Abstract: The present invention provides a hard disk drive laser assisted magnetic recording system including a semiconductor laser and magnetic write coil integrally formed into a slider. The slider preferably includes a perpendicular magnetic recording section adjacent a laser section. The laser section may form an air bearing surface of the slider. During recording operations, laser radiation from the laser section heats a region of the magnetic recording media in order to reduce its coercivity.

Abstract: A method and system for positionally displacing a transducer, or multiple transducers, over a location on a data storage medium is disclosed. An actuator assembly containing at least one actuator arm supporting at least one transducer is used to access a desired location on the data storage medium. The actuator arm contains an intrinsically excitable element, such as piezoelectric material, responsive to a control signal to produce an excitement. The excitement in the element generates a movement of the element that is magnified by a flexure to positionally displace the transducer, which is attached to the flexure. The transducer is displaced from a current, or origination, location to the desired location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for unlatching a VCM in a disc drive is provided in which a determination is made if the VCM is stationary. A first unlatch current pulse that has a first amplitude and first width is applied to the VCM if the VCM is found to be stationary. An incremented unlatch current pulse is then applied to the VCM if the VCM is found to be stationary after application of the first unlatch current pulse. The incremented unlatch current pulse has at least one of an amplitude and a width that is greater than at least one of the corresponding first amplitude and the first width of the first unlatch current pulse.

Abstract: A servo test is performed on a disc drive. The servo test includes performing a position error sample (PES) threshold test on tracks in the disc drive and identifying those tracks that fail the PES servo sample test. Zero acceleration path (ZAP) learning is performed on the identified tracks, and is performed on less than all of the tracks on the disc drive. Another PES servo threshold test is performed on the identified tracks to determine whether they pass the servo test, given the ZAP learning process.

Abstract: A disc stack assembly for use in a disc drive. A spindle motor hub includes an annular ring recess. A disc is clamped to the spindle motor hub by a disc clamp assembly comprising a clamp plate and a retaining ring. The clamp plate includes an inner ring engagement portion, an outer disc engagement portion, and an initial, substantially planar shape in an undeformed state. The retaining ring is secured within the annular ring recess and maintains the clamp plate in a conically deformed state so that the inner ring engagement portion of the clamp plate applies a first moment force against the retaining ring while the outer disc engagement portion of the clamp plate applies a second moment force as an axially directed clamping force upon the disc.

Abstract: A method of recovering data from a data sector through adaptive fly height to improve reliability of a disc drive is disclosed. Encountering a data error in a data sector initializes an error recovery routine that increases a fly height of the read/write head for asperity encounters, or decreases the fly height of the read/write head for low amplitude read signal encounters. In the case of asperity encounters, when the increased fly height fails data recovery, the read/write head is positioned off track, then lowered to burnish the asperity and the data sector is re-read.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a disc, a beam extending from the voice coil motor to a gimbal point to provide a load force, and a slider that flies over the disc with a pole tip protrusion that has an ambient temperature sensitivity. The disc drive also includes a strut with a yielding bend section (YBS). Deposits of shape memory alloys (SMA) having different first and second transformation temperature ranges are deposited on the yielding bend section (YBS) and effectively reduce an ambient temperature sensitivity of the pole tip protrusion.

Abstract: In a disk replicating assembly, a blank disk is attached to one platen and a stamper is attached to the other platen. Pressure is applied so that the two platens are forced together, thereby transferring features from the stamper to the disk. A ball joint is located between a platen and the pressure train of the replicating assembly. Due to the ball joint at this location, the resulting pressure gradient when the stamper and disk are pressed together causes the one platen to swivel such that it orients itself substantially parallel to the other platen. Because the resistance of the ball joint is selected so that the one platen is able to pivot before the stamper significantly affects the disk, the fine features of the stamper are not transferred to the disk until the platens are in parallel alignment.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method and apparatus for controlling a lapping process, so as to create a read/write head that contains a primary magnetoresistive read element with a desired stripe height. An improved lapping guide is achieved by incorporating a secondary magnetoresistive element into a read/write head. By virtue of its location on the same read/write head as a primary magnetoresistive element (used for reading data during operation of the disc drive), the secondary element is located in close proximity to the primary element, resulting in smaller tolerances in aligning or relating the top edges of the primary and secondary elements. Accordingly, the secondary magnetoresistive element more reliably serves as a proxy for the primary element. Optionally, the secondary magnetoresistive element may be fashioned with identical dimensions as the primary element, so as to render the secondary element equivalent to the primary element with regard to magnetic sensitivity.

Abstract: A microactuating suspension assembly used for a disc drive is disclosed. The microactuating suspension assembly has a suspension load beam and a microactuator placed on the suspension load beam for bending the suspension load beam at the front end thereof during a sustained period of data read/write time and thus achieving a desired average fly-height which is different from an unaltered average fly-height which would have been achieved without the microactuator. In particular, the microactuating suspension assembly can be used to achieve a very low fly-height. Additionally, very large bandwidth and very short seeking time is made possible when a bimorph piezoelectric microactuator is used.

