Abstract: A magnetic head includes a head element recording and reading data on and from a recording medium, a slider having an air bearing surface facing the recording medium, and having the head element forming surface which the head element being present on, and a piezoelectric device attached above the head element forming surface and the head element, and configured to displace a part of the head forming surface in a direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A slider is formed with an ABS topography that eliminates the accumulation of lubricant swept from the surface of a rotating disk in an operating HDD. The topography includes air channeling grooves in which are formed backflow blocking elements that prevent the formation airflow patterns that would cause lubricant to be aspirated into the ABS topography of the slider and that create airflow patterns that sweep lubricant away from the ABS of the slider. The topography is first tested to make sure that the slider has the proper flying height and aerodynamic stability, then the backflow blocking elements are added to control the airflow, while maintaining the desired flying height and stability.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider and a method of manufacturing the same. At a leading side of a slider substrate, a shock absorbing layer is provided which has a hardness lower than a hardness of the slider substrate, and a projecting portion is provided on a surface of the shock absorbing layer. If an external force is applied to the slider substrate and the leading side of the slider substrate becomes closer to a magnetic disk, only the projecting portions contact with the magnetic disk. A height of a convex portion and a depth of a concave portion, which are generated on the surface of the magnetic disk, can be decreased, so that it is possible to prevent the magnetic disk from being damaged.

Abstract: Estimating methods and apparatus are disclosed for the patterned flying height of an air bearing surface over a patterned surface from the flying height over a smooth surface minus a flying height delta based upon the patterned surface. A hard disk drive is disclosed including the air bearing surface over a rotating disk surface that at least partly includes a patterned surface. A slider with the air bearing surface is disclosed for use over the patterned disk surface. Also disclosed: a head gimbal assembly including the slider and a head stack assembly coupling through the head gimbal assembly to position the slider.

Abstract: A method of processing an air bearing surface of a thin-film magnetic head slider is provided. A first silicon film, a first carbon film, a second silicon film, and a second carbon film are laminated in that order on a face of a thin-film magnetic head slider facing a medium. A protrusion resist pattern that forms protrusions is formed on the second carbon film. Portions of the second carbon film and the second silicon film that are not covered with the protrusion resist pattern are removed by reactive ion etching with O2/CF4. A third carbon film is formed on the first carbon film exposed by the removal of the portions. The protrusion resist pattern is removed to expose the protrusions including the second silicon film and the second carbon film. An ABS resist pattern is formed on exposed surfaces of the protrusions and the third carbon film. A surface not covered with the ABS resist pattern is processed to impart an ABS uneven pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes protruded magnetic patterns formed on a substrate, and a non-magnetic material filled in recesses between the magnetic patterns and made of a multi-element amorphous alloy containing Ni or Cu, and two or more metals selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Ti, Zr, Hf, Cr, Mo and Ag.

Abstract: To promote reduction in thickness of an air bearing surface protective film of a magnetic head, a magnetic head having an air bearing surface protective film consisting only of a thin carbon film while excluding formation of a dead layer by ion incidence as less as possible to the read/write device, and a manufacturing method therefore, are provided. In an embodiment, an air bearing surface protective film of a magnetic head comprises a thin carbon film, in which the mass density a lowermost layer of the air bearing surface protective film on the side of a magnetic device is made lower compared with a thin carbon film constituting other adjacent layers. Further, the manufacturing method comprises deposition under the control of time for the incident angle of ion flow to a substrate to be processed and deposition under the control of time for the ion flow energy to a substrate to be processed.

Abstract: A method for improving the magnetic performance of at least one magnetic transducer operating within a hard disk drive. The method comprises flying the magnetic transducer at a distance of separation from a magnetic recording media. The magnetic transducer is coupled with a highly damped air bearing surface and a fly height control device. At least one operating parameter of the hard disk drive is measured. The magnetic transducer is moved with the fly height control device into contact with the magnetic recording media, in accordance with at least one operating parameter of the hard disk drive. The magnetic transducer is operated while the magnetic transducer is in contact with the magnetic recording media, thereby improving the magnetic performance of the magnetic transducer.

