Abstract: A method of manufacturing includes 2 mushroom plating process starts with an overplated component which includes an enlarged mushroom head having outer portions which overhang a resist layer. The next step in the first process embodiment is a heating step in which the resist layer is hard baked. Thereafter, using a dry etch process, such as a reactive ion etch (RIE) process, the hard baked resist layer is removed in all areas except beneath the overhang of the mushroom head. The area beneath the overhang thereby remains filled with hard baked resist. Thereafter, the device is ultimately encapsulated such that no voids and/or redeposition problems exist under the overhang due to the presence of the hard baked resist. In an alternative process embodiment of the present invention the dry etch process is conducted first upon the resist layer, such that the resist layer is removed in all areas except under the overhang. Thereafter, the device is baked, such that hard baked resist remains beneath the overhang.

Abstract: The electroplated components of a magnetic head of the present invention are fabricated utilizing a seed layer that is susceptible to reactive ion etch removal techniques. A preferred seed layer is comprised of tungsten or titanium. Following the electroplating of the components utilizing a fluorine species reactive ion etch process the seed layer is removed, and significantly, the fluorine RIE process creates a gaseous tungsten or titanium fluoride compound removal product. The problem of seed layer redeposition along the sides of the electroplated components is overcome because the gaseous fluoride compound is not redeposited. The present invention also includes an enhanced two part seed layer, where the lower part is tungsten, titanium or tantalum and the upper part is composed of the material that constitutes the component to be electroplated.

Abstract: The thin film disk includes a pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure which may be AlTi or AlTa, and that is deposited upon a disk substrate. The pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer composed essentially of CoCr and a magnetic layer. The onset layer has an optimal concentration of 28-33 at. % Cr and an optimal thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 nm and it increases coercivity and improves the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of the disk. The magnetic layer is comprised of CoPtxCrBy, wherein x is the at. % concentration of Pt, y is the at. % concentration of boron, and x>4+y.

Abstract: In the NiFe electroplating method of the present invention, the atomic percent (at. %) composition of Ni and Fe in NiFe electroplated material is controlled by selection of the duty cycle of the electroplating current during the electroplating process. Generally, for a particular electroplating bath, where the electroplating current duty cycle is greatest the NiFe electroplated material has a higher Fe at. %, and where the electroplating current duty cycle is reduced, a lower Fe at. %. Therefore, electroplated NiFe components from a single electroplating bath can have differing NiFe concentrations where the electroplating current duty cycle is altered. Additionally, NiFe components can be electroplated with a graduated or changing Ni and Fe concentration by altering the electroplating current duty cycle during the electroplating process.

Abstract: The thin film disk includes a pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure which may be AlTi or Alta, and that is deposited upon a disk substrate. The pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer composed essentially of CoCr and a magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is comprised of CoPtxCrBy, wherein x is the at. % concentration of Pt, y is the at. % concentration of boron, and x>4+y.

Abstract: The thin film disk includes a pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure which may be CrTa or AlTi or AlTa, and that is deposited upon a disk substrate. The pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer composed essentially of CoCr and a magnetic layer. The onset layer has an optimal concentration of 28-33 at. % Cr and an optimal thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 nm and it increases coercivity and improves the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of the disk.

Abstract: The design of a magnetic thin film disk, for use in a disk drive, with an amorphous or nanocrystalline pre-seed layer preferably followed by a ruthenium-aluminum (RuAl) seed layer is described. The pre-seed layer may be CrTa or AlTi. The pre-seed layer deposited over a glass substrate, for example, allows a more strongly oriented RuAl seed layer to be deposited and, thus, favorably influences the orientation and grain size in the subsequent layers which include preferably at least one Cr alloy underlayer and at least one magnetic layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a magnetic head to solve the curved electrodeposited write gap layer problem by initially fabricating the write gap layer to be wider than the intended final P2 pole tip width. Ion milling the sides of the P2 pole tip structure is then performed to remove the curved outer portions of the write gap layer and to thereby fabricate a P2 pole tip having the desired pole tip width. Specifically, following the electrodepositing of the write gap layer and P2 pole tip thereon, an ion milling step is conducted to remove material from the sidewalls of the P2 pole tip including the write gap layer. The ion milling step is preferably conducted utilizing a broad beam ion milling device that is directed to the surface of the substrate upon which the magnetic heads are being fabricated. Preferably, the ion beam is directed at an angle of approximately 70° away from normal to the substrate surface such that milling of the head side surfaces is efficiently accomplished.

