Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a disk drive base, wherein the disk drive base includes a first metal composition with a first CTE (“coefficient of thermal expansion”). A disk drive cover is attached to the disk drive base, wherein the disk drive cover includes a second metal composition with a second CTE that are different from the first metal composition and the first CTE. An arm is connected to a reader and a writer, wherein the arm is coupled to the disk drive base, the reader and the writer are separated by a distance, and the distance affects an MR (“magnetoresistive”) offset. In response to temperature changes between 0° C. and 60° C., the first material and the second material expand and contract comparably and proportionally. In further response to the temperature changes between 0° C. and 60° C., a change in the MR offset is less than 10% or a preferably defined range of a track pitch on a recording medium attached to the disk drive base.

Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a cover coupled to a base deck to create an enclosure. The hard disk drive further includes data-recording components and non-data-recording components positioned within the enclosure. At least one of the non-data-recording components includes a surface with a surface treatment that promotes condensation of water vapor.

Abstract: A method comprises generating a first block of a block chain and generating a second block of the block chain. The first block is associated with a first component of a storage device. The first block is generated when the first component is manufactured. The second block is associated with a second component of the storage device. The second block is generated when the second component is manufactured.

Abstract: A data storage enclosure can employ an acoustic baffle for the purpose of reducing performance degradation in a data storage device, such as a rotating medium hard disk drive. A storage enclosure may house a plurality of data storage devices and at least one cooling feature. One or more acoustic baffles may be positioned between the at least one cooling feature and the plurality of data storage devices. The acoustic baffle can separate a first sound pressure region that is proximal the at least one cooling feature from a second sound pressure region that is proximal the plurality of data storage devices.

Abstract: A near-field transducer has an enlarged portion with a layer of soft plasmonic material. A peg formed of a thermally robust plasmonic material includes an embedded part that is partially embedded within the enlarged portion and has an exposed surface facing away from the enlarged portion. An intersection between a lower edge of the enlarged portion and the embedded part has a discontinuity.

Abstract: A method includes generating, during manufacture of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive, a temperature compensation equation for a compensation factor using initial operating currents supplied to a laser diode of the disk drive at different initial operating temperatures and an efficiency value based on the initial operating temperatures. The operating currents are representative of currents for recording data to or erasing data from a magnetic recording medium. The temperature compensation equation is stored in the disk drive. A subsequent efficiency value is determined based on at least one of the initial operating temperatures and an operating temperature differing from the initial operating temperatures. An updated compensation factor at the operating temperature is determined during field operation using the temperature compensation equation and the subsequent efficiency value. An updated operating current is calculated using the updated compensation factor and the operating temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for data security using adaptive selection of intrusion traps in relation to workload. In some embodiments, a data storage device has a non-volatile memory (NVM). A device controller circuit services data transfer commands received from a host device to transfer data between the host device and the NVM. A security controller circuit monitors the received data transfer commands and enacts a change in security policy to implement one or more intrusion traps associated with the NVM in response to the received data transfer commands. The intrusion traps constitute memory locations that are configured to normally store user data, but are not normally accessed during the servicing of the currently received data transfer commands.

Abstract: A data storage system can divide a semiconductor memory into a plurality of die sets prior to populating a die set queue with data access commands addressed by a remote host and having a first order. A command order strategy generated by a time-to-ready module organizes the data access commands to a second order that populate a channel queue and are executed as directed by the time-to-ready module in the second order.

Abstract: A recording head includes a waveguide core and write pole extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head. A near-field transducer is located between the waveguide core and the write pole. First and second side shields are located on either crosstrack side of the near-field transducer. The first and second shields have edges facing and conformal with first and second tapered sides and a peg of the near-field transducer such that there are respective first and second constant-width gaps therebetween.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a write pole tip that extends to a media-facing surface and a heat sink that is thermally coupled to a side of the write pole tip. A surface plasmonic plate is in contact with a side of the heat sink that faces away from the write pole and is recessed from, the media-facing surface. A nanorod extends from a surface of the surface plasmonic plate and towards the media-facing surface.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first waveguide core extending along a light-propagation direction and configured to receive light from a light source at a combined transverse electric (TE) mode and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode. A second waveguide core is spaced apart from the first waveguide core and is configured to couple light at a TM mode to the second waveguide core. A near-field transducer (NFT) is disposed at a media-facing surface of a write head, the NFT receiving the light from the first waveguide core or the second waveguide core and heating a magnetic recording medium in response thereto.