Abstract: A pair of side pads, which are arranged to face each other by having a negative pressure generating part in the direction orthogonal to an air flow direction of a slider therebetween, are made to have three or more steps, respectively. Of the respective surfaces having the plural steps, the surfaces having a highest height respectively are not subject to a milling, and the respective surfaces of having plural steps are made to gradually have a deeper cavity depth as the surface comes closer to the air inflow end. Further, it is also effective for improving the efficiency in positive pressure generation to surround the second side pad region partially by the region of the surface being not subject to the milling, and to surround the third side pad region partially by the second surface region.

Abstract: To provide a high-quality protection target by forming a protective film that is thin and excellent in corrosion resistance. Provided is a protective film forming method for forming a protective film at least on a surface of a protection target. The method comprises: a base film forming step for forming a base film on the surface of the protection target; and a DLC film forming step for forming a diamond-like carbon film on the base film. The base film forming step forms the base film on the surface of the protection target for a plurality of times by repeating a process of depositing the base film in a prescribed thickness and eliminating a part of or a whole part of the base film. Further, the method comprises, before the DLC film forming step, an insulating layer forming step for forming an insulating layer on the surface of the base film on which the diamond-like carbon film is to be formed.

Abstract: A suspension arm assembly for a hard disk drive that includes a suspension arm and a thermal adaptor. The thermal adaptor has a thermal coefficient of expansion that is different from the thermal coefficient of expansion of the suspension arm so that a pitch static angle is increased with an increase in temperature. The suspension arm assembly is attached to an actuator arm and coupled to a head of the disk drive. The head may be parked on a landing zone of a disk surface while the disk is stationary. When the disk is spun, an air bearing is formed between the disk surface and the head. If the drive is operating at an elevated temperature the static angle of the suspension arm will increase to increase the slider's pitch angle and air bearing flying height.

Abstract: A main surface of a glass substrate for a magnetic disk is disk-shaped and has a ski jump on an outer peripheral end portion of the main surface opposing a magnetic head slider to be loaded. A rate of change of angles of tangents to a slope of the ski jump in a radial direction in a range between an inner circumferential side and a transition point on the slope is equal to or less than 10/W ?rad/mm where W is a width of the magnetic head slider.

Abstract: A head slider includes a leading end and a trailing end, a main top face and two step faces. The main top face faces a recording medium and forms a part of the leading end. The two step faces extend from the leading end to a downstream side at a lower position than the main top face when the main top face is placed face up. The step faces are respectively provided at the right and left sides with respect to the airflow. The main top face extends between the two step faces. The other portion of the main top face extends at the rear side of the step faces. At least a part of the head slider floats above the recording medium.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus, mounting of plural heating elements to a magnetic head slider is permitted. Thermally assisted magnetic recording from inner to outer surface is permitted at a small amount of power consumption. In one embodiment, the magnetic disk apparatus has a magnetic disk on which magnetic information is recorded, a magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface for floating from the magnetic disk in proximity thereto, and a rotary actuator moving over the disk arcuately while supporting the magnetic head slider by a suspension. A recording element acting to record magnetic information on the magnetic disk, a playback element acting to play back the magnetic information recorded on the magnetic disk, and plural heating elements acting to locally heat the magnetic disk are carried on the magnetic head slider.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a storage medium having a surface coated with a layer of a first solid lubricant, and a head separated from the storage medium by an air film, the head having an air bearing surface, wherein at least a portion of the air bearing surface is coated with a layer of a second solid lubricant.

Abstract: A magnetic head device includes a slider with a facing side and a magnetic function part. The facing side of the slider includes a front positive pressure surface located close to a leading end of the slider, a rear positive pressure surface located close to a trailing end of the slider, and a pair of side positive pressure surfaces located closer to the trailing end than the front positive pressure surface and disposed at both sides of a longitudinally extending centerline. Air inlet grooves for introducing air into the side positive pressure surfaces are each disposed in front of each side positive pressure surface. Each air inlet groove extends between the front positive pressure surface and a corresponding side face of the slider and opens toward a leading end face of the slider.

Abstract: Lubricant on a rotating recording medium can attach to a slider, particularly on the pad formed in the proximity of the trailing edge. In the slider of this invention, lubricant is not accumulated in the vicinity of the trailing edge and can be drawn to the trailing edge and dispersed constantly. The head slider includes a center pad formed on an air bearing surface in the vicinity of the center of a trailing edge of the slider. A trailing pad is formed so as to bridge a trailing edge of the center pad and the trailing edge of the slider. The trailing pad is formed lower than a highest surface of the center pad and higher than a lowest surface of the slider.

