Abstract: A near-field transducer has an enlarged portion with a peg extending towards a media-facing surface. Two reflectors are located co-planar with near-field transducer and located on either side of the near-field transducer in a crosstrack direction. The two reflectors are separated by a gap proximate the peg of the near-field transducer. The two reflectors each include a first edge at the media facing surface and a second edge at an acute angle to the media-facing surface. The second edge faces the near-field transducer. The two reflectors concentrate the light on the peg of the near-field transducer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a spin torque oscillator, a sensor, and a processing unit. The spin torque oscillator is configured to receive a current and to generate a microwave output signal. The sensor is configured to detect the microwave output signal and to detect changes to frequency of the detected microwave output signal responsive to changes in an external magnetic field. The processing unit is configured to receive a sensed signal from the sensor. The processing unit is further configured to process the sensed signal and the changes to the frequency to determine magnitude and direction associated with the external magnetic field.

Abstract: Waveguides that include a top cladding layer; a bottom cladding layer; and a core layer positioned between the top cladding layer and the bottom cladding layer, the core layer including a material having a refractive index of not less than 2.1, for example amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H), or bismuth titanate. Methods of forming core layers of waveguides are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to perform early termination error recovery at a data storage device. A data storage device may be configured to perform error recovery operations in response to encountering an error while executing a host command, and terminate the error recovery operations prior to completion based on an error recovery time limit. Based on early termination of the error recovery operations, the storage device can add a storage location corresponding to the error to a scan list of storage locations on which to perform additional error recovery operations. In some embodiments, the host may set the error recovery time limit.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves a method of making a lapping plate by electrostatically coating a platen with solid resin powder and abrasive particles followed by curing the solid resin powder to form an abrasive coating. The present disclosure also involves related lapping plates.

Abstract: A device that includes a near field transducer (NFT); at least one cladding layer adjacent the NFT; and a carbon interlayer positioned between the NFT and the at least one cladding layer.

Abstract: Methods of forming near field transducers (NFTs) including electrodepositing a plasmonic material.

Abstract: A write head for recording data on a storage medium. The write head includes a bearing surface and a write pole. The write pole includes a main pole layer having a front surface that forms a portion of the bearing surface. The front surface of the write pole has a leading edge and a trailing edge. The write pole further includes a high damping material layer. The high damping material layer has a front end that is attached to the main pole layer at the leading edge.

Abstract: Devices that include a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT having at least one external surface; and at least one multilayer adhesion layer positioned on at least a portion of the at least one external surface, the multilayer adhesion layer including a first layer and a second layer, with the second layer being in contact with the portion of the at least one external surface of the NFT, the first layer including: yttrium (Y), scandium (Sc), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), silicon (Si), boron (B), tantalum (Ta), barium (Ba), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), calcium (Ca), beryllium (Be), strontium (Sr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), or combinations thereof; and the second layer including: lanthanum (La), boron (B), lutetium (Lu), aluminum (Al), deuterium (D), cerium (Ce), uranium (U), praseodymium (Pr), yttrium (Y), silicon (Si), iridium (Ir), carbon (C), thorium (Th), scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), phosphorus (P), barium (Ba), europium (Eu), or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A data storage system may generally have a controller connected to multiple separate data storage devices in a distributed network. Each data storage device may be configured with a user invisible diagnostic region where diagnostic information is stored in logical block addresses (LBA) beyond a storage capacity of the respective data storage devices and the diagnostic information can be accessible via read and write requests to LBA beyond the storage capacity of the respective data storage devices.

