Multiple sensor array usable in two-dimensional magnetic recording
View Patent ↗A method and system provide a magnetic transducer including a first shield, a plurality of read sensors, and a second shield. The read sensors are between the first shield and the second shield. The read sensors have a plurality of widths in a track width direction and are separated by at least one distance in a down track direction. The down track direction is perpendicular to the track width direction.
1. A magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:
a first shield;
a plurality of read sensors having a plurality of widths in a track width direction, the plurality of read sensors being separated by at least one distance in a down track direction and displaced in the track width direction such that none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the track width direction, the down track direction being perpendicular to the track width direction, the plurality of read sensors including a central read sensor having a first width of the plurality of widths, a remaining portion of the plurality of widths being based on a distance in the track width direction between each of a remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors and the central read sensor, the remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors including at least two read sensors; and
a second shield, the plurality of read sensors residing between the first shield and the second shield;
wherein the magnetic transducer is oriented at a plurality of skew angles from the down track direction with respect to a portion of a plurality of tracks on a media, the plurality of skew angles having an absolute value of up to a maximum skew angle, the maximum skew angle being nonzero, the at least one distance being configured such that at the plurality of skew angles neighboring read sensors of the plurality of read sensors are aligned with adjoining tracks of the plurality of tracks.
2. The magnetic transducer of claim 1 wherein the plurality of read sensors overlap in the down track direction.
3. The magnetic read transducer of claim 2 wherein the plurality of read sensors overlap by at least five percent and not more than seventy percent of the plurality of widths.
4. The magnetic read transducer of claim 3 wherein the plurality of read sensors overlap by at least thirty percent and not more than forty percent of the plurality of widths.
5. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths is smaller than the first width.
6. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of shields interleaved with the plurality of read sensors.
7. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a free layer, wherein the at least one distance is measured between the free layer of a sensor of the plurality of sensors to the free layer of a nearest sensor of the plurality of sensors, the at least one distance being at least ten nanometers and not more than four hundred nanometers.
8. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the down track direction.
9. A magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:
a first shield;
a plurality of read sensors having a plurality of widths in a track width direction, the plurality of read sensors being separated by at least one distance in a down track direction, the down track direction being perpendicular to the track width direction; and
a second shield, the plurality of read sensors residing between the first shield and the second shield;
wherein the plurality of read sensors include a central read sensor having a first width of the plurality of widths, a remaining portion of the plurality of widths being not smaller than the first width.
10. The magnetic read transducer of claim 9 wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths increase with increasing distance from the central read sensor.
11. The magnetic read transducer of claim 9 wherein the plurality of read sensors are configured to read a media including a plurality of tracks having a track pitch and wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths are at least equal to and not more than twice the track pitch.
12. The magnetic read transducer of claim 11 wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths is at least one hundred twenty percent and not more than one hundred fifty percent of the track pitch.
13. The magnetic read transducer of claim 11 wherein the first width is at least fifty and not more than one hundred twenty percent of the track pitch.
14. The magnetic read transducer of claim 13 wherein the first width is at least eighty percent and not more than one hundred percent of the track pitch.
15. A disk drive comprising:
a media including a plurality of tracks;
a slider including a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS), the magnetic read transducer including a first shield, a plurality of read sensors and a second shield, the plurality of read sensors having a plurality of widths in a track width direction, the plurality of read sensors being separated by at least one distance in a down track direction and displaced in the track width direction such that none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the track width direction, the down track direction being perpendicular to the track width direction, the plurality of read sensors including a central read sensor having a first width of the plurality of widths, a remaining portion of the plurality of widths being based on a distance in the track width direction between each of a remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors and the central read sensor, the remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors including at least two read sensors, the slider being oriented at a plurality of skew angles from the down track direction with respect to a portion of the plurality of tracks, the plurality of skew angles having an absolute value of up to a maximum skew angle, the maximum skew angle being nonzero, the at least one distance being configured such that at the plurality of skew angles neighboring read sensors of the plurality of read sensors are aligned with adjoining tracks of the plurality of tracks.
16. The disk drive of claim 15 wherein none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the down track direction.
17. A method for providing a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
providing a first shield;
providing a plurality of read sensors having a plurality of widths in a track width direction, the plurality of read sensors being separated by at least one distance in a down track direction and displaced in the track width direction such that none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the track width direction, the down track direction being perpendicular to the track width direction, the plurality of read sensors including a central read sensor having a first width of the plurality of widths, a remaining portion of the plurality of widths being based on a distance in the track width direction between each of a remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors and the central read sensor, the remaining portion of the plurality of read sensors including at least two read sensors; and
providing a second shield, the plurality of read sensors residing between the first shield and the second shield;
wherein the magnetic transducer is configured to be oriented at a plurality of skew angles from the down track direction with respect to a portion of a plurality of tracks on a media, the plurality of skew angles having an absolute value of up to a maximum skew angle, the maximum skew angle being nonzero, the at least one distance being configured such that at the plurality of skew angles neighboring read sensors of the plurality of read sensors are aligned with adjoining tracks of the plurality of tracks.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of read sensors overlap in the down track direction, the plurality of read sensors overlapping by at least five percent and not more than seventy percent of the plurality of widths.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths is smaller than the first width.
20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
providing a plurality of shields interleaved with the plurality of read sensors.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a free layer, wherein the at least one distance is measured between the free layer of a sensor of the plurality of sensors to the free layer of a nearest sensor of the plurality of sensors, the at least one distance being at least ten nanometers and not more than four hundred nanometers.
22. The method of claim 17 wherein none of the plurality of read sensors are aligned in the down track direction.
23. A method for providing a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
providing a first shield;
providing a plurality of read sensors having a plurality of widths in a track width direction, the plurality of read sensors being separated by at least one distance in a down track direction, the down track direction being perpendicular to the track width direction; and
providing a second shield, the plurality of read sensors residing between the first shield and the second shield;
wherein the plurality of read sensors include a central read sensor having a first width of the plurality of widths, a remaining portion of the plurality of widths being not smaller than the first width.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths increase with increasing distance from the central read sensor.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the plurality of read sensors are configured to read a media including a plurality of tracks having a track pitch and wherein the remaining portion of the plurality of widths are at least one hundred twenty percent and not more than one hundred fifty percent of the track pitch.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the first width is at least eighty and not more than one hundred percent of the track pitch.