Abstract: A tape head and bearing assembly comprises an air bearing structure having a tape bearing surface with a plurality of openings therein configured to provide a continuous air bearing of pressurized air to support a linear tape moving along a path, the air bearing being provided on only one side of the linear tape. A head slider assembly, such as an HDD-type assembly, is positioned at the opposite side of the linear tape from the tape bearing surface and is configured to be in contact with the linear tape.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a metal substrate, an amorphous adhesion layer on the metal substrate, and a protective DLC layer over the adhesion layer. The adhesion layer has a thickness of less than about 8 Angstroms, and has a composition of carbon silicon carbide or carbon silicon nitride. The composition of the adhesion layer provides corrosion resistance for the metal substrate.

Abstract: A load/unload ramp spoiler for a hard disk drive is disclosed. One embodiment provides a load/unload ramp body having at least one load/unload ramp associated therewith, the at least one load/unload ramp for receiving at least one slider coupled with an actuator assembly. In addition, at least one spoiler is integrated with the load/unload ramp body to reduce detrimental local excitation of an airflow encountering the load/unload ramp body.

Abstract: A magnetic head for a hard disk drive having a CPP read head sensor that includes a layered sensor stack including a free magnetic layer and hard bias elements that are disposed on the sides of the free magnetic layer to provide a biasing magnetization for the free magnetic layer. To increase the coercivity of the hard bias elements, and thereby improve the biasing of the magnetization of the free magnetic layer, the ratio (t/H) of the thickness t to the height H of the hard bias elements is fabricated to be within the range of from approximately 1 to approximately 1/15.

Abstract: A spoiler implementable in a hard disk drive. The spoiler includes a structure. The structure includes a diffuser integrated therewith. The structure further includes an extension emanating there from, the extension configured to complete a wall of a bypass channel in said hard disk drive, said inner wall having a portion removed there from.

Abstract: disk A hard disk drive includes a base member, a disk which is a data storage medium to rotate at a high speed on the base member, and a head stack assembly (HSA) having a head slider including a magnetic head to write data on the disk or to reproduce data recorded on the disc, and an ABS pattern formed on a disk facing surface of the head slider to generate a lifting force, and is rotatably mounted on the base member so that the head slider moves between inner circumferences and outer circumferences of the disk in a floating state over the disc, wherein if a center line of the ABS pattern is an ABS line and a straight line extending in a direction in which an air flow induced due to the high speed rotation of the disk enters the ABS pattern is an air flow line, a crossing angle between the ABS line and the air flow line is reduced as the head slider moves from the outer circumferences to the inner circumferences.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving flying height stability at lower speeds is achieved by an ABS with a channel and pocket. The channel and pocket are configured to achieve a desired flying height profile.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for using a test slider to test the resonance performance of a head gimbal assembly. The test slider has a two-stripe air-bearing surface to allow the test slider to glide above a surface and a block with a mass equal to the combined mass of the electrical slider and the micro-actuator. The leading edge of the slider is tapered and has a main air groove to facilitate gliding. A back step on the side of the test slider opposite the air bearing surface maintains a parallel gap between the slider and the suspension tongue of the head gimbal assembly.

Abstract: A method for reducing the height of a defect associated with an air bearing surface of a hard disk drive slider is disclosed. The technology initially ion mills for a first period of time at a first angle relative to an air bearing surface of a disk drive slider to remove a first portion of the air bearing surface. Then the technology ion mills for a second period of time at a second angle relative to an air bearing surface of the disk drive slider to remove a second portion of the air bearing surface. The second portion of the air bearing surface comprises a defect wherein the ion milling at the second angle reduces the height of the defect with respect to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A hard disk drive slider comprises an overcoat layer, which covers an air-bearing surface of the slider. The overcoat covers an exposed surface of a tunneling magnetoresistance transducer. An adhesion layer is coupled with the overcoat layer and the air-bearing surface. The adhesion layer comprises a compound of nitrogen. The compound of nitrogen reduces noise in read data from the tunneling magnetoresistance transducer.

