1. A thin-film magnetic head comprising:
a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium;
a first magnetic layer that has a top surface and extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface;
a coil that is flat, spiral-shaped and insulated from the first magnetic layer, and that has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer;
an insulating layer that is toroidal in shape with a space formed inside, and that covers the coil and has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer; and
a second magnetic layer that has a bottom surface closer to the first magnetic layer and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface, touches the insulating layer, and is disposed such that the portion of the coil is sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers, wherein:
the second magnetic layer has a recessed portion that enters the space inside the insulating layer;
in the recessed portion, the bottom surface of the second magnetic layer includes a first flat portion a part of which touches the top surface of the first magnetic layer, and the top surface of the second magnetic layer includes a second flat portion located in the space and substantially parallel to the first flat portion; and
in a cross section that is orthogonal to the medium facing surface and to an interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion and that divides each of the first and second magnetic layers into two equal portions, the second flat portion has a length within a range of 0.3 to 6 \u03bcm, and a distance from an edge of the interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion closer to the medium facing surface to an edge of the top surface of the first magnetic layer farther from the medium facing surface is within a range of 0.35 to 0.95 times a length of the first flat portion.
2. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein, in the cross section that divides each of the first and second magnetic layers into two equal portions, the distance from the edge of the interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion closer to the medium facing surface to the edge of the top surface of the first magnetic layer farther from the medium facing surface is within a range of 0.5 to 0.9 times the length of the first flat portion.
3. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, further comprising a film disposed on the top surface of the second magnetic layer, the film having a recessed portion formed along the recessed portion of the second magnetic layer.
4. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer constitutes at least part of a pole layer that generates a write magnetic field for writing data on the recording medium by means of a perpendicular magnetic recording system, while the second magnetic layer constitutes at least part of a shield layer.
5. A head assembly comprising: a slider including a thin-film magnetic head and disposed to face toward a recording medium; and a supporter flexibly supporting the slider,
the thin-film magnetic head comprising:
a medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium;
a first magnetic layer that has a top surface and extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface;
a coil that is flat, spiral-shaped and insulated from the first magnetic layer, and that has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer;
an insulating layer that is toroidal in shape with a space formed inside, and that covers the coil and has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer; and
a second magnetic layer that has a bottom surface closer to the first magnetic layer and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface, touches the insulating layer, and is disposed such that the portion of the coil is sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers, wherein:
the second magnetic layer has a recessed portion that enters the space inside the insulating layer;
in the recessed portion, the bottom surface of the second magnetic layer includes a first flat portion a part of which touches the top surface of the first magnetic layer, and the top surface of the second magnetic layer includes a second flat portion located in the space and substantially parallel to the first flat portion; and
in a cross section that is orthogonal to the medium facing surface and to an interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion and that divides each of the first and second magnetic layers into two equal portions, the second flat portion has a length within a range of 0.3 to 6 \u03bcm, and a distance from an edge of the interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion closer to the medium facing surface to an edge of the top surface of the first magnetic layer farther from the medium facing surface is within a range of 0.35 to 0.95 times a length of the first flat portion.
6. A magnetic disk drive comprising: a slider including a thin-film magnetic head and disposed to face toward a recording medium that is driven to rotate; and an alignment device supporting the slider and aligning the slider with respect to the recording medium,
the thin-film magnetic head comprising:
a medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium;
a first magnetic layer that has a top surface and extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface;
a coil that is flat, spiral-shaped and insulated from the first magnetic layer, and that has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer;
an insulating layer that is toroidal in shape with a space formed inside, and that covers the coil and has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer; and
a second magnetic layer that has a bottom surface closer to the first magnetic layer and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface, touches the insulating layer, and is disposed such that the portion of the coil is sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers, wherein:
the second magnetic layer has a recessed portion that enters the space inside the insulating layer;
in the recessed portion, the bottom surface of the second magnetic layer includes a first flat portion a part of which touches the top surface of the first magnetic layer, and the top surface of the second magnetic layer includes a second flat portion located in the space and substantially parallel to the first flat portion; and
in a cross section that is orthogonal to the medium facing surface and to an interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion and that divides each of the first and second magnetic layers into two equal portions, the second flat portion has a length within a range of 0.3 to 6 \u03bcm, and a distance from an edge of the interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion closer to the medium facing surface to an edge of the top surface of the first magnetic layer farther from the medium facing surface is within a range of 0.35 to 0.95 times a length of the first flat portion.
7. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, the thin-film magnetic head comprising:
a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium;
a first magnetic layer that has a top surface and extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface;
a coil that is flat, spiral-shaped and insulated from the first magnetic layer, and that has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer;
an insulating layer that is toroidal in shape with a space formed inside, and that covers the coil and has a portion located above the top surface of the first magnetic layer; and
a second magnetic layer that has a bottom surface closer to the first magnetic layer and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, extends in a direction intersecting the medium facing surface, touches the insulating layer, and is disposed such that the portion of the coil is sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers, wherein:
the second magnetic layer has a recessed portion that enters the space inside the insulating layer;
in the recessed portion, the bottom surface of the second magnetic layer includes a first flat portion a part of which touches the top surface of the first magnetic layer, and the top surface of the second magnetic layer includes a second flat portion located in the space and substantially parallel to the first flat portion; and
in a cross section that is orthogonal to the medium facing surface and to an interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion and that divides each of the first and second magnetic layers into two equal portions, the second flat portion has a length within a range of 0.3 to 6 \u03bcm, and a distance from an edge of the interface between the top surface of the first magnetic layer and the first flat portion closer to the medium facing surface to an edge of the top surface of the first magnetic layer farther from the medium facing surface is within a range of 0.35 to 0.95 times a length of the first flat portion,
the method comprising the steps of:
forming the first magnetic layer;
forming the coil after the first magnetic layer is formed;
forming the insulating layer after the coil is formed; and
forming the second magnetic layer after the insulating layer is formed.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a nanocarbon substrate including at least one of graphene and carbon nanotubes; and
inorganic particles covalently bonded to the nanocarbon substrate and therein forming a hybrid conductor, the inorganic particles including at least one of nickel and iron and being configured and arranged to facilitate transfer of charge carriers with the nanocarbon substrate via the covalent bonds between the nanocarbon substrate and the inorganic particles.
2. The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes graphene,
further including a second nanocarbon substrate including carbon nanotubes,
wherein the inorganic particles include iron oxide covalently bonded to the graphene, and
further including additional inorganic particles including nickel hydroxide covalently bonded to the carbon nanotubes.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes oxidized regions of the at least one of graphene and carbon nanotubes, and wherein the inorganic particles are covalently bonded to the oxidized regions.
4. An apparatus comprising:
a first electrode including a nanocarbon structure and inorganic particles covalently bonded to the nanocarbon structure and configured and arranged to facilitate transfer of charge carriers with the nanocarbon structure via the covalent bonds between the nanocarbon structure and the inorganic particles;
a second electrode; and
a charge-passing material between the first and second electrode and configured and arranged to pass charge between the electrodes.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein
the first electrode includes a carbon nanotube having nickel-based inorganic particles covalently bonded thereto, and
the second electrode includes graphene having iron-based inorganic particles covalently bonded thereto and configured and arranged to facilitate transfer of charge carriers with the first electrode via the covalent bonds between the graphene and the iron-based inorganic particles.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first electrode includes a plurality of graphene sheets with the inorganic particles grown thereupon, the plurality of graphene sheets with nanocrystals thereupon being stacked in layers that form an electrochemical pseudo-capacitor electrode.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein
the charge-passing material is a separator between the first and second electrodes and configured and arranged to facilitate ion exchange between the first and second electrodes, and
the first electrode, the second electrode and the separator form a supercapacitor.
8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein
the charge-passing material is an electrolyte, and
the first electrode, the second electrode and the electrolyte form a battery.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate is doped to include nitrogen and wherein the hybrid conductor includes spinel oxide nanoparticles covalently bonded to the nanocarbon substrate.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the nitrogen-doped nanocarbon structure includes MnCo2O4 bonded thereto.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hybrid conductor includes hydrolyzed CoAc2 and MnAc2.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hybrid conductor includes a hybrid Co2MnO4-graphene material.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes oxidized regions of the at least one of graphene and carbon nanotubes, and wherein the inorganic particles are covalently bonded to the oxidized regions and further including the oxidized regions doped with nitrogen.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes inorganic particles being covalently bonded cobalt oxide.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an interface of inorganic nanocrystals and carbon, the inorganic crystals bonded with respective nanocarbon regions of the nanocarbon substrate via predominately covalent bonds.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes covalently coupled inorganic crystals and carbon, and wherein the covalently coupled inorganic crystals and carbon are configured and arranged to transfer electrons from an active material interfacing with the inorganic crystals to a current collector electrically coupled to the nanocarbon substrate.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hybrid conductor includes nanoparticles predominantly covalently bonded with said at least one of graphene and carbon nanotubes.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes a region with functionalized structure based on a nanocarbon material, the functionalized structure being configured and arranged to covalently bond to a particular type of inorganic particle.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes a region with functionalized structure based on a nanocarbon material, the functionalized structure being configured and arranged to covalently bond to a particular type of inorganic particle, and wherein the inorganic particles and the nanocarbon material are configured and arranged to interact and therein set a conductance characteristic of the hybrid conductor.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes said at least one of graphene sheet and carbon nanotube having a content of oxygen of between about 3% and 30%.
21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hybrid conductor includes a \u03b2-Ni(OH)2CNT hybrid conductive material.
22. The apparatus of claim 1, further including Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles covalently bonded to the nanocarbon substrate.
23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes a graphene sheet, certain of the nanoparticles are at respective locations on the graphene sheet, and a nanocrystal structure is on a surface of the graphene sheet.
24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nanocarbon substrate includes single-crystalline nanoplates.