Abstract: A preconditioning process for contact printing of a reference servo pattern on storage media. The preconditioning process presets the magnetization of problematic grains, that is, grains that typically contribute to spurious subpulses on the media, in the direction of the printing field.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided that allow heads for use in disk drives to be tested in a helium environment in a cost-effective way with little or no impact on test time and with minimal consumption of helium.

Abstract: Masters for servo printing, systems containing such masters and methods of using such masters are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods are provided for adjusting flying characteristics of magnetic recording media, e.g., sealed disk drives. Adjustment may be made by changing at least one environmental condition within the drive enclosure of the disk drive prior to sealing. Alternatively, adjustment may be made by changing the speed of the disk drive, i.e., the speed at which the disk spins. Methods are also provided for error correction within sealed disk drives.

Abstract: Several ways of avoiding collisions between a transducer and asperities on the surface of a moving data storage medium are described. In general, information that indicates locations of the asperities on the surface is provided, and relative movement between the transducer and the surface is altered in response to the information. Approaches for altering the relative movement include preventing the transducer from idling over a track that contains an asperity or over a nearby track, and moving the transducer over an asperity-containing track before a read/write operation or away from the track after the read/write operation to avoid colliding with the asperity. In another technique, the transducer is temporarily moved away from the track as the asperity approaches during a data exchange, and is then returned to the track after the asperity passes.

Abstract: Masters for servo printing, systems containing such masters and methods of using such masters are disclosed.

Abstract: An optical positioning circuit includes an electro-optic positioner which positions an optical beam on an optical medium to read/write patterns of data on the optical medium, and a driver circuit, such as an inductive capacitive circuit, which drives the electro-optic positioner. The optical medium has a dimension along which the optical medium is moved, and each of the micropatterns extends along less than (e.g., {fraction (1/10)}th of) that dimension.

Abstract: A data storage device 15 comprises a recording head 35 and a recording media comprising a layer of magnetic material having an anisotropy that is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the layer. The device encoder 80 is adapted to provide an encoded data signal for recording data in encoded bit cells on the magnetic media 30, the encoded data signal comprising a sequence of signal transitions comprising added equalization signal transitions, the equalization signal transitions being added so that a plurality of the encoded bit cells comprises an average magnetization field strength that is substantially null.

Abstract: An electrostatic actuator includes liquid in the gap between elements of an electrostatic actuator. Preferred liquids have a high dielectric constant, which amplifies the electrostatic force induced between the elements by a voltage across the elements, thereby increasing the strength of the actuator and enabling the actuator to be used in a variety of applications. In addition, the liquid avoids contact between the elements that might otherwise occur during use. This helps prevent arcing between the elements and accompanying wear, as well as catastrophic failure such as the plates breaking as they collide. Preferred liquids are also substantially nonelectrically conductive, chemically stable, have a high breakdown voltage, low viscosity, and low vapor pressure to avoid evaporation. An exemplary liquid is diffusion pump oil.

Abstract: A flying optical head assembly for a magneto-optical data storage device includes a slider body mounting an optical element having a narrowed optical aperture extending through a location of the slider body, a recessed region surrounding the location passing the optical aperture, a magnetic pole sheet layer for heat dissipation and reduced magnetic reluctance formed in the recessed region and having an insulation layer and an opening for the optical aperture, and a magnetic bias coil formed on the insulation layer and surrounding the narrowed optical aperture. When formed of electrically conductive material, the sheet layer includes at least one radial slot for preventing a single turn short circuit in direct proximity to the coil. Multiple slots are preferred for bonding and to reduce eddy currents.

Abstract: A suspension assembly that supports a head adjacent to a rotating storage disk is provided for use within a single or multi-platter disk drive. The suspension assembly includes a generally elongated loadbeam that has an electrically grounded baseplate at a first end thereof and a gimbaled flexure portion for supporting the head over the rotating storage disk at a second end thereof. A power conductor electrically interconnected between a power source and the loadbeam enables the power source to heat a predetermined portion of the loadbeam to adjust the gramload of the suspension assembly for controlling the fly height of the head.

Abstract: An objective-solid immersion lens assembly includes a unitary solid immersion lens body having an optical axis, an evanescent wave-conducting region along the optical axis, and a substantially spherical surface portion surrounding the optical axis oppositely the wave emitting region. A discrete objective lens is attached to, or otherwise formned at, the solid immersion lens body at the substantially spherical surface portion to be in alignment with the optical axis. Several manufacturing methods for making an air bearing slider including the objective-solid immersion lens assembly are disclosed.

