Abstract: A pair of side pads, which are arranged to face each other by having a negative pressure generating part in the direction orthogonal to an air flow direction of a slider therebetween, are made to have three or more steps, respectively. Of the respective surfaces having the plural steps, the surfaces having a highest height respectively are not subject to a milling, and the respective surfaces of having plural steps are made to gradually have a deeper cavity depth as the surface comes closer to the air inflow end. Further, it is also effective for improving the efficiency in positive pressure generation to surround the second side pad region partially by the region of the surface being not subject to the milling, and to surround the third side pad region partially by the second surface region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a recording disk cartridge which improves its assembly and production capacities, as well as the flexibility of the design. The recording disk cartridge that has a cartridge case including flexible recording disk media in an integrally rotatable fashion, a lower plate forming a lower wall of the cartridge case, the lower wall being placed parallel to the recording disk media, one or more inner plates being fixed on the lower plate with being stacked and partitioning the recording disk media, and an upper plate being fixed on the inner plates and forming an upper wall of the cartridge case. Furthermore, the lower plate incorporates at least one of a shutter lock mechanism and a write protect switch mechanism. The shutter lock mechanism blocks a shutter from being opened, and the write protect switch mechanism prevents data from being erased accidentally from the recording disk media.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device with a spin valve formed from a stack of layers including at least two magnetic layers for which the relative orientation of their magnetization directions can vary under the influence of a magnetic field, and comprising means of circulating a current in the spin valve transverse to the plane of the layers. The spin valve comprises at least one discontinuous dielectric or semiconducting layer in the stack, with electrically conducting bridges passing through the thickness of the dielectric or semiconducting layer, these bridges being designed to locally concentrate the current that passes transversely through the stack. Application particularly suitable for magnetic read heads, and random access memories.

Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has an improved antiparallel (AP) pinned structure, i.e., a structure with first (AP1) and second (AP2) ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic antiparallel coupling (APC) layer with the magnetization directions of AP1 and AP2 oriented substantially antiparallel. The AP2 ferromagnetic layer (the layer in contact with the SV spacer layer) is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and one or more additive elements of Cu, Au and Ag. The additive elements reduce the magnetic moment of the AP2 layer, which enables its thickness to be increased so that its magnetic moment remains close to the magnetic moment of the AP1 ferromagnetic layer. The thicker AP2 layer allows for more bulk spin-dependent scattering of electrons which increases the magnetoresistance of the sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic disc apparatus having a magnetic disc on which information is recorded, a magnetic head and a magnetic head supporting mechanism. The magnetic head supporting mechanism includes a slider having the magnetic head mounted thereon, a load beam having an arm mounting portion and a pivot, and a gimbal having a mounting portion on which the slider is mounted, two flexible finger portions spaced from the load beam and supporting the mounting portion so that the slider is rotatable with respect to the pivot, and a base end portion which is joined to the load beam. The load beam has two openings formed therein in proximity to the pivot which enable viewing of a back surface of the mounting portion which is opposite to a surface of the mounting portion of the gimbal on which the slider is mounted.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having an in stack bias structure. The sensor includes a bias spacer that allows biasing of free layer magnetic moment in a direction orthogonal to the magnetic moment of the biasing layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention implement a construction capable of reconciling high read output with high stability by improving the structures of magnetic films. In one embodiment, an inclined crystal grain structure is applied to a soft magnetic free layer, ferromagnetic pinned layer and so forth, thereby enhancing electron scatter performance of thin magnetic films.

Abstract: A spindle motor includes a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, a hub, a bearing assembly disposed between the hub and the shaft for allowing the hub to rotate, and a stator. The stator includes an inner diameter, an outer diameter, a stator tooth having a distal end, and a coil wound around the stator tooth. The stator tooth has a lower surface extending between the coil and the distal end of the stator tooth. The spindle motor includes a stator support structure supporting one of the inner and outer diameters, the stator support structure having an upper surface facing the lower surface, wherein at least one of the upper surface of the stator support structure and the lower surface of the stator tooth defines a cavity.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS) and a trailing surface, with a transducer fabricated on the trailing surface. The transducer includes an adjunct pole disposed in a first general plane, the adjunct pole having a front edge that is recessed from the ABS and a rear edge. A main pole of the transducer is formed adjacent the adjunct pole, the main pole having a write tip that extends approximately to the ABS. A write coil having a first layer of turns is disposed in a second general plane below the adjunct pole. The magnetic head further includes a heating element, a portion of the heating element being disposed in the first general plane behind the rear edge of the adjunct pole.

Abstract: An actuator assembly is provided comprising a data transfer head moved by an actuator arm in a data storing and retrieving relationship with a data storage medium. Streamwise arranged aerodynamic fluid re-directing and drag-reducing features on a surface of the actuator arm modify frictional forces acting on the arm from a fluid flow created by moving the medium. A method is provided for improving nonrepeatable runnout disturbances in a data storage device by aligning the drag-reducing features of the actuator assembly with a direction of a mean flow direction of the fluid at an outer diameter of the storage medium to divert the fluid flow away from the head gimbal assembly.

