Granted Patent B2

US 7,889,456 · App. 11/939,503 · Granted Feb 15, 2011

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A perpendicular magnetic recording write head for magnetizing regions in data tracks of a magnetic recording layer comprising:

a write pole having an end for facing the recording layer;

a main pole connected to the write pole and having an end recessed from the write pole end;

a first flux shaping layer of magnetically permeable material located between the main pole and the write pole and having an end recessed from the write pole end;

an electrically conductive coil wrapped around the main pole for generating magnetic flux in the main pole and its connected write pole;

first and second return poles spaced on opposite sides of the write pole in the along-the-track direction; and

a trailing shield having an end generally coplanar with the write pole end and spaced from the write pole end in the along-the-track direction.

2. The write head of claim 1 further comprising a leading shield having an end generally coplanar with the write pole end and spaced from the write pole end in the along-the-track direction, the leading shield being located on the opposite side of the write pole from the trailing shield in the along-the-track direction.

3. The write head of claim 2 wherein said leading shield end is tapered in the direction toward the recording layer.

4. The write head of claim 2 wherein the return poles are connected to the main pole by a yoke and wherein the leading shield is connected to said first return pole.

5. The write head of claim 1 wherein said trailing shield end is tapered in the direction toward the recording layer.

6. The write head of claim 1 wherein the return poles are connected to the main pole by a yoke and wherein the trailing shield is a floating shield not connected to the return poles or the yoke.

7. The write head of claim 1 wherein the return poles are connected to the main pole by a yoke and wherein the trailing shield is connected to said second return pole.

8. The write head of claim 1 further comprising a pair of side shields having ends generally coplanar with the write pole end and spaced on opposite sides from the write pole end in the cross-track direction.

9. The write head of claim 8 wherein the side shields and trailing shield are contiguous, thereby forming a wraparound shield.

10. The write head of claim 9 wherein the return poles are connected to the main pole by a yoke and wherein the wraparound shield is a floating shield not connected to the return poles or the yoke.

11. The write head of claim 9 wherein the return poles are connected to the main pole by a yoke and wherein the wraparound shield is connected to said second pole.

12. The write head of claim 1 wherein said end of the first shaping layer is tapered in the direction toward the recording layer.

13. The write head of claim 1 further comprising a second flux shaping layer of magnetically permeable material located on said write pole and having an end recessed from the write pole end.

14. The write head of claim 13 wherein said end of the second shaping layer is tapered in the direction toward the recording layer.

15. The write head of claim 13 further comprising magnetically permeable material located on opposite sides of the write pole in the cross-track direction, whereby the write pole is substantially surrounded by and in contact with magnetically permeable material in its region recessed from its end facing the recording layer.

16. A magnetic recording disk drive perpendicular recording write head for magnetizing regions in data tracks of a magnetic recording layer on the disk, the head being formed on a slider having an air-bearing surface (ABS) for facing the recording layer and comprising:

a substrate;

a main pole on the substrate and having an end recessed from the ABS;

a first flux shaping layer of magnetically permeable material on the main pole and having an end recessed from the ABS;

a write pole on the first shaping layer and having an end substantially at the ABS;

a second flux shaping layer of magnetically permeable material on the write pole and having an end recessed from the ABS;

an electrically conductive coil wrapped around the main pole for generating magnetic flux in the main pole and its connected write pole;

first and second return poles spaced on opposite sides of the write pole in the along-the-track direction;

a leading shield having an end substantially at the ABS and located between the write pole end and the first return pole and spaced from the write pole end in the along-the-track direction; and

a trailing shield having an end substantially at the ABS and located between the write pole end and the second return pole and spaced from the write pole end in the along-the-track direction.

17. The disk drive of claim 16 wherein said ends of said first and second shaping layers are tapered in the direction of the ABS.

18. The disk drive of claim 16 further comprising magnetically permeable material located on opposite sides of the write pole in the cross-track direction and connecting the first and second shaping layers, whereby the write pole is substantially surrounded by and in contact with magnetically permeable material in a region recessed from its end at the ABS.

19. The disk drive of claim 16 further comprising a pair of side shields having ends substantially at the ABS and spaced on opposite sides from the write pole end in the cross-track direction.

20. The write head of claim 19 wherein the side shields and trailing shield are contiguous, thereby forming a wraparound shield.

21. A magnetic recording disk drive comprising:

a rotatable magnetic recording disk comprising a substrate, an underlayer on the substrate, and a recording layer on the underlayer, the recording layer having a plurality of circular concentric data tracks; and

the write head of claim 16 .

Assignments (6)