PMR write head with narrow gap for minimal internal flux loss
First Claim
1. A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
- (a) a main pole comprised of a trailing side and a leading side with respect to a down-track direction, and two sides connecting said leading and trailing sides;
said leading side has a leading edge at an air bearing surface (ABS) and said trailing side has a trailing edge at the ABS;
(b) a gap layer adjacent to and surrounding the main pole at the ABS wherein said gap layer includes a write gap along the trailing side and trailing edge, a lead gap along the leading side and leading edge, and a side gap along each of the sides of the main pole;
(c) a first shield section formed adjacent to at least one of the write gap, side gaps, and lead gap, said first shield section is comprised of an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic material with a hard axis in a direction toward the main pole and a magnetization that is induced in a direction orthogonal to the hard axis with a weak magnetic field; and
(d) an isotropic magnetic shield formed adjacent to each first shield section on a side thereof facing away from the main pole, and contacting portions of the gap layer that are not adjacent to a first shield section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A PMR writer is disclosed wherein one or more of a trailing shield, leading shield, and side shields are composites with a first section made of an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer adjoining a gap layer and a second section comprised of an isotropic soft magnetic layer formed on a side of the first section that faces away from the main pole. There may be a non-magnetic Ru layer between each first and second section to prevent interlayer coupling. Each first section has a hard axis in a direction toward the main pole and is comprised of hcp-CoIr, dhcp-CoFe, a′-Fe—C, or NiAs-type Mn50Sb50 with a thickness from 50 to 500 nm. As a result, flux leakage from the main pole to a shield structure is reduced and area density is increased. A method for fabricating a composite shield structure is also provided.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer, comprising:
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(a) a main pole comprised of a trailing side and a leading side with respect to a down-track direction, and two sides connecting said leading and trailing sides;
said leading side has a leading edge at an air bearing surface (ABS) and said trailing side has a trailing edge at the ABS;(b) a gap layer adjacent to and surrounding the main pole at the ABS wherein said gap layer includes a write gap along the trailing side and trailing edge, a lead gap along the leading side and leading edge, and a side gap along each of the sides of the main pole; (c) a first shield section formed adjacent to at least one of the write gap, side gaps, and lead gap, said first shield section is comprised of an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic material with a hard axis in a direction toward the main pole and a magnetization that is induced in a direction orthogonal to the hard axis with a weak magnetic field; and (d) an isotropic magnetic shield formed adjacent to each first shield section on a side thereof facing away from the main pole, and contacting portions of the gap layer that are not adjacent to a first shield section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A PMR writer, comprising:
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(a) a main pole comprised of a trailing side and a leading side with respect to a down-track direction, and two sides connecting said leading and trailing sides;
said leading side has a leading edge at an air bearing surface (ABS) and said trailing side has a trailing edge at the ABS;(b) a gap layer formed adjacent to and surrounding the main pole at the ABS wherein said gap layer includes a write gap along the trailing side and trailing edge, a lead gap along the leading side and leading edge, and a side gap along each of the sides of the main pole; (c) a continuous first shield structure formed adjacent to said gap layer, said first shield structure has a plurality of sections each comprised of an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic material with a hard axis in a direction toward the main pole and a magnetization that is induced in a direction orthogonal to the hard axis with a weak magnetic field; (d) a seed layer separating the gap layer and the first shield structure, said seed layer induces the hard axis direction in the first shield structure toward the main pole; (e) a continuous second shield structure made of an isotropic magnetic material and formed adjacent to the continuous first shield structure, said continuous second shield has a trailing section formed adjacent to a first trailing shield section, a leading section formed adjacent to a first leading shield section, and two side sections wherein each side section is formed adjacent to a nearest first side shield section, and each second shield section is formed along a side of a first shield section that faces away from the main pole; and (f) a non-magnetic layer formed between the continuous first shield structure and the continuous second shield structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of fabricating a PMR writer having a composite trailing shield at an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:
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(a) sequentially forming a leading shield layer and a side shield layer on a substrate, said side shield layer has an opening formed therein which is bounded by side shield sidewalls and a top surface of said leading shield layer; (b) depositing a side gap along said side shield sidewalls and a leading gap on the top surface of the leading shield layer; (c) plating a main pole layer on the side gap and leading gap to fill the opening in the side shield layer, and planarizing a top surface of the main pole to be coplanar with said shield layer; (d) depositing a write gap on the side gap and on the main pole top surface; (e) sequentially forming a seed layer and an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer on the write gap, said anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer forms a first section of trailing shield; (f) forming a non-magnetic layer on the anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer; and (g) plating a second section of trailing shield comprised of an isotropic magnetic layer on the non-magnetic layer and on portions of the side shield layer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of fabricating a PMR writer having a composite side shield structure at an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:
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(a) sequentially forming a leading shield layer and a side shield layer made of an isotropic soft magnetic layer on a substrate, said side shield layer has an opening formed therein which is bounded by side shield sidewalls and a top surface of said leading shield layer; (b) depositing a non-magnetic metal layer on the side shield sidewalls; (c) conformally depositing an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer on the non-magnetic metal layer on each sidewall, said anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer forms a first shield section, and the isotropic magnetic layer is a second side shield section that together with the first side shield section form a composite side shield structure; (d) depositing a conformal side gap on the first side shield sections, and a leading gap on the top surface of the leading shield layer; (e) plating a main pole layer on the side gap and leading gap to fill the opening in the side shield layer, and planarizing a top surface of the main pole to be coplanar with said composite side shield structure; (f) depositing a write gap on the side gap and on the main pole top surface; and (g) plating a trailing shield on the write gap and on portions of the composite side shield structure. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of fabricating a PMR writer having a composite leading shield structure at an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:
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(a) forming a leading shield layer made of an isotropic soft magnetic material on a substrate, said leading shield layer has an opening formed therein which is bounded by sidewalls and a bottom surface within said leading shield layer; (b) conformally depositing a non-magnetic metal layer on said sidewalls and bottom surface; (c) depositing an anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer on the non-magnetic metal layer to fill said opening, said anisotropic (-Ku) magnetic layer forms a first leading shield section, and the isotropic magnetic layer is a second leading shield section that together with the first leading shield section forms a composite leading shield structure; (d) forming a side shield layer made of an isotropic magnetic material on the composite leading shield structure, said side shield layer has an opening formed therein bounded by sidewalls and a top surface of said first leading shield section; (e) depositing a conformal side gap on the side shield sidewalls, and a leading gap on the top surface of the first leading shield section; (f) plating a main pole layer on the side gap and leading gap to fill the opening in the side shield layer, and planarizing a top surface of the main pole to be coplanar with said side shield layer; (g) depositing a write gap on the side gap and on the main pole top surface; and (h) plating a trailing shield on the write gap and on portions of the side shield layer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification