Abstract: The magnetic metal composition of a Co-based alloy includes additives to produce an amorphous condition in the alloy and also includes amounts of Rh to increase the corrosion resistance of the alloy. By adding the amorphous-producing materials and selected amounts of Rh, the corrosion resistance of the resulting Co-based alloys has been found to be considerably improved over that of the base amorphous Co alloy without rhodium.

Abstract: A method of depositing insulating thin films on a substrate employs a target that is formed of material which includes a constituent element of the insulating thin film. An ion beam preferably of inert gas is then directed toward the target to disperse the target material. Simultaneously, a second ion beam which includes another constituent element of the insulating thin film is also directed toward the substrate. The material from the target and the element of the second ion beam react in proper stoichiometry and is deposited onto the substrate as the insulating thin film.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly includes an adaptive loading/unloading suspension with an aerodynamic compensation mechanism formed with or attached to the load beam. The compensation mechanism causes a variable and programmable dynamic gram load to be applied on the suspension such that a low gram load is achieved at the time of dynamic head loading, thus significantly minimizing or totally eliminating head-to-disk contact. The variable suspension gram load feature can be combined with an air slider bearing design to achieve optimal flying height performance and cost effectiveness. Such combination provides the air bearing design with an additional degree of freedom to achieve a more uniform flying height and improved altitude sensitivity than under a constant preload.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive read transducer which comprises a central active region and two end regions. Bias current leads are connected respectively to end regions for current biasing of the transducer. Signal sensing leads is also are connected respectively to end regions for directing sensed voltage to a signal amplifier. The bias current and the sensed signal assume separate electrical paths. The current crowding effect in the bias current path does not affect the signal sensing path. Thus the transducer can sense signal with improved sensitivity and high signal-to-noise ratio. In one embodiment, at each end region, the bias current lead and the signal sensing lead are coplanar and are bifurcated to effectuate separate electrical paths. In another embodiment, the signal sensing lead and the bias current lead are electrically connected together via an electrical feedthrough at each end region, but are dielectrically separated by an insulating layer at other regions.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head is fabricated having soft metal layers of 0.25 to 1 micron thickness disposed on each side of the first and second magnetic layers of Permalloy forming the magnetic yoke. The soft layers are formed between the ceramic substrate and the first Permalloy layer, between the first Permalloy layer and the insulation surrounding the electrical coil of the head, between the insulation and the second Permalloy layer, and between the second Permalloy layer and the insulating overcoat of the head. The soft metal has a coefficient of thermal expansion between that of the Permalloy and that of the ceramic substrate and insulation materials. In this way, stress buffers are provided to minimize the mismatch and thermal stress transfer between the Permalloy and the other materials of the adjacent layers, resulting in improved domain stability and a significant reduction in popcorn noise.

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 water-dropping tape for crops includes: a single snaking passage formed in the middle of a water path forming component disposed between the inner and outer end portions of a film-like main wall; a plurality of water entrance portions arranged at predetermined intervals; a water discharge portion disposed in the middle of the snaking passage between the water entrance portions; first and second water inlets formed in the side wall of the water path forming component and the inner end portion of the main wall, and disposed in a region of the water entrance portion; and water outlets formed in the outer end portion of the main wall, and disposed in a region of the water discharge portion.

Abstract: A magnetic head suspension, includes a load beam and a gimbal that supports an air bearing slider, and which provides an electrical connection thereto. The gimbal includes a cantilevered tongue and resiliently deformable tangs that extend laterally from the tongue, within a clearance delineated in part by the tongue. When the tangs are in an unbiased state, they project below the geometric plane of the tongue for contacting the slider and for establishing electrical contact therewith. The tangs can deflect independently during bonding to the slider for maintaining independent spring force against the slider. In one embodiment, the electrical conductive path is connected to ground potential for discharging static electricity generated between the slider and a rotating magnetic disk.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive read transducer includes a magnetoresistive (MR) layer having end regions spaced by a central active region. A pair of hard magnetic layers provide longitudinal magnetic bias to the MR layer, with each of the hard magnetic bias layers disposed in contact with one of the end regions of the MR layer. A pair of electrical lead members are disposed in contact with the end regions of the MR layer and with the hard magnetic bias layers. The hard magnetic bias layers and the electrical lead members are deposited, followed by selective removal of portions of the lead members to expose the edges of the hard bias material.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor fabricated on a substrate comprises an MR layer of magnetoresistive material, a soft adjacent layer (SAL) of soft magnetic material, and a manganese-based metallic antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer between the MR layer and the SAL layer. The AFM layer is in direct contact with the SAL layer and is separated from the MR layer by a non-magnetic spacer layer. A non-magnetic texturing layer is disposed between the SAL layer and the substrate. This structure exhibits a much larger pinning field than read sensors using oxide-based antiferromagnets.

