Abstract: This invention is a write-once near-field optical medium using a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film as the localized near-field optical interaction layer. This write-once near-field optical medium is a multi-layered body at least comprising: (a) a substrate of transparent material; (b) a first protective and spacer layer formed on one surface of the substrate, which is made of transparent dielectric material; (c) a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film which is capable of causing localized near-field optical interactions; (d) a second protective and spacer layer formed on the localized near-field optical interaction layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material; (e) a write-once recording layer; (f) a third protective and spacer layer formed on the write-once recording layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material.

Abstract: A thermally stable spin valve sensor having an increased GMR ratio by virtue of an AP pinned layer structure in which the first and second pinned layers are separated by an AP coupling layer having a nano-oxide layer formed as an oxidized surface portion of the AP coupling layer. The nano-oxide layer provides an increase in the specular scattering, and in turn, an increase in the GMR ratio.

Abstract: A damper has a flexible portion formed of a rubber-like elastic material, such as thermoplastic elastomer, and a lid portion whose inner peripheral portion is formed of the rubber-like elastic material. The flexible portion and the lid portion are respectively equipped with mounting recesses into which mounting shaft members oppositely arranged on a casing of a reproduction device are inserted to hold the damper. With this construction, there is no need to mount the damper such that the lid portion faces the side plate or the bottom plate of the casing. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the reproduction device, and to increase the degree of freedom in the design of the casing. Further, since the damper is supported in a floating state, it is possible to obtain a superior vibration damping effect whether the device is installed in a vertical or horizontal position.

Abstract: A magnetic head having a magnetic shield and/or pole layer that is fabricated as a plurality of laminated layers, in which each layer includes a sublayer thickness of Fe(N) and a sublayer thickness of NiFe(N), and where the relative thickness of these two sublayers is graduated. Particularly, the initially deposited laminations include sublayers of NiFe(N) having a thickness that is substantially greater than the thickness of the Fe(N) sublayers, whereas the finally deposited laminations include sublayers having an Fe(N) thickness that is substantially greater than the thickness of the NiFe(N) sublayers.

Abstract: A pickup device employing an inexpensive flexible printed circuit sheet (FPC) which demonstrates preferable electrical characteristics. FPC has a signal conductive layer inside, and a U-shape bending portion is formed in a midway of FPC at a position where a hologram unit is connected. An opening is formed on FPC adjacent to an area when the hologram unit is connected, and the length of this opening is longer than the height of the hologram unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film magnetic head in which a first coil layer is formed at the back of a track width control portion. The first coil layer being location nearer a bottom core layer than the junction surface of a track width control portion and an upper core layer. With a two-layer structure, the width of the coil layer can be decreased. The height from the top of the bottom core layer to the top of an insulating layer can be decreased. The insulating layer covering a second coil layer can be decreased, thereby shortening the magnetic path and decreasing inductance.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a mounting plate, a guide bar, a fixing structure for positioning the guide bar on the mounting plate, and a pickup head guided by the guide bar and moveable along a lengthwise direction of the guide bar. The fixing structure includes a fixed joint and a flexible pressure-providing joint. The fixed joint rigidly fixes one end of the guide bar to the mounting plate, the flexible pressure-providing joint positions another end of the guide bar on the mounting plate, and the two ends of the guide bar are fixed in their relative positions due to a flatness of the mounting plate and despite a positioning action of the fixing structure such that linear movement of the pickup head is guided by the guide bar.

Abstract: A rotary head apparatus includes a rotary drum having two magnetic heads mounted thereon. Each magnetic head has a recording-medium opposing surface curved in two convex shapes extending towards the outside of the drum, one along the longitudinal cross section of the magnetic head extending across the centerline laterally dividing the magnetic head into two parts so as to be orthogonal to the sliding direction of the recording medium, and the other along the lateral cross section orthogonal to the centerline. The apex of the lateral cross section is gradually displaced from the centerline as distancing itself from the center of the surface in the longitudinal direction and in the opposite direction to the above displacement as distancing itself from the center in the reverse longitudinal direction. Each displacement of the apex laterally away from the centerline in a sliding area of the recording medium is at most 2 ?m.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises: a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer each of which includes a magnetic pole portion, the first and second magnetic layers being magnetically coupled to each other at a distance from the medium facing surface ABS; a gap layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers; and a thin-film coil at least a part of which is disposed between the first and second magnetic layers. The second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer and a yoke portion layer. The pole portion layer has a saturated magnetic flux density equal to or greater than that of the yoke portion layer. The yoke portion layer includes: a first layer and a second layer, of which the first layer is in contact with the first magnetic layer and a surface of the pole portion layer that is closer to the gap layer; and the second layer is in contact with the first layer, the rear end surface of the pole portion layer and both side surfaces of the pole portion layer in the width direction.

Abstract: There is provided an optical recording media cartridge, which is provided with a case that accommodates the optical recording media and that has an opening, and a shutter that is attached to the case and that is movable between a first position at which the shutter covers the opening and a second position. The optical recording media cartridge is further provided with a shutter lock mechanism that locks the shutter while the shutter is positioned at the first position, and a shutter release mechanism that releases the shutter locked by the shutter lock mechanism by utilizing a magnetic force exerted thereon.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a flux closure layer that functions with a magnetic shield layer to reduce the flow of magnetic flux from the edge of the magnetic shield to an MR sensor element of the magnetic head. The flux closure layer is disposed adjacent to the magnetic shield to prevent magnetic flux leakage from the edges of the magnetic shield from flowing to the MR sensor element and create unwanted signal noise.