Abstract: A magnetic read head including a first read element magnetically coupled to a bottom shield; a second read element magnetically coupled to a top shield; a magnetic shielding structure that magnetically shields the first read element from the second read element; and a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the bottom shield, a second electrical contact electrically coupled to the top shield and a third electrical contact electrically coupled to the magnetic shielding structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to perform out of order LBA processing at a data storage device. A data storage device may be configured to receive a read command including a sequential LBA range, read data for the LBA range in non-sequential order and store the data to a buffer, and return the data to the host in sequential LBA order. The storage device may begin a read operation at a sector in the middle of the LBA range, and read the beginning of the LBA range on a next rotation of the media. The storage device may note the location of read errors without interrupting a read operation. Successfully read data may be buffered, while rereads and error recovery may be performed only on LBAs at which errors were encountered. Once the data from the LBA range has been acquired, the data may be organized into sequential order.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for data security in a data storage environment. In some embodiments, input data from a host is received into a buffer memory. Data compression is applied to the input data to provide compressed data. Encryption is applied to the compressed data to generate encrypted data, and the encrypted data are stored in a main memory of a data storage device. A system parameter value associated with the storage of the encrypted data is generated and stored in a memory, such as the main memory of the storage device. The system parameter value may include information relating to the compression of the data. A trusted relationship is established to authenticate the host responsive to a request for the updated system parameter value. The system parameter value is transferred to the host responsive to the established trusted relationship.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a semiconductor memory, such as but not limited to a three dimensional (3D) NAND flash memory array. In some embodiments, the memory has non-volatile memory cells arranged into addressable blocks. Each memory cell is configured to store multiple bits. A program/read control circuit programs data sets to and reads data sets from the memory cells in the addressable blocks to service a sequence of host access commands. The circuit concurrently performs background reads in conjunction with the servicing of the host access commands. The background reads result in the reading of a different data set from each of the addressable blocks over each of a succession of time intervals of selected duration. The background reads condition the memory cells prior to a first read operation associated with the host access commands.

Abstract: A data device may have at least a magnetic lamination with a thermal retention structure deposited on a substrate and configured to maintain a predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time. Such predetermined temperature and amount of time may allow for the growth of a magnetic layer with a predetermined magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for magnetic recording media. A rotatable magnetic recording disc has an outermost annular sidewall that extends at nominally 97 millimeters, mm for a 3-½ inch form factor data storage device or at nominally 67 mm for a 2-½ inch form factor data storage device. The rotatable magnetic recording disc further has a disc shaped substrate of metal or glass, and a magnetic recording layer supported by the disc shaped substrate and configured to magnetically record data along concentric tracks.

Abstract: A heater power of a heat-assisted magnetic recording head is set to an initial power to induce an initial head-medium clearance. For a plurality of iterations, a heater power at an optimum laser power is determined that achieve a target clearance. If differences in the heater power and optimum laser power between the two subsequent iterations are below a threshold, the iterations are stopped and the heater power and the optimum laser power for one of the two subsequent iterations is used as an operational heater power and laser power for the heat-assisted magnetic recording head.

Abstract: A baseline performance of a disk drive is found based on a media speed and a bit aspect ratio of the drive. A parallelism architecture is chosen for the disk drive based on an end-use application of the drive. The parallelism architecture includes two heads capable of simultaneously accessing one or more disks of the disk drive. An increased performance of the disk drive is determined due to the parallelism architecture, and at least one of the media speed and bit aspect ratio are reduced such that a final drive performance with the parallelism architecture satisfies the baseline performance, the baseline performance being less than the increased performance. The reduction of the media speed and/or bit aspect ratio increases another capability of the drive over that of the equivalent drive.

Abstract: A data storage device can have at least a buffer memory, a selection module, and a non-volatile memory. The buffer memory and non-volatile memory may consist of different types of memory while the non-volatile memory has one or more rewritable in-place memory cells. The buffer memory and non-volatile memory may each store data associated with a pending data request as directed by the selection module until a settle time of the rewritable in-place memory cell has expired.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided, including a base-deck floor; a base-deck frame, overlying the base-deck floor; a top cover, overlying the base-deck frame; and an affixing means operable to attach the base-deck frame to the base-deck floor, wherein the base-deck frame is operable to be fastened to both the base-deck floor and the top cover to provide a housing for a hard disk drive. A method is also provided, including assembling at least a portion of a hard disk drive assembly on a base-deck floor; affixing a base-deck frame to the base-deck floor; and securing a top cover to the base-deck frame.