Christopher H. Bajorek
Christopher Henry Bajorek | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 26, 1943 Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Years active | 1971–2004 |
| Known for | Magnetoresistive sensor technology in magnetic stripe readers, tape storage devices, and hard disk drives |
Christopher Henry Bajorek (born November 26, 1943) is a distinguished engineer specializing in data storage, celebrated for his groundbreaking work in magnetoresistive sensor technology utilized in magnetic stripe readers, tape storage devices, and hard disk drives.
Early life and education
Bajorek was born in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine, to parents George L. H. and Rosalia (Lipka) Bajorek. In 1965, he married Janet Fullmer, and they have two children. His academic journey began at Pasadena City College, followed by earning a B.S. (1967), M.S. (1968), and Ph.D. (1972) in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He currently lives in Los Gatos, California.
Career
Joining IBM Yorktown in 1971, Bajorek contributed to research on magnetoresistive readback devices under the guidance of David Thompson and Lubomyr Romankiw. His efforts were instrumental in advancing magnetoresistive technology for widespread applications, including credit card readers, digital tape recorders, and hard disk drives. This work led to IBM’s development of hand-held magnetoresistive transducers—the first commercial use of the magnetoresistive effect initially identified by Lord Kelvin in 1856.
In 1979, Bajorek worked at IBM's East Fishkill facility focusing on bipolar logic chips and multilayer ceramic packaging technologies employed in IBM 360 mainframes. The following year, he established the Advanced Packaging Technology Laboratory (APTL) and became its inaugural director, representing one of IBM’s earliest collaborative efforts across divisions to connect research with product development.
In 1981, Bajorek moved to IBM’s San Jose Research Center where he was named director of storage systems and co-founded the Magnetic Recording Institute (MRI). By 1984, he assumed leadership of MRI while transitioning to IBM’s General Product Division (GPD), managing cooperative projects between GPD and San Jose Research Center. These collaborations were among the first of nearly twenty joint ventures designed to expedite technology transfer within IBM.
Beginning in 1985 as laboratory director for technology development and manufacturing at GPD, Bajorek spearheaded the creation of the industry’s first-generation magnetoresistive (MR) heads for disk drives, including the Sawmill 5¼-inch MR head drive released in 1990. He introduced critical innovations such as shunted soft adjacent layers and antiferromagnetic pinning techniques to enhance MR head functionality—pivotal advancements that paved the way for later giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) head technologies.
In 1987, Bajorek was appointed director of storage products at IBM Rochester, overseeing small form factor drives and technologies implemented worldwide at IBM Fujisawa and IBM Hursley facilities. Under his direction, IBM launched its first thin-film disk for the Lee 5¼-inch drive (1988), developed the first PRML data channel for hard drives featured in the Redwing drive (1990), and produced the industry’s second MR head-based Corsair 3½-inch drive with a capacity of 1 GB (1991).
Returning to San Jose in 1991 as vice president of technology development and manufacturing, Bajorek managed all disk drive technologies at IBM until his retirement in 1996. Subsequently, he served as executive vice president of advanced technology at Komag, Inc., until retiring in 2004.
Following retirement, Bajorek has held a board position with the International Disk Drive Equipment & Materials Association (IDEMA) and has provided expert testimony in significant patent disputes, including Carnegie Mellon University’s $750 million settlement with Marvell Technologies. He continues to contribute actively through the Storage Special Interest Group at the Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California.
Litigation with IBM
Following Bajorek's transition to Komag, IBM attempted to recover funds from his vested stock options, invoking a non-compete agreement he had signed. The contention revolved around whether Komag functioned as a competitor or merely as a supplier to IBM, and whether the non-compete clause was enforceable under California legislation. In 1997, Bajorek secured a favorable declaratory judgment in the Federal district court; however, this ruling was reversed in 1999 by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The parties ultimately reached a settlement, which set a significant legal precedent. Nevertheless, in 2008, the California Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit's ruling, declaring it invalid under state law.
Awards and recognition
- 1990: Elevated to IEEE Fellow status for his leadership in magnetic data storage technologies and high-speed computer switching devices.
- 2000: Honored with the IEEE Millennium Medal in recognition of exceptional accomplishments and contributions.
- 2002: Presented with the IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award for pivotal work in developing and manufacturing magnetoresistive recording heads.
Only three individuals—Charles Denis Mee, Mark Kryder, and Christopher H. Bajorek—have been distinguished by receiving both the Millennium Medal and the Johnson Award.
By 2019, Bajorek had authored 14 scientific papers and was credited with 24 patents.