Abstract: A collimator system is disclosed for use in an in-line pass-by sputtering system during the fabrication of recording media to improve the data storage density and read/write performance characteristics of the media. The collimator system includes a collimator shield and a collimator honeycomb. The shield includes a rectangular tube having a flange and a frame at inner and outer ends, respectively. The various components of the shield in part serve to prevent possible contamination of substrates due to target atom accumulation on the chamber walls during the sputtering process. The collimator honeycomb is provided for blocking target atoms from contacting the substrate at low incident angles. The collimator honeycomb is comprised of a plurality of collimators which are identical to each other. In a preferred embodiment, the collimators have a hexagonal cross-section taken from a perspective perpendicular to the substrate. The collimators may also have other geometric shapes.

Abstract: An optical data storage system that includes an optical source and an optical storage medium. The system includes a plurality of armatures positioned adjacent to the optical storage medium. Mounted on each armature are elements that perform functions such as beam-splitting, beam-shaping, relaying and fine tuning to collectively form an armature-mounted optical coupling system. An optical switch couples the optical source to each of the armature-mounted optical coupling systems. This configuration of an optical data storage system ensures that one optical source can be utilized for a plurality of optical detection systems.

Abstract: A magnetic recording media is formed with high in-plane coercivity employing dual magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer is sputter deposited in a chamber employing a shield such that the minimum incident angle of impinging atoms is relatively large, e.g., greater than about 26°. Embodiments of the present invention comprise depositing a NiAl seedlayer, a Cr or Cr alloy underlayer and a first CoCrTa magnetic layer at a thickness less than about 50Å for inducing the preferred (10.0) crystallographic orientation in the subsequently deposited second magnetic layer, e.g., CoCrPtTa or CoCrPtTaNb having a high Cr content of about 16 to about 21 at. %.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disk drive, including a base, a disk stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly also includes a load spring and a slider attached to said load spring. The slider and load spring are attached to form a gimballing connection between the slider and the load spring. The slider includes an air-bearing surface which has a contact area. The slider also includes a transducer. The transducer is typically located near said contact area. The contact area includes a roughened surface portion and a smooth surface portion. The smooth surface portion is adjacent the transducer. The roughened surface portion is rougher than the smooth surface portion. The roughened surface portion is also rougher than the other surfaces associated with the air-bearing surface of the slider. The roughened surface portion of the contact area is formed by one of several techniques.

Abstract: A generally rectangular outer housing is sized to fit within the full height five and one quarter inch form factor. A drawer is mounted for sliding motion within the housing along a longitudinal axis thereof from a retracted position in which the drawer is substantially fully contained within the housing to an extended position in which a forward portion of the drawer extends beyond a forward transverse end of the housing. A DAT tape drive is mounted within a rear portion of the drawer and has a forwardly opening cassette insertion slot. A cassette magazine is provided that has a plurality of vertically spaced receptacles for holding a plurality of DAT cassettes in a vertically stacked configuration. A magazine loader is mounted in the forward portion of the drawer for receiving and vertically reciprocating the cassette magazine and for selectively transferring cassettes between the magazine and the cassette insertion slot of the DAT tape drive.

Abstract: A novel spindle motor assembly is disclosed that utilizes a fixed shaft and places the motor rotor components on the outside wall of the spindle hub directly below its disc stack supporting flange. The structure disclosed provides a compact yet powerful motor having a relatively low profile.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium on glass or Al substrates with film structure of NiAl seed layer/CrMo underlayer/CoCrPtB magnetic layer/carbon overcoat, in which the magnetic layer has a substantially (10.0) crystallographic orientation, exhibits high coercivity, high signal-to-medium noise ratio and low transition jitter. The medium can be used for high-density longitudinal magnetic recording. Embodiments include forming a surface oxidized NiAl sub-seed layer on a glass or glass-ceramic substrate, and sequentially depositing a seed layer of NiAl, an underlayer of Cr or Cr-alloy, such as CrMo, and a CoCrPtB magnetic layer.

Abstract: A gimbal formed integral with a load beam by through etching a H pattern at the end of the beam to define a pair of tabs connected by a pair of beams; half etching from the head direction one tab with an defined area masked to form a load button; and half etching the beam from the other direction to provide the proper gimbal stiffness. In practice, the head is glued to the other tab and load is applied through the button.

Abstract: Cleaning and inspecting a surface of the substrate comprises subjecting the surface to the output of a laser source for applying a cleaning energy to the surface and thereby remove contaminants on the surface. The laser source is used for inspecting the surface being cleaned and to measure the effect of the cleaning.

