Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording and storing information on and reproducing information from a storage medium is described, wherein the active storage medium forms part of the write/read signal path.

Abstract: A method for producing sliders having positive camber on the air bearing surface. The method comprises (i) scribing the air bearing surface of a slider row along a line between individual sliders, (ii) flat plate lapping the air bearing surface of the slider row, and (iii) producing a pattern of stress on the back side of the slider row to create positive camber in each individual slider in the slider row.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved magnetic data storage and retrieval system, which can absorb external shock and is easily attached to a host system. By setting bumpers in the four corners of a magnetic data storage and retrieval system, external shock can be absorbed to prevent a magnetic disk from being displaced from the proper alignment with its spindle motor. With this arrangement, in the two corners on the end portion side of a guide groove formed in the base, pedestal surfaces are formed in one side of the guide groove, and plate-like bumpers and are set on the pedestals. Further, in the remaining two corners, insertion-type bumpers may be set and a label covering part of them may be affixed.

Abstract: A head stack assembly for a hard disk drive has an actuator comb body, a coil yoke, at least one actuator arm, and a prosthesis. The prosthesis is an artificial or replacement arm and is preferably identical in profile and thickness as the actuator arm, except for some or all of the balance holes in the actuator arm. This configuration eliminates the need to provide the prosthesis with a real or dummy head in order to balance the actuator, thereby reducing cost. A common stamping die and a common molding die are used for both the arm and the prosthesis, which further reduces the cost of manufacturing.

Abstract: A hard disk drive contains a disk assembly and a cylindrical disk container. The drive also includes a base around which a peripheral wall extends, a catching chamber including a partition wall partitioning the base into the catching chamber and a disk container, and a top cover functioning as a lid of the base. In addition, the hard disk drive has a first gasket as a first gasket section existing between the top cover and a peripheral wall of the base, and a second gasket as a second gasket section existing between the top cover and the partition wall of the catching chamber.

Abstract: A method for in-situ measuring a temperature and/or temperature distribution within a slider due to local heat transfer is provided, whereby the slider is positioned above the surface of a rotating disk, and carries a sensor and/or write element, whereby the rotating disk is moving relatively to the sensor and/or write element, and whereby the shape of said slider is changed locally due to the temperature and/or temperature distribution. By measuring the shape changes of the slider, the temperature and/or temperature distribution can be calculated on the basis of the changes by means of numerical methods. The method may be used as an in-situ measurement in already existing testers, like, e.g., flying height testers. No additional hardware is required and studies of the slider near contact can be performed. In addition, information with respect to the flight height is obtained simultaneously.

Abstract: A slope of an HDD door comes in contact with a slope formed on a lower wall. At this time, when screws of the HDD door are fastened, a fastening force is generated at the HDD door in a direction parallel to the plane direction of the PC housing. The HDD united with the HDD door moves slightly in a parallel direction in proportion to the fastening degree of the screws. At this time, the slope slides to go up on the slope, so the HDD moves slightly upward. When the screws are fastened fully up to the allowable torque, the HDD is firmly attached to the upper wall.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide a retract circuit that can correspond to the tendency toward miniaturization and low supply voltage. When drive supply voltage Vcc is applied, a retract circuit charges a retract condenser Cr with boosted voltage Vup, equal to three times Vcc, generated by a booster circuit. Then, if the drive supply voltage Vcc is cut off and a VCM driver stops, the retract circuit detects power-off with a power OFF sense circuit, and provides retract delay time by a retract delay circuit. Furthermore, when the retract delay time elapses after the drive power supply is turned off, the retract driver switches the switching circuits on, discharges the retract condenser, charged at the boosted voltage, supplies discharge current to a voice coil, and retracts the head assembly.

Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a spindle, a motor and multiple disks. The motor is attached to the spindle for rotatably turning the spindle along an axis of the spindle. The disks are disposed coaxially along the axis of the spindle. The distance between a first disk and a second disk is greater than the distance between the second disk and a third disk. The distance between the second disk and the third disk is greater than the distance between the third disk and a fourth disk. The first, second, third and fourth disks are located adjacent to each other consecutively.

Abstract: A hard disk drive apparatus is capable of reducing a noise effectively during operation and capable of enhancing the reliability of the drive. The hard disk drive has first and second ribs that are formed near a pivot for an actuator so that a tilt of the pivot is prevented when the actuator is operated. Also, vibration absorbing members are interposed between the first and second ribs on the side of a base and a cover so that the vibration absorbing members are brought into contact with the cover. These vibration absorbing members are located in an intermediate portion between fixing places for fixing the cover to the base and a fixing place for fixing the cover to the pivot.

Abstract: In order to provide a suspension, a head suspension assembly, and a disk drive apparatus that can contribute to an increase of record and playback reliability, holes 3c in ribs 3b of the head suspension assembly 3 are provided. This design decreases the displacement of a head slider 2 that is caused by Karman vortex streets occurring near the ribs 3b in company with the rotation of the magnetic disk 1.

Abstract: To restrain a flutter of a magnetic disk in a high-speed hard disk drive, a ramp 40 is provided so as to be separated with a predetermined space from a side wall 12a of a base 12. Between the side wall 12a and the ramp 40 is formed a bypass channel 42. An air flow is supplied toward a magnetic disk 22 through the bypass channel 42. By using such a configuration, a flutter of the magnetic disk 22 is reduced.

