Abstract: An extraordinary magnetoresistive sensor (EMR sensor) having reduced size and increased resolution is described. The sensor includes a plurality of electrically conductive leads contacting a magnetically active layer and also includes an electrically conductive shunt structure. The electrically conductive leads of the sensor and the shunt structure can be formed in a common photolithographic masking and etching process so that they are self aligned with one another. This avoids the need to align multiple photolithographic processing steps, thereby allowing greatly increased resolution and reduced lead spacing. The EMR sensor can be formed with a magnetically active layer that can be close to or at the air bearing surface (ABS) for improved magnetic spacing with an adjacent magnetic medium of a data recording system.

Abstract: The invention provides a CPP-GMR device comprising a spacer layer. The spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor layer interposed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, and further comprises a work function control layer formed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the semiconductor layer and/or between the second nonmagnetic metal layer and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is an n-type semiconductor, and the work function control layer is made of a material having a work function smaller than that of said first nonmagnetic metal layer, and said second nonmagnetic metal layer. It is thus possible to obtain by far more improved advantages.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device with CPP structure, comprising a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed with said nonmagnetic intermediate layer interposed between them, wherein each of said first and second ferromagnetic layers comprises a sensor area joining to the nonmagnetic intermediate layer and a magnetization direction control area that extends further rearward from the position of the rear end of said nonmagnetic intermediate layer; a magnetization direction control multilayer arrangement is interposed at an area where the magnetization direction control area for said first ferromagnetic layer is opposite to the magnetization direction control area for said second ferromagnetic layer to produce magnetizations of the said first and second ferromagnetic layers which are antiparallel with each other; and said sensor area is provided at both width direction ends with biasing layers working such that the mutually antiparallel magnetiza

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provides sufficiently high exchange coupling with a magnetic layer and improve the yield and reliability of a magnetoresistive head. By using a tilted growth crystalline structured antiferromagnetic film manufactured by an oblique incident deposition method, a high exchange coupling field with a ferromagnetic film can be obtained. As a result, excellent reliability and high output can be obtained in a magnetoresistive head utilizing features in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: An expandable storage library for storing digital storage media, such as storage tapes or disks is provided. The library includes a base unit and robotic system to which additional expansion units may be added. Several expansion units may be installed in the library with the base unit so that the robotic system can access media storage racks in any of the expansion units or in the base unit. Doors on the base unit and expansion unit may be interlocked together to function as a single door. A Z pole guide on the base unit may be extended by adding expansion guide poles that guide the movement of the robotic system through the library.

Abstract: A fill-port sealing assembly for sealing a housing, such as a hermetically sealed housing of a data storage device. A fill port body extends through an opening in a substrate and has a central bore communicating between a first side and a second side of the substrate. A compression member threadingly engages the central bore to compress an annular seal member and seal against passage of a low density gas through the central bore.

Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board has a flexible dynamic region, and relatively rigid static regions between which the dynamic region extends. Portions of a base layer, a patterned conductive layer extending on the base layer, and a cover layer covering the conductive layer make up the dynamic region. Extensions of the base layer, the conductive layer, and the cover layer, and portions of a metal layer to which the base layer is attached make up each of the static regions. The metal layer enhances the rigidity of the flexible printed circuit board at the static regions. The metal layer also has rounded corners at sides of each of the boundaries between the dynamic region and each of the static regions to minimize stress concentrations at the boundaries. The conductive layer is made up of real traces through which electrical signals are transmitted, and dummy traces.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a nonmagnetic insulating layer and a main magnetic pole layer disposed on the nonmagnetic insulating layer. The main magnetic pole layer includes a pole straight part exposed in an opposing surface opposite a recording medium and a flared part that extends from the pole straight part in a height direction. The flared part broadens in a track width direction as the flared part extends in the height direction. The pole straight part of the main magnetic pole layer as viewed from the opposing surface has a trapezoidal shape over its entire length, the trapezoidal shape being narrowed at the nonmagnetic insulating layer-side. The flared part as viewed from the opposing surface has a trapezoidal shape at least at a junction with the pole straight part, the trapezoidal shape being narrowed at the nonmagnetic insulating layer-side.

Abstract: A recording element supported by a slider includes a non-magnetic film and a magnetic pole film. The non-magnetic film has a depression whose inner surface is provided with an amorphous electrode film used as a plating seed film. Above the electrode film, the magnetic pole film is grown by plating. The magnetic pole film may be either an electroplated film grown on the electrode film to have a maximum crystal grain size of 20 nm or less or an electroless plated film. This decreases coercive force of the magnetic pole film.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer conducting a magnetic flux to the recording medium so that the recording medium an be magnetized in a direction orthogonal to a surface thereof; a return yoke layer disposed on a trailing side of the main magnetic pole layer; an intermediate protective layer partially disposed on a magnetic shield layer; and a thermal expansion suppressing layer having an edge located on the intermediate protective layer and being in contact with the return yoke layer in an area where the intermediate protective layer is not formed. If the thin film magnetic head is affected by ambient temperature environment, the thermal expansion suppressing layer suppresses the shift of the main magnetic pole layer and the return yoke layer toward the air bearing surface. This suppresses thermal protrusion from occurring on the thin film magnetic head due to ambient temperature environment.

