Abstract: The sleeve of an actuator bearing cartridge is provided with an inclined surface on its outer surface. A tolerance ring is placed around the sleeve, and the cartridge and ring are then press-fit into the actuator bore together. Axial slippage of the ring and actuator relative to the cartridge is prevented as the ring is effectively wedged between the inclined surface and the inner surface of the actuator bore.

Abstract: A magnetic storage media comprises a substrate supporting the layer of magnetic media having a tilted C-axis greater than approximately 25° with respect to surface normal and having a magnetic easy axis tilted at an angle at approximately greater than 30° from the substrate surface normal. The media includes an oblique deposited seedlayer structure directing tilted C-axis growth of the magnetic material layer independent of the angle of deposition of the magnetic material layer. The orientation C-axis and the magnetic easy axis of the media may be organized into circumferential or radial patterns on the substrate surface, and additionally may possess azimuthal symmetry.

Abstract: A balancing system for a spindle assembly for compensating for dynamic imbalance of the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly includes a rotor rotatable about a shaft. The rotor includes a plurality of radially concentric channels supporting adjustable eccentric rings for dynamically balancing the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly is balanced by adjusting the balanced of eccentric rings assembled with the spindle assembly based upon a measured balance of the spindle assembly and the eccentric rings.

Abstract: A non-arcing bias rail assembly for supplying an electrical bias potential to a moving workpiece/substrate holder, comprising an elongated metal strip adapted for mounting along a wall of a workpiece/substrate treatment apparatus and having a surface bounded by first and second opposed, laterally extending side edges; a bracket comprised of an electrically insulating material and including a first portion mounted on the surface adjacent to and extending along a portion of the first side edge, and a second portion forming an upstanding wall extending perpendicularly from the first portion and including a surface facing the second side edge of the metal strip; an electrically conductive bias contact spring assembly mounted on the upstanding wall of the bracket facing the second side edge; and electrically insulated wire means electrically connected to the bias contact spring assembly for supplying an electrical bias potential.

Abstract: A data storage device has a plurality of head/surface combinations with different data track densities on at least two surfaces. A minimum head quality is established for the data storage apparatus. Head quality is identified for each of the heads at each of a plurality of track densities. A tuned track density is selected for each surface based on the track density that corresponds to a head quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for allowing a molecularly thin film to be established on a surface of the gas fluid dynamic bearing. The film can be controllably replenished so that the problem of liquid lubricant starvation is overcome. A suitable non-sludging lubricant of low surface tension is held in a porous reservoir within the stationary portion of the bearing. This fluid migrates out of the reservoir to coat the contiguous bearing surfaces. Alternatively, the lubricant may be held in a porous reservoir within the rotating portion of the bearing; due to centrifugal force, as the rotating portion spins, the fluid is spun out and coats the opposite non-rotating surface. The reservoir may be replaced by a singular reservoir such as a simple hole, depression, cavity or groove filled with lubricant.

Abstract: Many parallel tracks on a storage surface of a data handling device are arranged in a longitudinal direction. Each track has a track center comprising reference points for fine lateral positioning. Each successive pair of track centers has a succession of lateral offset distance having an average. Because there are many successive pairs of tracks, there are many average lateral offset distances defining a statistical distribution having a variance. The device includes a laterally movable transducer head and a longitudinally movable data surface. A signal is received from the transducer head while the data surface moves past the head. Many values each indicative of a lateral offset distance between a corresponding pair of lateral reference points are derived from the received signal. These offset-indicative values are used to shift at least some of the latitudinal reference points laterally so as to reduce this variance.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method and apparatus for optimizing a disc drive for audio-visual data storage and retrieval by responding to a certain read-time error in a manner that preserves data flow. In response to a read-time error in which a synchronization field associated with a given sector on a disc is undetected, the disc drive responds by transferring a fill pattern of bits or a return status to the host microprocessor so as to indicate the error, and allow the disc drive to continue attempting to seek subsequent synchronization fields. The fill pattern of bits may be chosen so as to minimize the negative impact of processing the unread data by down-stream audio-visual equipment. The aforementioned behavior is a departure from the traditional sequential paradigm of a conventional disc drive. The new behavior preserves data flow, a quality important to audio-visual drives.

Abstract: A load beam and a disc drive data storage system using the same are disclosed. The load beam includes a resilient section adapted for attachment to a support arm, and a substantially rigid section coupled to the resilient section and coupleable to a gimbal. The resilient and rigid load beam sections are separated by a preload bend. A first slide capture is included on the rigid load beam section and is adapted to slidably secure a conductor sleeve to the rigid section such that the sleeve can move longitudinally therethrough. The first slide capture substantially constrains conductor sleeve movement orthogonal to longitudinal movement. A first longitudinal inhibiting capture is included on the resilient load beam section and is adapted to secure the sleeve to the resilient section such that longitudinal displacement of the conductor sleeve proximate the firsts longitudinal inhibiting capture is constrained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for repeatable run-out errors in a disc drive is disclosed. The compensation is created by determining transfer function values for a servo loop in the drive as well as a sequence of repeatable run-out values for a portion of a disc. The repeatable run-out values are divided by respective transfer function values to produce compensation values that are inverse transformed to produce time-domain compensation values. These time-domain compensation values are injected into the servo loop to compensate for repeatable run-out errors.

