Abstract:
A main pole layer having at least a leading taper and trimmed pole tip portion is described. The leading taper increases head field up to ≧15000 Oe even for narrow track widths approaching 50 nm. For MAMR applications, a STO and trailing shield are sequentially formed on a trailing pole tip side. Furthermore, full side shields may be added to reduce fringing field. A preferred embodiment includes both of a leading taper and trailing taper at the pole tip where leading taper angle is between 20° and 60° and trailing taper angle is from 10° to 45°. A method is provided for forming various embodiments of the present invention. A key feature is that milling depth at an effective neck height distance is greater than or equal to the pole tip thickness. A self aligned STO may be formed by the same ion milling step that defines track width.
Abstract:
The invention describes a family of sensors for assaying macro-molecules and/or biological cells in solution. The invention also describes methods of making and using the sensors. Each sensor has the form of a well (a hollow cylinder having a floor but no lid) or a trench whose walls comprise a plurality of GMR or TMR devices. Suitably shaped magnets located below each well's floor pull labeled particles into the well/trench and up against the inner wall where a field gradient orients them for optimum detection. Any unattached labels that happen to also be in the well/trench are removed through suitably sized holes in the floor.
Abstract:
A magnetic sensor with increased sensitivity, lower noise, and improved frequency response is described. The sensor's free layer is ribbon shaped and is closely flanked at each long edge by a ribbon of magnetically soft, high permeability material. Side stripes of soft magnetic material absorb external field flux and concentrate the flux to flow into the sensor's edges to promote larger MR sensor magnetization rotation. Side stripes are located in the plane of the free layer at a maximum distance of 0.1 microns from each side of the free layer. The free layer has a width 1 micron, and an aspect ratio (thickness/width) of at least 5. Preferably, Mfilmtfilm>Mfreetfree, where Mfilm and Mfree are the magnetization of the soft magnetic layers and free layer, respectively, and ffilm and tfree are the thickness of the soft magnetic layers and free layer, respectively.
Abstract:
A MR sensor is disclosed that has a free layer (FL) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), which eliminates the need for an adjacent hard bias structure to stabilize free layer magnetization, and minimizes shield-FL interactions. In a TMR embodiment, a seed layer, free layer, junction layer, reference layer, and pinning layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield. After forming a sensor sidewall that stops in the seed layer or on the bottom shield, a conformal insulation layer is deposited. Thereafter, a top shield is formed on the insulation layer and includes side shields that are separated from the FL by a narrow read gap. The sensor is scalable to widths
Abstract:
A TAMR (Thermally Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head is formed with a narrow pole tip, a trailing edge magnetic shield and, optionally, a plasmon shield. The narrow pole tipped write head uses the energy of laser generated edge plasmons, formed in a plasmon generating layer, to locally heat a PMR magnetic recording medium slightly below its Curie temperature, Tc. When combined with the effects of the narrow tip, this local heating to a temperature below Tc is sufficient to create good transitions and narrow track widths in the magnetic medium. The write head is capable of writing effectively on state-of-the-art PMR recording media having Hk of 20 kOe or more.
Abstract:
A MR sensor is disclosed that has a free layer (FL) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) which eliminates the need for an adjacent hard bias structure to stabilize free layer magnetization and minimizes shield-FL interactions. In a TMR embodiment, a seed layer, free layer, junction layer, reference layer, and pinning layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield. After patterning, a conformal insulation layer is formed along the sensor sidewall. Thereafter, a top shield is formed on the insulation layer and includes side shields that are separated from the FL by a narrow read gap. The sensor is scalable to widths
Abstract:
A spin transfer oscillator with a seed/SIL/spacer/FGL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2)X laminated spin injection layer (SIL). Field generation layer (FGL) is made of a high Bs material such FeCo. Alternatively, the STO has a seed/FGL/spacer/SIL/capping configuration. The SIL may include a FeCo layer that is exchanged coupled with the (A1/A2)X laminate (x is 5 to 50) to improve robustness. The FGL may include an (A1/A2)Y laminate (y=5 to 30) exchange coupled with the high Bs layer to enable easier oscillations. A1 may be one of Co, CoFe, or CoFeR where R is a metal, and A2 is one of Ni, NiCo, or NiFe. The STO may be formed between a main pole and trailing shield in a write head.
Abstract:
A magnetic sensor with increased sensitivity, lower noise, and improved frequency response is described. The sensor's free layer is ribbon shaped and is closely flanked at each long edge by a ribbon of magnetically soft, high permeability material. Side stripes of soft magnetic material absorb external field flux and concentrate the flux to flow into the sensor's edges to promote larger MR sensor magnetization rotation. Side stripes may be located in the plane of the free layer a maximum distance of 0.1 microns, above a plane that includes a free layer top surface, or below a plane that includes the magnetic sensor bottom surface. Edges of each side stripe may be aligned above or below a portion of the magnetic sensor. Moreover, each side stripe may have a tapered edge such that the side stripes have increasing thickness with increasing distance from the magnetic sensor.
Abstract:
A spin transfer oscillator with a seed/SIL/spacer/FGL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2)X laminated spin injection layer (SIL). Field generation layer (FGL) is made of a high Bs material such FeCo. Alternatively, the STO has a seed/FGL/spacer/SIL/capping configuration. The SIL may include a FeCo layer that is exchanged coupled with the (A1/A2)X laminate (x is 5 to 50) to improve robustness. The FGL may include an (A1/A2)Y laminate (y=5 to 30) exchange coupled with the high Bs layer to enable easier oscillations. A1 may be one of Co, CoFe, or CoFeR where R is a metal, and A2 is one of Ni, NiCo, or NiFe. The STO may be formed between a main pole and trailing shield in a write head.
Abstract:
The performance of an MR device has been improved by inserting one or more Magneto-Resistance Enhancing Layers (MRELs) into approximately the center of one or more of the magnetic layers such as an inner pinned (AP1) layer, spin injection layer (SIL), field generation layer (FGL), and a free layer. An MREL is a layer of a low band gap, high electron mobility semiconductor such as ZnO or a semimetal such as Bi. The MREL may further comprise a first conductive layer that contacts a bottom surface of the semiconductor or semimetal layer, and a second conductive layer that contacts a top surface of the semiconductor or semimetal layer.