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US 8,164,864 B2Granted
Method and system for fabricating magnetic transducers with improved pinning
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsChristian Kaiser, Laurence L. Chen, Qunwen Leng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer are disclosed. The method and system include providing a magnetic element that includes a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is a tunneling barrier layer. The free layer is configured to be biased in a first direction. The pinned layer has a pinned layer magnetization configured to be pinned in a second direction that is at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS. The first angle is nonzero and different from ninety degrees. The second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.
Claims29
A magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer, the free layer being configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization configured to be pinned in a second direction, the second direction being at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS;
- wherein the first angle is nonzero and different from ninety degrees and the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.
A magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer, the free layer being configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization configured to be pinned in a second direction, the second direction being at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS;
- wherein the first angle is nonzero and different from ninety degrees and the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees and wherein the pinned layer is a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) including a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a nonmagnetic layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer being a reference layer.
A magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, and a pinning layer adjacent to the pinned layer, the free layer having a free layer magnetization being configured to be biased parallel to a first direction, the pinned layer being a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) including a first ferromagnetic layer adjoining the pinning layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer having a pinned layer magnetization pinned parallel to a second direction, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer, the second direction being at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS, and the first angle having a magnitude of at least fifteen and not more than thirty-five degrees;
- a hard bias structure adjacent to the magnetic element and having a hard bias magnetization substantially along the first direction;
- wherein the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees, and the first direction is a third angle from the ABS, the third angle being nonzero.
A disk drive comprising:
- a slider;
- and
- a magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) residing on the slider, the magnetic recording transducer including a magnetic element, the magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer, the free layer being configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization configured to be pinned in a second direction, the second direction being at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS;
- wherein the first angle is nonzero and different from ninety degrees and the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.
1 more element
A method for providing a magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- providing a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the free layer having a free layer magnetization configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer;
- and
- biasing the pinned layer magnetization in a second direction at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS, the first angle being nonzero and different from ninety degrees, the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.
A method for providing a magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- providing a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the free layer having a free layer magnetization configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer, wherein the step of providing the magnetic element further includes providing a pinning layer for pinning the pinned layer magnetization, the step of biasing the pinned layer magnetization further including setting an orientation of the pinning layer in the second direction wherein the setting step further includes:
- annealing the magnetic transducer in a magnetic field and at a temperature above room temperature, the magnetic field being in the second direction;
- and
- biasing the pinned layer magnetization in a second direction at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS, the first angle being nonzero and different from ninety degrees, the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.
1 more element
A method for providing a magnetic recording transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
- providing a magnetic element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer, the free layer having a free layer magnetization configured to be biased in a first direction, the pinned layer having a pinned layer magnetization, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being a tunneling barrier layer;
- and
- biasing the pinned layer magnetization in a second direction at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS, the first angle being nonzero and different from ninety degrees, the second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees;
- wherein the pinned layer is a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) including a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a nonmagnetic layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer being a reference layer.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.