Abstract: A disc drive assembly has an actuator for moving an actuator arm above the surface of a rotating disc. A suspension connects a slider to the actuator arm and maintains the slider substantially engaged with the disc surface in the absence of a shock event. A head-slap arrestor attached to the actuator arm includes a finger extending over the suspension so that the head-slap arrestor does not contact the suspension in the absence of a shock event. The finger of the head-slap arrestor pivots into engagement with the suspension during a shock event to maintain the slider substantially engaged with the disc surface. The force applied by the finger of the head-slap arrestor to the suspension is directly related to the force of the shock event.

Abstract: A method and data storage device are provided that reduce off-track motion due to resonant modes in the storage device. The off-track motion is reduced by sensing movement with a sensor located on a suspension assembly of the storage device. Based on this sensed movement, the sensor generates a signal that is used to drive a control system to minimize the off-track motion.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus to write and read copy protected data on a disc drive storage system using a servo wedge.

Abstract: A system for testing a bus connector comprising an electronically controlled switch operatively coupled to be controlled by a microprocessor, the system having a first input operatively coupled to receive power from an internal power supply and a second input operatively coupled to receive power from a power supply connector, and an output operatively coupled to power an output display selectively from either power supplies.

Abstract: A propagating method is provided in which timing and servo sector information is propagated throughout a data storage media that initially contains only a guide pattern. The method uses an offset between the write element and the read element in a read/write head to position and propagate the timing information. In addition, a method for circumferentially aligning timing and servo sector information is disclosed that utilizes a time delay to position the propagated timing and servo sector information. Another method for attenuating timing errors during timing and servo sector propagation to a data storage media is disclosed. Timing errors are attenuated through the use of phase locked loop circuit and measurement of the phase error detected between different tracks on the data storage media. Apparatuses implementing the methods including a storage device readable by a computer system that implements the methods are provided.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a laminated main write pole and a return pole magnetically coupled to the main write pole. The main write pole includes a first magnetic layer having a high saturation magnetization, a second magnetic layer having a high saturation magnetization, and a non-magnetic interlayer positioned between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first and second magnetic layers may comprise, for example, FexCoy, wherein 40≦x≦90 and 10≦y≦60.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of predicting functional capability of a data storage device having a plurality of information tracks, comprising performing a DC erase on three adjacent information tracks, writing a predetermined bit pattern on a middle track of the three adjacent information tracks, providing a first signal from the bit pattern to a variable gain amplifier to generate a first value of the variable gain amplifier, performing DC erases on the information tracks adjacent the middle track, reading the bit pattern from the middle track to provide a second signal to the variable gain amplifier to generate a second value of the variable gain amplifier, and operating on the first and second values of the variable gain amplifier to provide a track mis-registration value for use with a predetermined threshold value to determine the functional capability of the data storage device.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a disk drive hub/back iron configuration that resists distortion upon changinging temperature of the disk drive. The hub/back iron configuration thus prevents distortion of the disks, reducing HDI problems.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording head for use with magnetic recording media includes a main pole having a concave tip. The concave tip focuses the magnetic flux from the main pole onto a smaller area of the magnetic recording medium than a conventional main pole when the main pole is at its flying height from the magnetic recording medium. Although the most preferred perpendicular recording head includes a concave cavity having an elliptical profile when viewed from the side, any substantially concave cavity may be used advantageously.

Abstract: An actuator assembly and method for orienting a head over a disc within a multi-disc servo-track writer incorporates an actuator block, rotational air bearing, translational air bearing, adaptor plate, E-block and actuator arm/head assembly. Rotation of the E-block, and hence actuator arm/head assembly, is directly controlled by the movement of the rotational air bearing, which is rotated by a motor. The air bearing provides for reduced friction and, as a result, decreased eccentricity of the head as compared to related art configurations. A translational air bearing laterally positions the actuator assembly within the multi-disc servo-track writer for servo-track recording.

Abstract: Ion beam-deposited, nitrogen-doped C:H films having substantially lower resistivities than undoped ion beam-deposited C:H films and suitable for use as hard, abrasion-resistant overcoat layers for magnetic recording media, such as hard disks, are formed by supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and nitrogen gases to an ion beam generator. Nitrogen atom content of the films is controlled to within from about 5 to about 25 at. % by appropriate selection of the ratio of hydrocarbon gas flow to nitrogen gas flow. The resultant IBD i-C:HN films exhibit a reduced tendency for charge build-up thereon during hard disk operation by virtue of their lower resistivity vis-à-vis conventional a-C:H materials.