Abstract: In a thin film magnetic disk, a crystalline CrNi pre-seed layer is sputtered onto a substrate such as glass, followed by a RuAl seed layer. The CrNi pre-seed layer reduces grain size and its distribution, and improves in-plane crystallographic orientation, coercivity (Hc) and SNR. In a preferred embodiment the RuAl seed layer is followed by a Cr alloy underlayer. In a preferred embodiment the Cr alloy underlayer is followed by an onset layer and a magnetic layer, or by two or more magnetic layers antiferromagnetically coupled through one or more spacer layers. The crystalline CrNi pre-seed layer allows use of a thinner RuAl seed layer which results in smaller overall grain size, as well as a reduction in manufacturing cost due to relatively high cost of ruthenium. The CrNi pre-seed layer also allows use of a thinner Cr alloy underlayer which also contributes to reduce overall grain size.

Abstract: A reassign process is provided in a disk drive system including a plurality of tracks for storing data, each of the tracks being divided into a plurality of sectors, each sector having a corresponding logical address value associated therewith. Each track has a corresponding skew associated therewith and having a nominal skew value providing adequate time for sequential access of the corresponding track from a sequentially preceding track. The reassign process is operative to reassign data sectors stored in a reassign span including a first partial track having a reassign sector, a second partial track having a spare sector corresponding with the reassign sector, and at least one intermediate track disposed between the first and second partial tracks.

Abstract: A hard disk drive of the present invention includes a magnetic head having a high aspect ratio induction coil. The magnetic head includes a first pole tip piece that is formed upon a first magnetic pole and a second pole tip piece that is part of the second magnetic pole, where the write gap is formed between the first pole tip piece and the second pole tip piece. The use of the two pole tip pieces increases the spacing between the first magnetic pole layer and the second magnetic pole layer such that an induction coil having high aspect ratio coil turns can be formed within the insulation layers. A reactive ion etch (RIE) process is used to form the coil trenches within which the high aspect ratio coil turns are created. An RIE etch stop layer is formed upon the first magnetic pole layer to prevent the RIE etch process from creating coil turn trenches that make contact with the first magnetic pole layer.

Abstract: An improved magnetic head for a hard disk drive including a lead overlaid read head component in which the magnetic fields of the passive region of the free magnetic layer regions are pinned. In one embodiment a thin film layer composed of a magnetic material is deposited on top of the free layer of the GMR head in the passive region beneath the overlaid electrical leads. In an alternative embodiment the passive region of the free layer is anti-parallel coupled.

Abstract: The magnetic head of the present invention includes a P1 pole having an opening formed therethrough, and a P2 pole that is formed over the opening. A second magnetic pole tip is positioned relative to the first magnetic pole such that the first magnetic pole is symmetrically disposed relative to the second magnetic pole tip. Induction coils may be helically wound around portions of the first and/or second magnetic poles, or, alternatively, a planar, spiral induction coil may be fabricated for use with the first and second magnetic poles. An enhanced embodiment includes a first magnetic pole tip piece having a length that defines the throat length of the magnetic head and a thickness that increases the gap at rearward portions of the second magnetic pole tip of the magnetic head.

Abstract: The disk burnishing process is conducted with a contact flying burnishing head wherein the leading edge of the burnishing head is disposed above the surface of the disk, while the trailing edge of the burnishing head makes contact with the surface of the disk. The contact flying configuration of the burnishing head is obtained by controlling the rotating disk RPM in conjunction with the burnishing head design characteristics. In the contact flying burnishing process, the burnishing edges of the several burnishing pads of the head are disposed at different heights relative to the disk surface, such that the leading burnishing pad edges are higher than the trailing burnishing pad edges. In this configuration, high asperities are trimmed by the burnishing pads while low asperities are not. Thus, a disk is properly burnished for subsequent hard disk drive performance with a minimum of surface debris being created by the burnishing process.