Abstract: A head includes a transducer and a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS) and a trailing face. The slider has an overcoat layer that includes the trailing face and that overcoats the transducer. The ABS includes a trailing pad having a major surface adjacent the transducer, with the major surface lying in a primary plane. The ABS also includes a sub-ambient pressure cavity disposed upstream of the overcoat layer and being recessed from the primary plane by a cavity depth in the range 0.8 to 2 microns. The overcoat layer includes a trailing air flow dam being recessed from the primary plane by a step depth in the range 0.05 to 0.5 microns. The overcoat layer also includes a corner region recessed from the primary plane by at least the cavity depth.

Abstract: A magnetic write head having independent trailing and side magnetic shields. The side shields and trailing shields are independently of one another so that they can have throat heights that are different from one another. This advantageously allows the magnetic potential between the write pole and side shields to be controlled independently of one another without relying on the side gap and trailing gap thicknesses. Furthermore, magnetic performance of the write head can be improved because the side shields can be constructed with varying tapered throat heights, while the throat height of the trailing shield can remain constant.

Abstract: A head slider, of a disk apparatus, flying over a rotary magnetic recording disk, having a characteristic less dependent on the atmospheric pressure. The head slider of a disk apparatus comprises: a magnetic element adapted to fly over a magnetic recording medium; a medium opposing surface being formed with, with respect to the direction in which the medium moves, an inflow pad portion at the upstream end and a pair of side rail portions extending downstream from the inflow pad portion, and a center pad at the central part and a pair of side pads on the sides of the center pad and upstream of the center pad at the downstream end of the head slider. The center pad and the side pads are constituted so that a positive pressure generated by the side pads is greater than a positive pressure generated by the center pad.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a perpendicular recording magnetic head. A perpendicular recording element includes a main magnetic pole film for emitting a perpendicular magnetic field and is supported by a slider. The main magnetic pole film includes an electrode film and a plated film, the electrode film is an alloy film of at least one element selected from the platinum group and Ni, and the plated film is a magnetic film grown on the electrode film.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a slider designed to reduce fly height sigma. According to one embodiment, a slider includes an air bearing surface, a front shallow step pad, a rear shallow step pad, and rear side pockets. The front shallow step pad and the rear shallow step pad are at a first level deeper than the air bearing surface. The rear side pockets are at a second level deeper than the air bearing surface. The rear side pockets are in close proximity to rear corners of the slider.

Abstract: A head slider which has a head part and which performs at least one of recording and reproducing by the head part in a state in which the head slider floats over a recording medium, which including: a first air bearing part which is disposed on an air inflow end side on a base surface; a second air bearing part which is disposed on an air outflow end side more than the first air bearing part on the base surface and which has the head part and has an area smaller than that of the first air bearing part; a pair of positive pressure generating parts which is disposed on both sides of a center axis of the head slider in the longitudinal direction closer to the air outflow end side than a step part formed of the first air bearing part and the base surface on the air inflow end side; a side rail parts which are disposed between the first air bearing part and one positive pressure generating part of the pair of positive pressure generating parts, and between the first air bearing part and the other positive pressure

Abstract: An airflow diverter is used to overcome the adverse effect of flow-induced vibration of a disk drive pivot actuator. The diverter may be formed as a separate component or as an integral portion of the flex stiffener or the actuator itself. The invention streamlines the actuator to the incoming airflow and helps reduce the torque disturbance to the actuator as it reduces the sail or parachute effect. This helps reduce power consumption due to a lower drag from the actuator assembly. The contour of the flow deflector is designed to conform closely to the curvature of the disk boundaries when the actuator is rotated to the ID position on the disk. This design serves as a shroud around the disk stack which further helps to reduce power by preserving flow momentum.

