FILLED PATTERNED MAGNETIC HEAD

• US 20090174967A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McClelland, Gary Miles, Biskeborn, Robert Glenn, Lo, Calvin Shyhjong
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/313
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3106 where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination G11B5/3133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3116 Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a substrate having a media support surface; a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer; a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface; and a material formed in one or more recesses extending into the media support surface of at least one of the substrate and the closure.

Claims

1. A magnetic head, comprising:

a substrate having a media support surface;

a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer;

a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface; and

a material formed in one or more recesses extending into the media support surface of at least one of the substrate and the closure.

2. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the material includes a metal.

3. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the material is a fluorinated material.

4. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the material exhibits less tendency for head/media stiction than the surrounding media support surface.

5. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is between about 10 and about 50 nanometers deep from the media bearing surface, wherein the at least one recess is between about 0.1 and about 20 microns wide.

6. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is elongated, wherein an axis thereof is oriented at an angle of between 1 and 90 degrees from a line parallel to a direction of tape travel across the media support surface.

7. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is elongated, wherein an axis thereof is oriented about parallel to a direction of tape travel across the media support surface.

8. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the gap has a gap profile recessed from the media support surface, and further comprising a nonmagnetic material formed above the recessed gap profile.

9. A head as recited in claim 8, wherein the nonmagnetic material includes a metal.

10. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is formed in the substrate.

11. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is formed in the closure.

12. A head as recited in claim 1, wherein recesses are formed in both the substrate and the closure.

13. A magnetic data storage system, comprising:

a magnetic head as recited in claim 1;

a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the head; and

a controller electrically coupled to the head.

14. A magnetic head, comprising:

a substrate having a media support surface;

a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer, wherein the gap has a gap profile recessed from the media support surface;

a laminate layer formed above the recessed gap profile, the laminate layer comprising an electrically insulating layer formed adjacent the gap profile; and

a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface.

15. A head as recited in claim 14, wherein the laminate layer further comprises a nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer formed above the electrically insulating layer.

16. A head as recited in claim 14, wherein the laminate layer includes a fluorinated material, the fluorinated material forming a portion of the media support surface.

17. A magnetic data storage system, comprising:

a magnetic head as recited in claim 14;

a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the head; and

a controller electrically coupled to the head.

18. A magnetic head, comprising:

a substrate having a media support surface;

a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer, wherein the gap has a gap profile recessed from the media support surface;

a layer formed above the recessed gap profile;

a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface; and

a material formed in at least one recess extending into the media support surface of at least one of the substrate and the closure.

19. A head as recited in claim 18, wherein the layer formed above the recessed gap profile is a laminate comprising a nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer formed above an electrically insulating layer.

20. A magnetic head, comprising:

a substrate having a media support surface;

a gap coupled to the substrate, the gap having at least one of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and a writer, wherein the gap has a gap profile recessed from the media support surface;

a layer formed above the recessed gap profile;

a closure coupled to the gap on a side thereof opposite the substrate, said closure forming a portion of the media support surface; and

a material formed in recesses extending into the media support surface of the substrate and the closure.