Abstract: A method of altering the topography of a trailing edge or ABS of a slider is disclosed, the slider having a substrate surface, at least one magnetic recording head on top of the alumina, and an overcoat of a material, preferably SiO2. The steps include first applying an SiO2 overcoat at the wafer level followed by slicing the wafer into rows, then lapping the rows. The rows are then placed on a bias electrode, exposing the trailing edge to a plasma generated from a controlled source in a reactive ion etching process. The plasma is generated using an chemical etchant such as CHF3 and other F-containing compounds, the plasma being generated with a combination of an inert gas such as Argon and the chemical etchant. In the plasma, the electrode is charged to accelerate the plasma ions towards the exposed surface. Reacted material is drawn from the surface of the slider. The SiO2 trailing edge reacts preferentially with the plasma, thus effectuating a change in the trailing edge topography.

Abstract: A method for indexing magnetic disks by using a scanning probe is disclosed. A magnetic disk includes several essentially concentric magnetic tracks. The magnetic disk is attached to a rotating spindle. A number of data tracks is then written in a specific circular arc at an inner radial position of the magnetic disk. The beginning or the end of the written data tracks is defined to be in a co-incident or in a defined relation to an index or trigger signal defined by the rotating spindle. The rotating spindle is stopped from rotation, and a scanning probe microscope is moved radially at a fixed rotating angle to a second radial position. A tip of the scanning probe microscope is moved towards a surface of the magnetic disk. At least one scan line is recorded and analyzed in order to determine if a magnetic track is imaged by the tip of the scanning probe microscope.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed to prevent significant degradation of a data transfer rate in write cache transfer, thereby keeping the minimum data transfer rate high. The initial value Ti of the virtual buffer full capacity T(tx) is set to F/N (where F is a data capacity of the buffer, and N>1) and it is determined if the amount of write cached data S(tx) reaches the virtual buffer full capacity T(tx) so that write cache transfer is enabled during an S(tx)<T(tx) period and if virtual buffer full (S(tx)=T(tx)) is satisfied, the write cache transfer is inhibited until S(tx)<T(tx) is satisfied and the virtual buffer full capacity T(tx) is increased by a predetermined value K from the current one each time disk writing is stopped (each time a write error occurs) while the virtual buffer full is continued, thereby enabling write cache transfer while disk writing is stopped.

Abstract: A disk drive pivot assembly has a locally deformable internal sleeve that is equipped with two small deformable zones where the sleeve makes contact with the actuator comb bore. The zones can be in the shape of two rings with a rectangular or circular cross-sectional shape. The material may include zinc, magnesium, copper, or aluminum, or their alloys. These materials are relatively soft and have a relatively low stiffness compared to the comb bore. The thickness of the rings may range from approximately 0.25 to 1.0 mm, and they may be attached via shrink fit or adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A disk drive having an actuator-activated pumping mechanism is disclosed. The pumping mechanism creates a low pressure operating environment for the disk drive in order to enhance the performance of the drive at higher rotational operating speeds. Through the use of an engaging element, the actuator motor acts to drive a pumping element. This design does not use a separate electrical motor to evacuate the disk drive housing. Instead, the natural motion of the actuator provides the necessary power to drive the pumping element.

Abstract: To provide a piezoelectric sensor that never sacrifices work properties such as when a lead wire is to be soldered to one of a pair of electrodes of a piezoelectric sensor, and the other electrode is to be bonded and fixed to a predetermined member with an adhesive, and to bond the ground electrode of the piezoelectric sensor to the conductive portion of the object member with an adhesive so as to be fixed and connected electrically, thereby preventing a short-circuit that might occur between the two electrodes due to extruded and stuck adhesive, and to provide an easier method for testing whether or not the ground electrode is connected electrically to the conductive portion of the object member. A piezoelectric sensor has two electrodes that are formed with different materials appropriate for soldering and bonding by an adhesive. The ground electrode of the piezoelectric sensor is bonded to the object member with a non-conductive adhesive so as to be connected electrically.

Abstract: A method for indexing hard disks by using a scanning probe is disclosed. A hard disk includes several essentially concentric magnetic tracks. A scanning probe is initially positioned at a first point located on a magnetic track to mark the first point as a first radial position index. Then, the scanning probe is positioned at a second point located on the magnetic track to mark the second point as a second radial position index. Next, the scanning probe is positioned at a third point located on the magnetic track to mark the third point as a third radial position index. A rotational center of a co-ordinate system is subsequently calculated according to the three radial position indexes. Finally, the co-ordinate system having the rotational center is utilized as a precise indexing system.

Abstract: A data eraser applies a strong magnetic field to a magnetic disk while suppressing the strength of a magnetic field applied to a spindle motor. The data eraser includes an upper magnet fixer, a lower magnet fixer, and a linkage. The upper magnet fixer fixes one set of permanent magnets and the lower magnet fixer fixes another set of permanent magnets. The plate members are provided at the tips of the upper and lower magnet fixers. The plate members are made of a soft magnetic material, for example, JIS SS400, respectively. Each of these plate members functions as a yoke.