Abstract: A magnetic sensing section is constituted by a magneto-resistive device in which a fixed magnetization layer, a non-magnetic layer, and a magnetization-free layer are deposited in that order on a first buffer layer that is deposited on a magnetic layer. A second buffer layer sandwiches the magnetic sensing section, and a biasing layer which covers right and left sides of the magnetic sensing section. The second buffer layer is deposited on the magnetic layer with a nonconductor layer interposed therebetween. A near field light generation section constituted by a second magnetic layer, a dielectric layer, and a metal layer is formed on a surface of the second buffer layer not adjacent to the nonconductor layer. The resultant magnetic sensor device can efficiently perform photo-assisted reproduction of information from a magnetic recording medium using a magnetic reproduction head or a magnetic reproducer.

Abstract: A slider is formed of a two-phase material having a first component and a second component that is harder than the first component. A media-facing surface is formed on two-phase material, with a leading edge extending transversely from the media-facing surface. The second component is selectively removed from the two-phase material in a contact region located along at least one of the leading edge and the media-facing surface, such that a hardness of the slider is reduced in the contact region.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider according to the present invention comprises: a slider body including either a write head element or a read head element or both the write head element and the read head element; a seed layer provided on an air bearing surface of the slider body, the seed layer covering either the write head element or the read head element or both the write head element and the read head element, the seed layer having a film thickness that is less than 1 nm; and a protective film formed of diamond-like carbon, the protective film covering the seed layer. The seed layer is mainly formed of silicon and contains a 6A group element in a proportion of 2 atomic % or more and 30 atomic % or less.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a head-slider, an actuator, a ramp and a shroud. The head-slider is configured to fly above the disk. The actuator is configured to support the head-slider and to swing about a pivot shaft to move the head-slider in a radial direction of the disk. The actuator may also be configured to rest on the ramp in a stand-by position. The shroud includes an inner peripheral side surface and an outer peripheral side surface. The shroud is configured to control an air-stream which flows in a direction from the pivot shaft toward the head-slider. The inner peripheral side surface and the outer peripheral side surface are configured to blast the head-slider with the air-stream upon spinning the disk when the head-slider is positioned away from the disk in the stand-by position.

Abstract: A tape cartridge includes a housing and a length of magnetic tape disposed within the housing. Additionally, the tape cartridge includes at least one cartridge memory chip disposed within the housing and at least one RFID reader operably connected to at least one of the cartridge memory chips and configured to write at least one message to the cartridge memory chip based on a received RFID signal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element comprises a first laminated structure body and a second laminated structure body. Side surfaces of the first and the second laminated structure bodies that are parallel to a laminating direction both have at least a portion etched to form a recess so that a step distance is formed between sides of the two adjacent electrode layers that are parallel to the laminating direction. The design of the step distance increases insulation resistance between the two adjacent electrode layers on the opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric layer, and lowers reject rate. The first and the second laminated structure bodies are symmetrically laminated and bonded together, thus optimizing force balancing performance. The present invention also discloses a method of manufacturing a PZT element, a HGA with the PZT element and a disk drive unit having such HGA.

Abstract: A head-stack assembly. The head-stack assembly includes: a magnetic-recording head; a lead-suspension supporting the magnetic-recording head on an actuator arm; a metal plate coupled with the actuator arm; a resin layer disposed on the metal plate; a flexible-printed-circuit board disposed on the resin layer, and substantially perpendicularly connected to the lead-suspension; a arm-electronics module disposed on the flexible-printed-circuit board configured to shape a write-signal current waveform of a write signal to said magnetic-recording head; transmission lines disposed on the flexible-printed-circuit board configured to transmit the write signal to, and a read-back signal from, the lead-suspension; and, a single intermediate conductor layer that is disposed between the resin layer and the flexible-printed-circuit board, and having a planar shape substantially facing a bottom of the arm-electronics module and a bottom of the transmission lines.

Abstract: A head suspension 15 includes a base plate 27, a load bend 35, a load beam 37, a flexure 39, and a slider 25 that are assembled together through several processes including a pressing process. In such a head suspension 15 that is a finished product in a conventional sense, a front end 30 of the base plate 27 is twisted so that the front end 30 inclines toward one of inner and outer circumferences of a disk-like recording medium 33. The twisting process is carried out before attaching the head suspension 15 to an arm 13 of a carriage to be installed in a hard disk drive. The head suspension 15 with the twisted front end 30 prevents off-track errors even when it is used for a multi-arm assembly involving a plurality of head suspensions.

Abstract: The disk drive device includes a base plate, a hub on which a recording disk is mounted, a shaft bearing unit that is arranged on the base plate and that rotatably supports the hub, and a spindle drive unit that drives the hub to rotate. The spindle driving unit includes a stator core having a salient pole, a coil wound around the salient pole, and a magnet opposed to the salient pole. The hub formed of a magnetic material includes an outer cylindrical portion engaged with an inner circumference of the recording disk. A shaft is inserted into a sleeve, and the sleeve, which is of an approximate cylindrical shape, is inserted into a housing as part of the shaft bearing unit. The shaft is fixed to the rotational center of the hub, rotating along the axis together with the hub.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a slider of a magnetic head is provided with a negative-pressure cavity formed in a facing surface, a leading step portion situated on the upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions opposed to each other, a trailing step portion situated on the outlet end side of the negative-pressure cavity, and a pair of embossed portions formed on the facing surface so as to project from the negative-pressure cavity and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow. The embossed portions individually extend along a second direction so as to be situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion and are formed so as to be lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with an outlet-side end surface of the slider.