Abstract: A media drive having a deck and a head positioning assembly. The deck has a first threaded hole. The head positioning assembly includes a baseplate having an aperture, a nut having a second threaded hole, and an adjustment screw having first and second threaded portions. The nut rotates about an axis of rotation and slides within the aperture to align the first and second threaded portions with the first and second threaded holes, respectively.

Abstract: A magnetic media having servo track written with a thin film magnetic recording head utilizing a servo pattern fabricated using a focused ion beam (FIB). The recording head is fabricated by sputtering a magnetically permeable thin film onto a substrate. A gap pattern is defined on the thin film and the FIB cuts a gap through the thin film based on that pattern. Once completed, the recording head is used to write a servo track onto a magnetic tape. The servo track then allows for the precise alignment of data read heads based on the positional information obtained by a servo read head which scans the continuously variable servo track.

Abstract: Magnetoresistive (MR) elements are disclosed that include pinned layers having canted magnetic moments. An MR element of the invention includes a first pinning layer, a first pinned layer, a first spacer/barrier layer, a free layer, a second spacer/barrier layer, a second pinned layer, and a second pinning layer. The first pinned layer has a canted magnetic moment. By having a canted magnetic moment, the first pinned layer acts as a bias layer to bias the free layer, and acts as a reference layer to enhance the MR signal in the MR element.

Abstract: A leader tape to be spliced in a butting manner to a leading end of a magnetic tape, the leading end being mechanically cut in a tapered shape, wherein the leader tape has a surface roughness RZ (RZ complies with JIS B0601-1994) of 5 ?m or less.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk drive base, a disk rotatably coupled to the disk drive base having a disk surface, a head stack assembly rotatably coupled to the disk drive base adjacent the disk surface, and a cover attached to the disk drive base enclosing the disk and head stack assembly there between. The cover includes a metal layer and a polymer layer substantially coextensive with the metal layer and extending substantially across the disk drive base. The polymer layer includes a polymer layer feature extending away from the metal layer towards the disk drive base. The polymer layer feature defines a cavity between the polymer layer and the metal layer.

Abstract: An area of an element can be made small and fluctuation in area can be reduced. A magneto-resistance effect element is provided with a first electrode with an end face; a magneto-resistance effect film which is formed such that a surface thereof comes in contact with the end face of the first electrode; and a second electrode which is formed on another surface of the magneto-resistance effect element opposed from the surface coming in contact with the surface of the first electrode. The magneto-resistance effect film includes a magnetization pinned layer whose magnetization direction is pinned, a magnetization free layer whose magnetization direction is changeable, and a first non-magnetic layer which is provided between the magnetization pinned layer and the magnetization free layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus having magnetic field applying unit applying a magnetic field to a magnetoresistive element to correct a misaligned magnetization direction of the magnetoresistive element. The magnetic field applying unit can be used to correct a misaligned magnetization direction of a free layer of a giant magnetoresistive element. A magnetic field applying unit controller controls the magnetic field applying unit to adjust a magnetization direction and intensity of a magnetic field of the giant magnetoresistive element. The magnetic field applying unit controller can control the magnetic field applying unit to apply a magnetic field only during a data reading time, and to increase the intensity of the application magnetic field during a data re-reading time. The magnetic field applying unit is mounted, corresponding to a head on a suspension that supports a head slider, on a surface of the suspension opposite to the surface on which the head is mounted.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a head/slider supporting structure which has connection properties excellent in solder ball connections of a slider pad and a lead pad. According to one embodiment, in a head/slider supporting structure for connecting a slider and a lead wire by re-flowing a solder ball, a connection distance between a slider pad and an extreme end portion of the lead wire is reduced to enhance the performance of solder connection. The lead wire is inclined forwardly of the slider pad.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disc drive, including a base, a disc stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly also includes a load spring and a slider attached to said load spring. The slider has an air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface includes a first rail, a second rail and a depression positioned between the first rail and the second rail of the air-bearing surface. The depression further includes a first level surface and a second level surface. The first level surface of the slider is at a different distance from a surface of the first rail of the slider than the second level surface of the slider. The air-bearing surface may also include a divider located between the first level surface of the slider and the second level surface of the slider.

Abstract: A disk drive flexure (115?) includes both a support layer (116) and an electrical insulator layer (122). A flex cable (101?) is disposed on the electrical insulator layer (122), and includes a plurality of slider bond pads (106?). The support layer (116) includes a bond pad support (119) for each slider bond pad (106?). Each bond pad support (119) is aligned with only a portion of its corresponding slider bond pad (106?), such that it supports less than an entirety of its corresponding slider bond pad (106?).