Abstract: A data storage enclosure can have one or more data storage devices positioned in an enclosure slot having one or more stops. A data storage device can be attached to a rail having a rail width and having first and second protrusions offset from one another. The first and second protrusions may each have protrusion widths that are less than the rail width with the second protrusion shaped to provide a positive stop that retains the rail in an enclosure slot.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for managing a data storage device during extended idle conditions of the data storage device in which host access commands are not being received or serviced. In some embodiments, upon detection of an idle condition, a control circuit identifies a selected data transducer of the data storage device and a corresponding initial radial position of the data transducer with respect to an associated rotatable data recording surface. The control circuit performs a serpentine seek operation during the idle condition to gradually advance the selected data transducer in a selected radial direction across the data recording surface beginning at the initial radial position and ending at a final radial position. The serpentine seek operation prevents the transducer from being maintained in a stationary position during the idle condition, reducing the likelihood of damage through thermal asperity contact events, lubrication disturb, wear, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices that include a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT having a peg and a disc and the peg including peg material and at least one associated amorphous blocker layer, wherein the amorphous blocker layer includes an amorphous metal alloy and the amorphous blocker layer is within the peg material, on one or more surfaces of the peg material, or both.

Abstract: A modular data storage system can consist of at least first and second enclosures spanning a single pair of rails. The first and second enclosures may each have keyed couplers that mate to align the first and second enclosures along a common plane while being suspended between the single pair of rails.

Abstract: A POR circuit includes a voltage divider coupleable between a supply voltage and a POR trace, including a first element coupled between the supply voltage and a node, and a second element coupled between the node and the POR trace. A switch is drain to source coupled between the POR trace and a reference voltage. A first decoupling capacitor is coupled between the POR trace and the reference voltage. A second decoupling capacitor is coupled between the node and the reference voltage. ESD protection for an integrated circuit includes charging a node of a voltage divider coupled between a supply voltage and a POR trace to a predetermined percentage of the supply voltage, decoupling high frequency noise with a first decoupling capacitor between the POR trace and a reference voltage, and decoupling low frequency noise with a second decoupling capacitor between the node and the reference voltage.

Abstract: Methods that include forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure; depositing a material onto at least one surface of the portion of the NFT to form a metal containing layer; and subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT; and devices formed thereby.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for scanning a read/write head of a hard disk drive during manufacture. The method comprises: providing a magnetic sensor; moving the magnetic sensor relative to and in close proximity to the read/write head under test; obtaining measurements from the head under test or the sensor, representing a two-dimensional magnetic map; processing the map to obtain an accurate map of the head sensitivity of the head under test from which the key performance characteristics of the head can be obtained.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for implementing unequal error correction code (ECC) in multi-track recording. A device may comprise a circuit configured to implement an error correction coding scheme applying different code rate error correction codes on adjacent tracks within a same recording zone. The circuit may perform a read operation, including simultaneously detecting bits from a first track and a second track of the adjacent tracks, iteratively applying detected bits from the first track to perform adjacent track interference cancellation (ATIC) to decode bits from the second track, and iteratively applying detected bits from the second track to perform ATIC to decode bits from the first track.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus that includes a substrate; a first hard-mask pattern that includes a number of first features disposed over a top surface of the substrate; and a second hard-mask pattern disposed over the first hard-mask layer. The second hard-mask pattern includes a number of second features overlapping one or more of the first features.

