IP Library Granted Patent US 8,780,505
Granted Patent B1
US 8,780,505 · App. 13/795,333 · Granted Jul 15, 2014

Method and system for providing a read transducer having an improved composite magnetic shield

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,780,505
App. No.
13/795,333
Granted
Jul 15, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and system provide a magnetic transducer including a first shield, a read sensor, and a second shield. The read sensor is between the first shield and the second shield. The second shield includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer is between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The pinning layer is adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer is coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer. At least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The CoFe portion includes at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe.

Claims (41)

1. A magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:

a first shield;

a read sensor; and

a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

2. The magnetic transducer of claim 1 wherein the read sensor includes at least one edge, the magnetic transducer further comprising:

at least one magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge and residing between the first shield and the second shield.

3. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

4. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the second magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

5. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein an other of the at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

6. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the first ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

7. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the first magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

8. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is Ru.

9. The magnetic transducer of claim 8 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer has a thickness of at least four Angstroms and not more than ten Angstroms.

10. The magnetic transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

a CoFe layer between the second ferromagnetic layer and the pinning layer.

11. A magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:

a first shield;

a read sensor; and

a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer;

wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

12. A disk drive comprising:

a media;

a slider including a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS), the magnetic read transducer including a first shield, a read sensor and a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

13. The disk drive of claim 12 wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

14. A method for providing a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:

providing a first shield;

providing a read sensor; and

providing a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

16. The method of claim 14 of wherein the read sensor includes at least one edge, the magnetic transducer further comprising:

at least one magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge and residing between the first shield and the second shield.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the second magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein an other of the at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the first ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the first magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is Ru.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer has a thickness of at least four Angstroms and not more than ten Angstroms.

Assignments (9)
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 038710 FRAME 0845 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC; WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058965/0445 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2019
From: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 050450/0582 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
Reel/Frame 045501/0158 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038710/0845 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0675 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0755 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: XIAO, RONGFU
To: WESTERN DIGITAL (FREMONT), LLC
Reel/Frame 032156/0142 →