Abstract:
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a pole tip shielded laterally by a graded side shield that is conformal to the shape of the pole tip at an upper portion of the shield but not conformal to the pole tip at a lower portion. The shield includes a trailing shield, that is conformal to the trailing edge of the pole tip and may include a leading edge shield that magnetically connects two bottom ends of the graded side shield.
Abstract:
A PMR head comprises a substrate, a magnetic pole formed over the substrate, the pole having a pole tip having a cross-sectional tapered shape wherein the pole tip is surrounded by a write gap layer, an integrated shield comprising side shields on the substrate laterally surrounding the pole tip and a trailing shield overlying the pole tip and integral with the side shields.
Abstract:
A process for forming the write pole of a PMR head is described. This write pole is symmetrically located relative to its side shields, This is accomplished, not through optical alignment, but by coating the pole with a uniform layer of non-magnetic material of a predetermined and precise thickness, followed by the formation of the shield layer around this.
Abstract:
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a pole tip shielded laterally by a separated pair of side shields and shielded from above by an upper shield. The side shields are formed by a RIE process using specific gases applied to a shield layer through a masking layer formed of material that has a slower etch rate than the shield material. A masking layer of Ta, Ru/Ta, TaN or Ti, formed on a shield layer of NiFe and using RIE gases of CH3OH, CO or NH3 or their combinations, produces the desired result. The differential in etch rates maintains the opening dimension within the mask and allows the formation of a wedge-shaped trench within the shield layer that separates the layer into two shields. The pole tip is then plated within the trench and, being aligned by the trench, acquires the wedge-shaped cross-section of the trench. An upper shield is then formed above the side shields and pole.
Abstract:
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a main pole shielded laterally by a pair of side shields, shielded above by a trailing shield and shielded optionally below by a leading shield. The shields and the seed layers on which they are formed are formed of materials having substantially the same physical characteristics including the same material composition, the same hardness, the same response to processes such as ion beam etching (IBE), chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), mechanical lapping, such as the slider ABS lapping, the same coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as well as the same Bs. Optionally, the trailing shield may be formed on a high Bs seed layer to provide the write head with improved down-track performance.
Abstract:
A laminated main pole layer is disclosed in which a non-AFC scheme is used to break the magnetic coupling between adjacent high moment layers and reduce remanence in a hard axis direction while maintaining a high magnetic moment and achieving low values for Hch, Hce, and Hk. An amorphous material layer with a thickness of 3 to 20 Angstroms and made of an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride of one or more of Hf, Zr, Ta, Al, Mg, Zn, or Si is inserted between adjacent high moment stacks. The laminated structure also includes an alignment layer below each high moment layer within each stack. In one embodiment, a Ru coupling layer is inserted between two high moment layers in each stack to introduce an AFC scheme. An uppermost Ru layer is used as a CMP stop layer. A post annealing process may be employed to further reduce the anisotropy field (Hk).
Abstract:
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head with single or double coil layers has a small write shield stitched onto a main write shield. The stitched shield allows the main write pole to produce a vertical write field with sharp vertical gradients that is reduced on both sides of the write pole so that adjacent track erasures are eliminated. From a fabrication point of view, both the main pole and the stitched shield are defined and formed using a single photolithographic process, a trim mask and CMP lapping process so that the main shield can be stitched onto a self-aligned main pole and stitched shield.
Abstract:
By using a free layer that includes a NiFe layer containing between 65 and 72 atomic percent iron, an improved CPP GMR device has been created. The resulting structure yields a higher CPP GMR ratio than prior art devices, while maintaining free layer softness and acceptable magnetostriction. A process for manufacturing the device is also described.
Abstract:
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head with single or double coil layers has a small write shield stitched onto a main write shield. The stitched shield allows the main write pole to produce a vertical write field with sharp vertical gradients that is reduced on both sides of the write pole so that adjacent track erasures are eliminated. From a fabrication point of view, both the main pole and the stitched shield are defined and formed using a single photolithographic process, a trim mask and CMP lapping process so that the main shield can be stitched onto a self-aligned main pole and stitched shield.