Abstract: An apparatus comprises a head transducer and a resistive temperature sensor provided on the head transducer. The resistive temperature sensor comprises a first layer comprising a conductive material and having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a second layer comprising at least one of a specular layer and a seed layer. A method is disclosed to fabricate such sensor with a laminated thin film structure to achieve a large TCR. The thicknesses of various layers in the laminated thin film are in the range of few to a few tens of nanometers. The combinations of the deliberately optimized multilayer thin film structures and the fabrication of such films at the elevated temperatures are disclosed to obtain the large TCR.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises circuitry configured to apply an AC signal having a frequency to one of a slider of a recording head and a magnetic recording medium. The applied AC signal causes an oscillation in an electrostatic force and clearance between the slider and the medium at the frequency of the AC signal. A thermal sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal at the AC signal frequency in response to sensing changes in temperature resulting from the oscillating clearance. A detector is coupled to the circuitry and the thermal sensor. The detector is configured to detect one or both of head-medium spacing changes and head-medium contact using a phase of a first harmonic or an amplitude of a second harmonic of the thermal sensor signal.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

Abstract: A slider of a magnetic recording head comprises a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources. A first writer on the slider is coupled between first and second bond pads. A second writer on the slider is coupled between third and fourth bond pads. At least one heater is coupled between two of the first, second, third, and fourth bond pads. The first writer can have a center-tap coupled to first and second bond pads. The second writer can have a center-tap coupled to third and fourth bond pads. A first writer heater can be coupled between the center-tap of the second writer and the ground pad. A second writer heater can be coupled between the center-tap of the first writer and the ground pad.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider of a magnetic recording transducer comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads. A component is coupled to a pair of the electrical bond pads. A sensor is coupled to the pair of the electrical bond pads in parallel with the component. The sensor is configured to sense for one or more of thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, voids of the medium, spacing changes between the slider and the medium, and contact between the slider and the medium. The sensor is configured to be rendered non-functional in response to the sensor receiving a predetermined signal. The component is configured to remain operable after the sensor is rendered non-functional.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.

Abstract: A data recording head may consist of at least a charge control circuit that has a substrate, ground, surface charge circuitry, and data reader circuitry. The substrate may be electrically isolated from the ground and electrically connected between the surface charge circuitry and a non-zero fixed voltage. The surface charge circuitry can be configured to apply a varying substrate charge to the substrate at a predetermined frequency to alter a head media spacing between the substrate and a data storage medium.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a writer, a reader, and a sensor configured to at least sense thermal asperities of a magnetic storage medium. The apparatus includes a writer heater configured to thermally actuate the writer, a reader heater configured to thermally actuate the reader, and a sensor heater configured to thermally actuate the sensor. The thermally actuated sensor is configured to detect thermal asperities arising from the magnetic storage medium during a topographical survey of the medium. The sensor heater is configured to be rendered inoperable subsequent to the survey in response to receiving a predetermined signal while the writer and the reader heaters remain operable.

Abstract: Apparatus for sensing data from a magnetic recording medium using a multi-sensor reader with different readback sensitivities. In accordance with some embodiments, a data transducing head has first and second read sensors. The first read sensor is optimized for reading data and the second read sensor is optimized to detect thermal asperity (TA) events.

Abstract: A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.

Abstract: A temperature sensor of a head transducer measures temperature near or at the close point. The measured temperature varies in response to changes in spacing between the head transducer and a magnetic recording medium. A detector is coupled to the temperature sensor and is configured to detect a change in a DC component of the measured temperature indicative of onset of contact between the head transducer and the medium. Another head transducer configuration includes a sensor having a sensing element with a high temperature coefficient of resistance to interact with asperities of the medium. Electrically conductive leads are connected to the sensing element and have a low temperature coefficient of resistance relative to that of the sensing element, such thermally induced resistance changes in the leads have a negligible effect on a response of the sensing element to contact with the asperities.

Abstract: A writer core of a transducer is configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and comprises an upper core and a lower core. At least one of the upper and lower cores comprises a return pole having a return shield. The apparatus also comprises a writer pole between the upper and lower cores, and a writer gap defined between the writer pole and the return shield. The apparatus further comprises a sensor element within one of the upper and lower cores that includes the writer gap. The sensor element has a temperature coefficient of resistance and is configured to sense for a change in temperature indicative of one or both of a change in spacing and contact between the transducer and the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to detect contact between an air bearing surface of a transducer and a medium using a modulated thermal sensor signal. A laser source produces modulated laser light. A thermal sensor is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and is subject to cyclic heating by the modulated laser light. The thermal sensor is configured to produce the modulated sensor signal in response to the cyclic heating.

Abstract: A head transducer comprises a reader coupled to reader bond pads and configured to interact with a magnetic storage medium. A first thermal sensor is configured to produce a first sensor signal. The first sensor is biased relative to a common mode voltage at the reader bond pads. A second thermal sensor is configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic storage medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a writer, an arrangement comprising a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) adjacent the writer and comprising a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and a lead arrangement connected to the NFT arrangement. In some configurations, the NFT arrangement includes a heat sink, and the lead arrangement is connected to the heat sink. In other configurations, the lead arrangement is connected directly to the NFT.

Abstract: A writer core of a transducer is configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and comprises an upper core and a lower core. At least one of the upper and lower cores comprises a return pole having a return shield. The apparatus also comprises a writer pole between the upper and lower cores, and a writer gap defined between the writer pole and the return shield. The apparatus further comprises a sensor element within one of the upper and lower cores that includes the writer gap. The sensor element has a temperature coefficient of resistance and is configured to sense for a change in temperature indicative of one or both of a change in spacing and contact between the transducer and the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: Apparatus for sensing data from a magnetic recording medium using a multi-sensor reader with different readback sensitivities. In accordance with some embodiments, a data transducing head has first and second read sensors. The first read sensor is optimized for reading data and the second read sensor is optimized to detect thermal asperity (TA) events.

Abstract: A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign.