US 12,094,504 B1
Magnetic recording head with a piezoelectric actuator for controlling head-media spacing
Hassene Ben Atitallah, Eden Prairie, MN (US); Yixuan Li, Edina, MN (US); Neil Zuckerman, Eden Prairie, MN (US); and Raul H Andruet, Woodbury, MN (US)
Assigned to Seagate Technology LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Seagate Technology LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/330,503.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/366,263, filed on Jun. 13, 2022.
Int. Cl. G11B 5/55 (2006.01); G11B 5/48 (2006.01)
CPC G11B 5/5552 (2013.01) [G11B 5/483 (2015.09); G11B 5/4873 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic recording head comprising:
an active component disposed proximal to a media-facing surface of the magnetic recording head;
a piezoelectric actuator configured to exert a mechanical force to displace the active component such that a displacement of the active component by the piezoelectric actuator changes a protrusion of the active component from the media-facing surface;
a blocking beam adjacent to the piezoelectric actuator, the blocking beam positioned and configured such that expansion dE of piezoelectric actuator is partially mitigated in the vicinity of the blocking beam, with resultant forces from expansion dE directed away from the blocking beam, and increasing the magnitude of the force directed toward the active component; and wherein the blocking beam is composed of silicon carbide, sapphire, tungsten, tungsten carbide, or graphene, having a high modulus of elasticity relative to all other components of the magnetic recording head.