Abstract: A slider assembly for supporting a recording element in operative relation to a flexible moving recording medium is disclosed. The slider may have a face including air bearing surfaces positioned toward the recording medium. A recording element may be in an air bearing surface near the trailing edge of the face, wherein there is no other slider or other supporting surface on an opposite side of the recording medium. A vacuum cavity may be formed in the face for creation of sub-ambient pressure to attract the slider toward the recording medium. An air bearing surface may be provided with a transverse pressure contour (TPC) along at least one of its edges for providing flying height control, with the TPC having a step geometry. A mounting device may mount the slider in a biased manner toward the recording medium and urge the slider toward the recording medium.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular recording magnetic head having a narrow track width, high recording magnetic field intensity, and a good recording magnetic field distribution. According to one embodiment, a perpendicular recording magnetic head includes a read section and a write section. The write section includes a main magnetic pole layer, a lower sub magnetic pole layer, an upper sub magnetic pole layer, a pedestal magnetic layer, and a coil conductor generating a magnetic flux in the main magnetic pole layer. The write section further includes lower and upper auxiliary magnetic pole layers disposed on a leading side and a trailing side, respectively, relative to a medium moving direction, adjacent to the main magnetic pole layer. The lower and upper auxiliary magnetic pole layers are retracted from an air bearing surface. The upper auxiliary magnetic pole layer is retracted from the air bearing surface less than the lower auxiliary magnetic pole layer.

Abstract: A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording that has a helical coil design that reduces manufacturing complexity and increases cycle time for manufacture. The write head includes a write pole and a helical write coil having upper coil portions that pass above the write pole and lower coil portions that pass below the write pole. The upper and lower coil portions are connected with another by connection studs. Whereas the upper and lower coil portions are constructed of a non-magnetic, electrically conductive material such as Cu, the connection studs are constructed of a magnetic, electrically conductive material such as NiFe. By constructing the connection studs of a magnetic material, they can be constructed in the same manufacturing steps used to manufacture various magnetic structures of the write head, such as a magnetic shaping layer and/or the back gap.

Abstract: A hard disk drive has a disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, a head stack assembly including a swing arm and a head slider disposed at a leading end of the swing arm, and a controller operatively connected to the head slider. The head slider is positioned by the swing arm over the disk and floats in such position during a read/write operation in which data is being read from or written onto the disk. The head slider has a head slider body, a magnetic head embedded in the body, and at least one resistive heating element that generates heat when current is supplied thereto. The heat causes the body of the head slider to thermally expand in such a way that the profile of the disk-facing side of the body of the head slider changes. The controller controls the height of the head slider relative to the disk by controlling the supplying of current to the resistive heating element(s).

Abstract: A head slider for a magnetic disk drive is provided. The head slider includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, an inner diameter side and an outer diameter side of an air bearing surface. The head slider further includes a first recess on the air bearing surface of the head slider, a second recess on the air bearing surface of the head slider wherein the second recess is deeper than the first recess and a third recess on the air bearing surface of the head slider wherein the third recess is deeper than the second recess and is disposed within the second recess, forming a first pocket.

Abstract: The media heating device of the magnetic head includes an optical resonant cavity and a nano-pin that produces a high intensity near-field optical beam of sub-wavelength dimension adjacent to the write pole. The cavity is fabricated as a planar thin film structure in layers that are generally parallel to the magnetic pole thin film layers of the magnetic head, such that a principal axis of the resonant cavity is parallel to the air bearing surface (ABS). Optical energy is coupled into the resonant cavity through a waveguide that is placed proximate the cavity, and optical energy is coupled out of the cavity through a nano-pin that is disposed between the resonant cavity and the ABS.

Abstract: A first joint member connects the surface of a support body to a first end surface of a head slider. A second joint member connects the surface of the support body to a second end surface of the head slider. The first and second end surfaces respectively stand upright from the surface of the support body at opposite ends of the head slider. The centroid of a first joint surface established between the first joint member and the first end surface is located in a range between the front surface of the head slider and the neutral plane. The neutral plane is established when the head slider is deformed to convex or concave the front surface. When temperature changes, the bending deformation of the medium-opposed surface is reduced. This results in prevention of a change in the flying height of the head slider.

Abstract: A method and apparatus having magnetic properties. The apparatus includes a main pole and a return pole spaced apart from the main pole. The return includes at least one multilayer block having a plurality of alternating layers of magnetic material and non-magnetic material. The return pole also includes a single magnetic material layer coupled to the at least one multilayer block. The magnetic material layer has a permeability that is greater than a permeability of the at least one multilayer block.

