Spin orbit torque based thermal sensor for insitu monitoring of magnetic recording head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487296-B2
Application number	US-202318350584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Mar 13, 2023
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to temperature detection devices including a ferromagnetic (FM) material disposed at a media facing surface (MFS). The FM material is configured to produce a first electric voltage signal in response to a temperature gradient due to an anomalous Nernst effect. The temperature detection device may also include a spin-orbit torque (SOT) material abutting the FM material. The SOT material includes at least one of BiSb, a topological insulator, a topological half-Heusler alloy, or a weakly oxidized heavy metal. The SOT material is recessed from the MFS, wherein the SOT material is configured to receive a spin current parallel to the temperature gradient generated by a spin Seebeck effect in the FM material. The spin current is detectable as a second electric voltage signal via an inverse spin Hall effect. The first electric voltage signal is added to the second electric voltage signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic recording head comprising:
a temperature detection device, comprising:
a ferromagnetic (FM) material configured to produce a first electric voltage signal in response to a temperature gradient due to an anomalous Nernst effect the FM material being disposed at a media facing surface (MFS);
a spin-orbit torque (SOT) material abutting the FM material, the SOT material comprising at least one of bismuth antimony (BiSb), a topological insulator, a topological half-Heusler alloy, or a weakly oxidized heavy metal, wherein the SOT material is configured to receive a spin current parallel to the temperature gradient generated by a spin Seebeck effect in the FM material, the spin current being detectable as a second electric voltage signal via an inverse spin Hall effect, wherein the FM material has a magnetization direction parallel to the MFS, wherein the temperature gradient of the FM material is perpendicular to the MFS, and wherein the SOT material is entirely recessed from the MFS in order to receive the spin current; and
circuitry configured to add the first electric voltage signal to the second electric voltage signal.

2 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the SOT material comprises BiSb.

3 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the FM material comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, nickel, boron, hafnium, or nickel hafnium.

4 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein:
the topological insulator is Bismuth Selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ), Bismuth Telluride (Bi 2 T 3 ), Bismuth Antimony Telluride ((BiSb) 2 Te 3 ), or Tin Telluride (SnTe); the topological half-Heusler alloy is Yttrium Platinum Bismuth (YPtBi), Lutetium Platinum Bismuth (LuPtBi), Lutetium Palladium Bismuth (LuPdBi), Scandium Platinum Bismuth (ScPtBi), Yttrium Gold Lead (YAuPb), Lanthanum Platinum Bismuth (LaPtBi), or Cerium Platinum Bismuth (CePtBi); and the weakly oxidized heavy metal is Tungsten oxides (WOx), Tantalum oxides (TaOx), or Platinum oxides (PtOx), wherein x is a number greater than zero.

5 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the SOT material is stacked on the FM material, and a second portion of the SOT material is adjacent to the FM material.

6 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , wherein the SOT material has a width in a cross-track direction, a height from the MFS, and a thickness, wherein the width of the SOT material is greater than the height of the SOT material.

7 . The magnetic recording head of claim 6 , wherein the FM material has a width in the cross-track direction, a height from the MFS, and a thickness, wherein the width of the FM material is greater than the height of the FM material.

8 . The magnetic recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a read head, wherein the temperature detection device is disposed adjacent to the read head.

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

10 . A magnetic recording head comprising:
a temperature detection device, comprising:
a ferromagnetic (FM) material configured to produce a first electric voltage signal in response to a temperature gradient due to an anomalous Nernst effect, the FM material being disposed at a media facing surface (MFS);
a spin-orbit torque (SOT) material abutting the FM material, the SOT material comprising at least one of bismuth antimony (BiSb), a topological insulator, a topological half-Heusler alloy, or a weakly oxidized heavy metal, wherein the SOT material is configured to receive a spin current parallel to the temperature gradient generated by a spin Seebeck effect in the FM material, the spin current being detectable as a second electric voltage signal via an inverse spin Hall effect, and wherein the SOT material is entirely recessed from the MFS in order to receive the spin current, the SOT material being recessed a distance of 50 nm (nanometer) to 1 μm (micrometer) from the MFS; and
circuitry configured to add the first electric voltage signal to the second electric voltage signal.

11 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the SOT material overlaps the FM material up to about 5 nm to about 10 nm.

12 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the SOT material is spaced from the FM material.

13 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the FM material comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, nickel, boron, hafnium, or nickel hafnium.

14 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein:
the topological insulator is Bismuth Selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ), Bismuth Telluride (Bi 2 T 3 ), Bismuth Antimony Telluride ((BiSb) 2 Te 3 ), or Tin Telluride (SnTe); the topological half-Heusler alloy is Yttrium Platinum Bismuth (YPtBi), Lutetium Platinum Bismuth (LuPtBi), Lutetium Palladium Bismuth (LuPdBi), Scandium Platinum Bismuth (ScPtBi), Yttrium Gold Lead (YAuPb), Lanthanum Platinum Bismuth (LaPtBi), or Cerium Platinum Bismuth (CePtBi); and the weakly oxidized heavy metal is Tungsten oxides (WOx), Tantalum oxides (TaOx), or Platinum oxides (PtOx), wherein x is a number greater than zero.

15 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the SOT material has a width in a cross-track direction, a height from the MFS, and a thickness, wherein the width of the SOT material is greater than the height of the SOT material.

16 . The magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the FM material has a width in the cross-track direction, a height from the MFS, and a thickness, wherein the width of the FM material is greater than the height of the FM material.

17 . The magnetic recording head of claim 10 , further comprising a read head, wherein the temperature detection device is disposed adjacent to the read head.

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

19 . A magnetic recording head comprising:
a temperature detection device, comprising:
a ferromagnetic (FM) material configured to produce a first electric voltage signal in response to a temperature gradient due to an anomalous Nernst effect, the FM material being disposed at a media facing surface (MFS);
a stacked spin-orbit torque (SOT) material abutting the FM material, the SOT material comprising at least one of bismuth antimony (BiSb), a topological insulator, a topological half-Heusler alloy, or a weakly oxidized heavy metal, wherein the stacked SOT material comprises two or more layers, wherein the SOT material is configured to receive a spin current parallel to the temperature gradient generated by a spin Seebeck effect in the FM material, the spin current being detectable as a second electric voltage signal via an inverse spin Hall effect, and wherein the SOT material is entirely recessed from the MFS in order to receive the spin current, the SOT material being recessed a distance of 50 nm (nanometer) to 1 μm (micrometer) from the MFS; and
circuitry configured to add the first electric voltage signal to the second electric voltage signal.

20 . The magnetic recording head of claim 19 , wherein the FM material comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, nickel, boron, hafnium, or nickel hafnium.

21 . The magnetic recording head of claim 19 , wherein:
the topological insulator is Bismuth Selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ), Bismuth Telluride (Bi 2 T 3 ), Bismuth Antimony Telluride ((BiSb) 2 Te 3 ), or Tin Telluride (SnTe); the topological half-Heusler alloy is Yttrium Platinum Bismuth (YPtBi), Lutetium Platinum Bismuth (LuPtBi), Lutetium Pa

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc
• Tokyo Inst Tech

Inventors

• Le Quang
• Liu Xiaoyong
• York Brian R
• Hwang Cherngye
• Nagabhirava Rohan Babu
• Ho Kuok San
• Takano Hisashi
• Le Son T
• Pham Nam Hai
• Ho Huy H

Classifications

• G01R33/093

  using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors (thin magnetic films H01F10/00) · CPC title

• G01R33/0052 Primary

  Manufacturing aspects; Manufacturing of single devices, i.e. of semiconductor magnetic sensor chips (devices based on galvano-magnetic effect or the like H10N50/85) · CPC title

• G01R33/075 Primary

  Hall devices configured for spinning current measurements · CPC title