Produce thinner DTS and adjustable capacitance for TDMR heads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308052-B2
Application number	US-202318228517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2023
Priority date	Apr 13, 2023
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a dual free layer two dimensional magnetic recording read head. The read head comprises a first lower shield, a first sensor disposed over the first lower shield, a first upper shield disposed over the first sensor, a read separation gap (RSG) disposed on the first upper shield, a second lower shield disposed on the RSG, a second sensor disposed over the second lower shield, and a second upper shield disposed over the second sensor. In one embodiment, the RSG comprises SiO 2 and has a thickness of about 7 nm to about 14 nm. The SiO 2 isolates the first sensor from the second sensor, and is a chemical mechanical processing (CMP) stop layer. In another embodiment, the RSG comprises a first sublayer comprising AlOx and a second sublayer comprising SiO 2 . The thicknesses of the first and second sublayers are based on an adjustable capacitance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A read head, comprising:
a first lower shield;
a first sensor disposed over the first lower shield;
a first upper shield disposed over the first sensor;
a read separation gap disposed on the first upper shield, the read separation gap comprising a first sublayer comprising AlOx, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 1, disposed in contact with the first upper shield and a second sublayer comprising SiO 2 disposed in contact with the first sublayer, wherein the read separation gap has a thickness of about 3 nm to about 25 nm;
a second lower shield disposed in contact with the second sublayer of the read separation gap and spaced from the first sublayer of the read separation gap;
a second sensor disposed over the second lower shield; and
a second upper shield disposed over the second sensor.

2. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the second lower shield comprises one or more of NiFe, CoB, CoFe, CoHf, IrMn, NiCr, Co, Hf, Mg, Ru, Ta, and Ti.

3. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the second lower shield has a thickness of about 10 nm to about 50 nm.

4. The read head of claim 1 , wherein a down-track spacing of the read head is about 50 nm to about 150 nm.

5. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the first upper shield, the read separation gap, and the second lower shield are substantially planar.

6. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each individually comprises a first free layer and a second free layer.

7. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the read separation gap isolates the first sensor from the second sensor, and wherein the read separation gap is a chemical mechanical processing (CMP) stop layer.

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

9. A read head, comprising:
a first lower shield;
a first sensor disposed over the first lower shield;
a first upper shield disposed over the first sensor;
a read separation gap disposed on the first upper shield, the read separation gap comprising a first sublayer comprising AlOx, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 1, disposed in contact with the first upper shield and a second sublayer comprising SiO 2 disposed in contact with the first sublayer, wherein the read separation gap has a thickness of about 3 nm to about 25 nm, and wherein the first and second sublayers each span a length of the read separation gap in a media facing surface direction;
a second lower shield disposed in contact with the second sublayer of the read separation gap and spaced from the first sublayer of the read separation gap;
a second sensor disposed over the second lower shield; and
a second upper shield disposed over the second sensor.

10. The read head of claim 9 , wherein a capacitance of the read head is based on an equation of: C total =C SiO2 +C AlOx =(ϵA/d) SiO2 +(ϵA/d) AlOx , where C total is a total capacitance of the read head, C SiO2 is a capacitance of SiO 2 , C AlOx is a capacitance of AlOx, ϵ is a permittivity of SiO 2 or AlOx, A is an area of the first sublayer or the second sublayer, and d is a first thickness of the first sublayer or a second thickness of the second sublayer.

11. The read head of claim 10 , wherein the second thickness of the second sublayer is equal to or greater than about 3 nm.

12. The read head of claim 9 , wherein the second sublayer isolates the first sensor from the second sensor, and wherein the second sublayer is a chemical mechanical processing (CMP) stop layer.

13. The read head of claim 9 , wherein a down-track spacing of the read head is about 50 nm to about 150 nm, and wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each individually comprise a first free layer and a second free layer.

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

15. A read head, comprising:
a first lower shield;
a first sensor disposed over the first lower shield;
a first upper shield disposed over the first sensor;
a read separation gap disposed on the first upper shield, the read separation gap comprising a first sublayer comprising AlOx, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 1, disposed in contact with the first upper shield and a second sublayer comprising SiO 2 disposed in contact with the first sublayer, wherein the read separation gap has a thickness less than about 25 nm, wherein the second sublayer has a first thickness equal to or greater than about 3 nm, and wherein the first and second sublayers each span a length of the read separation gap in a media facing surface direction;
a second lower shield disposed in contact with the second sublayer of the read separation gap and spaced from the first sublayer of the read separation gap;
a second sensor disposed over the second lower shield; and
a second upper shield disposed over the second sensor,
wherein a capacitance of the read head is adjustable based on an equation of: C total =C SiO2 +C AlOx =(ϵA/d) SiO2 +(ϵA/d) AlOx , where C total is a total capacitance of the read head, C SiO2 is a capacitance of SiO 2 , C AlOx is a capacitance of AlOx, ϵ is a permittivity of SiO 2 or AlOx, A is an area of the first sublayer or the second sublayer, and d is a thickness of the first sublayer or the second sublayer.

16. The read head of claim 15 , wherein the capacitance of the read head is adjustable based on varying the first thickness of the second sublayer and a second thickness of the first sublayer.

17. The read head of claim 15 , wherein the second lower shield comprises one or more of NiFe, CoB, CoFe, CoHf, IrMn, NiCr, Co, Hf, Mg, Ru, Ta, and Ti, wherein the second lower shield has a thickness of about 10 nm to about 50 nm, and wherein a down-track spacing of the read head is about 50 nm to about 150 nm.

18. The read head of claim 15 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each individually comprises a first free layer and a second free layer.

19. The read head of claim 15 , wherein the read separation gap isolates the first sensor from the second sensor.

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

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Chen Fang
• Hu Chih-Ching
• Wang Yung-Hung
• Chien Chen-Jung
• Mao Ming
• Jiang Ming

Classifications

• G11B2005/3996

  large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices · CPC title

• G11B5/235

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

• G11B5/3954

  the active elements transducing on a single track · CPC title

• G11B5/398

  Specially shaped layers · CPC title

• G11B5/3116 Primary

  Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks (G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence) · CPC title