Abstract: A load beam attached to an actuator arm of a magnetic head suspension assembly includes a base section, a midsection and an arm section. An air bearing slider is disposed at the distal end of the arm section. The midsection joins to the base section at a junction boundary which is wider than any of the other sections, and is also positioned at a distance away from the actuator arm. The load beam bends at the midsection starting at the junction boundary. The bending of the load beam allows the slider to fly proximally close to a disk surface during normal operation. The base section, secured to an actuator arm, is integrally formed with ribs. The base section provides a firm platform for the bending of the load beam and effectively shortens the effective length of the load beam, which affords higher vibrational resonant frequency. The suspension assembly also can sustain high shock separation impact.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly for use in disk drive systems comprising a load beam, a flexure physically connected to the load beam, a slider physically connected to the flexure for movement with the flexure. The slider includes a transducer and n bonding pads to which the transducer is electrically connected. A flex circuit is provided having n conductors connected to the n bonding pads for providing electrical connection to the transducer, a portion of the flex circuit being routed between the flexure and the slider such that the portion, flexure and slider moves as a single unit, and a reduced stiffness area to minimize the effects on roll and pitch characteristics of the slider due to said flex circuit being connected to said n bonding pads on said slider and being routed between the flexure and slider.

Abstract: Magnetic transducers are formed with common magnetic exchange layers capable of providing assertive and complementary signals. The transducers include an assertive transducer portion and a complementary transducer portion. Between the two transducer portions is a common bias portion which comprises an antiferromagnetic layer providing bias fields in different directions to the respective transducer portions. During normal operations, a current is directed into each of the transducer portions. The assertive transducer portion, being magnetically biased in one direction, generates a varying voltage as an assertive version of the electrical signal. The complementary transducer, being magnetically biased in another direction, generates another varying voltage as a complementary version of the electrical signal. In one embodiment, the transducer portions are implemented to operate as an anisotropic MR(AMR) sensor. In a second embodiment, the transducer portions operate as a giant MR(GMR) or spin valve sensor.

Abstract: The gram load of head gimbal assemblies (HGA) of a head stack assembly (HSA) is adjusted before the HSA is installed in a disk drive. Each HGA includes an elongated flexible member having a bend that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the HGA. The apparatus includes means for removably mounting the HSA for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the selected HGA to a Gram Load Adjusting (GLA) station, means to restrain movement of the HGA during gram load adjustment, a force-transmitting bar having an elongated bearing edge, means for positioning the bar with the edge parallel to the bend and in force-transmitting contact with the bend area of the flexible element, and means for moving the edge to adjust the gram load to a desired value.

Abstract: A test mixture for testing a head gimbal assembly has a flex interconnect circuit with one or more test pads, and includes a clamp assembly and a connector board. The clamp assembly is secured to the connector board for locking the test pads in position. The connector board includes probing pins that contact the test pads in order to establish an electrical path with the head gimbal assembly. The clamp assembly includes a base and a self-locking mechanism, with the base serving as an interface between the self-locking mechanism and the connector board. The self-locking mechanism serves to position the test pads in a desired relation relative to the probing pins and to clamp the test pads during testing. The self-locking mechanism includes a clamp arm having a guiding slide that receives part of the flex interconnect circuit for positioning the test pads within the self-locking mechanism. The connector board is secured to a magnetic test cartridge.

Abstract: A load beam of a head suspension assembly includes a base plate attachment segment, and a bend region that extends from the base plate attachment segment for providing the load beam with a predetermined preload spring force and for increasing the lateral stiffness of the load beam. The bend region is defined by two side edges that are substantially symmetrical relative to a central axis of the load beam. In a preferred embodiment, the bend region is wider than the base plate attachment segment. A forward section extends from the bend region so that the center of gravity of the bend region and forward section is shifted toward the base plate attachment to improve the overall shock performance of the load beam. In one embodiment a central channel is formed at least partly in the forward section and is located in a nodal area of a first torsion vibration mode of the load beam.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive read transducer includes a magnetoresistive layer that is sandwiched between a pair of laminated magnetic shields. Each laminated magnetic shield includes at least two layers of ferromagnetic material spaced by a layer of non-magnetic material. The respective magnetization vectors of uniaxial anisotropy in the shields are opposite to each other. The magnetization vectors in the two ferromagnetic layers form a closed magnetic path which is substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the layer interfaces. The magnetic pattern thus formed is highly stable, so that the magnetoresistive layer generates output signals with low Barkhausen noise and further allows the transducer to interact with recording media having high linear recording density.

Abstract: A magnetic thin film head employing giant magnetoresistance (GMR) includes alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material coupled by magnetostatic and exchange interactions to produce an antiparallel orientation between the magnetic layers in the absence of an external field. Magnetic biasing is applied by a permanent magnet to the alternating layers to obtain a scissor-like configuration of the adjacent magnetic layers. The magnet is placed in contiguous junction with the multilayered GMR structure edge which is away from the air bearing surface, and is separated from the sensor by a nonmagnetic, nonconductive spacer.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing magnetic heads that interact with magnetic disks includes a translational slide and a rotatable arm mounted to one end of the slide. The translational slide moves the rotatable arm in a longitudinal direction parallel to the surface of a magnetic disk. The arm rotates the magnetic head to different positions relative to data tracks on the disk. A second translational slide moves the magnetic head vertically above the disk to adjust the vertical position of the head. The three movements of the head, (1)horizontally across the disk, (2)rotationally by the arm, and (3)vertically relative to the disk surface are controlled by servomechanisms. A read/write amplifier circuit is connected to the head under test. The test apparatus is controlled by a computer that interfaces with circuitry connected to the servomechanisms.