Abstract: An air bearing assembly includes: an upper portion having a plurality of air supply and vacuum holes therethrough; a lower portion; and a plurality of spacers disposed between and maintaining the upper and lower portions in spaced relation, wherein a density of the air supply and vacuum holes is high enough to provide an air bearing for a substrate, but low enough such that at least one of: (i) a sufficient number of the spacers are employed, and (ii) the spacers are located in close enough proximity, to maintain a substantially uniform flatness of the upper portion relative to the lower portion.

Abstract: A slider including air bearing surface with Flying height On-Demand (FOD) protrusion with method of controlling airflow to maximize FOD efficiency as ratio of change in vertical position to protrusion height. Slider including means for controlling the air flow to maximize FOD efficiency and/or including specific means for minimizing an air bearing pressure under a Flying height On Demand (FOD) operation away from a maximum air bearing pressure, means for placing a peak pressure off of an FOD area create by a FOD protrusion, and means for shrinking a high peak pressure area of the air bearing surface. Hard disk drive includes head stack assembly, which includes head gimbal assembly, which includes the slider. Manufacturing method for slider, head gimbal assembly, head stack assembly and hard disk drive, and these items as products of these processes.

Abstract: A head slider includes a non-magnetic insulating film overlaid on the outflow end surface of a slider body. A second protection film is overlaid on the surface of the non-magnetic insulating film. A heater is embedded in the non-magnetic insulating film to induce a protrusion of the non-magnetic insulating film. A flat ground surface is formed on the second protection film at the tip end of the protrusion. The ground surface has a larger area to contact with a storage medium during a so-called zero calibration. An urging force per unit area is thus reduced. This results in minimization of abrasion of the protrusion. The ground surface instantaneously sticks to the surface of the storage medium. This results in generation of a slight vibration of the head slider. Contact can reliably be detected between the head slider and the storage medium in response to the vibration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film magnetic head which surely improves the writing and reading characteristic with reducing the flying height and surely handles the contact or collision with the magnetic recording medium. A thin-film magnetic head is provided, which includes, an substrate with ABS; a read or write head element provided on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one protrusion adjustment portion whose end reaches a slider end surface on the ABS side, which provides on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one heating portion provided rear at least one protrusion adjustment portion viewed from the slider end surface on the ABS side.

Abstract: A suspension device including a flexure with conductors is provided with an anti-ESD section. The anti-ESD section includes a metal plate, a insulating layer, a first electrically conductive member formed of a pair of read conductors, a second electrically conductive member formed of a pair of write conductors, a heater conductor, semiconductive layers, etc. The semiconductive layers are grounded to the metal plate and electrically isolated from one another by an insulating portion.

Abstract: A method for removing a lead-free solder from a slider pad is provided to permit re-utilization of a head/slider used in a magnetic disk drive. In one embodiment, a slider pad formed on a head/slider and a lead pad are connected to each other through a lead-free solder fillet. A cutting tool is heated beforehand to a temperature near the melting point of the lead-free solder. The cutting tool is moved in parallel with a surface of the slider pad to cut the solder fillet while softening the solder fillet. The solder fillet is removed so as not to impose a stress on the slider pad and in a state in which the head/slider can be re-utilized.

Abstract: A head slider includes a front rail and a pair of rear side rails. Side rails extend from the outflow end of the front rail toward the rear side rails, respectively. Air guiding surfaces are defined within the outward surfaces of the side rails. The air guiding surfaces get far from the corresponding side edges, respectively, at a position closer to the outflow end of the slider body. A so-called yaw angle is defined in the head slider. Change in the yaw angle leads to change in the incident angle of airflow. Airflow runs across the side edge of the slider body. The airflow runs along the outward surface of the side rail. The airflow is received on the rear side rail. A predetermined positive pressure is generated at the rear side rail. The balance of the positive pressure enables a reduction in the roll angle.

Abstract: A system and method for providing corrosion protection for a magnetic read/write head is disclosed. A monolayer surface coating is applied to cover those portions of the under layer of a magnetic read/write head not already covered by a previously applied diamond-like coating. This allows for a thinner diamond like coating than previously applied in the art. The monolayer surface coating can be a self-assembled monolayer, such as an organosilicon for hydroxylated surfaces or carboxylic acids for aluminum or other metal oxides. Alternatively, the monolayer surface coating can be directly applied to the under layer with no diamond-like coating being present. The monolayer surface coating can be applied by a surface immersion process or by a vacuum coating process.