Abstract: Technologies for midplane docking systems for connecting adjacent levels of docks are provided herein. An extendable connection system includes: a connector cable, the connector cable having a first end and a second end; a male connector, the male connector connected to the first end of the connector cable, the male connector including male connecting mechanism; and a female connector, the female connector connected to the second end of the connector cable and including a female connecting mechanism adapted to connect with the male connecting mechanism, wherein the male connector is extendable relative to the female connector.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a read sensor having a bearing surface and first and second free layers that are separated by an intermediate structure. The first FL includes multiple segments, with each segment having a width at the bearing surface. A sum of the widths of different ones of the multiple segments is a first width of the first FL. The second FL is unsegmented and has a second width at the bearing surface that is different from the first width of the first FL. The read sensor also includes a first terminal connected to a first one of the multiple segments of the first FL, and a second terminal connected to a second one of the multiple segments of the first FL. A third terminal is connected to the second FL. Control circuitry applies a bias current from either the first or second terminal to the third terminal.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for managing multi-device storage systems. In some embodiments, a distributed data set is stored across a group of storage devices. Data from a selected storage device in the group are reconstructed and stored in a spare location. Host access requests associated with the data are serviced from the spare location along a first data path while the data from the spare location are concurrently transferred along a different, second data path to a replacement storage device maintained in an offline condition using a progressive (iterative) copyback process. The replacement storage device is thereafter transitioned to an online condition responsive to the transfer of the data to the replacement storage device.

Abstract: Devices having an air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices including a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc having a front edge; a peg, the peg having a front surface at the air bearing surface of the apparatus, an opposing back surface, a top surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface, two side surfaces that expend from the front surface to the back surface and a bottom surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface; and a barrier layer, the barrier layer separating at least the back surface of the peg from the disc and the barrier layer having a thickness from 10 nm to 50 nm.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for populating and operating a storage enclosure carrier with multiple hot swappable storage devices. In some embodiments, a carrier housing having length, width and thickness dimensions is adapted to accommodate at least one hard disc drive (HDD) having a selected HDD form factor and configured for engagement in a storage enclosure housing. A plurality of solid state drives (SSDs) each conforming to a selected SSD form factor are supported within the length, width and thickness dimensions of the carrier housing. Each of the SSDs is individually retractable from a front facing portion of the carrier housing without removal of the carrier housing from the storage enclosure housing.

Abstract: A hard drive includes a base deck and process cover that define a cavity for housing data storage components. The hard drive further includes a final cover that is placed over the process cover and is coupled to the base deck. The final cover and process cover are directly coupled to each other.

Abstract: The invention provides a Storage Bridge Bay system, comprising: plural hard disk drives, each arranged within a corresponding slot; one or more Storage Bridge Bay canisters, wherein there is provided in the or each canister one or more solid state drives. In addition in an embodiment, the invention provides a Storage Bridge Bay canister, the canister comprising: electrical connections in accordance with the Storage Bridge Bay standard; and, one or more solid state drives arranged within the canister and arranged in communication with the electrical connections, thereby enabling control of and transfer of data to or from the solid state drives via the electrical connections.

Abstract: Devices having an air bearing surface (ABS), the device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer having a peg and a disc, the peg having a region adjacent the ABS, the peg including a plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), aluminum (Al), or combinations thereof; and at least one other secondary atom selected from germanium (Ge), tellurium (Te), aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), mercury (Hg), indium (In), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), silver (Ag), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and combinations thereof, wherein a concentration of the secondary atom is higher at the region of the peg adjacent the ABS than a concentration of the secondary atom throughout the bulk of the peg, and a method of forming NFT thereof.

Abstract: A storage controller is provided. The storage controller includes circuitry configured to utilize a format command to change a storage volume coupled to the storage controller from a first format to a second format and memory configured to store a data structure for first and second format indications for the storage volume. The storage controller determines if a selected band is initialized to the second format, and if the selected band is not initialized to the second format, the storage controller initializes the selected band to the second format and updates the data structure to indicate the selected band is initialized to the second format.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detection of a selected signal pattern, such as a servo sector preamble, and for frequency offset determination. A circuit may be configured to divide a signal into detection windows of a selected size, and sample the signal a selected number of times within each detection window. The circuit may then determine an error value for each detection window based on values of the samples for each detection window, and determine the preamble is detected when a threshold number of most-recently sampled detection windows have error values below a threshold value. The circuit may then organize the sample values corresponding to the preamble into groups, and calculate phase estimates representing a phase at which the groups were sampled. The circuit may determine a frequency offset based on the phase estimates, and modulate the sampling frequency according to the frequency offset.