Abstract: A disk drive has a head stack assembly with head arms which extend between adjacent magnetic disks. Each head arm includes head gimbal assemblies. The head arm is capable of pivoting about a first axis of rotation for providing the head gimbal assembly with a macro-actuation movement relative to a selected track on a disk, and for positioning the head gimbal assembly in an initial position relative to the selected track. A micro-actuator is connected to the head gimbal assembly so that the head gimbal assembly is pivotally secured to the head arm about a second axis independently of the pivotal movement of the head arm. This provides the head gimbal assembly with a micro-actuation movement relative to the selected track, such that if there is skew between the head gimbal assembly and the track, a micro-actuator provides correction to minimize the skew angle. Also the micro-actuator provides cancellation of transient and harmonic vibrations.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a rotatable array plate and a magnetic array including a group of permanent magnets arranged around the plate periphery in one or more quadrants. Each magnet is perpendicular to the plate, having a pole of a first polarity facing toward the target. A bar permanent magnet is affixed to the plate within the same quadrant of a group of magnets and is located between a center axis of rotation and the magnet group. The bar permanent magnet is perpendicular to the plate, having a pole of a second polarity facing toward the target. The magnets create a closed-loop static magnetic field that is substantially triangular in shape, concentrated in the quadrant, and offset from the center axis of rotation. The magnets in one quadrant may be replicated to fill up to four quadrants, and additional bar magnets are arranged to create a rotating magnetic field at the target that patterns the plasma to a maximum plasma density in the shape of a kidney.

Abstract: A method for maximizing the interfacial properties of magnetoresistive sensors, such as spin valve and GMR sensors used in storage devices, comprises selecting the materials for ferromagnetic layers and for electrically conductive spacers that are interposed between the ferromagnetic layers. The electronegativities of the selected materials are substantially matched so that an absolute value of the differences in electronegativities is minimized. The conductive spacer material provides a relatively low resistivity and a large mean free path. The sensors experience greater chemical and thermal stability, are corrosion resistant, and realize an increased signal output.

Abstract: A magnetic thin film head of the planar geometry type has a dielectric member located between facing ends of pole members in the gap region. The thickness of at least one of the pole members in the gap region is reduced by the dielectric member relative to the thickness of the remainder of the pole members. This dielectric member in the region of reduced thickness functions to increase the density of the magnetic flux in that region during recording, thereby improving the write capability of the head.

Abstract: A laminated pole structure for use in a low noise magnetic head suitable for high frequency signal operation is formed by interleaving a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and electrically insulating antiferromagnetic layers so as to form interface surfaces therebetween. External magnetic fields are applied as the interface surfaces are being formed for establishing exchange anisotropies with predetermined permanent exchange pinning directions in the ferromagnetic layers. The exchange anisotropies may be in the same or opposite directions, as defined by the external magnetic fields. In one embodiment, the pole structure has an open edge lamination, while in another embodiment the pole structure has a closed edge lamination. In still another embodiment, the antiferromagnetic layers include predetermined patterns of nonmagnetic material.

Abstract: A magnetic head is fabricated with a thin film transducer including first and second magnetic layers, having an insulation layer defining a transducing gap between the pole tips of the magnetic layers, and a top insulating layer over the transducer for protecting the transducer from humidity and mechanical shock. The insulation gap layer is configured with a compound angled section of a baked resist insulation layer having a steep angular portion and a second angled portion of substantially the same slope preceding a substantially flat area. In this way, maximum contact is provided between the protective top insulation and the lower insulation gap layer in order to minimize cracking, without displacing the coil assembly from its preferred location close to zero throat so that optimum coil efficiency is obtained.

Abstract: A compact read/write head is provided having a biased GMR element. Biasing of the GMR element provides distinguishable response to the rising and falling edges of a recorded pulse on an adjacent medium. It also improves the linearity of the response and helps to reduce noise.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward a lapping apparatus and method for accurately obtaining the height of a magnetoresistive (MR) element of a magnetic head during a lapping process. The apparatus includes a source for inducing a magnetic excitation field, and a current source for applying a sense current to a prepatterned photolithographically formed MR element. A sensor monitors the resistance of the MR element in response to variations in the magnetic excitation field, and controls the lapping process in response to the monitored resistance of the MR element. In one embodiment, the MR element includes a GMR formed of a stack of parallel MR layers and operates either in a CPP (Current-Perpendicular-to-the Plane) mode or in a CIP (Current-In-the Plane) mode. In a particular embodiment, the magnetic excitation field is generated by a conductor formed on the magnetic head.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly for use in disk drive systems comprises a load beam, a flexure connected to the load beam, an air bearing slider connected to the flexure which includes a transducer and a plurality of bonding pads and a plurality of transducer wires, wherein each transducer wire is physically connected at a first point on the load beam and to a first location on said slider and to one of the bonding pads. The flexure, slider and first length of each transducer wire between the first location on the slider and the bonding pads form an integral unit which moves as a single unit during operation of a disk drive. The transducer wires have a second length between the first point on the load beam and the first location on the slider such that the stiffness of the second length does not restrict movement of the integral unit.