Abstract: Laminated magnetic recording medium with two Co-containing layers separated by a non-magnetic interlayer is stablished by Ru-containing layers between the recording layers and Co-containing stablization layers through antiferromagnetic coupling.

Abstract: A sputtering chamber includes a sputtering target with a front target surface, and a magnetron behind the sputtering target. The magnetron provides a magnetic field at the front target surface along a generally round path that includes a path indentation. A shutter is spaced apart from the front target surface by a shutter spacing. A substrate is aligned with a central region in front of the front target surface and spaced apart from the front target surface by a selected spacing that is greater than the shutter spacing. The central region has a diameter defined by a uniformly sputtered thickness of deposited layers on the substrate. The path indentation is set to a path indentation depth that adjusts the selected spacing to maximize the diameter.

Abstract: A method includes selecting a subset of predictive frequencies from a set of disc drive frequencies consisting essentially of operational driving frequencies in the disc drive and system resonance frequencies in the disc drive. Correlation constants are determined that correlate sound power to mechanical vibration magnitudes at each of the frequencies in the subset of predictive frequencies. The method further includes acquiring mechanical vibration data from the disc drive while operating the disc drive and determining predictive vibration magnitudes at each of the frequencies in the subset of predictive frequencies from the mechanical vibration data. Finally, the method includes determining an estimated acoustic sound power value for the disc drive from the determined correlation constants and the predictive vibration magnitudes. A testing system determines an estimated acoustic sound power value for a subject disc drive from predetermined correlation constants and vibration magnitudes.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the transfer of data into and out of a buffer in a disc drive is disclosed. The operation of the vectored buffer management (VBM) system is administered by a software-based control module. The control module creates and maintains a buffer table by dividing the buffer table into buffer sectors. The buffer sectors are further arranged into buffer segments, or circularly linked lists upon which the buffer table is partitioned. The control module effectuates the transfer by implementing an application module across the buffer table. Once the application module is arbitrarily positioned at an index sector by the control module, data transfer is accomplished when the application module walks through a particular buffer segment identified by the index sector. Specific control of the application module across a buffer segment is administered through host and disc address pointers, which are coupled to host and disc next pointers, respectively.

Abstract: A method is used for forming sliders for use in a disc drive actuation system. The method comprises providing a wafer formed of a substrate having a base coat and an overcoat. Wafer-level notch lanes having a first width extend across the wafer in a first direction. The overcoat is removed from the wafer-level notch lanes. The wafer is sliced along a portion of the wafer-level lanes through the base coat to form a channel. The wafer is mechanically sliced through the substrate along slice lanes that extend across the wafer in the first direction to differentiate the wafer into bars. The bars are cut in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction to form the sliders.

Abstract: A disc drive has an improved electrical interconnect assembly mated to a suspension assembly for coupling one or more conductive paths leading from a read/write head to control circuitry located off the suspension assembly. The interconnect assembly has a portion that is located adjacent to and transversely extending from an edge of the suspension assembly located towards the inner diameter of a disc on the disc drive. The suspension optionally includes a cross-over section of the interconnect assembly to electrically couple the head on the suspension to the control circuitry located away from the suspension assembly. Locating the interconnect assembly on the edge of the suspension towards the disc inner diameter reduces windage induced vibrations of the suspension assembly and, consequently, the head.

Abstract: To simplify fabrication of an integral hub piece, the opening between the upper and lower female cones in this hub has sufficient width or radial dimension to allow access to both cones from one side of the hub with the cutting tool. A cutting tool is used which has a width smaller than the opening between the cones. Preferably, the tool has a width which is about equal to or smaller than an angular dimension through this opening which is defined by extending surfaces of the upper and lower female cones. If this limitation is satisfied, both cones can be created with a single machine set up operating from one side of the integrated hub. Preferably the tool should only move orthogonal or parallel to the cutting tools rotational center axis.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disc drive, includes a base, a disc stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. A region of the disc stack is identified as a parking band, and when power is not provided to the disc drive, the actuator assembly is held in a parked position within the parking band by an actuator latch. The actuator latch and actuator assembly have different resonant frequencies based on several environmental elements near the actuator assembly, including the temperature of the environment in the disc enclosure. The actuator assembly is unlatched by measuring the environmental element near the actuator assembly and applying an alternating current to a voice coil coupled to the actuator. The frequency of the alternating current applied to the actuator assembly during the unlatching procedure is near the resonant frequency of the actuator assembly in the measured environment.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium on glass or Al substrates with a film structure of Cr—X or (Cr—X)Ox seedlayer/underlayer/magnetic layer/carbon overcoat, in which the solid solubility of X is at least 3 atomic percent in Cr, the heat of oxide formation of X is less than that of Cr or a lattice tuning capability of X is at least 2% that of Cr and a manufacturing process thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is a suspension gimbal-head assembly that includes a magnetic head having a leading edge and a following edge, a suspension gimbal, the magnetic head is mechanically connected to the suspension gimbal at the head leading edge and the head following edge. There is also provided a disk drive that includes a suspension gimbal-head assembly that includes a magnetic head having a leading edge and a following edge, a suspension gimbal, the magnetic head mechanically connected to the suspension gimbal at the head leading edge and the head following edge.