IP Library Granted Patent US 12,380,923
Granted Patent B2
US 12,380,923 · App. 18/511,235 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Magnetic recording head with a cross-track current flow in a low resistance path

Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir (San Jose, CA); Yunfei Ding (Fremont, CA); Zhigang Bai (Fremont, CA); Alexander Goncharov (Morgan Hill, CA); Aron Pentek (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
G11B5/6082G11B2005/0024
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 12,380,923
App. No.
18/511,235
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic recording system comprising a magnetic recording head that provides a low resistance cross-track current path at the trailing side of the main pole. A bias current may be driven through the path to enhance the magnetic write field to the magnetic recording media. The current is driven by an alternating current (AC) source external to the head. In some embodiments, the cross-track current going through the low resistance path enables high amounts of current to be utilized without break down of the magnetic recording head.

Claims (42)

1. A magnetic recording head, comprising:

a main pole disposed at a media facing surface (MFS);

a trailing shield disposed over the main pole;

a hot seed layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS, the hot seed layer being spaced from the trailing shield;

a magnetic layer disposed in contact with the hot seed layer and the trailing shield at the MFS;

a conductive layer disposed between the main pole and the hot seed layer at the MFS;

a first blocking layer comprising a portion disposed between the main pole and the conductive layer; and

a second blocking layer disposed at least partially between the hot seed layer and the trailing shield.

2. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first side shield disposed adjacent to the main pole, the first side shield being disposed in contact with the first blocking layer and spaced from the conductive layer, wherein the magnetic layer is disposed over the first side shield; and

a second side shield disposed adjacent to the main pole opposite to the first side shield, the second side shield being disposed in contact with a first portion of the conductive layer.

3. The magnetic recording head of claim 2 , further comprising:

a side gap disposed between the main pole and the first and second side shields; and

an insulating layer disposed between the side gap and the first and second side shields, wherein the insulating layer comprises SiN or AlOx, where x is a numeral greater than 1.

4. The magnetic recording head of claim 2 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed in contact with the first blocking layer and the first portion of the conductive layer.

5. The magnetic recording head of claim 2 , wherein the first blocking layer is disposed in contact with the first portion of the conductive layer, the first side shield, the second side shield, and the magnetic layer.

6. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic layer has a length at the MFS of about 100 nm to about 500 nm, and wherein the magnetic layer has a throat height of about 150 nm to about 500 nm.

7. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic layer has a length at the MFS of about 100 nm to about 500 nm, and wherein the magnetic layer has a throat height of about 50 nm to about 100 nm.

8. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic layer comprises NiFe, CoNiFe, NiFeRe, or CoFe, and wherein the first and second blocking layers each individually comprises SiN or AlOx, where x is a numeral greater than 1.

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

10. A magnetic recording head, comprising:

a main pole disposed at a media facing surface (MFS);

a trailing shield disposed over the main pole;

a hot seed layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS, the hot seed layer being spaced from the trailing shield;

a magnetic layer disposed in contact with the hot seed layer and the trailing shield at the MFS;

a conductive layer disposed between the main pole and the hot seed layer at the MFS;

a first blocking layer comprising a portion disposed between the main pole and the conductive layer; and

a second blocking layer comprising a portion disposed between the hot seed layer and the conductive layer.

11. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic layer has a length at the MFS greater than or equal to a length of the hot seed layer.

12. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the conductive layer has a throat height from the MFS into the magnetic recording head of about 50 nm to about 500 nm.

13. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the conductive layer has a throat height from the MFS into the magnetic recording head extending at least to a start of a trailing edge taper of the main pole.

14. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the conductive layer has a throat height from the MFS into the magnetic recording head extending at least to a start of a trailing edge taper of the hot seed layer.

15. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a first portion extending from the MFS to a start of a trailing edge taper of the main pole, and a second portion extending from the start of the trailing edge taper of the main pole to a start of a trailing edge taper of the hot seed layer.

16. The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the first portion has a greater thickness than the second portion.

17. The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the second portion has a greater thickness than the first portion.

18. The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the first portion and the second portion have a same thickness.

19. The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the conductive layer further comprises a third portion extending from the start of the trailing edge taper of the hot seed layer into the magnetic recording head.

20. The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first side shield disposed adjacent to the main pole, the first side shield being disposed in contact with the first blocking layer and spaced from the conductive layer; and

a second side shield disposed adjacent to the main pole opposite to the first side shield, the second side shield being disposed in contact with a first portion of the conductive layer,

wherein the conductive layer comprises the first portion disposed in contact with the second side shield and the second blocking layer, a second portion disposed in contact with the hot seed layer and the first blocking layer, and a third portion disposed in contact with the first blocking layer and the second blocking layer.

21. A magnetic recording device comprising the magnetic recording head of claim 10 .

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 Feb 8, 2024
From: ASIF BASHIR, MUHAMMAD; DING, YUNFEI; BAI, ZHIGANG; GONCHAROV, ALEXANDER; PENTEK, ARON
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 066419/0674 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250166658A1 · May 22, 2025
References Cited (49)
US 7212367B2 · Clinton · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 8031433B2 · Yan et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8411390B2 · Franca-Neto · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8724259B1 · Liu · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8810961B2 · Taguchi et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9082433B1 · Tang et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9299367B1 · Tang · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9443541B1 · Liu · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9536548B1 · Narayana · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9653101B1 · Liu et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10181334B1 · Song · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10276193B2 · Narita et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10325618B1 · Wu et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10593355B1 · Basu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10714132B1 · Chen et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10741202B2 · Ho et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10777219B1 · Asif Bashir · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10789977B1 · Song · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10839828B2 · Le et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10839844B1 · Asif Bashir et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10867626B1 · Li · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10957348B2 · Bai · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11043232B1 · Wu · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11152021B1 · Liu et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11276422B2 · Le et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11295766B2 · Takagishi et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11508401B1 · Asif Bashir · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11557314B1 · Asif Bashir · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11631423B2 · Nakagawa et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11636874B1 · Tang · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11854584B1 · Asif Bashir et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11875825B1 · Liu · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 11881237B1 · Asif Bashir · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 11894026B1 · Goncharov · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 11900971B1 · Goncharov · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12057146B1 · Shi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20050280935A1 · Clinton · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20070263324A1 · Allen et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20120092787A1 · Koizumi · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20150043106A1 · Yamada et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20220093123A1 · Liu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220238135A1 · Bai et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230062839A1 · Nakagawa et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230125878A1 · Tang · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240062776A1 · Kimura · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20240105219A1 · Koizumi · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20240355353A1 · Asif Bashir · 2024 [cited by examiner]
T. Taguchi, K. Shimomura, A. Takeo, Stepped side shield writer for perpendicular recording, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, vol. 320, Issue 22, 2008. [cited by applicant]
Guan, Lijie et al., “A Trailing Shield Perpendicular Writer Design With Tapered Write Gap for High Density Recording”, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Dec. 2008, <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224360446_A_Tra… [cited by applicant]