Abstract: A TMR read head with improved voltage breakdown is formed by laying down the AP1 layer as two or more layers. Each AP1 sub-layer is exposed to a low energy plasma for a short time before the next layer is deposited. This results in a smooth surface, onto which to deposit the tunneling barrier layer, with no disruption of the surface crystal structure of the completed AP1 layer.

Abstract: For a Tunneling Magnetoresistive (TMR) element, an electrode is used as a magnetic shield or vice versa. This can pose a problem in that noise from a heater source or electromagnetic induction has a direct influence on the TMR element, namely, on a read signal. According to one embodiment of the present invention, however, a thin film head portion has an insulating film, a heater, an electromagnetic shield, a read element, and a write element laminated in this order from the side of a slider. Insulating films isolate the constituent elements above from each other, and a protection film covers the group mentioned above. The heater is a thin film resistive element made of NiCr or the like, and is disposed above the insulating film. The electromagnetic shield is a magnetic film made of permalloy or the like, and covers the heater. The read element comprises a lower shield and electrode, a TMR element, and an upper shield and electrode.

Abstract: A magnetic device includes a write element having a write element tip and a first return element magnetically coupled to the write element on a trailing side of the write element. A conductor is positioned proximate to an edge of the write element tip and is configured to generate an assist field that augments a write field generated by the write element. A shield that includes at least one gap extends from the first return element toward the write element tip.

Abstract: CPP magnetic read head designs have been improved by increasing the length of the AFM layer relative to that of both the free and spacer layers. The length of the pinned layer is also increased, but by a lesser amount, an abutting conductive layer being inserted to fill the remaining space over the AFM layer. The extended pinned layer increases the probability of spin interaction while the added conducting layer serves to divert sensor current away from the bottom magnetic shield which now is no longer needed for use as a lead.

Abstract: An insertion layer is provided between an AFM layer and an AP2 pinned layer in a GMR or TMR element to improve exchange coupling properties by increasing Hex and the Hex/Hc ratio without degrading the MR ratio. The insertion layer may be a 1 to 15 Angstrom thick amorphous magnetic layer comprised of at least one element of Co, Fe, or Ni, and at least one element having an amorphous character selected from B, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Si, or P, or a 1 to 5 Angstrom thick non-magnetic layer comprised of Cu, Ru, Mn, Hf, or Cr. Preferably, the content of the one or more amorphous elements in the amorphous magnetic layer is less than 40 atomic %. Optionally, the insertion layer may be formed within the AP2 pinned layer. Examples of an insertion layer are CoFeB, CoFeZr, CoFeNb, CoFeHf, CoFeNiZr, CoFeNiHf, and CoFeNiNbZr.

Abstract: When a medium casing is properly inserted, a first pair of projections and a second pair of projections are passed through between a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface of a chassis in the moving direction and are thus prevented from coming into contact with the first and second bottom surfaces, thereby allowing for smooth insertion of the medium casing. In contrast, when the medium casing is inserted improperly from its wrong end, one of the projections on the lower surface of the medium casing comes into abutment with the second bottom surface of the chassis near the opening. Accordingly, an improperly inserted medium casing can be prevented from being inserted any further at an early stage of the insertion process.

Abstract: A novel CCP scheme is disclosed for a CPP-GMR sensor in which an amorphous metal/alloy layer such as Hf is inserted between a lower Cu spacer and an oxidizable layer such as Al, Mg, or AlCu prior to performing a pre-ion treatment (PIT) and ion assisted oxidation (IAO) to transform the amorphous layer into a first metal oxide template and the oxidizable layer into a second metal oxide template both having Cu metal paths therein. The amorphous layer promotes smoothness and smaller grain size in the oxidizable layer to minimize variations in the metal paths and thereby improves dR/R, R, and dR uniformity by 50% or more. An amorphous Hf layer may be used without an oxidizable layer, or a thin Cu layer may be inserted in the CCP scheme to form a Hf/PIT/IAO or Hf/Cu/Al/PIT/IAO configuration. A double PIT/IAO process may be used as in Hf/PIT/IAO/Al/PIT/IAO or Hf/PIT/IAO/Hf/PIT/IAO schemes.

Abstract: Micro-actuator assembly including micro-actuator mount coupled to micro-actuator bridge to provide merged footprint with slider and micro-actuator bridge gap. Flexure finger including micro-actuator assembly for coupling to slider. Head gimbal assembly including flexure finger coupled to the slider. A head stack assembly including at least one of the head gimbal assemblies coupled to a head stack. Hard disk drive including head stack assembly. The invention includes manufacturing the micro-actuator assembly, the flexure finger, the head gimbal assembly, the head stack assembly, and the hard disk drive, as well as these items as products of the invention's manufacturing processes.

