Abstract: A disk drive slider supports a microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head with a spin-torque oscillator (STO) and a separate corrosion monitor (CM). The CM includes a corrosion detection layer formed of the same material as the STO's spacer layer. The CM is coplanar with the STO but laterally spaced from the STO. The corrosion detection layer has an edge at the ABS so as to be exposed to the same atmospheric conditions as the STO's spacer layer. Electrical leads are located at the ends of the CM and are electrically connected to pads on the upper surface of the slider. Electrical resistance of the CM is measured by detection of current in the plane of the corrosion detection layer.

Abstract: A slider for magnetic data recording in a thermally assisted recording system. The slider has a slider body and a magnetic recording head formed on a trailing edge of the slider body. A first terminal is formed on a trailing edge surface of the recording head, and a second terminal is formed on a backside surface both the magnetic recording head and the slider body so as to extend across both the magnetic recording head and the slider body. An electrically conductive lead formed within the magnetic recording head connects the first lead with the second lead.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head slider includes a substrate, at least two elements (read element, write element, and/or heater element) positioned adjacent to the substrate, a resistance detection element positioned near the two elements, a pair of conductive terminals in an accessible position and coupled to each of the two elements, a protective film surrounding the two elements and the resistance detection element, a first and a second thin conductive wire extending from the resistance detection element and terminating at an edge of the protective film, a third thin conductive wire extending from one of the pair of conductive terminals for a first of the two elements and terminating at an edge of the protective film, and a fourth thin conductive wire extending from one of the pair of conductive terminals for a second of the two elements and terminating at an edge of the protective film.

Abstract: A slider for magnetic data recording in a thermally assisted recording system. The slider has a slider body and a magnetic recording head formed on a trailing edge of the slider body. A first terminal is formed on a trailing edge surface of the recording head, and a second terminal is formed on a backside surface both the magnetic recording head and the slider body so as to extend across both the magnetic recording head and the slider body. An electrically conductive lead formed within the magnetic recording head connects the first lead with the second lead.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head slider includes a substrate, at least two elements (read element, write element, and/or heater element) positioned adjacent to the substrate, a resistance detection element positioned near the two elements, a pair of conductive terminals in an accessible position and coupled to each of the two elements, a protective film surrounding the two elements and the resistance detection element, a first and a second thin conductive wire extending from the resistance detection clement and terminating at an edge of the protective film, a third thin conductive wire extending from one of the pair of conductive terminals for a first of the two elements and terminating at an edge of the protective film, and a fourth thin conductive wire extending from one of the pair of conductive terminals for a second of the two elements and terminating at an edge of the protective film.

Abstract: Head elements are formed on a wafer to suppress deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer, which is caused by ESD generated during air bearing surface polishing of a thin film magnetic head. The wafer is cut into rovers in each of which are connected head elements. Rover air bearing surfaces are polished until an MR elements attain a predetermined height. A final polishing step finishes air bearing surfaces by applying an electroconductive polishing liquid to achieve a predetermined shape and surface roughness with high accuracy. A pinning defect occurrence rate is reduced by suppressing deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer of a read element. To achieve this, a specific resistance of the electroconductive polishing liquid is controlled to 5 G?·cm or less. A shallow rail and a deep rail are formed on the air bearing surfaces, and the rover is cut into thin film magnetic heads.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a head gimbal assembly (HGA) provided with a solder ball connecting structure suitable for the re-utilization of a suspension assembly. In one embodiment, the HGA includes lead wires provided at front ends thereof with lead pads and also includes slider pads capable of being connected to the lead pads by solder ball bonding with the use of solder balls. Respective grooves formed in the surfaces of the slider pads inhibit the solder balls from rotating and moving over the surfaces of the slider pads and the lead pads before the radiation of a laser beam.

Abstract: In the case of employing the wire bonding for the actual element detection in the air bearing surface polishing process and the solder bonding for the connection between the terminals in the assembly process, it has been virtually impossible to satisfy requirements of both of the wire bonding and the solder bonding. According to the embodiment of the invention an MR head and a write head are stacked on an element formation surface of a slider. A lead line connected to electrodes of the MR head is connected to MR element terminals 20 via a copper stud. An outgoing line from coils of the write head is connected to write element terminals via a copper stud. The stacked body of the MR head and the read head, the lead line, and the coil outgoing line are covered with an alumina protection film. The MR element terminals and the write element terminals are formed on the alumina protection film.

Abstract: A thin-film includes an inductive element and a first and second magneto-resistive effect elements in which the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements are arranged in proximity to each other on a substrate, and one surface of the substrate perpendicular to the surface formed with the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements constitutes a slider surface, thereby providing appropriate height of the magneto-resistive effect elements.

Abstract: Head elements are formed on a wafer in order to suppress deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer, which is caused by ESD generated during a thin film magnetic head production process, particularly in an air bearing surface polishing step. The wafer is cut line by line into rovers in each of which the head elements are connected; surfaces to be used as air bearing surfaces of the rover are polished until an MR element height reaches to a predetermined value. After this air bearing surface polishing, an electroconductive polishing liquid is used in a final bearing surface polishing step of finishing the air bearing surfaces to achieve a predetermined shape with high accuracy and a predetermined value of a surface roughness. In order to suppress a pinning defect occurrence rate by suppressing deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer of a read element, a specific resistance of the electroconductive polishing liquid is controlled to G?·cm or less, preferably 1 G?·cm or less.

