Abstract: A disk drive spoiler for reducing particle accumulation in a hard disk drive is provided. The spoiler includes a body portion for directing airflow generated by a rotating disk, the rotating disk comprising a middle diameter and an outer diameter wherein the body portion directs airflow away from the outer diameter of the disk. The spoiler also includes an end portion for directing airflow away from the middle diameter of the disk towards the outer diameter of the disk wherein the body portion comprises a substantially similar width between the middle diameter and the outer diameter.

Abstract: A thin film, perpendicular write head for use with recording media with or without a soft under layer is disclosed. The present invention comprises an tapered auxiliary pole, situated below the main write pole and separated from the write pole by a lower non-magnetic gap. The auxiliary pole alleviates problems such as erasure after write, and cross track stray erasure fields, associated with operating conventionally designed perpendicular writes heads with media having no soft under layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head having a main coil (the write coil) and main pole (the write pole) that directs write flux in a direction perpendicular to the recording layer in the magnetic recording medium, and a transverse auxiliary pole (TAP) that injects auxiliary magnetic flux into the write pole at an angle to the primary or perpendicular axis of the write pole. The additional flux from the TAP, which is injected non-parallel to the primary magnetization of the write pole, exerts a torque on the magnetization of the write pole, thereby facilitating magnetization reversal of the write pole. The TAP is coupled to the main coil but not electrically connected to it. A separate passive coil, not electrically connected to the main coil, may be wrapped as a loop around the main pole and the TAP. Alternatively, the TAP may be located near one of the electrically conductive turns of the main coil.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to achieve a solder joining structure having high reliability, in which even if a componential material of a flange of a feed-through of a sealed magnetic disk drive is an iron-based material such as Kovar™, and a componential material of a base of the drive is an aluminum-based alloy, leakage of low-density gas is dramatically reduced. According to one embodiment, a base has a stepped portion in the inside of a periphery of an opening, and an inclined surface extending to the outside of the base is formed at an edge of a surface of the stepped portion, on which a flange of a feed-through is placed, thereby when the stepped portion of the base is joined by soldering with the flange of the feed-through, a solder fillet is formed not only in the inside of the base, but also in the outside thereof.

Abstract: A method of making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) sensor with a confined-current-path (CCP) layer uses an array of self-assembled ferritin protein molecules with inorganic cores to make the CCP layer in the sensor stack. In one embodiment, the ferritin molecules with cores of insulating oxide particles are deposited on an electrically conductive support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of insulating oxide particles. An electrically conducting layer is deposited over the oxide particles and into the regions between the oxide particles to form the CCP layer. In another embodiment, the ferritin molecules with inorganic particles in their cores are deposited on an electrically insulating support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of inorganic particles that function as an etch mask.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly including a gimbal provided with a tongue comprising a stage; a sub-mount comprising a laser diode, wherein the laser diode is disposed internally in the sub-mount, and wherein the sub-mount is mounted on said stage; a head slider for thermally assisted recording, wherein the head slider is disposed on the sub-mount; a first piezoelectric element; a second piezoelectric element; and a plurality of lead wires.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention allow a resin member accommodating therein a trace, to have a small thickness. An HDD according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a resin accommodation member fixed to a side surface of arms. Part of a trace is accommodated in a slit formed in the accommodation member. Accommodating part of the trace in the slit helps suppress fluttering of the trace and improve head positioning accuracy. A corrugated surface structure is formed on each of surfaces of the arms and the accommodation member in abutment with each other. The corrugated surface structure is used to position the accommodation member in a pivot direction. The accommodation member, having the corrugated surface structure for positioning on the surface being fixed, can be made to have a thin wall.

Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a side gap layer comprising primarily silicon nitride, wherein outer sides of the side gap layer taper away from one another from a leading end of the side gap layer towards a trailing end of the side gap layer; a seed layer above the silicon nitride side gap layer; and a magnetic pole on the seed layer. A method for forming a magnetic head according to one embodiment includes etching a channel in a silicon oxide layer; forming a side gap layer comprising primarily silicon nitride in the channel; forming a seed layer above the side gap layer; plating a pole on the seed layer; and removing the silicon oxide layer by wet etching. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: Magnetic disk drive systems and associated methods are described for testing magnetic disk performance for certification with a plurality of magnetic disk drive systems prior to installation. The test system may position a slider at a first spacing between the magnetic disk in the slider and simulate the recording performance of a disk drive system with the magnetic disk at the first spacing. The disk drive test system may then transfer a control signal to a heating element in the slider to move the slider to a different spacing between the magnetic disk and the slider to simulate the recording performance of another disk drive system. The test system may, thus, use a single slider to certify a magnetic disk with a plurality of disk drive systems.

Abstract: One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a method that comprises testing a first number of physical devices using a first test sequence that comprises an item. A second number of physical devices are tested using a second test sequence. It is noted that the second test sequence comprises the item of the first test and a second item.