Abstract: A magnetoreristive head assembly has a magnetic bias level control for continuous compensation of thermal, stray field and stress fluctuations, as well as other types of fluctuations. The magnetoresistive head assembly includes a magnetoresistive element for sensing signals recorded on a magnetic medium, and for generating electrical signals corresponding to the recorded signals. A bias current balancing circuit has an input connected to the magnetoresistive element for sensing the electrical signals and for generating a correction bias current therefrom. A feedback correction circuit converts the correction bias current into a correction magnetic bias field and applies the field to the magnetoresistive element to limit the shifting of a current bias point of the magnetoresistive element and to compensate for bias fluctuations.

Abstract: A magnetic head assembly has a plurality of slider electrical bond pads arranged in a first configuration on a top surface opposite the air bearing surface of a slider. A plurality of slider mechanical bond pads are arranged in a second configuration on the top surface of the slider. A plurality of flexure electrical bond pads are arranged in a third configuration on a bottom surface of a flexure. The third configuration and the first configuration are such that the slider electrical bond pads mate with the flexure electrical bond pads. A plurality of flexure mechanical bond pads are arranged in a fourth configuration on the bottom surface of the flexure. The fourth configuration and the second configuration are such that the slider mechanical bond pads mate with the flexure mechanical bond pads. Slider-to-flexure weld joints join the flexure electrical bond pads to the slider electrical bond pads. Slider-to-wire weld joints join the flexure mechanical bond pads to the slider mechanical bond pads.

Abstract: A load beam of a head suspension assembly includes a base plate attachment segment, and an intermediate region that extends integrally from the base plate attachment segment. A bend region extends integrally from the intermediate region for providing the load beam with a predetermined preload spring force and for increasing the lateral stiffness of the load beam. 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 in order to improve the shock performance of the load beam, and so that a moment arm of the bend region and the forward section is shortened. In a preferred embodiment the intermediate region is wider than the base plate attachment segment.

Abstract: The air bearing surface of an air bearing slider is formed with first and second leading end tapers that are spaced from the sides of the slider. Air bearing pads are formed with transverse sections and longitudinal legs which define a major recessed central region. The leading end tapers and the transverse sections delineate a narrow recessed channel extending from the slider leading end to the recessed central region. Angled recessed areas are formed between the legs and sides of the slider. A third pad is located at the trailing end of the slider. As a result, the slider has virtually no roll and improved stiffness for pitch and vertical characteristics of the slider over a large range of altitudes, including sea level to about 10,000 feet above sea level.

Abstract: An air bearing slider is designed with two rails and a central pad that provide positive air bearing regions to the air bearing surface of the slider, and three recess regions that are etched to a constant depth. The rails are identical and are symmetrically disposed relative to a central longitudinal axis. Each rail includes three sections: a pitch adjustment pad, a leg, and a roll adjustment pad. The pitch adjustment pad provides a balanced pressure distribution at the leading edge and optimizes the overall pitch angle of the slider. The leg extends from the pitch adjustment pad and generates counter-pressure that partially opposes the load applied by the suspension. The roll adjustment pad extends from the leg and generates an air bearing force that compensates for roll generated during slider operation. This air bearing slider design achieves constant flying height and less vertical and pitch stiffness, which will result in low contact force for pseudo-contact applications.

Abstract: A compact read/write head having a biased giant magnetoresistive sensor. Permanent magnet films are placed adjacent to the giant magnetoresistive sensor operating in the current-perpendicular-to the-plane (Cpp) mode and spaced with respect to the sensor by conducting films. These permanent magnet films provide a magnetic bias. The bias field is substantial and fairly uniform across sensor height. Biasing of the giant magnetoresistive sensor provides distinguishable response to the rising and falling edges of a recorded pulse on an adjacent recording medium, improves the linearity of the response, and helps to reduce noise. This read/write head is much simpler to fabricate and pattern and provides an enhanced uniformity of the bias field throughout the sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic head incorporates a giant magnetoresistive sensing element having a magnetic bias field associated therewith. The orientation direction of the magnetic bias field is canted to reduce or cancel the effect on the sensing element of the magnetic field produced by applied sense current.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating merged magnetic heads, employing an inductive write head and a magnetoresistive (MR) read head which share portions of the overall magnetic structure, provide for accurate definition of the write track width and for improved alignment of the write gap and the read gap. The method includes accurately forming and defining the nonmagnetic write gap prior to fabricating the inductive write coil structure and subsequently formed higher topology elements. The methods provide for better control of the widths of the top pole member and the bottom pole member, thereby resulting in substantially equal widths for these pole members.

Abstract: A method of forming a magnetic structure having layers with different magnetization orientations provided by a common magnetic bias layer includes the steps of depositing an antiferromagnetic layer between first and second ferromagnetic layers. During the deposition of the first and second ferromagnetic layers, magnetization fields of different orientations are employed separately to induce different directions of magnetization in the first and second layers. The different directions of magnetization in the first and second layers are sustained, through the process of exchange coupling, by the interposed antiferromagnetic layer which serves as the bias layer. A magnetic structure thus fabricated, can be used as a read transducer capable of generating differential signals with common mode noise rejection, and can be used as a magnetic pole for a magnetic head with reduced Barkhausen noise.