Abstract: A thin-film includes an inductive element and a first and second magneto-resistive effect elements in which the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements are arranged in proximity to each other on a substrate, and one surface of the substrate perpendicular to the surface formed with the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements constitutes a slider surface, thereby providing appropriate hight of the magneto-resistive effect elements.

Abstract: A thin-film includes an inductive element and a first and second magneto-resistive effect elements in which the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements are arranged in proximity to each other on a substrate, and one surface of the substrate perpendicular to the surface formed with the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements constitutes a slider surface, thereby providing appropriate hight of the magneto-resistive effect elements.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a head gimbal assembly (HGA) provided with a solder ball connecting structure suitable for the re-utilization of a suspension assembly. In one embodiment, the HGA includes lead wires provided at front ends thereof with lead pads and also includes slider pads capable of being connected to the lead pads by solder ball bonding with the use of solder balls. Respective grooves formed in the surfaces of the slider pads inhibit the solder balls from rotating and moving over the surfaces of the slider pads and the lead pads before the radiation of a laser beam.

Abstract: In the case of employing the wire bonding for the actual element detection in the air bearing surface polishing process and the solder bonding for the connection between the terminals in the assembly process, it has been virtually impossible to satisfy requirements of both of the wire bonding and the solder bonding. According to the embodiment of the invention an MR head and a write head are stacked on an element formation surface of a slider. A lead line connected to electrodes of the MR head is connected to MR element terminals 20 via a copper stud. An outgoing line from coils of the write head is connected to write element terminals via a copper stud. The stacked body of the MR head and the read head, the lead line, and the coil outgoing line are covered with an alumina protection film. The MR element terminals and the write element terminals are formed on the alumina protection film.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a three-step configuration including deep and shallow groove surfaces, a super shallow groove surface, and an air bearing surface, and also, island-shaped center rail is provided in the center of the air outflow end of the disk-facing air bearing surface having a boundary on the surface of base alumina between a head element portion and a substrate, without including the surface of the substrate. Further, by providing in the surface of the substrate the super shallow groove surface shallower than a shallow groove surface, an alumina recession between the surface of the substrate and the head element portion, produced in a shallow dual step sub ambient slider, can be eliminated. Magnetic spacing between the head of the head element portion and the magnetic layer of the disk can be thereby reduced.

Abstract: A method of measuring variation in dimensions and alignment error of thin film magnetic heads formed on a raw bar cut-off from a substrate is provided. Such method comprises illuminating a MR element and a resistance detector element which is formed for monitoring a lapping process, both of which are formed on the raw bar, with illuminating light whose wavelength is 300 nm or less; forming an image by imaging light reflected from the elements; and converting the image to an image signal through photoelectric conversion so as to detect variation in dimensions of the MR element and the resistance detector element formed on the raw bar, and alignment error between the MR element and the resistance detector element with a high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head ncludes a three-step configuration including deep and shallow groove surfaces, a super shallow groove surface, and an air bearing surface, and also, island-shaped center rail is provided in the center of the air outflow end of the disk-facing air bearing surface having a boundary on the surface of base alumina between a head element portion and a substrate, without including the surface of the substrate. Further, by providing in the surface of the substrate the super shallow groove surface shallower than a shallow groove surface, an alumina recession between the surface of the substrate and the head element portion, produced in a shallow dual step sub ambient slider, can be eliminated. Magnetic spacing between the head of the head element portion and the magnetic layer of the disk can be thereby reduced.

Abstract: A thin-film includes an inductive element and a first and second magneto-resistive effect elements in which the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements are arranged in proximity to each other on a substrate, and one surface of the substrate perpendicular to the surface formed with the first and second magneto-resistive effect elements constitutes a slider surface, thereby providing appropriate hight of the magneto-resistive effect elements.

Abstract: An ultra-thin resin molded semiconductor device of high reliability with low cost and with easy repair at time of mounting. A plurality of these semiconductor devices are stacked to provide a semiconductor module which has a higher function than semiconductor devices in the same volume, and a card type module utilizing assembled by the stacked semiconductor module is provided. In manufacturing the semiconductor module, an extremely thin lead frame and an LSI chip are directly connected together, and the mirror surface of the LSI chip is exposed by using a low viscosity epoxy resin to have a thin molding. The mirror surface is grinded to have a further thin thickness of the whole structure of the semiconductor device. A part of the lead frame is formed as a reinforcing member, a heat radiation path, a light shielding part for shielding the LSI from harmful light beams, or a positioning base for mounting a substrate.

Abstract: By grinding the grinding surface of a diamond grinding tool which is formed in a predetermined shape by securing diamond abrasive grains by bond circularly or flat with high accuracy by the processing type truing method, uniformly dressing the above bond surface so as to project diamond abrasive grains, lapping the tips of the diamond abrasive grains projected from the above bond by the lapping type truing method so as to make the cutting edge height constant, the run,out of the grinding surface can be controlled to the order of submicrons and the cutting edges which are tips of the diamond abrasive grains can be aligned precisely.