Abstract: A rack enclosure system includes a receiving frame and a carrier. The carrier is configured to capture a storage device and to be slidably received by the receiving frame in a mounting direction. The carrier includes a first rail and a second rail each extending between a front end and a back end. The carrier also includes a cap member. The cap member may be rotatably or non-rotatably connected to the first rail at the front end. The cap is releasably connected to the second rail adjacent to the front end. The carrier further includes a handle with a cam portion and a latch portion. The cam portion is rotatably connected to the cap member and optionally the first rail. The latch portion is releasably connected to the cap member or the second rail.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein include a storage system including a plurality of storage devices, wherein each of the plurality of storage devices includes compute resources, memory resources, and a storage device controller configured to perform application-specific data management operations using the compute resources and the memory resources of the storage device, and a storage system controller configured to distribute a workload across the plurality of storage devices based on a capability of each of the plurality of storage devices during an IDLE state. The capability of each of the plurality of storage devices may be specifications, current availability, and performance history of each of the plurality of storage devices. In some implementations, each of the plurality of storage devices communicate with each other via a peer-to-peer networking communications protocol (e.g., NVme, NVMof, PCIe, Ethernet, etc.).

Abstract: A Solid-State Disk (SSD) Manufacturing Self Test (MST) capability enables an SSD manufacturer to generate and load tests onto SSDs, run the tests, and gather results. The SSDs self execute the loaded tests when powered up. The self executing is while coupled to a host that loaded the tests or while coupled to a rack unable to load the tests but enabled to provide power to the SSDs. The rack is optionally cost-reduced to enable cost-efficient parallel testing of relatively larger numbers of SSDs for production. The host writes the tests to an ‘input’ SMART log of each SSD, and each SSD writes results to a respective included ‘output’ SMART log. The commands include write drive, erase drive, SATA PHY burn-in, delay, and stress mode. The SSD MST capability is optionally used in conjunction with an SSD virtual manufacturing model.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS), a writer, a reader, and a plurality of electrical bond-pads. The apparatus also includes a first component situated at the ABS of the slider proximate the reader and operatively coupled to a first pair of the plurality of electrical bond-pads, the first component being a thermocouple configured to sense for a thermal aspect of a magnetic recording medium surface. According to aspects of the invention, the slider is configured to share at least one bond-pad by operatively coupling a second pair of the plurality of electrical bond-pads to a second component, and the slider is configured to selectively utilize the thermocouple and the second component.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for command status polling at a flash queue of a non-volatile memory device. The flash queue may be configured to perform polling on the status of flash operations without direct oversight from the data storage controller or firmware. In certain embodiments, a flash queue circuit may be configured to receive, from a data storage controller of a nonvolatile solid state memory (NVSSM) data storage device, one or more commands to access a flash memory of the NVSSM data storage device, each command of the one or more commands including one or more instructions. The flash queue circuit may execute the one or more commands to access the flash memory, evaluate a status response from the flash memory at the flash queue circuit, and re-execute a sequence of instructions of the one or more commands based on the status response.

Abstract: A method for scheduling data transfer commands between a first actuator or a second actuator across an interface is disclosed. The method includes balancing data transfer commands between the first actuator and the second actuator by applying a first rule for read commands and a second rule for write commands.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for hardware-based read sample averaging in a data storage device. In one example, a read channel circuit including a buffer memory is configured to receive a read instruction to read a selected sector, obtain detected sample values for the selected sector, and determine whether the read instruction corresponds to a re-read operation for the selected sector based on determining whether there are stored samples for the selected sector already stored to a locked buffer entry of the buffer memory. When there are stored sample values stored to the locked buffer entry, the example read channel circuit determines the re-read operation is occurring, and performs read sample averaging based on the detected sample values and the stored sample values to produce averaged sample values. Other examples and configurations are also described.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring an amount of power of a power supply being used by a voice-coil motor (VMC) during a seek operation, detecting that the amount of power has crossed a threshold during the seek operation, and modifying a subsequent seek operation in response to detecting that the amount of power has crossed the threshold.

Abstract: Apparatus for recording data and method for making the same. In accordance with some embodiments, a magnetic layer is supported by a substrate and comprises a magnetic magnetic material, a non-magnetic material, and an energy assisted segregation material. The segregation material enhances segregation of the non-magnetic material into grain boundaries within the layer at an elevated, moderate energy level.