Abstract: A disk configured to store magnetically readable data is comprised of three distinct annular regions: a parking zone, a take-off zone, and a data storage area. The parking zone is heavily textured or roughened on the order of about 1 microinch, but the take-off zone is only lightly textured or roughened. A transducer head is located over the parking zone when the rotational speed of the disk is relatively slow. Once the rotational speed increases above this minimal value, the transducing head is moved to the take-off zone until the speed of the disk approaches the desired operating speed.

Abstract: The pole pieces of a thin film head are formed by two thin film layers of the magnetic metal NiFe, each NiFe layer being about 20,000 angstroms thick. These two NiFe layers are separated by an electrically insulating layer of alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), ceramic or NiFe oxide that is about 100 angstroms thick. In one embodiment, a hard-baked photoresist layer is formed only around the edges of the first NiFe layer, the electrically insulating layer is deposited over the top surface of the first NiFe layer and over the hard-baked photoresist layer, and the second NiFe layer is then deposited, thus providing a three-layer metal/insulator/metal pole piece wherein the hard baked photoresist blocks edge short circuiting between the two thin film NiFe layers.

Abstract: A process resulting in enhanced pole performance, relative to permalloy poles, in narrow track magnetic devices. A preferred process includes increasing the anisotropy field of the pole material while maintaining an acceptable coercivity level and near zero magnetostriction. One embodiment utilizes a NiCoFe alloy containing 22% cobalt by weight, heat treated in an easy axis magnetic field in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. This process achieves favorable domain structures at narrow pole tip widths.

Abstract: The pole pieces of a thin film head are formed by two thin film layers of the magnetic metal NiFe, each NiFe layer being about 20,000 angstroms thick. These two NiFe layers are separated by an electrically insulating layer of alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), ceramic or NiFe oxide that is about 100 angstroms thick. In one embodiment, a hard-baked photoresist layer is formed only around the edges of the first NiFe layer, the electrically insulating layer is deposited over the top surface of the first NiFe layer and over the hard-baked photoresist layer, and the second NiFe layer is then deposited, thus providing a three-layer metal/insulator/metal pole piece wherein the hard baked photoresist blocks edge short circuiting between the two thin film NiFe layers.

Abstract: In a magnetic write head, the top pole piece reduces in width and cross-sectional area in a number of steps by providing a first wide tapered zone whose width progressively decreases at a first rate that is determined by side surfaces that are inclined at an angle of about 45 to 55-degrees, and providing a second narrow tapered zone whose width progressively decreases at a second lower rate that is determined by side surfaces that are inclined at an angle of about 5-degrees. This second narrow tapered zone may comprise the serial arrangement of three individual zones, a first of which whose width decreases at a rate that is determined by side that are inclined at about 4.7-degrees, a second of which whose width decreases at a rate that is determined by side that are inclined at about 5.7-degrees, and third of which whose width decreases at a rate that is determined by sides that are inclined at about 6.8-degrees. The pole piece's tapered zone terminates in a narrow and constant width pole tip.

Abstract: A process resulting in enhanced pole performance, relative to permalloy poles, in narrow track magnetic devices. A preferred process includes increasing the anisotropy field of the pole material while maintaining an acceptable coercivity level and near zero magnetostriction. One embodiment utilizes a NiCoFe alloy containing 22% cobalt by weight, heat treated in an easy axis magnetic field in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. This process achieves favorable domain structures at narrow pole tip widths.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to enabling rotational flux conduction through magnetic film devices by creating a magnetic film layer with anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the film layer, the film deposited in sufficient thickness so that there is a rest state rotational conduction path in the plane of the film layer. Another aspect of the invention is to provide for flux spreading in a magnetic device having perpendicular anisotropy. One feature of the present invention enables forming perpendicularly oriented central domains in a magnetic device so that the path for conduction of signal flux by rotation remains open even for very narrow signal flux paths. Another feature of the invention is to orient at rest domain states of a magnetic device pole (or poles) perpendicular to two desired in-plane rotational flux travel directions.

Abstract: A thin film two-pole inductive magnetic head for a computer disk drive assembly. The head comprises a substrate, a first pole formed over the substrate, a gap layer formed over the first pole and a second pole formed over the gap layer. The first and second poles have their distal ends coupled together in a yoke region, while their proximal ends terminate at their tips in an air bearing surface. A leading surface of the first pole extends back toward the yoke region at an acute angle to the air bearing surface. The head reduces the amplitude and high frequency content of secondary pulses in a readback waveform so as to ease the task of electronically isolating the main pulses for downstream processing of the read data.