Abstract: A disk drive spoiler for reducing particle accumulation in a hard disk drive is provided. The spoiler includes a body portion for directing airflow generated by a rotating disk, the rotating disk comprising a middle diameter and an outer diameter wherein the body portion directs airflow away from the outer diameter of the disk. The spoiler also includes an end portion for directing airflow away from the middle diameter of the disk towards the outer diameter of the disk wherein the body portion comprises a perforation through the body for reducing suction of particles onto the disk surface.

Abstract: Magnetoresistive device comprising a spin valve formed from a stack of layers including at least two magnetic layers for which a relative orientation of their magnetisation directions are capable varying under influence of a magnetic field; at least one discontinuous dielectric or semiconducting layer with electrically conducting bridges at least partially passing through a thickness of the dielectric or semiconducting layer, the bridges configured to locally concentrate current that passes transversely through the stack; and means for circulating a current in the spin valve transverse to the plane of the layers, characterised in that the dielectric or semiconducting layer with electrically conducting bridges is arranged inside one of the magnetic layers.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus comprises a plurality of fine particles forming an array on a plane in close proximity of each other, each of the plural particles including a ferromagnetic metal, a light-emitting device for exciting a near-field light, and a photo-electric conversion element for detecting a near-field light traveled along the fine particles.

Abstract: A disk apparatus compatible with a disk cartridge having a large head window even with a small external size. A disk apparatus includes a cartridge holder, a pair of guide walls, a disk motor, a head, a base, first and second slider guides, first and second open/close sliders respectively having first and second engageable portions. The slider guides are provided in the cartridge holder for supporting the disk cartridge, and the sliders are slidably engaged with the slider guides. The sliders slide to allow the engageable portions to be engaged with the disk cartridge such that a distance between the engageable portions is smaller than a distance between the guide walls while the disk cartridge is inserted, and such that the distance between the engageable portions is larger than the distance between the guide walls when the disk cartridge is mounted, and thus form a window in the disk cartridge so as to allow the head to access the disk and allow the disk to be mounted on the disk motor.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head substrate includes a plurality of head element portions having read elements and write elements in rows. Adjacent head element portions interpose a read monitor element and a write monitor element that are used as element resistance monitors for the read element and the write element when a lapping process is performed to form a medium-facing surface on the head element portion. A common electrode terminal is connected with the read monitor element and the write monitor element. A pair of individual electrode terminals are each connected to the read monitor element and the write monitor element, respectively.

Abstract: A magneto-resistance effect element, a magneto-resistance effect head, a magnetic storage and a magnetic memory, in which noise caused by a spin-transfer torque is reduced, are provided. In a fixed magnetization layer or a free magnetization layer of a magneto-resistance effect element including the fixed magnetization layer, a spacer layer and the free magnetization layer; a layer containing one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au is disposed.

Abstract: A metal foil disk offers some of the best characteristics of both the hard disk and floppy disk for digital data storage. One embodiment uses an opposed slider air bearing arrangement that provides advantages when used with a high speed metal foil disk in either a fixed or removable format. Use is made of the fact that the opposing sliders interact through their influence on the flexible disk that is sandwiched between them. Asymmetry of opposing air bearings may be created by etching the air bearing pad opposite the recording element pad to a depth sufficient that the flying height and air film stiffness of the opposing pad reach desired levels. The result is an air bearing interface with low flying height and high stiffness over the recording element opposed by a high flying height and low stiffness on the other side of the disk. This air bearing interface provides an enhanced dynamic flexibility to the metal foil disk when it is subjected to mechanical shock.

Abstract: One embodiment in accordance with the invention is an apparatus comprising a movement guide that can be utilized with a data storage device. The movement guide can be for preventing a magnetic head of the data storage device from contacting a disk of the data storage device during operation.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a spin wave oscillator having a lamination film including a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, and a pair of electrodes adapted to inject a current between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer to generate a spin wave in one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a recording magnetic pole provided on one side with the spin wave oscillator, the spin wave oscillator locally heating the recording track prior to recording by the recording magnetic pole.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head having an MR element in which the tolerance of external magnetic field is improved even under the condition that shields have smaller areas. The head includes: an MR element includes lower and upper shield layers provided so as to sandwich an MR multilayer, one of edges of each of the layers reaching a head end surface on an ABS side; and an electromagnetic transducer including main and auxiliary magnetic pole layers, one of edges of each of the layers reaching the head end surface, wherein at least one laminate shield layer for tolerating an external magnetic field is provided adjacently on one side or on both sides in a track width direction of at least one layer out of the upper and lower shield layers and the auxiliary magnetic pole layer, and one edge of the at least one laminate shield layer reaching the head end surface.