An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a sensor having an active region, a magnetic shield adjacent the active region, a spacer between the active region and the magnetic shield, a second magnetic shield on an opposite side of the active region as the magnetic shield, and a second spacer between the active region and the second magnetic shield. Both spacers include an electrically conductive ceramic layer. The electrically conductive ceramic layer of the spacer has a different composition than the electrically conductive ceramic layer of the second spacer.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a sensor having an active region, a magnetic shield adjacent the active region, and a spacer between the active region and the magnetic shield. The spacer includes an electrically conductive ceramic layer. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a sensor having an active tunnel magnetoresistive region, a magnetic shield adjacent the tunnel magnetoresistive region, and a spacer between the tunnel magnetoresistive region and the magnetic shields. The spacer includes an electrically conductive ceramic layer.

A method includes depositing a magnetic track layer on a seed layer, depositing an alloy layer on the magnetic track layer, depositing a tunnel barrier layer on the alloy layer, depositing a pinning layer on the tunnel barrier layer, depositing a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer on the pinning layer, depositing a pinned layer on the synthetic antiferromagnetic spacer layer and depositing an antiferromagnetic layer on the pinned layer, and another method includes depositing an antiferromagnetic layer on a seed layer, depositing a pinned layer on the antiferromagnetic layer, depositing a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer on the pinned layer, depositing a pinning layer on the synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer, depositing a tunnel barrier layer on the pinning layer, depositing an alloy layer on the tunnel barrier layer and depositing a magnetic track layer on alloy layer.

A device includes a seed layer, a magnetic track layer disposed on the seed layer, an alloy layer disposed on the magnetic track layer, a tunnel barrier layer disposed on the alloy layer, a pinning layer disposed on the tunnel barrier layer, a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer disposed on the pinning layer, a pinned layer disposed on the synthetic antiferromagnetic spacer layer and an antiferromagnetic layer disposed on the pinned layer, and another device includes a seed layer, an antiferromagnetic layer disposed on the seed layer, a pinned layer disposed on the antiferromagnetic layer, a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer disposed on the pinned layer, a pinning layer disposed on the synthetic antiferromagnetic layer spacer, a tunnel barrier layer disposed on the pinning layer, an alloy layer disposed on the tunnel barrier layer and a magnetic track layer disposed on alloy layer.

A magnetic device for magnetic random access memory (MRAM), spin torque MRAM, or spin torque oscillator technology is disclosed wherein a perpendicularly magnetized magnetic tunnel junction (p-MTJ) with a sidewall is formed between a bottom electrode and a top electrode. A first dielectric layer is 3 to 400 Angstroms thick, and formed on the p-MTJ sidewall with a physical vapor deposition RF sputtering process to establish a thermally stable interface with the p-MTJ up to temperatures around 400 C. during CMOS fabrication. The first dielectric layer may comprise one or more of B, Ge, and alloys thereof, and an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, or carbonitride. The second dielectric layer is up to 2000 Angstroms thick and may be one or more of SiO.sub.YN.sub.Z, AlO.sub.YN.sub.Z, TiO.sub.YN.sub.Z, SiC.sub.YN.sub.Z, or MgO where y+z>0.

A magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a head slider and a control circuit. The head slider includes a read element, a write element, a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is arranged nearer to the read element than the write element. The second heater is arranged nearer to the write element than to the read element. The control circuit controls a ratio of powers to be supplied to the first heater and the second heater to adjust a first spacing between the read element and the magnetic disk and a second spacing between the write element and the magnetic disk.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording and reproducing device includes a magnetic recording medium, and a magnetic head including a first reproducing unit. The first reproducing unit includes a first magnetic field generator separated from the magnetic recording medium in a first direction, and a first stacked body. At least a portion of the first stacked body is provided between the magnetic recording medium and the first magnetic field generator in the first direction. The first stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer separated from the first magnetic layer in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first stacked body performs an operation of generating a first alternating magnetic field. The first magnetic field generator generates a first magnetic field.

A system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head having a plurality of sensors arranged to simultaneously read at least three immediately adjacent data tracks on a magnetic medium, wherein none of the sensors share more than one lead with any other of the sensors. Such embodiment may be implemented in a magnetic data storage system such as a disk drive system, which may include a magnetic head, a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium (e.g., hard disk) over the magnetic head, and a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head.

A plasmon generator generates a surface plasmon, and generates a near-field light from the surface plasmon on a front end surface positioned on an air bearing surface opposing to a magnetic recording medium. The plasmon generator has a first surface that is adjacent to the front end surface and that faces a lower layer where the plasmon generator is deposited, and a second surface at the back side of the first surface relative to a down track direction. The first surface tilts toward a surface that is orthogonal to the down track direction, and, is parallel to across track direction, and the plasmon generator is deposited with a (111) orientation from the first surface toward the second surface.

Methods of forming a NFT the methods including forming a hard mask positioned over at least a portion of the rod, the hard mask including at least one layer; patterning a resist mask over the hard mask, the resist mask having an edge positioned over at least a portion of the rod; etching a portion of the hard mask to expose a back edge of the rod and to form a back edge of the hard mask, wherein the back edge of the rod is equivalent to the back edge of the peg; and wherein a forward portion of the rod which is the portion of the rod forward of the back edge is covered by the hard mask; forming a disc mask including a void configured to form a disc of a NFT, the disc mask being formed over at least a portion of the hard mask so that the exposed back edge of the rod is within the void configured to form the disc; etching an area exposed in the void of the disc mask to remove both a rear portion of the rod and the surrounding dielectric up to the back edge of the hard mask edge; depositing a disc material in the etched void, wherein the back edge of the hard mask defines the front edge of the disc and the back edge of the rod is in contact with the front edge of the disc; and polishing the deposited disc material to form a top surface substantially planar with the top of the forward rod portion.