A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a main pole and a trailing shield. A spin torque oscillator device is disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator device includes a free layer. A trailing shield hot seed layer is disposed between the spin torque oscillator device and the trailing shield. The trailing shield hot seed layer includes a magnetic material doped with a rare earth element. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer includes the rare earth element in an atomic percent content from about 2% to about 10% atomic percent. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer has an intrinsic damping from about 0.02 to about 0.2.

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a module having: an array of transducers formed in thin film structure on a substrate, the array being positioned along a tape bearing surface of the module, and a heating element positioned in the thin film structure and recessed from the tape bearing surface. An apparatus, according to another embodiment, includes a module having an array of transducers formed on a substrate, the array being positioned along a tape bearing surface of the module between skiving edges thereof. A slot is formed in the substrate adjacent one of the skiving edges. A heating element is positioned in the slot.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a magnetic layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, a first conductive layer provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer, the first conductive layer being nonmagnetic, and a second conductive layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first shield, the second conductive layer being nonmagnetic. The first conductive layer includes Ir. A thickness of the first conductive layer along a first direction is not less than 0.3 nm and not more than 0.8 nm. The first direction is from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.

A perpendicular magnetic recording write head includes a main portion formed of conventional high-moment magnetic materials, and a beveled or tapered trailing portion formed of a Co/Fe multilayer with negative magnetic anisotropy (negative anisotropy constant or K.sub.u). The Co/Fe multilayer tapered trailing portion has a high saturation magnetization (M.sub.s) and thus functions as part of the write pole to direct the flux perpendicularly to the recording layer. Also, the K.sub.u Co/Fe multilayer tapered trailing portion has its hard axis oriented substantially orthogonal to the layer thickness and thus substantially prevents flux leakage into the write gap. The K.sub.u Co/Fe multilayer may also be formed on the sides of the write pole in the cross-track direction to prevent flux leakage into the side gaps.

Spin transfer torque (STT) devices with multilayer seed layers that can be used in magnetic recording and memory are provided. One such STT device includes a substrate, and a stack of layers formed on the substrate, where the stack includes a first seed layer directly on the substrate and including Cr, a second seed layer on the first seed layer and including Ta, a ferromagnetic free layer on the second seed layer; a ferromagnetic polarizing layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the polarizing layer. One such method includes fabricating the STT device.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The stacked body includes a magnetic layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, a first conductive layer provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer, the first conductive layer being nonmagnetic, and a second conductive layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first shield, the second conductive layer being nonmagnetic. The first conductive layer includes Ir. A thickness of the first conductive layer along a first direction is not less than 0.3 nm and not more than 0.8 nm. The first direction is from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.

A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a write shield separated from the main magnetic pole by a write gap, a first side shield that is separated from the main magnetic pole by a first side gap, a second side shield that is separated from the main magnetic pole by a second side gap, a first layer that has a first magnetic relative permeability and is disposed in the write gap between the main magnetic pole and the write shield, and a second layer that has a second magnetic relative permeability and is disposed in the first side gap and the second side gap, wherein the first magnetic relative permeability is smaller than the second magnetic relative permeability.

In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes a module having a tape bearing surface and an array of write transducers extending along the tape bearing surface. Each write transducer has a first write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the first write pole, a second write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the second write pole, a nonmagnetic write gap between the pole tips of the write poles, and a high moment layer between the pole tips of the write poles. The high moment layer has a higher magnetic moment than a magnetic moment of the pole tip of the second write pole. The tape bearing surface of the module has patterning, and/or a first tape tenting region where each write transducer is positioned in the first tape tenting region.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, a magnetic layer, first and second conductive layers. The magnetic layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The first conductive layer contacts the first shield and the magnetic layer, is provided between the first shield and the magnetic layer, and includes at least one selected from Cu, Ag, and Au. The second conductive layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer. The second conductive layer includes first and second regions. The first region contacts the magnetic layer and includes at least one first element selected from Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Ti, Ru, Mg, and V. The second region is provided between the first region and the magnetic pole and includes at least one second element selected from Ta, Pt, W, Mo, Ir, Cr, Tb, Rh, and Pd.

A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a write shield separated from the main magnetic pole by a write gap, a first side shield that is separated from the main magnetic pole by a first side gap, a second side shield that is separated from the main magnetic pole by a second side gap, a first layer that has a first magnetic relative permeability and is disposed in the write gap between the main magnetic pole and the write shield, and a second layer that has a second magnetic relative permeability and is disposed in the first side gap and the second side gap, wherein the first magnetic relative permeability is smaller than the second magnetic relative permeability.