Spin-orbit torque based magnetic recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014012-B1
Application number	US-201715631878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole, a spin-torque structure surrounding at least a portion of the main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), and a spin Hall structure surrounding the spin-torque structure. Strong spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the spin Hall structure, enforcing in-plane magnetization oscillation in the spin-torque structure. The SOT based head with the spin Hall structure surrounding the spin-torque structure utilizes less current flowed to the spin Hall structure due to the strong SOT generated by the spin Hall structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic recording head, comprising:
a main pole;
a spin-torque structure disposed at a media facing surface, wherein the spin-torque structure faces the main pole; and
a spin Hall structure disposed at the media facing surface, wherein the spin Hall structure faces the spin-torque structure.

2. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the spin Hall structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of beta phase Tantalum, beta phase tungsten, platinum, hafnium, an alloy of tungsten with hafnium, iridium, or bismuth doped copper, (Bi,Sb)Te, MnIr, XMn (X=Fe, Pd, Ir, and Pt), and antiferromagnets.

3. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the spin-torque structure comprises a magnetic material.

4. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the main pole comprises a first surface at the media facing surface, a second surface adjacent the first surface, a third surface opposite the second surface, a fourth surface connecting the second surface and the third surface, and a fifth surface opposite the fourth surface.

5. The magnetic recording head of claim 4 , wherein the spin-torque structure comprises a first portion facing the second surface of the main pole, a second portion connected to the first portion, and a third portion opposite the second portion.

6. The magnetic recording head of claim 5 , wherein the second portion of the spin-torque structure faces the fourth surface of the main pole, and the third portion of the spin-torque structure faces the fifth surface of the main pole.

7. The magnetic recording head of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the spin-torque structure is substantially parallel to the second surface of the main pole, the second portion of the spin-torque structure is substantially parallel to the fourth surface of the main pole, and the third portion of the spin-torque structure is substantially parallel to the fifth surface of the main pole.

8. The magnetic recording head of claim 5 , wherein the spin Hall structure comprises a first portion disposed between the first portion of the spin-torque structure and a trailing shield hot seed layer, a second portion connected to the first portion, and a third portion opposite the second portion.

9. The magnetic recording head of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the spin-torque structure is in direct contact with the first portion of the spin Hall structure, the second portion of the spin-torque structure is in direct contact with the second portion of the spin Hall structure, and the third portion of the spin-torque structure is in direct contact with the third portion of the spin Hall structure.

10. The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a dielectric material disposed between the spin-torque structure and the main pole.

11. A magnetic recording head, comprising:
a main pole;
a spin-torque structure wrapping around the main pole at a media facing surface; and
a spin Hall structure wrapping around the spin-torque structure at the media facing surface.

12. The magnetic recording head of claim 11 , wherein the spin-torque structure is in direct contact with the spin Hall structure.

13. The magnetic recording head of claim 11 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the spin-torque structure and the spin Hall structure.

14. The magnetic recording head of claim 11 , wherein the spin Hall structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of beta phase Tantalum, beta phase tungsten, platinum, hafnium, an alloy of tungsten with hafnium, iridium, or bismuth doped copper, (Bi,Sb)Te, MnIr, XMn (X=Fe, Pd, Ir, and Pt), and antiferromagnets.

15. The magnetic recording head of claim 11 , wherein the main pole comprises a first surface at the media facing surface, a second surface adjacent the first surface, a third surface opposite the second surface, a fourth surface connecting the second surface and the third surface, and a fifth surface opposite the fourth surface.

16. The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the spin-torque structure wraps around the second surface, third surface, fourth surface, and fifth surface of the main pole.

17. A data storage device, comprising:
a magnetic write head, comprising:
a trailing shield hot seed layer;
a main pole;
a first side shield and a second side shield, wherein the main pole is sandwiched between the first side shield and the second side shield;
a spin Hall structure disposed at a media facing surface; and
a spin-torque structure disposed at the media facing surface, wherein the spin-torque structure includes a first portion disposed between the trailing shield hot seed layer and the main pole, a second portion disposed between the main pole and the first side shield, and a third portion disposed between the main pole and the second side shield.

18. The data storage device of claim 17 , wherein the spin Hall structure comprises a first portion disposed between the first portion of the spin-torque structure and the trailing shield hot seed layer, a second portion disposed between the second portion of the spin-torque structure and the first side shield, and a third portion disposed between the third portion of the spin-torque structure and the second side shield.

19. A data storage device, comprising:
a magnetic write head, comprising:
a trailing shield hot seed layer;
a main pole;
a first side shield and a second side shield, wherein the main pole is sandwiched between the first side shield and the second side shield;
a spin Hall structure disposed at a media facing surface; and
a spin-torque structure, wherein the spin-torque structure surrounds at least a portion of the main pole.

20. The data storage device of claim 19 , wherein the spin Hall structure surrounds the spin-torque structure.

21. The data storage device of claim 19 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the spin-torque structure and the spin Hall structure.

22. The data storage device of claim 21 , wherein the insulating layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide and alumina.

23. A magnetic recording head, comprising:
a main pole;
means for generating spin-orbit torque; and
means for in-plane magnetization oscillation that is enforced by the spin-orbit torque.

24. The magnetic recording head of claim 23 , wherein the means for generating spin-orbit torque is disposed at a media facing surface.

25. The magnetic recording head of claim 23 , wherein the means for in-plane magnetization oscillation is disposed at a media facing surface.

26. The magnetic recording head of claim 23 , further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the means for generating spin-orbit torque and means for in-plane magnetization oscillation.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Song Suping
• Li Zhanjie
• Ho Michael Kuok San

Classifications

• G11B5/315 Primary

  Shield layers on both sides of the main pole, e.g. in perpendicular magnetic heads · CPC title

• G11B5/3133

  including layers not usually being a part of the electromagnetic transducer structure and providing additional features, e.g. for improving heat radiation, reduction of power dissipation, adaptations for measurement or indication of gap depth or other properties of the structure (G11B5/3106 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/1278

  specially adapted for magnetisations perpendicular to the surface of the record carrier · CPC title

• G11B5/3146

  magnetic layers · CPC title

• G11B5/235

  Selection of material for gap filler {(G11B5/232 takes precedence)} · CPC title