Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head with patterned leading shield
First Claim
1. A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
- (a) a main pole with a first leading side and a trailing side, and two sides that connect the first leading side with the trailing side, the first leading side adjoins a lead gap having a front side at an air bearing surface (ABS), and the trailing side has a track width at the ABS;
(b) the lead gap that separates the first leading side and a leading shield; and
(c) the leading shield with an upper layer having a first cross-track width, a front side at the ABS, a backside at a first height (a) from the ABS, an upper surface adjoining the lead gap, and a lower surface adjoining a top surface of a lower layer wherein the lower layer comprises;
(1) a front side having the first cross-track width at the ABS;
(2) a backside at a second height (b) from the ABS where b>
a; and
(3) the top surface that is orthogonal to the ABS, and wherein the lower layer has a notch with a first side that is parallel to the ABS, one end at the top surface, and is recessed a third height (v) from the ABS, and a second side that extends from a second end of the first side to the lower layer backside, the first side has a second cross-track width between two notch sidewalls that are equidistant from a center plane that bisects the leading shield and the main pole.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A perpendicular magnetic recording writer is disclosed with a leading shield (LS) having an upper layer that extends from an air bearing surface (ABS) to a backside at a first height (a). A LS lower layer has an upper surface that contacts the LS upper layer, a front side at the ABS, and a backside at a second height (b) where b>a. LS lower layer has a notch in the upper surface that is recessed from the ABS and has a first side aligned parallel to the ABS. The notch is aligned below the main pole and has a cross-track width that is from 1× to 11× the track width, and two sidewalls formed equidistant from a center plane wherein each sidewall intersects the first side at a 90 to 170 degree angle. Accordingly, overwrite, bit error rate (BER), and tracks per square inch capability are improved.
55 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
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(a) a main pole with a first leading side and a trailing side, and two sides that connect the first leading side with the trailing side, the first leading side adjoins a lead gap having a front side at an air bearing surface (ABS), and the trailing side has a track width at the ABS; (b) the lead gap that separates the first leading side and a leading shield; and (c) the leading shield with an upper layer having a first cross-track width, a front side at the ABS, a backside at a first height (a) from the ABS, an upper surface adjoining the lead gap, and a lower surface adjoining a top surface of a lower layer wherein the lower layer comprises; (1) a front side having the first cross-track width at the ABS; (2) a backside at a second height (b) from the ABS where b>
a; and(3) the top surface that is orthogonal to the ABS, and wherein the lower layer has a notch with a first side that is parallel to the ABS, one end at the top surface, and is recessed a third height (v) from the ABS, and a second side that extends from a second end of the first side to the lower layer backside, the first side has a second cross-track width between two notch sidewalls that are equidistant from a center plane that bisects the leading shield and the main pole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
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(a) a main pole with a leading side and a trailing side, the leading side adjoins a lead gap at an air bearing surface (ABS) and the trailing side adjoins a write gap at the ABS; (b) a gap layer surrounding the main pole, the gap layer includes the lead gap, the write gap, and a side gap which contacts a side of the main pole formed between the trailing side and leading side on each side of a center plane that bisects the main pole in a direction orthogonal to the ABS; and (c) an all wrap around (AWA) shield structure, comprising; (1) a trailing shield formed on the write gap and contacting a side shield on each side of the center plane; (2) each of the side shields that adjoins one of the side gaps; and (3) a leading shield with an upper layer having a first cross-track width, a front side at the ABS, a backside at a first height (a) from the ABS, an upper surface adjoining the lead gap and a bottom surface of each side shield, and a lower surface adjoining a top surface of a lower layer wherein the lower layer comprises; a front side having the first cross-track width at the ABS; a backside at a second height (b) from the ABS where b>
a; andthe top surface that is orthogonal to the ABS, and wherein the lower layer has a notch with a first side that is parallel to the ABS, has a first end at the top surface, and is recessed a third height (v) from the ABS, and a second side that extends from a second end of the first side to the lower layer backside, the first side has a second cross-track width between two notch sidewalls that are equidistant from the center plane. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of forming a patterned leading shield structure in a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
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(a) forming a first leading shield (LS) layer with a top surface, a first cross-track width at a first plane that is orthogonal to the first LS layer top surface, and a second height (b) between the first plane and a backside that is aligned parallel to the first plane, and wherein the first LS layer top surface has a notch formed therein, the notch comprises a first side that is recessed a third height (v) from the first plane where b>
v, is formed parallel to the first plane and extends a first down-track distance from the top surface to a second notch side that is orthogonal to the first plane, and extends from an end of the first notch side to the first LS layer backside that adjoins a first dielectric layer;(b) forming a second leading shield (LS) layer on the first LS layer top surface, the second LS layer has the first cross-track width at the first plane, and a backside that is at a first height (a) from the first plane where a<
b;(c) forming a second dielectric layer on the top surfaces of the first LS layer and first dielectric layer wherein the second dielectric layer has a top surface that is coplanar with a top surface of the second LS layer and has a front side that adjoins the second LS layer backside; (d) performing an angled ion beam etch that forms a tapered top surface on the second LS layer such that a thickness of the second LS layer at the first height is less than a thickness of the second LS layer at the first plane; and (e) performing a lapping process that forms an air bearing surface (ABS) at the first plane, and a front side on each of the first and second LS layers at the ABS. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification