Data reader with spin filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633678-B2
Application number	US-201514869140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A data reader may be configured with at least a detector stack positioned on an air bearing surface and consisting of a spin accumulation channel continuously extending from the air bearing surface to an injector stack. The injector stack can have at least one cladding layer contacting the spin accumulation channel. The at least one cladding layer may have a length as measured perpendicular to the ABS that filters minority spins from the detector stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a detector positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS) and contacting a spin accumulation channel continuously extending from the ABS to an injector, the injector separated from the detector, separated from the ABS, and contacting the spin accumulation channel opposite a filter, the filter continuously extending from the ABS with a length as measured perpendicular to the ABS that filters minority spins from the detector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein filter contacts the spin accumulation channel opposite the detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises a free magnetic layer positioned on the ABS, the detector not having a fixed magnetization.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filter is magnetized to a first direction and the injector is magnetized to a second direction, the first and second directions being opposite.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injector comprises a first material and the filter comprises a second material, the first and second materials being different.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the spin accumulation channel comprises a third material, the second and third materials being different.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injector and detector each have a smaller length than the spin accumulation channel and filter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filter continuously extends from the ABS on a side of the spin accumulation channel opposite the injector and detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filter is a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF).

10. A method comprising:
positioning a detector on an air bearing surface (ABS), the detector contacting a spin accumulation channel continuously extending from the ABS to an injector, the injector separated from the detector, separated from the ABS, and contacting the spin accumulation channel opposite a filter, the filter having a length as measured perpendicular to the ABS;
filtering minority spins from the detector with the filter; and
reading a data bit with the detector with majority spins traveling through the spin accumulation channel, the data bit stored on a data storage medium separated from the detector by an air bearing.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the minority and majority spins are present in a read signal passing through the injector to the spin accumulation channel.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a spin accumulation channel continuously extending from an air bearing surface (ABS);
a detector positioned on the ABS and contacting the spin accumulation channel;
an injector separated from the ABS and the detector and contacting the spin accumulation channel;
a first filter contacting the spin accumulation channel and ABS and continuously extending from the ABS to a region of the spin accumulation channel proximal the injector; and
a second filter electrically isolated from the detector and injector, the first and second filters each configured to absorb minority spins from the spin accumulation channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second filter contacts the spin accumulation channel between the injector and detector.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second filter is physically separated from the detector and injector.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein second filter is separated from the ABS.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first and second filter each are configured to allow majority spins to propagate towards the ABS via the spin accumulation channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first filter contacts a first side of the spin accumulation channel and the second filter contacts a second side of the spin accumulation channel, the first and second sides being opposite.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a reference layer of the first filter and a magnetic layer of the second filter respectively contact the spin accumulation channel, the reference and magnetic layers set to a common magnetization polarity.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reference layer is part of a synthetic antiferromagnet and the magnetic layer contacts a fixed magnetization layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first filter has a first length, the second filter has a second length, the injector has a third length, the detector has a fourth length, each length measured perpendicular to the ABS, the first length being greater than the second, third, and fourth lengths, respectively.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Deen David A
• Pokhil Taras G

Classifications

• G11B5/3903 Primary

  using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures · CPC title

• H01L29/66984

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G11C11/16

  using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect · CPC title

• H10D48/385

  Devices using spin-polarised carriers · CPC title

• H10N50/20

  Spin-polarised current-controlled devices (magnetoresistive devices H10N50/10) · CPC title