Abstract: A system in one embodiment includes a disk; a reservoir having a selectively openable cover; a lubricant in the reservoir; and a sensor for detecting an event or condition that triggers opening of the cover. A method in another embodiment includes determining that a trigger event or a trigger condition is occurring or has occurred in a hard disk drive; opening a cover of a lubricant reservoir for allowing egress of lubricant therefrom upon determining that the trigger event or the trigger condition has occurred; and closing the cover of the lubricant reservoir after a period of time. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: A slider resistant to lubricant accumulation. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation includes a positive-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to levitate the slider above a magnetic-recording disk and a negative-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to bring the slider into proximity with the magnetic-recording disk at a fly height sufficient for writing data to and reading data from the magnetic-recording disk. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation also includes a lubricant-accumulation barrier disposed in proximity to a trailing edge of the slider. The lubricant-accumulation barrier is configured to reduce lubricant accumulation on the slider. The lubricant-accumulation barrier also includes a plurality of lubricant-accumulation-barrier portions disposed at a plurality of respective depths below an outer-most surface of a disk-facing side of the slider.

Abstract: A method for screening a magnetic-recording head utilizing a simulated-cross-track-gain profile of the magnetic-recording head to provide a manufacturing-qualified, magnetic-recording head. The method includes measuring a track profile of the magnetic-recording head, and providing the simulated-cross-track-gain profile of the magnetic-recording head synthesized utilizing the track profile of the magnetic-recording head. The method also includes calculating a peak-to-peak value of the simulated-cross-track-gain profile, and applying a selection criterion based on the peak-to-peak value of the simulated-cross-track-gain profile to screen the magnetic-recording head for use as the manufacturing-qualified, magnetic-recording head.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hard disk drive is described. The method includes providing a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising a stationary portion and a rotatable portion for rotating a magnetic disk with respect to said stationary portion and providing a base for receiving the motor assembly. The method further includes providing an adhesive for mounting the motor assembly to said base wherein the adhesive is electrically conductive and mounting the stationary portion of the motor assembly to the base utilizing the adhesive such that the adhesive provides a low resistance path between the base and the motor assembly.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a single element type differential magnetoresistive magnetic head capable of achieving high resolution and high manufacturing stability. According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive layered film is formed by stacking an underlayer film, an antiferromagnetic film, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, a soft magnetic free layer, a long distance antiparallel coupling layered film, and a differential soft magnetic free layer. The long distance antiparallel coupling layered film exchange-couples the soft magnetic free layer and the differential soft magnetic free layer in an antiparallel state with a distance of about 3 nanometers through 20 nanometers. By manufacturing the single element type differential magnetoresistive magnetic head using the magnetoresistive layered film, it becomes possible to achieve the high resolution and the high manufacturing stability without spoiling the GMR effect.

Abstract: A magnetic read sensor having improved robustness to withstand thermal variations resulting from thermal fly height heating. Improved thermal robustness comes as a result of improved pinned layer pinning. The read head includes an AFM layer having an increased thickness to provide a higher blocking temperature. The read head further includes a pinned layer structure that includes a first magnetic layer adjacent to and exchange coupled with the AFM layer. The first layer comprises a Co—Fe layer with an increased Fe content of 20-30 atomic percent. The pinned layer structure also includes a second magnetic layer that is antiparallel coupled with the AP1 layer. The AP2 layer can be a multi-layer structure that includes a layer of CoFe, a layer of Co—Fe—Hf formed on the layer of Co—Fe, a layer of Co—Fe—B formed on the layer of Co—Fe—Hf, and a second layer of Co—Fe formed on the layer of Co—Fe—B.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk has surface features of elevated lands and recessed grooves, and a planarized upper surface. A chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) stop layer is deposited over the lands and into the recesses. An adhesion film, like silicon, is deposited over the CMP stop layer, and fill material containing a silicon oxide (SiOx) is deposited over and in contact with the adhesion film. The adhesion film improves the adhesion of the SiOx fill material and prevents delamination during a subsequent two-step CMP planarizing process.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic write head having a near-field transducer, a magnetic lip and a diffusion barrier layer between the near-field tranducer and the magnetic lip. The near-field transducer includes a transparent aperture constructed of a material such as SiO2 and an opaque metallic antenna constructed of a metal such as Au formed at a first edge of the aperture. A magnetic lip, connected with the write pole is formed near a second edge of the aperture with a diffusion barrier layer being disposed between the magnetic lip and the aperture. The diffusion barrier layer prevents migration of atomic between the aperture and the magnetic lip, thereby ensuring robust performance at localized high temperatures generated by the near-field transducer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording. The method includes forming a write pole, and then depositing a refill layer. A mask structure can be formed over the writ pole and refill layer, the mask structure being configured to define a stitched pole. An ion milling or reactive ion milling can then be performed to remove portions of the refill layer that are not protected by the mask structure. Then a magnetic material can be deposited to form a stitched write pole that defines a secondary flare point. The stitched pole can also be self aligned with an electrical lapping guide in order to accurately locate the front edge of the secondary flare point relative to the air bearing surface of the write head.

Abstract: In one general embodiment, a magnetic head includes a touch-down pad, comprising at least one shielding element positioned between a leading edge of a main magnetic pole and a trailing edge of a lower return pole; an embedded contact sensor (ECS) in an electrically isolating layer, the ECS positioned near an ABS side of the magnetic head and between the leading edge of the main magnetic pole and the trailing edge of the lower return pole; and a first thermal fly-height control (TFC) element positioned away from the ABS side of the magnetic head. Additional systems and methods are also presented.