Abstract: A novel information storage device has a disk drive, a disk drive support structure adapted to maintain the disk drive base in a substantially vertical position, and an electrically conductive shield attached to the disk drive base. The electrically conductive shield is disposed adjacent and overlying the disk drive printed circuit board. The electrically conductive shield includes a fan mounting surface having a fan duct opening disposed adjacent an upper end of the electrically conductive shield, and a lower air inlet opening disposed adjacent a lower end of the electrically conductive shield. The information storage device includes no fan and no fan is attached to the fan mounting surface. The electrically conductive shield forms a continuous internal air passageway from the lower air inlet opening to the fan duct opening.

Abstract: A suspension for a disk drive includes a gimbal, a load beam and a constraint layer. The gimbal is configured to receive a head. The load beam has a first end and a second end and defines a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end. The load beam is coupled to the gimbal proximate the first end and includes a base region proximate the second end, the base region having a first lateral section to one side of the longitudinal axis and a second lateral section to another side of the longitudinal axis. The first and the second lateral sections define a gap therebetween, and the base region has a bridge section extending across the gap between the first lateral section and the second lateral section. The constraint layer overlays at least a portion of the base region.

Abstract: A Lorentz Magnetoresistive sensor having an ultrathin trapping layer disposed between a quantum well structure and a surface of the sensor. The trapping layer prevents charge carriers from the surface of the sensor from affecting the quantum well structure. This allows the quantum well structure to be formed much closer to the surface of the sensor, and therefore, much closer to the magnetic field source, greatly improving sensor performance. A Lorentz Magnetoresistive sensor having a top gate electrode to hinder surface charge carriers diffusing into the quantum well, said top gate electrode being either a highly conductive ultrathin patterned metal layer or a patterned monoatomic layer of graphene.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of a hard disk drive (HDD) retains a rotatable swing arm of the HDD in place when a magnetic head of the HDD is parked. The actuator latch system includes a portion of the swing arm that defines a notch at an end portion of a swing arm, and a latch lever that has first and second hooks at one end thereof. The latch lever is disposed on the base member adjacent the end portion of the swing arm and is supported so as to be rotatable. The first hook is disposed to contact the swing arm within a short period of time after a shock transmitted to the swing arm while the magnetic head is parked causes the swing arm to rotate in one direction. Thus, the impulse on the swing arm is minimized and the reliability of the actuator latch system is enhanced.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive head is provided with high reliability and produced at a high yield rate. The magnetoresistive head includes a lower magnetic shield layer, an upper magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive effect film, and means for causing a current to flow in the direction of the thickness of the magnetoresistive effect film. The magnetoresistive effect film is provided between the lower magnetic shield layer and the upper magnetic shield layer. The magnetoresistive effect film is composed of a fixed layer, a non-magnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer and a free layer. The four layers of the magnetoresistive effect film are formed in this order. The insulating barrier layer is an oxide layer containing at least one of titanium and nickel.

Abstract: A wiring connecting structure for a piezoelectric element is capable of performing wiring to the piezoelectric element without deteriorating the quality and reliability of the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element is arranged between a base and head of an object, to minutely move the head in a sway direction according to deformation that occurs on the piezoelectric element in response to a voltage applied from a terminal to an electrode of the piezoelectric element. The wiring connecting structure includes first and second liquid stoppers arranged between the terminal and the electrode, the second liquid stopper being arranged outside the first liquid stopper. The wiring connecting structure also includes an adhesive part to connect the electrode to the terminal. The adhesive part has a conductive adhesive part defined by the first liquid stopper and a sealing adhesive part defined by the second liquid stopper. The sealing adhesive part seals the first liquid stopper and conductive adhesive part.

Abstract: A hard disk drive apparatus includes a magnetic head having a write head to record data on a disk and a read head to read the data recorded on the disk, at least one actuator arm on which the magnetic head is mounted, a voice coil motor to rotate the at least one actuator arm across the disk, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the write head, the read head, and the voice coil motor, and a flexible printed circuit having at least one write trace to electrically connect the write head and the printed circuit board, at least one read trace to electrically connect the read head and the printed circuit board, and a voice coil motor trace to electrically connect the voice coil motor and the printed circuit board. In the hard disk drive, the write trace is arranged between the read trace and the voice coil motor trace.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head and a method of manufacturing said perpendicular magnetic recording head are provided. The perpendicular magnetic recording head has a main pole, a coil, which applies a magnetic field to the main pole, and a return pole constituting a magnetic circuit together with the main pole. The main pole has a back pole around which the coil is wound and a front pole contacting the back pole. The back pole and the front pole are formed on the same plane.

Abstract: A magneto-resistance effect element, a magneto-resistance effect head, a magnetic storage and a magnetic memory, in which noise caused by a spin-transfer torque is reduced, are provided. In a fixed magnetization layer or a free magnetization layer of a magneto-resistance effect element including the fixed magnetization layer, a spacer layer and the free magnetization layer; a layer containing one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au is disposed.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of a hard disk drive keeps an actuator of the hard disk drive in place in a state in which a read/write head mounted to a swing arm of the actuator is parked. The latch system has first and second protrusions at upper and lower parts of a rear end portion of the swing arm, and a latch lever having first and second hooks at upper and lower parts of a leading end of the lever. The latch lever, like the actuator, is mounted to a base of the hard disk drive so as to be rotatable about a respective axis.