The present disclosure includes methods of lapping that include energizing one or more elements that are located proximal to a first magnetoresistive element in a transducer region and generate heat and cause the first magnetoresistive element to selectively expand in the lapping direction relative to one or more other magnetoresistive elements. The present disclosure also includes methods of lapping that use one or more thermal sensors located proximal to the first magnetoresistive element to help control lapping in the lapping direction. The present disclosure includes related lapping systems and sliders.

Methods of critical dimension (CD) uniformity control for magnetic head devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method can include providing a film stack, the film stack including a substrate, a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor layer, and a hard mask layer, patterning the hard mask layer using a first mask that defines critical shape patterns other than the CD, forming a mandrel pattern using a second mask that defines the CD, and forming a sidewall spacer pattern on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern, and removing the mandrel pattern.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a near-field transducer (NFT). The NFT includes a near-field emitter configured to heat a surface of a magnetic disk, and a plasmonic disk. The plasmonic disk is coupled to the near-field emitter and includes rhodium or iridium.

A recording head comprises a write pole extending to an air-bearing surface. A near-field transducer is positioned proximate a first side of the write pole in a down-track direction. A heatsink structure is proximate the near-field transducer and positioned between the near-field transducer and the write pole. The heatsink structure extends beyond the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction and extends in a direction normal to the air-bearing surface.

The present disclosure generally relate to spin-orbit torque (SOT) magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices comprising a topological insulator (TI) modulation layer. The TI modulation layer comprises a plurality of bismuth or bismuth-rich composition modulation layers, a plurality of TI lamellae layers comprising BiSb having a (012) crystal orientation, and a plurality of texturing layers. The TI lamellae layers comprise dopants or clusters of atoms, the clusters of atoms comprising a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, or a composite ceramic material. The clusters of atoms are configured to have a grain boundary glass forming temperature of less than about 400° C. Doping the TI lamellae layers comprising BiSb having a (012) crystal orientation with clusters of atoms comprising a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, or a composite ceramic material enable the SOT MTJ device to operate at higher temperatures while inhibiting migration of Sb from the BiSb of the TI lamellae layers.

The present disclosure generally relates to a tape head and a tape drive including a tape head. The tape head comprises a first same gap verify (SGV) head assembly comprising a first media facing surface (MFS) and a plurality of first write transducer and first read transducer pairs, and a second SGV head assembly comprising a second MFS and a plurality of second write transducer and second read transducer pairs. During operation, when a tape or magnetic media moves in a first direction over the tape head, the tape contacts the second MFS and is spaced from the first MFS, and when the tape moves in a second direction opposite the first direction over the tape head, the tape contacts the first MFS and is spaced from the second MFS. As such, the tape contacts only one edge of either the first or second MFS during operation.

A magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, a magnetic element, and a magnetic member. The magnetic element is provided between the first and second magnetic poles, and includes a first magnetic layer. The magnetic member includes a first magnetic part. A second direction from the first magnetic part to the magnetic element crosses a first direction from the first to second magnetic pole. The first magnetic part includes a magnetic material including at least one of first to third materials. The first material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn.sub.3Sn, Mn.sub.3Ge and Mn.sub.3Ga. The second material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a cubic or tetragonal compound including Mn and Ni, a cubic alloy including γ-phase Mn, and a cubic alloy including Fe. The third material includes an antiferromagnet.

The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole (MP), a trailing shield (TS), a trailing gap (TG) disposed between the MP and the TS, and a spin torque oscillator (STO) disposed in the TG adjacent to the MP. A notch may be disposed in the TG between the STO and TS. The notch comprises one or more notch interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material and/or a magnetic material. A bump may be disposed in the TG between the TS and the STO or the notch. The bump comprises one or more bump interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material. A hot seed layer may be coupled to the TS adjacent to the bump, the notch, or the STO. The hot seed layer comprises one or more hot seed interlayers comprising a non-magnetic material.

A storage element is provided. The storage element includes a memory layer; a fixed magnetization layer; an intermediate layer including a non-magnetic material; wherein the intermediate layer is provided between the memory layer and the fixed magnetization layer; wherein the fixed magnetization layer includes at least a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer, and wherein the first magnetic layer includes a CoFeB composition. A memory apparatus and a magnetic head are also provided.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes first and second magnetic poles, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer includes a first element including at least one of Fe, Co, or Ni. The second magnetic layer includes (Fe.sub.100-xCo.sub.x).sub.100-yE.sub.y. A second element E includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Mn, Yi, and Sc. The first magnetic layer does not include the second element.