Shared MAMR and HDI Sensor/Driver

An arm-head assembly within a hard disk drive, comprising:

• an arm assembly for moving a head assembly to designated locations over the hard disk;
• a preamplifier attached to the arm assembly and configured for amplifying and conditioning read and write data to be read from and written to the hard disk;
• the head assembly affixed to the arm assembly to be moved to the locations over the hard disk for reading data from and writing data to the hard disk, the head assembly comprising:
• a read head configured for reading data from the designated locations of the hard disk comprising:
• a read sensor, and
• a pair of magnetic read shields;
• a write head comprising:
• a main pole;
• a trailing shield adjacent to the main pole;
• a spin torque oscillator (STO) situated between the main pole and the trailing shield connected to a voltage for developing a current that flows through the spin torque oscillator (STO);
• and
• a head-disk interference (HDI) sensor placed between the trailing shield and one of the magnetic read shields and connected to a preamplifier, wherein the preamplifier is configured for providing a first biasing voltage level to the spin torque oscillator (STO) and to the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor, and wherein the preamplifier is configured for determining a resistance change in the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor;
• wherein the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor are coupled to a first connector of the trace such that a first terminal of the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor receive a first polarity of the first biasing voltage level and coupled to a second connector of the trace such that a second terminal of the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor receive a second polarity of the first biasing voltage level.

A head assembly comprising:

• a microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) element comprising:
• a spin torque oscillator (STO) situated between a main pole and a trailing shield and connected to a voltage for developing a current that flows through the STO;
• and
• a head-disk interference (HDI) sensor placed between the trailing shield and a magnetic read shield and connected to a trace and connected to a preamplifier, wherein the preamplifier is configured for providing a first biasing voltage level to the STO to induce a magnetization change in the STO and in a write head within the head assembly and to the HDI sensor to heat the HDI sensor, and wherein the preamplifier is configured to determine a resistance change in the HDI sensor;
• wherein the STO and the HDI sensor are coupled to a first connector of the trace such that a first terminal of the STO and the HDI sensor receive a first polarity of the first biasing voltage level and coupled to a second connector of the trace such that a second terminal of the STO and the HDI sensor receive a second polarity of the first biasing voltage level.

A method for fabricating a head assembly comprising the steps of:

• forming a read head by the steps of:
• constructing and configuring a read sensor, and
• constructing and configuring a pair of magnetic read shields;
• forming a write head by the steps of:
• constructing and configuring a main pole, and
• constructing and placing a trailing shield adjacent to the main pole;
• forming and situating a spin torque oscillator (STO) between the main pole and the trailing shield;
• connecting the spin torque oscillator (STO) to a voltage for developing a current that flows through the spin torque oscillator (STO) for generating a microwave voltage field that impinges on a region of a hard disk in close proximity to the main pole to lower the coercivity of the region of the hard disk beneath the spin torque oscillator (STO) for allowing higher density recording;
• and
• forming and placing a head-disk interference (HDI) sensor between the trailing shield and one of the magnetic read shields and connected to a trace connected between a preamplifier and the head assembly, wherein the preamplifier is configured for providing a first biasing voltage level to the spin torque oscillator (STO) and to the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor to induce a magnetization change in the STO and in the write head and to the HDI sensor to heat the HDI sensor, the preamplifier is configured for determining a resistance change in the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor;
• wherein the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor are coupled to a first connector of the trace such that a first terminal of the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor receive a first polarity of the first biasing voltage level and coupled to a second connector of the trace such that a second terminal of the spin torque oscillator (STO) and the head-disk interference (HDI) sensor receive a second polarity of the first biasing voltage level.