Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider mounted on an arm, a first waveguide including a first core guiding layer, a second waveguide mounted on the slider and including a second core guiding layer having a uniform thickness smaller than the thickness of the first core guiding layer, and a coupler for coupling light from the first core guiding layer to the second core guiding layer, wherein the coupler comprises a curved mirror formed in the second waveguide and positioned to reflect light from the first core guiding layer into the second core guiding layer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider mounted on an arm, a first waveguide including a first core guiding layer, a second waveguide mounted on the slider and including a second core guiding layer having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first core guiding layer, and a coupler for coupling light from the first core guiding layer to the second core guiding layer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider mounted on an arm, a first waveguide including a first core guiding layer, a second waveguide mounted on the slider and including a second core guiding layer having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first core guiding layer, and a coupler for coupling light from the first core guiding layer to the second core guiding layer.

Abstract: A slider having contact protection for ultra-low fly heights. The contact protection includes contact pads having an ultra-low height dimension to reduce friction and damage for intermittent contact for ultra-low fly height applications.

Abstract: An air bearing slider includes an asymmetric taper for control of pressurization and suction force formation. The asymmetric taper is disposed on an edge of a slider to accommodate for the speed differential across the disc radial direction, thereby improving take-off performance, reducing sensitivity to skew angle and altitude variation, and reducing the severity of impacts during ramp loading and unloading. A leading taper intersecting a leading surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a longitudinal, bisecting plane of the slider. In another embodiment, side taper intersecting a side surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a latitudinal, bisecting plane of the slider. In another embodiment, rail taper intersecting a rail recess surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a longitudinal, rail-bisecting plane.

Abstract: A slider having contact protection for ultra-low fly heights. The contact protection includes contact pads having an ultra-low height dimension to reduce friction and damage for intermittent contact for ultra-low fly height applications.

Abstract: A slider includes first and second trailing slider edges and side edges, and first and second rails disposed about the side edges. Each of the rails has a width measured from an inner rail edge to an outer rail edge, a leading air-bearing surface, and a trailing air-bearing surface. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing air-bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. The slider further includes at least one raised bar extending across an air-bearing surface. The slider also includes raised features attached to the cavity or to the step level surfaces. Positional variations of features near the trailing edge are controlled more precisely by a step level mask which determines the position of the features and the trailing edge.

Abstract: An optical disc storage system (10) includes an optical disc (12) having a data surface (70) and a transducing element (30) adjacent the data surface (70). An actuator (22) coupled to the transducing element (30) positions the transducing element (30) relative to the data surface (70). The system (10) includes a spindle motor (90) and a controller (34) coupled to the transducing element (30), the actuator (22) and the spindle motor (90) for reading and writing information on the data surface (70). A hub insert (72) is coupled to the optical disc (12) and has a stiffness which is greater than a stiffness of the optical disc (12). An attachment mechanism (94, 96, 98) couples the hub insert (72) to the spindle motor (90) and stress due to the attachment mechanism (94, 96, 98) remains substantially in the hub insert (72) to thereby limit stress applied to the optical disc (12) and the resultant distortion of the optical disc (12).

Abstract: A disc storage system includes a rotating disc and a transducer. The transducer is carried on a slider which is supported by an armature. The armature is used to move the slider radially across the disc surface whereby information may be read from or written to the disc surface of the transducer. The slider includes an air bearing surface which faces the disc surface. As the disc rotates, the air bearing surface causes the slider to “fly” over the disc surface. Pads are provided on the air bearing surface to improve operational characteristics of the system.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a disk having a stiffening structure for improved vibration resistance. The stiffening structure is configured to improve stiffness and vibration resistance with respect to the (0,1), (0,2) and (1,1) vibration modes. The stiffening structure includes a rib-stiffening structure composed of a framework of interconnected ribs. The framework includes a plurality of concentric annular ribs and a plurality of radially spaced, radial ribs. One or more annular ribs are disposed at one or more locations along the radial dimension of the disk at which nodes of annular vibrations occur. Also, one or more radial ribs are disposed at one or more locations around annular dimension of the disk at which nodes of radial vibrations occur. The stiffening structure is disposed within a substrate layer of the disk during manufacture of the disk structure.

Abstract: A magneto-optical head assembly that includes two load points. The two load points are laterally disposed from and longitudinally aligned with the center of the magneto-optical transducer carried on the head assembly. When contact between the head assembly and an asperity on the disc surface causes vibration of the head assembly in the pitch axis of the head assembly, the vibration is centered closely on the magneto-optical transducer, thus minimizing read/write signal modulation.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor in the magnetic storage device includes a magnetoresistive element for sensing magnetic fields carried on storage medium. A cooling device is thermally coupled to the magnetoresistive element and arranged to conduct heat in a direction away from the magnetoresistive element to thereby cool the magnetoresistive element during normal operation of the storage device.