Abstract: Described are heat assisted magnetic read-write heads that include a coupler, a waveguide, a transducer, and appurtenant structures, as well as related methods.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for a die kill and recovery sequence for a non-volatile memory (NVM). Data are stored in the NVM as data sets in garbage collection units (GCUs) that span multiple semiconductor dies. A die failure management circuit is configured to detect a die failure event associated with a selected die, and to generate a recovery strategy to accommodate the detected die failure event by selecting recovery actions to be taken in a selected sequence to maintain a current level of data transfer performance with a client device. The selected recovery actions are carried out in the selected sequence to transfer at least a portion of the user data stored in the selected die to a new replacement die, after which the selected die is decommissioned from further use. The NVM may be a flash memory of a solid-state drive (SSD).

Abstract: The present disclosure includes one or more resilient members for use in an apparatus used to form lapping plates. The resilient members can permit processing members such as charging elements and shaving blades to conform to irregularities in surface topography of lapping plate platens.

Abstract: A slider for use in a disk drive includes a substrate surface to be spaced from recording media surface within the disk drive, at least one read/write transducer having a transducer end surface adjacent and proximate to the substrate surface, a protrusion controller associated with the at least one read/write transducer. The transducer end surface includes a preformed protrusion extending generally in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, the protrusion is substantially centered along the transducer end surface, and the protrusion formed to passively provide a consistently-positioned close-point to the recording media surface when the protrusion controller is active.

Abstract: A volume for object storage encompasses a single logical block address space and the first range of logical block addresses being within the single logical block address space. A first and second range of logical block addresses are initially allocated within the single logical block address space of the volume for storing respective object metadata and object data. One or both of the first and second ranges of logical block addresses are reallocated to increase storage utilized by one of the object metadata and the object data.

Abstract: An external cavity laser of a recording head includes a channel waveguide that delivers light towards a media-facing surface of the recording head. The laser includes an externally mounted part with an active region having a longitudinal axis corresponding to a light propagation direction of the channel waveguide. The externally mounted part has a reflective back facet and anti-reflective front facet. The laser includes a near-field transducer at an end of the channel waveguide proximate the media facing surface. The reflective back facet and the near-field transducer define a resonator of the external cavity laser.

Abstract: A multi-port data storage device to at least provide port-to-port communication between nodes. The multi-port storage device includes a first port, a second port and a bridge. The first port can be operatively coupled to a first node of a plurality of nodes. The second port can be operatively coupled to a second node of the plurality of nodes. The bridge can receive one or more data packets via the first or second ports to be transmitted to one of the plurality of nodes and to transmit one or more received data packets to another multi-port data storage device, to the first node, or to the second node.

Abstract: A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer, the light having a near-infrared wavelength. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from a peg of the near-field transducer by a gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a core having a first edge exposed at the media-facing surface. The core formed of a core material that is resistant to mechanical wear and corrosion, such as a dielectric or robust metal. A liner covers a second edge of the core facing the near-field transducer. The liner includes a plasmonic metal that is has a plasmonic frequency in the ultraviolet range.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for managing data in a storage device, such as a solid-state drive (SSD). In some embodiments, a data storage device includes a main non-volatile memory (NVM), a host command queue that lists pending host read and host write commands, and a write cache which temporarily stores write data sets pending transfer to the NVM responsive to execution of the associated host write commands in the host command queue. A collision prediction circuit predicts a rate of future collisions involving the cached write data sets. A storage manager directs storage of the write data sets to a first target location responsive to the rate of future collisions being at a first level, and directs storage of the write data sets to a different, second target location responsive to the rate of future collisions being at a different, second level.

Abstract: A brake crawler assembly configured for vertically moving an arm assembly along a pivot member in a multi-disk hard disk drive is provided. The brake crawler assembly includes a first clamp, including a first recess within which is disposed a first actuator and a first clamp calibration element. The first clamp calibration element includes a first clamp calibration access portion adapted to be accessible externally of the first clamp and adapted to receive a first external adjustment and a first clamp internal compression modifier adapted to modify a force exerted by the first actuator on the first recess, responsive to the received first external adjustment, wherein the first clamp is configured to selectively engage the pivot member at a position along the pivot member relative to at least one disk of the multi-disk hard disk drive based on the modified force exerted.

Abstract: A recording head includes a channel waveguide that delivers light to a media-facing surface. A near-field transducer (NFT) is at an end of the channel waveguide and proximate to the media-facing surface. A laser including an active region has a longitudinal axis corresponding to a propagation direction of the channel waveguide. The active region includes a back facet and a front facet proximate the NFT. The front facet has a surface shape configured to suppress back reflection of the light.

Abstract: A method of recovering data from one or more failed data sectors includes estimating a reader offset position from a first or a second read attempt of the one or more failed data sectors at a current set of channel parameters and basing the estimated reader offset position on, at least in part, a position error signal generated during the first or second read attempt. At least one read is performed on the one or more failed data sectors at the estimated reader offset position to obtain one or more samples. The one or more samples are processed to obtain a processed sample. Iterative outer code recovery is performed on the processed sample.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-dimensional mapping of binary data DNA sequences are described. In one embodiment, the method may include determining a current level of a first DNA base from a sequence of DNA bases based at least in part on a read process of the sequence, determining a current level of a second DNA base after the first DNA base and a current level of a third DNA base after the second DNA base, and decoding binary data from the sequence based at least in part on the determined current level of the first DNA base, the determined current level of the second DNA base, and/or the determined current level of the third DNA base.

Abstract: A solid-state memory may have many non-individually erasable memory cells arranged into calibration groups with each memory cell in each respective calibration group using a common set of read voltages to sense programmed states. An evaluation circuit of the solid-state memory may be configured to measure at least one read parameter for each calibration group responsive to read operations carried out upon the memory cells in the associated calibration group. An adjustment circuit of the solid-state memory may redistribute the memory cells of an existing calibration group into at least one new calibration group in response to the at least one measured read parameter.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for maintaining real-time coherency between a local cache of a target device and a client cache of a source device during execution of a distributed computational function. In some embodiments, a source device, such as a host computer, is coupled via a network interface to a target device, such as a data storage device. A storage compute function (SCF) command is transferred from the source device to the target device. A local cache of the target device accumulates output data during the execution of an associated SCF over an execution time interval. Real-time coherency is maintained between the contents of the local cache and a client cache of the source device, so that the client cache retains continuously updated copies of the contents of the local cache during execution of the SCF. The coherency can be carried out on a time-based granularity or an operational granularity.

Abstract: A data storage system can have one or more hosts connected to a data storage subsystem with the host having a host processor and the data storage subsystem having a controller. Write back data generated at the host triggers the host processor to allocate a cache location in the data storage subsystem where the generated data is subsequently stored. The generated write back data is written in a non-volatile destination address as directed by the controller prior to waiting for a secondary event with the generated data stored in both the cache location and the non-volatile destination address. Detection of the secondary event prompts the controller to signal the host processor that the cache location is free for new data.

Abstract: A method includes immersing a wafer in an electrolyte including a plurality of compounds having elements of a thermally stable soft magnetic material. The method also includes applying a combined stepped and pulsed current to the wafer when the wafer is immersed in an electrolyte. The wafer is removed from the electrolyte when a layer of the thermally stable soft magnetic material is formed on the wafer.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprises a near-field transducer (NFT). The NFT comprises a thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy, wherein the thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy comprises a plasmonic metal and at least one alloying metal.

Abstract: Described are hard disk drives that include a low density atmosphere, with which is included a passivating gas, and methods of using these hard disk drives and methods of assembling these hard disk drives.

Abstract: An error recovery process provides for selecting a first recovery scheme for a decoding attempt on a first subset of a set of failed data blocks read from a data track; selecting a second different recovery scheme for a decoding attempt on a second subset of the set of failed data blocks read from the data track; and during a single revolution of the data track, performing operations to decode a first subset of the failed data blocks according to the first recovery scheme operations to decode the second subset of the failed data blocks according to the second different recovery scheme.