Abstract: A disk carrier for teaching disk positioning in a substrate changing system. The disk carrier composed of a panel having a disk opening configured to receive a disk and a plurality of beam sensors disposed around the disk opening to project beams parallel to a surface of the disk when secured within the disk opening. The plurality of beam sensors may be composed of at least one beam sensor on each of a front side and rear side of the panel.

Abstract: A magnetic disk media is physically preformatted to have a non-user data area providing any of a servo pattern, a gray code pattern and a timing line pattern. The non-user data area patterns are preformatted to have non-recordable regions with a radial width that is always less than the track pitch of the data area. In exemplary implementations, servo patterns, gray code patterns and timing line patterns are physically preformatted to have a recordable:non-recordable radial width ratio substantially equal to that of a user data area. In certain embodiments, non-magnetic or magnetically suppressed regions having cross-track dimension substantially equal to that of spaces between tracks in the user data area are consecutively offset in a cross-track direction from the discrete track recording pattern of the user data area.

Abstract: A dual encoder motion control system for high speed and high resolution motion control of a spindle is described.

Abstract: A method for forming a glass substrate comprises the steps of forming a glass blank with opposing substantially planar surfaces and at least one edge, coating the glass blank in silica-alumina nanoparticles, the silica-alumina nanoparticles comprising an inner core of silica with an outer shell of alumina, annealing the coated glass blank to form a conformal coating of silica-alumina around the glass blank, and polishing the coated glass blank to remove the conformal coating of silica-alumina from the opposing substantially planar surfaces thereof.

Abstract: Monitoring of the eccentricity of a pre-formatted servo pattern on a disk.

Abstract: A radial magnetic field reset apparatus including a housing having a cavity with a soft magnet rod disposed at its center and a permanent magnet disposed around the cavity. The cavity and thickness of the soft magnet rod are sized to permit a cassette of disks to be inserted into the housing with the soft magnet rod disposed within the inner diameter holes of the disks contained in the cassette. The soft magnet rod at the center of the housing attracts the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet, which results in a substantially uniform, radial magnetic field inside the housing.

Abstract: A storage device and method use a head that is fabricated using photolithography, and the head is purposely powered up during a material removal process, such as lapping, so that the head's expansion (that would be formed on being powered up during normal usage in a drive) is planarized. On being cooled to room temperature, the head has a concave shape in a pole tip region, the concavity indicative of a volume occupied by material that formed the head expansion, and that has been removed by planarization. Thereafter, the head is powered up in a storage device and method, so that the head has a surface other than flat but within a predetermined range, and the head supplies a signal through the surface to a recording medium.

Abstract: A composite lubricant for recording disk media, a recording disk media including a layer of the composite lubricant, and method of manufacturing the same are described. The composite lubricant may include a non-phosphazene component and a phosphazene component where the non-phosphazene component is a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with first and second polar end groups, the first polar end group comprising a first number of hydroxyls and the second polar end includes a second number of hydroxyls, greater than the first number of hydroxyls. The phosphazene component may be a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with a phosphazene functional group and with a third polar end group, the third polar end group comprising a third number of hydroxyls equal to the second number of hydroxyls.

Abstract: A magnetic particle trapper for use in a sputtering system includes a roller cover plate having a plurality of openings arranged and dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of rollers associated with a mechanical transport mechanism of the sputtering system, and a plurality of magnets to trap magnetic particles, the plurality of magnets being attached to the roller cover plate in locations proximate to the plurality of openings.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a patterned magnetic recording disk is described. The method may include electrodepositing a protection layer on the magnetic recording layer of the disk.

Abstract: A method for applying a strike voltage to one or more substrates during plating. During this method, the substrates are moved in a planetary manner while being held at their exterior edges by a set of parallel mandrels. (The substrates are held in a mutually parallel orientation, typically vertically, during plating.) A voltage is applied to the substrates via a contact pin, a contact plate, a set of ball bearings, a rack end-plate, and the mandrels.

Abstract: A disk drive having a magnetic recording disk with a transition zone is described. A surface texture of the transition zone induces the head to fly at a greater height than when operating over a data zone, while transitioning the head to a landing zone to park.

Abstract: Monitoring of the eccentricity of a pre-formatted servo pattern on a disk.

Abstract: An imprint embossing alignment system. In one embodiment, the system includes a die having a bottom surface, an embossing foil positioned above the bottom surface, and a mandrel, to receive the substrate, having a rod portion that extends through a central portion of the die. The system also includes a ball bushing positioned around the rod portion and a ring portion positioned between the ball bushing and the embossing foil to hold a precise alignment of a centerline of the rod portion and a centerline of the embossing foil.

Abstract: A method of aligning die and stamping substrate for nano-imprint lithography is described. The method includes aligning the die by linearly displacing the die along a first axis using a first flexure member and pressing the die along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis while maintaining coupling of the die with the first flexure member.

Abstract: A disk drive with DTR media and method of assembly is described. The method may include aligning a discrete track recording (DTR) track pattern center on a DTR disk with a rotational center of a spindle hub and mounting the DTR disk on the spindle hub to minimize eccentricity. After the DTR disk is mounted to the spindle hub, it may be rotated to a designed rotational speed and the mass imbalance of the rotating DTR disk/spindle hub may be measured. The mass imbalance may be mitigated using a mechanical component such as a counter weight coupled to a spindle rotatable component, for example, the spindle hub, a spacer assembly, a clamp assembly, etc. The method may mitigate the eccentricity associated with DTR media and minimize run-out due to the mass imbalance of an otherwise rotated DTR disk/hub aligned for eccentricity correction.

Abstract: A method for aligning a disk with an imprinting surface is described. In one embodiment, the method includes passively aligning an imprinting surface with the disk and imprinting the disk with the imprinting surface. A first air-bearing mandrel freely guides a first centerline of the disk into coincident alignment with a second centerline of the imprinting surface.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a substrate, a soft underlayer, a seed layer, a non-magnetic FCC NiW alloy underlayer, a non-magnetic HCP underlayer, and a magnetic layer. We have discovered that the combination of a seed layer comprising Ta and a NiW alloy underlayer uniquely improves media recording performance and thermal stability by achieving excellent coercivity of the thin bottom magnetic recording layer and narrow C axis orientation distribution.

Abstract: A stamper having a patterned layer composed of a hard material and a compressible material back plane layer. The back plane layer may be composed of an elastomer. The stamper may be used to imprint an embossable layer disposed above a substrate for the production of a magnetic recording disk.

Abstract: A method of forming a discrete track recording pattern on a soft magnetic underlayer of a perpendicular magnetic recording disk. In one embodiment, the soft magnetic underlayer is continuous throughout the discrete track recording pattern.