Abstract: In the thin-film magnetic head of the present invention, the distance to a heat-generating layer is shorter from the end part on the side facing, a recording medium in a magnetoresistive device than from the end part on the side facing the recording medium in an electromagnetic transducer. Therefore, even when the thin-film magnetic head tilts so that its electromagnetic transducer side approaches the recording medium when floating up from the recording medium, the amount of thermal expansion caused by the heat from the heat-generating layer is greater in the magnetoresistive device than in the electromagnetic transducer. This reduces the gap between the magnetoresistive device and the recording medium, whereby a high reproducing output can be obtained.

Abstract: A disk drive (10) including one or more storage disks (12) and a head stack assembly (14) is provided herein. The head stack assembly (14) includes an actuator assembly (16) and a plurality of transducer assemblies (18). The actuator assembly (16) moves the transducer assemblies (18) relative to the storage disks (12). Each transducer assembly (18) includes a slider (22), a load beam (24) and a head suspension (26) that secures the slider (22) the load beam (24). Preferably, the slider (22) includes an air bearing surface (27) and one or more pads (28). Importantly, the head suspension (26) maintains the slider (22) at a negative pitch static attitude. As a result thereof, the slider (22) is less likely to tip during shutdown and/or after vibration.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive having a magnetic disk, a spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk, a magnetic head slider for recording or reproducing data onto or from the magnetic disk and a housing. A control circuit system is provided for controlling the head slider so that the head slider is positioned on the magnetic disk plane when the magnetic disk is rotating, and the head slider is saved to outside the magnetic disk plane when rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped. A lubricant supplier is provided for supplying lubricant to the surface of the magnetic disk. The lubricant supplier contains at least a perfluoropolyether compound having any one of an alcohol group, a cyclic ether group, and an alkyl-ester group at its terminal position as a lubricant, and the lubricant contains the perfluoropolyether compound having a molecular weight sufficient to enable lubrication and no greater than 4000.

Abstract: A magnetic head for generating a magnetic field is provided in which first and second electrical contacts are electrically coupled to a thin film wire. An electrical current is passed between the contacts and through the wire to generate a magnetic field. A focus mechanism is provided to focus the magnetic field and thereby increase the flux density of the magnetic field along a recording edge of the thin film wire.

Abstract: A magnetic write head having a vertically laminated back gap structure and method of making the same are disclosed. The magnetic head is formed with lower and upper pole pieces and a back gap structure which connects the lower and the upper pole pieces in a back gap region. In one illustrative example, the back gap is a vertically laminated structure having alternating layers of magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Each alternating layer is perpendicular to both the lower and the upper pole pieces. This vertically laminated structure significantly reduces the eddy currents in the back gap region at high operating frequencies as the layers are oriented in a direction parallel with the magnetic flux.

Abstract: A method and system for providing head is disclosed. The method and system include providing a first pole, a second pole, a write gap, at least one coil and an Fe3Pt alloy. The write gap separates the first pole from the second pole. The first and second poles are for writing to a medium. The coil(s) have a plurality of turns and reside between the roles. The Fe3Pt alloy is in proximity to the first pole and the second pole. The Fe3Pt alloy is configured to counteract expansion of the first pole and the second pole.

Abstract: In a magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head (20) having a magnetic tunnel junction element (26) sandwiched with conductive gap layers (25) and (27) between a pair of magnetic shielding layers (24) and (28), the conductive gap layers (25) and (27) are formed from at least one nonmagnetic metal layer containing a metal element selected from Ta, Ti, Cr, W, Mo, V, Nb and Zr. Therefore, the magnetic head (20) can have an improved face opposite to a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A clamp mechanism comprises a turntable, a plurality of chuck claws, and a driving element. The turntable is rotatably driven by a motor. A disc serving as a recording medium is placed on the turntable. The chuck claws are used to hold, that is, clamp the disc on the turntable. The driving element drives the chuck claws both in both a first direction determined to clamp the disc and a second direction determined to unclamp the disc. The driving element includes a pressing portion so that travel of the chuck claws in the first direction in cases where the chuck claws are driven in the second direction. This offers stable clamping and unclamping operations of the chuck claws to detachably hold the disc on the turntable, independently of which attitude the disc takes.

Abstract: A disk memory drive includes a brushless drive outer rotor motor having an internal space and a stator with windings. The outer rotor coaxially encircles the stator and a substantially cylindrical air gap is defined between the stator and the rotor. The rotor includes permanent magnets and a hub fixedly connected with the magnet. A disk mounting section is provided on the hub for accommodating at least one storage disk positioned in a clear space, the mounting section being adapted to extend through a central aperture of the storage disk. The windings and the magnets interacting with the windings are disposed for at least half of the axial longitudinal dimension thereof within a space surrounded by the disk mounting section of the hub. Bearings rotatably mount the rotor and the hub.