Abstract: A trenchless pipe replacement device including a pipe parting mole, a length of cable that is engagable to the mole, a cable pulling device and a cable pulling device engagement device that provides a mounting structure for the cable pulling device. The cable pulling device includes a reciprocating cable engagement mechanism that grips the cable on a pulling stroke and holds the cable on a recovery stroke. The cable pulling device engagement device generally includes a reaction plate and a structure for removably engaging the cable pulling device therewithin. A cable pulling frame may be used to facilitate the removal of the cable from a relatively small hole that is created at the pulling end of the pipe.

Abstract: The magnetic head of the present invention includes a GMR layer structure that includes a magnetic keeper layer. An electrical insulation layer is fabricated between the keeper layer and the remaining layers of the GMR head, such that electrical current which passes through the read head layers does not pass through the keeper layer. In the preferred embodiment, the keeper layer is composed of a ferromagnetic material, such as NiFe, and the insulation layer is composed of an antiferromagnetic material such as NiO. Once the magnetization of the keeper layer is set, it becomes exchange coupled with the antiferromagnetic layer to pin the keeper layer magnetization. Because the keeper layer is electrically insulated it does not shunt electrical current of the read head, thus the thickness of the keeper layer is unconstrained by the electrical shunting problems of the prior art.

Abstract: The improved method for trimming a magnetic head utilizing a FIB tool includes a step of aligning the FIB tool milling boxes without imaging critical pole tip components and structure. The method includes the creation of an alignment box that is disposed in a known, fixed orientation relative to the FIB tool milling boxes. The FIB tool is aligned by imaging only the alignment box and by moving the alignment box relative to known pole tip structural characteristics that are disposed away from the critical pole tip components. The alignment box is visually aligned on non-sensitive pole tip components in such a manner that the milling boxes will be properly aligned relative to the sensitive pole tip components. FIB tool milling is thereafter performed within the milling boxes which have been accurately aligned without imaging of sensitive pole tip components.

Abstract: In fabricating magnetic heads on a wafer surface, magnetoresistive sensors having two different stripe heights and the same stripe width are formed. Additionally, two different electronic lapping guides (ELGs) having different stripe heights and the same stripe width are also formed. While the design widths and heights of the sensors and ELGs are known, the actually fabricated widths and heights of the sensors and ELGs is unknown, due to the windage in the fabrication process. In the present invention, to determine the actual track width of the sensors, the change in electrical resistance of the sensors and ELGs is experimentally determined during the application of a magnetic field to the sensors and ELGs. Through a mathematical analysis, the actual track width of the fabricated sensors is determined utilizing the design widths and heights of the sensors and ELGs, together with the experimentally determined changes in electrical resistance of the sensors and ELGs.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a dual layer induction coil. Following the deposition of a first magnetic pole (P1) a first induction coil is fabricated. Following a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) step a layer of etchable insulation material is deposited followed by the fabrication of a second induction coil etching mask. A reactive ion etch process is then conducted to etch the second induction coil trenches into the second etchable insulation material layer. The etching depth is controlled by the width of the trenches in an aspect ratio dependent etching process step. The second induction coil is next fabricated into the second induction coil trenches, preferably utilizing electrodeposition techniques. Thereafter, an insulation layer is deposited upon the second induction coil, followed by the fabrication of a second magnetic pole (P2) upon the insulation layer.

Abstract: The present invention incorporates an optical fiber cleaving mechanism within a prior art optical fiber impact mounting device. The optical fiber cleaving mechanism is pivotally mounted within the fiberoptic connector holding mechanism, such that an optical fiber cleaving blade is disposed proximate the tip of the fiberoptic connector. After the optical fiber has been engaged within the fiberoptic connector an end of the optical fiber protrudes from the tip of the fiberoptic connector. An actuator member is then manipulated to cause the optical fiber cleaving mechanism to rotate downwardly, such that the cleaving blade will make cleaving contact with the surface of the optical fiber. Immediately prior to the contact of the cleaving blade with the optical fiber, a portion of the cleaving mechanism makes contact with the protruding end of the optical fiber to bend it downwardly, and the subsequent contact of the cleaving blade will cleave the optical fiber.