Trends in Nanoscale Magnetic Reader Transducers

Song Xue, Seagate Technology

Abstract: For the past 50 years or so, the area density in magnetic recording has increased by almost 8 orders of magnitude.  Today, the advanced magnetic reader typically has a reader width less than 100 nm. As the reader width continues to shrink, trade-off among performance, magnetic stability, and reliability poses serious challenges for further increasing area density. We will review process technologies to fabricate nano-scale magnetic reader sensor.   We will also discuss a few reader device options available to us; there are Current-In-Plane Spin Valve (CIP SV), Tunnel Magetoresistive Valve (TMR), and Current Perpendicular to Plane Spin Valve (CPP SV).
Scaling limits in those reader transducers will also be discussed.

Biography: Dr. Song Xue is Executive Director of Advanced Transducer Development at Seagate Technology. He manages a department of 50 people and is responsible for the following key process development: Reader Sensor Deposition, High Moment Sputtered Seed Process, High Moment Plated Material Process, Advanced Dielectric Film Process, Ion Milling/RIE, and CMP etc. He also directs the development of next generation reader sensor (CPP TMR, CPP Spin Valve, Advanced CIP Reader, Advanced CPP Reader Definition etc.) and the development of next generation writer sensor (Perpendicular Writer Process, Trapezoidal Pole Definition etc.). He is a recipient of a 1999 prestigious Seagate Cooperate Outstanding Technical Innovation & Accomplishments Awards.  He is an author of over 20 patents.