IP Library Granted Patent US 12,567,438
Granted Patent B2
US 12,567,438 · App. 18/397,007 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Magnetic heads having low magnetic coercivity (Hc) and high saturated magnetic flux density (Bs) in ferromagnetic (FM) layer(s) or shield(s) with minimized saturation

Inventors: Quang Le (San Jose, CA); Brian R. York (San Jose, CA); Xiaoyong Liu (San Jose, CA); Jinming Liu (San Jose, CA); Son T. Le (San Jose, CA); Michael A. Gribelyuk (San Jose, CA); Susumu Okamura (San Jose, CA); Hisashi Takano (Fujisawa, JP)
Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
G11B5/1278G11B5/235G11B5/314G11B5/3146G11B5/315G11B5/3909G11B5/3912G11B2005/0024
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,567,438
App. No.
18/397,007
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Magnetic moments can be increased in hard disk drive (HDD) shields and ferromagnetic layers to minimize magnetic saturation while still maintaining low magnetic coercivity (Hc) and high saturated magnetic flux (Bs). A textured layer can be used to induce nucleation and growth of an interfacial nature such that body centered cubic (BCC) ferromagnetic materials with high Bs and low Hc are obtained while also increasing the magnetic moment. The textured layer will cause the ferromagnetic material to grow with low Hc regardless of the crystallographic orientation.

Claims (41)

1 . A head for a magnetic storage device, comprising:

a ferromagnetic layer or a shield comprising a ferromagnetic material, wherein the ferromagnetic layer or ferromagnetic material has a low magnetic coercivity (Hc) of below 20 Oe and a high saturated magnetic flux (Bs);

a texture enabling structure, wherein the texture enabling structure comprises:

an amorphous layer for disrupting underlying crystal seeding effects; and

a (100) orientation enabling layer disposed on the amorphous layer; and

a texture transfer layer configured to transfer a (100) orientation to a layer disposed thereon, wherein the ferromagnetic layer or the shield is over the texture enabling structure and the texture transfer layer, and wherein the ferromagnetic layer or the shield is disposed in contact with the texture transfer layer.

2 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous layer comprises a metallic layer, a nitride layer, or an ionic layer.

3 . The head of claim 2 , wherein the metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of NiZr, NiTa, NiNb, NiTaFe, NiFeW, NiW, and combinations thereof.

4 . The head of claim 2 , wherein the nitride layer is selected from the group consisting of NiZrN, NiTaN, NiNbN, NiTaFeN, NiFeWN, NiWN, and combinations thereof.

5 . The head of claim 2 , wherein the ionic layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and combinations thereof.

6 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the (100) orientation enabling layer comprises RuAl or CrMo, and the head further comprises a layer comprising Cr over the (100) orientation enabling layer.

7 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the texture transfer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, RuAl, and combinations thereof.

8 . A magnetic recording device comprising the head of claim 1 .

9 . A magnetic write head, comprising:

a main pole;

a trailing shield;

a leading shield;

a side shield; and

one or more texture enabling structures, wherein one or more of the main pole, the trailing shield, the leading shield, and the side shield is disposed on a corresponding texture enabling structure, wherein the texture enabling structure includes a (100) orientation enabling layer disposed on an amorphous layer, the (100) orientation enabling layer comprising RuAl or CrMo, and wherein the main pole, the trailing shield, the leading shield, or the side shield that is disposed on a corresponding texture enabling structure has a (100) orientation.

10 . The magnetic write head of claim 9 , wherein the amorphous layer comprises a metallic layer, a nitride layer, or an ionic layer.

11 . The magnetic write head of claim 10 , wherein the nitride layer is selected from the group consisting of NiZrN, NiTaN, NiNbN, NiTaFeN, NiFeWN, NiWN, and combinations thereof.

12 . The magnetic write head of claim 9 , wherein the main pole is disposed on a texture enabling structure, and wherein a texture transfer layer is disposed over the main pole.

13 . The magnetic write head of claim 12 , further comprising an additional texture enabling structure between the main pole and the trailing shield, wherein the trailing shield is disposed on a texture transfer structure, and wherein the texture transfer structure includes:

BCC metals;

NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl; or

a multilayer structure including:

a first layer comprising NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl;

a second layer comprising MgO; and

a third layer comprising NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl.

14 . A magnetic recording device comprising the head of claim 9 .

15 . A magnetic write head, comprising:

a main pole;

a trailing shield;

a spin orbit torque (SOT) layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield;

a texture enabling structure disposed between the main pole and the SOT layer, wherein the spin orbit torque (SOT) layer is disposed on the texture enabling structure; and

a texture transfer structure disposed between the SOT layer and the trailing shield, wherein the texture transfer structure comprises NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl, or wherein the texture transfer structure is a multilayer structure comprising an insulating layer sandwiched between layers of NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl.

16 . The magnetic write head of claim 15 , wherein the trailing shield has a (100) orientation.

17 . The magnetic write head of claim 16 , wherein the (100) orientation extends from an interface with the texture transfer structure in a direction away therefrom for a distance of up to about 0.2 μm.

18 . The magnetic write head of claim 15 , wherein the texture transfer structure comprises NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl.

19 . The magnetic write head of claim 15 , wherein the texture transfer structure is a multilayer structure comprising an insulating layer sandwiched between layers of NiAl, IrAl, CoAl, RhAl, or RuAl.

20 . A magnetic recording device comprising the magnetic write head of claim 15 .

Assignments (3)
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT (DDTL) Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 066648/0206 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT (AR) Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 066648/0284 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2024
From: LE, QUANG; YORK, BRIAN R.; LIU, XIAOYONG; LIU, JINMING; LEE, SON T.; GRIBELYUK, MICHAEL A.; OKAMURA, SUSUMU; TAKANO, HISASHI
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 066049/0145 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250218456A1 · Jul 3, 2025
References Cited (6)
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US 20230047223A1 · Le et al. · 2023 [cited by examiner]
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US 20240005951A1 · Shi et al. · 2024 [cited by examiner]