IP Library Granted Patent US 11,615,806
Granted Patent B2
US 11,615,806 · App. 17/697,859 · Granted Mar 28, 2023

Magnetic head with assisted magnetic recording

Inventors: Zhigang Bai (Fremont, CA); Youfeng Zheng (San Jose, CA); Venkatesh Chembrolu (Fremont, CA); Supradeep Narayana (Santa Clara, CA); Yaguang Wei (Pleasanton, CA); Suping Song (Fremont, CA); Terence T. Lam (Cupertino, CA); Kuok San Ho (Emerald Hills, CA); Changqing Shi (San Ramon, CA); Lijie Guan (San Jose, CA); Jian-Gang Zhu (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
G11B5/115G11B5/1278G11B5/187G11B5/3116
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,615,806
App. No.
17/697,859
Granted
Mar 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes first and second electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layers. The spin torque oscillator stack is coupled to the first electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.

Claims (44)

1. A magnetic head, comprising:

a main pole having a surface at an air bearing surface (ABS);

a trailing shield having a surface at the ABS;

a first conductive material portion disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield;

a second conductive material portion disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield; and

a spin torque oscillator coupled between the main pole and the trailing shield, wherein the spin torque oscillator is coupled to the first conductive material portion.

2. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material portion is disposed in contact with the second conductive material portion.

3. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive material portion is spaced from the spin torque oscillator.

4. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material portion is disposed in contact with the main pole and the second conductive material portion is disposed in contact with the trailing shield.

5. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material portion and the second conductive material portion each individually comprises an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material.

6. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive material portion is recessed from the ABS.

7. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material portion is recessed from the ABS.

8. The magnetic head of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material portion comprises a conductive multilayer stack of non-magnetic layers.

9. The magnetic head of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed in contact with the first conductive material portion, the insulating layer being recessed from the ABS.

10. A hard disk drive comprising: a magnetic head, comprising:

a main pole having a surface at an air bearing surface (ABS);

a trailing shield having a surface at the ABS;

a first conductive material portion disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield;

a second conductive material portion disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield; and

a spin torque oscillator coupled between the main pole and the trailing shield, wherein the spin torque oscillator is coupled to the first conductive material portion.

11. A magnetic head, comprising:

a main pole having a surface at an air bearing surface (ABS);

a trailing shield having a surface at the ABS;

a trailing gap disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield;

a first conductive material portion disposed in a first portion of the trailing gap recessed from the ABS;

a second conductive material portion disposed in the first portion of the trailing gap; and

a spin torque oscillator disposed in a second portion of the trailing gap at the ABS, wherein the spin torque oscillator is coupled to the first conductive material portion and spaced from the second conductive material portion.

12. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the trailing gap is wider than the second portion of the trailing gap.

13. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein a first electrically conductive path is present through the spin torque oscillator between the main pole and the trailing shield.

14. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein a second electrically conductive path is present through the first and second conductive material portions between the main pole and the trailing shield.

15. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein the first conductive material portion is disposed in contact with the main pole and the second conductive material portion, wherein the second conductive material portion is disposed in contact with the trailing shield and the first conductive material portion, and wherein the first conductive material portion and the second conductive material portion each individually copper, gold, platinum, ruthenium, chromium, tungsten, or a non-magnetic metallic alloy layer.

16. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein the spin torque oscillator comprises:

a non-magnetic conductive seed layer;

a spin polarized layer; and

a field generating layer.

17. The magnetic head of claim 11 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed in contact with the first and second conductive material portions in a third portion of the trailing gap, wherein the second portion of the trailing gap is disposed between the first portion of the trailing gap and the third portion of the trailing gap.

18. The magnetic head of claim 11 , wherein the first conductive material portion comprises a different material than the second conductive material portion.

19. A hard disk drive comprising: a magnetic head, comprising:

a main pole having a surface at an air bearing surface (ABS);

a trailing shield having a surface at the ABS;

a trailing gap disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield;

a first conductive material portion disposed in a first portion of the trailing gap recessed from the ABS;

a second conductive material portion disposed in the first portion of the trailing gap; and

a spin torque oscillator disposed in a second portion of the trailing gap at the ABS, wherein the spin torque oscillator is coupled to the first conductive material portion and spaced from the second conductive material portion.

Assignments (4)
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 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: BAI, ZHIGANG; ZHENG, ANNA; CHEMBROLU, VENKATESH; NARAYANA, SUPRADEEP; WEI, YAGUANG; SONG, SUPING; LAM, TERENCE; HO, KUOK SAN; SHI, CHANGQING; GUAN, LIJIE; ZHU, JIAN-GANG
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC.
Reel/Frame 059426/0737 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 059426/0761 →
Continuity (4)
Division 17141068 · Jan 4, 2021
Continuation 16252419 · Jan 18, 2019
Provisional Application 62743110 · Oct 9, 2018
Related Publication 20220208220A1 · Jun 30, 2022