Abstract: An inertial spring latch with a contact post is disclosed for use in latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device. The actuator assembly includes a contact arm that cooperates with the contact post to restrict movement of the actuator assembly when the data storage device is in a non-operating mode. The inertial spring latch comprises a latch body adjacent the actuator assembly, a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body and a spring member extending from the forward arm, the spring member supporting the contact post. The contact post inhibits movement of the actuator assembly by decelerating the movement of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. Both the contact post and the spring member deflect to dampen the energy of motion of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

Abstract: In a dynamic pressure bearing device which has a shaft (3), a bearing (10) rotatable relative to the shaft (3), and capillary seal portions (13, 14) for holding a lubricating fluid (15) in a bearing clearance and in which the shaft (3) and the bearing (10) are relatively rotatably supported by dynamic pressure of the lubricating fluid (15) in the bearing clearance is scattered by centrifugal force so that the lubricating fluid (15) is kept in a constant quantity by the capillary seal portions (13, 14).

Abstract: A compressive limit stop for limiting travel of an actuator assembly of a data storage device is disclosed. The compressive limit stop separates a first pole piece from a second pole piece of the data storage device, each pole piece adjacent the actuator assembly, the compressive limit stop comprising a rigid body with a top flange adjacent the second pole piece and a bottom flange adjacent the first pole piece, an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the top flange disposed between the top and bottom flanges forming a channel between the flanges and a compressive sleeve with an inner wall adjacent each flange while enclosing the channel to form a gap between the inner portion and the inner wall. The compressive sleeve deflects and compresses between the actuator assembly and the inner portion to decelerate movement of the actuator assembly.

Abstract: A gimbal formed integral with a load beam by through etching a H pattern at the end of the beam to define a pair of tabs connected by a pair of beams; half etching from the head direction one tab with an defined area masked to form a load button; and half etching the beam from the other direction to provide the proper gimbal stiffness. In practice, the head is glued to the other tab and load is applied through the button.

Abstract: A gimbal formed integral with a load beam by through etching a H pattern at the end of the beam to define a pair of tabs connected by a pair of beams; half etching from the head direction one tab with an defined area masked to form a load button; and half etching the beam from the other direction to provide the proper gimbal stiffness. In practice, the head is glued to the other tab and load is applied through the button.

Abstract: An electronically damped actuator control system that determines an amount of damping to be applied to an actuator or other moving part. The amount of damping applied is proportional to a measured velocity of the actuator. The velocity is measured by at least one of (1) determining an amount of back-EMF generated according to the motion of the actuator, or, (2) based on a servo track or other positioning mechanism that identifies a position of the actuator or moving part. The amount of damping determined is fed back and summed into a force demand that is applied to a motor or other device utilized to apply force on the actuator or other moving part.

Abstract: The present invention is a package for incorporating a micromotor into a head gimbal assembly. The head gimbal assembly includes a slider package and a micromotor package assembled on a load beam. The slider package and micromotor package include circuitry which allow a read/write signal to be conducted from the read/write head on the slider to the load beam. Solder joints form the electrical and mechanical connections between the load beam, the micromotor, and the slider.

Abstract: A gimbal formed integral with a load beam by through etching a H pattern at the end of the beam to define a pair of tabs connected by a pair of beams; half etching from the head direction one tab with an defined area masked to form a load button; and half etching the beam from the other direction to provide the proper gimbal stiffness. In practice, the head is glued to the other tab and load is applied through the button.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head has a magnetic pole tip and a seed layer upon which the magnetic pole tip is formed. The seed layer is preferably formed of a high magnetic moment material having a saturation magnetization of at least 1.8 Tesla and a high resistance to corrosion. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the seed layer is preferably formed of 2.1 Tesla Fe44-46Co39-41Ni14.5-15, 1.8 Tesla Fe54-56Ni27-29Co16-18 Tesla Fe86-90Cr10-14, or 1.9 Tesla Fe52-62Co26-36Cr10-14, wherein the subscripts indicate a preferred range of atomic percentages for each element in the given alloy.

Abstract: An actuator arm assembly is provided in a disc drive. The disc drive includes a disc with a surface for storing information and a first actuator for moving the actuator arm assembly relative to the surface of the disc. The actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm coupled to the first actuator, a load beam coupled to the actuator arm, a suspension coupled to the load beam and an air bearing coupled to the suspension. A transducer is mounted on the air bearing and positioned to access the surface of the disc. A second actuator is coupled to the air bearing and the load beam and is controllable to move the air bearing relative to the surface of the disc and relative to the load beam.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for a disc drive includes an air bearing surface defined on the disc opposing face at least in part by a first step or cavity. An additional corner step is defined in bar processing, deeper than the first cavity. With the corner step, the first cavity does not extend quite all the way to the corner of the slider. The corner of the slider, formed on one face by dicing of the bar into individual sliders, is at an additional depth due to the corner step. The corner steps are preferably narrow, such as nominally one to two times the tolerance value on the dice cut. If a shock event occurs which causes the air bearing slider to contact the disc at certain roll and pitch angles, the corner step edge will contact the disc rather than the dice cut corner. The corner step thus lessens the probability of contact between the disc and the corners of the air bearing slider, and contact with a dice cut edge of the slider is avoided.