Abstract: A system and method for improving the durability and reliability of recording media used in hard drives is disclosed. A protective overcoat made by depositing a diamond like carbon (DLC) layer over a magnetic layer and then depleting the DLC protective layer of hydrogen before it is coated with a Perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) using an in-situ vapor lubrication technique.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for reducing nonlinearities in a position error signal (PES) of a disc drive data handling system. The disc drive data handling system includes a disc recording surface having a number of tracks and a controllably positionable read/write head. A servo circuit generates a sequence of PES samples indicative of head position with respect to a selected track using servo position data samples transduced from the selected track and a first set of compensation values selected to reduce nonlinearities in said PES samples. The PES samples are combined with the first set of compensation values to generate an updated set of compensation values. This process is preferably repeated a number of iterations to converge to a final set of compensation values which provide a substantially linear PES across the radial width of each track.

Abstract: A coil construction for a voice coil motor is disclosed. The coil construction includes a series of stacked planar coils disposed on a substrate material. Each planar coil is separated from its neighboring coil or coils by a viscoelastic material to reduce vibration of the coil construction. The coil construction is attached to an actuator arm. Control circuitry creates a current in the coil construction to position a head on the actuator arm. Also disclosed is a method for making a coil for a voice coil motor. The method includes the steps of masking a substrate having a conductive layer with a photoresist, exposing the mask to create a pattern of planar coils, developing the photoresist, and etching the conductive layer to create a planar coil.

Abstract: A method and apparatus position a plurality of data heads relative to a plurality of surfaces of at least one disc in a disc drive. One of the plurality of data heads corresponds to each of the plurality of surfaces. The data heads are provided for writing information to the surfaces and reading information from the surfaces. Each of the data heads may be simultaneously positioned relative to the corresponding surfaces using the embedded servo information. Information can be simultaneously transferred relative to the corresponding surfaces using the plurality of data heads. Uninterrupted sequential data transfers may also be executed without servo overhead. Further, an apparatus is provided for accomplishing such servo control, as is a method of accomplishing model-based servo control.

Abstract: To groove two regions simultaneously to different groove depths, a dual element/voltage electrode is disclosed. The electrode comprises an outer, cylindrical sheath element and an inner rod element separated by an insulator. Each element operates at a different voltage. The cylindrical element which grooves the conical bearing will, for example, operate at half the voltage of the rod element which grooves the pumping region, thereby achieving twice the groove depth.

Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing cartridge includes a shaft or sleeve adapted to be fixed in place has at least one fluid dynamic bearing supporting the shaft and one or more seals at either end of the shaft. The seal arrangements may include a pair of centrifugal capillary seals at either end of the shaft. Alternatively, a grooved pumping seal or centrifugal capillary seal at one end may be used in combination with a static capillary seal, especially where a journal bearing defined along the shaft near the capillary seal has an imbalanced groove section.

Abstract: This invention presents a method and structure for magnetic spin valves. The spin valve structure includes a first ferromagnetic layer separated from a second ferromagnetic layer by a non-magnetic layer. The spin valve structure also includes a first specular scattering layer separated from a second specular scattering layer by the first ferromagnetic layer, the non-magnetic layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer can include a free layer and the non-magnetic layer can include a spacer layer. The second ferromagnetic layer can include a pinned layer or a reference layer. The specular scattering layers can include a material such as Y2O3, HfO2, MgO, Al2O3, NiO, Fe2O3, and Fe3O4. The specular scattering layers can also be used in a SAF structure. In the SAF structure, the antiferromagnetic coupling material can be co-deposited with the second specular scattering layer.

Abstract: A microactuator finely positions a transducing head carried by a slider adjacent a select radial track of disc. A frame of the microactuator includes a motor for altering the position of the slider and a closed bonding tub extending upward from the bottom of the microactuator having a bonding surface to engage the top surface of the slider. The closed bonding tub is formed from the microactuator frame such that there is a tub bottom having a bonding surface, sidewalls and an open sidewall.

Abstract: A system and a method for increasing suspension resonance frequencies of a head suspension assembly of a disc drive includes, in one example embodiment, attaching a base plate to an actuator arm assembly of the disc drive such that the base plate including the actuator arm assembly are in actuating relationship with a rotating disc of the disc drive. A two-piece suspension member having a first and second pieces is attached to the base plate. A gimbal is attached to the two-piece suspension member such that a predetermined bendable area is formed between the first and second pieces and on the gimbal having a stiffer preload bend radius. A stiffer preload bend radius provides a higher stiffness-to-mass ratio without increasing the spring rate of the head suspension assembly to increase suspension resonance frequencies of the head suspension assembly to fall outside a bandwidth of a servo drive to reduce off-track motion of the head suspension assembly during track follow-and-seek operations of the disc drive.