Abstract: An actuator assembly is provided for a computer disc drive. The actuator assembly includes an actuator body that supports a shell head support arm and/or a shell coil yoke. The coil yoke supports the coil of the VCM. The actuator body pivots about a pivot axis and is attached to the cartridge bearing assembly disposed within an inner hollow of the actuator body. The head support arm is a shell having a core, a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the head support arm is concave and the second surface of the head support arm is convex. The head support arm is connected to the actuator body at a proximal end. At a distal end of the head support arm, there is a flat portion with a swage hole for connection of the flexure assembly.

Abstract: An airstream conditioning apparatus for a data storage device. The data storage device has an enclosure supporting a spinning data disc and an actuator operably interfacing with the data disc in a data transfer relationship. The apparatus comprises a shroud supportable in the enclosure only downstream of the actuator with respect to air currents generated by the spinning disc. The shroud furthermore comprises a fin extending from the shroud in planar alignment with the disc.

Abstract: A patterned media having recordable and non-recordable regions is initialized by first erasing (e.g. DC magnetizing) at least a portion of the recordable regions. At least one offset may then be determined. The at least one offset may compensate for a read to write delay in the electronics and/or at least one delay caused by the space separation between a read and a write head. A plurality of position error signal (PES) bursts may then be written on at least a portion of the recordable regions. During the write process, the previously written PES bursts are read and used to determine PES signals (e.g. servo signals) in order to guide the write head while writing new PES bursts. Magnetically written gray code may then be written on the media. The magnetically written gray code may be used to define a track number for the data tracks with no eccentricity.

Abstract: High areal storage density, patterned magnetic media comprising a patterned plurality of at least partially crystalline, ferromagnetic particles or grains are provided by means of a simple, economical process wherein a non-magnetic substrate is provided with a layer of an amorphous, paramagnetic or anti-paramagnetic material comprising at least one component, e.g., a metal element, which is ferromagnetic when in at least partially crystalline form, and at least partially crystallizing the at least one component at selected areas of the amorphous layer to form a spaced-apart pattern of at least partially crystallized, ferromagnetic particles or grains of the at least one component, the particles or grains being spaced apart and surrounded by a matrix of the amorphous material. Embodiments include utilizing a focussed or scanned laser source and an amorphous Ni—P layer for forming ferromagnetic Ni particles or grains.

Abstract: A disc drive having a voice coil actuator with an attached suspension and head, the head including a micro-actuator. The micro-actuator having at least one natural frequency and at least one natural frequency time period. The voice coil actuator is adapted to attenuate a resonance of the micro-actuator at the at least one natural frequency using a stepped acceleration.

Abstract: A disc drive system includes a base with sidewalls, a spindle attached to the base, and at least one disc attached to the spindle. A cover is also included for attaching to the base. The cover and the base form a disc enclosure which encloses the at least one disc, a portion of the spindle, and the actuator assembly. The disc drive system also includes a cover that is the prime acoustical radiator from the disc drive. The cover includes at least one dampening member attached by the adhesive. The dampening member is provided with a cut or slit therein to shift the resonant frequency of the cover. The cut increases area with high value of shear deformation in the adhesive and increases the loss factor.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium comprises steps of providing a non-magnetic substrate having at least one surface; forming a layer of a sol-gel on the surface, partially drying the sol-gel layer at room temperature to remove a portion of the solvent therein to form a partially dried sol-gel layer of hardness less than that of the substrate; mechanically texturing the surface of the partially dried sol-gel layer; and depositing a layer stack including at least one magnetic layer thereover. Embodiments of the invention include embossing a servo pattern in the as-deposited sol-gel layer prior to partial drying and mechanically texturing, followed by sintering at an elevated temperature to form a substantially fully dried layer having a density and hardness similar to that of glass, and formation of a thin film magnetic media layer stack thereon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously measuring and calculating servo-related data is disclosed. The method involves measuring the servo related data for a first track of a disc drive and then measuring servo related data for a second track. The method further involves calculating servo related values for the first track, based on the measured servo related data for the first track, while servo related data is being measured for the second track. This method is applicable for processes such as zero acceleration path determination in disc drives, whereby position errors are measured for the first track and then position errors are measured for a second track while simultaneously calculating the zero acceleration path for the first track based on the position errors previously measured.

Abstract: A magnetic head has an air bearing surface, a substrate, a data transducer and a composite overcoat layer. The data transducer is positioned upon the substrate adjacent the air bearing surface. The data transducer includes a plurality of metallic layers. The composite overcoat layer is positioned upon the data transducer on a side of the data transducer opposite the substrate. An effective coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite overcoat layer is substantially equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material forming the substrate.

Abstract: A slider is used for supporting a transducing head proximate a rotating disc. The slider includes a slider body having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading edge, a trailing edge, and first and second side edges. The slider body has a longitudinal axis. An air bearing surface is defined on the disc opposing face and the air bearing surface has a pad proximate the trailing edge. A trench is positioned adjacent to the pad with the trench being recessed from the air bearing surface at a step depth. A channel for flushing lubricant from the disc opposing face is positioned on the pad. The channel is recessed from the air bearing surface at a channel depth.