相对形成的单独的下层。 或者，底层的纹理化可以用于在通过正交耦合层与自由层分离的偏压层中引起磁各向异性。 由纹理引起的自由层的这种自偏压也可以与来自硬偏压结构的偏压结合使用。