Abstract: A read sensor is disposed near a main pole, thereby reducing the distance between the read sensor and a write sensor. In this case, however, a magnetic field generated from the main pole affects magnetization of a free layer and a pinned layer of a magnetoresistive film, thereby causing the magnetizing directions to rotate, a magnetic barrier to be generated, and the read property to be degraded. According to the present invention, a main pole and a yoke configure a magnetic circuit together with a sub-pole and a soft magnetic under layer of the magnetic disk and an exciting coil magnetizes the magnetic circuit, thereby a recording magnetic field is applied to a recording layer to record information bits on the layer. And in order to sharpen the magnetic field distribution generated by the main pole, a trailing shield made of a ferromagnetic material is disposed at the trailing side of the main pole adjacently.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a base having a bottom wall, a motor provided on the base, a disk rotatably supported on the motor, a head, and a head actuator which supports the head for movement with respect to the recording medium. The bottom wall of the base includes a recess opposing a movement region for the head actuator and a first step portion and a second step portion which individually extend from the vicinities of the motor to the vicinities of an outer peripheral edge of the recording medium and define the recess. At least a part of the first step portion is located on the opposite side of the head actuator with respect to a line which connects an outer end portion of the first step portion and a center of rotation of the recording medium.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetoresistive device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magnetoresistive unit, and a first shield layer and a second shield layer which are located and formed such that the magnetoresistive unit is sandwiched between them with a sense current applied in a stacking direction. The magnetoresistive unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that the nonmagnetic intermediate layer is sandwiched between them. The first shield layer and the second shield layer are each controlled by magnetization direction control means in terms of magnetization direction to create an antiparallel magnetization state where their magnetizations are in opposite directions.

Abstract: In a perpendicular magnetic recording head comprising a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer which are laminated with a magnetic gap layer interposed therebetween, a nonmagnetic throat height determining layer and a return yoke reinforcement layer made of a magnetic material having a saturated magnetic flux density higher than that of the return yoke layer are provided on the magnetic gap layer. The nonmagnetic throat height determining layer has a front end face parallel to the medium-opposing surface at a position retracted by a desirable throat height from the medium-opposing surface. The return yoke reinforcement layer is formed directly under the return yoke layer so as to extend at least from the front end face of the nonmagnetic throat height determining layer to the upper face thereof, and is exposed at the medium-opposing surface between the magnetic gap layer and return yoke layer.

Abstract: An electrical connection assembly includes a body, an electrically insulative layer supported by the body, a first bond pad defined on the electrically insulative layer, a first electrical contact pad defined on the electrically insulative layer and electrically isolated from the first bond pad, a circuit located adjacent to the electrically insulative layer defining a second bond pad and a second electrical contact pad that are electrically isolated from each other, and an electrically conductive bonding material that electrically and mechanically links the first and second bond pads. After setting, the electrically conductive bonding material biases the first and second electrical contact pads against each other in order to create an electrical connection therebetween.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention effectively control utilizing a spoiler, the windage vibration of a magnetic head caused by the airflow generated in accordance with rotation of a magnetic disk, while reducing the dust flowing in on the downstream side of the spoiler. According to one embodiment, a spoiler is provided with wings facing a plurality of magnetic disks and a supporting section for the wings is disposed on the upstream side of a head stack assembly in the airflow direction in accordance with the rotation of the magnetic disks. Further, the wings each extend in a direction from the outer circumferences of the magnetic disks towards the spindle shaft while reducing the width of the wing, and is formed to have the width of the wing in a range of 2.7% through 2.9% of the circumferential length of the magnetic disks in a range of two thirds of the length of the wing in a direction towards the spindle shaft from a region located at the outer circumferences of the magnetic disks.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow a cover of a magnetic disk drive to be temporarily joined to a base without widening a mounting space, and completely joined after a head disk assembly (HDA) inspection. According to one embodiment, a cover includes a metal plate, an adhesive, and a seal member. The adhesive has a surface wider than the metal plate and the seal member has a surface wider than the adhesive. A solder is coated or printed at an outer periphery of the seal member. A gasket is set at a flange of a base sidewall and an outer peripheral portion of the adhesive of the cover is affixed to an upper surface of the base sidewall to temporarily fix the cover. Low-density gas is injected in a casing interior and a functional inspection of the HDA is performed. After the inspection is finished, helium is injected again, and the casing is completely sealed by melting the solder of the seal member, and joining the seal member to a collar-shaped protrusion of the base sidewall by the solder.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a body having a first air bearing surface and defining an opening, and a transducer portion having a second air bearing surface and positioned within the opening and coupled to the body by a plurality of spring members extending from the transducer portion to the body.

Abstract: Multi-layer ground plane structures and methods of manufacture for integrated lead suspension flexures. A flexure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an insulating layer, a plurality of traces on the insulating layer and a stainless steel base layer on the side of the insulating layer opposite the traces. The stainless steel base layer includes one or more void portions with voids in the base layer opposite the insulating layer from the traces and one or more backed portions with the base layer backing the traces. A plurality of patterned and transversely-spaced first conductive ground planes are located opposite the insulating layer from the traces at the void portions and backed portions of the stainless steel base layer. A continuous gold second conductive ground plane is located opposite the insulating layer and the first ground planes from the side of the insulating layer adjacent to the traces at the void portions and backed portions of the stainless steel base layer.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a reference layer having a first magnetization direction and a free layer assembly having an effective magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the first magnetization direction and substantially perpendicular to a plane of each layer of the free layer assembly. A spacer layer is between the reference layer and the free layer, and a signal enhancement layer is exchange coupled to the free layer assembly on a side opposite the spacer layer.

Abstract: A suspension for supporting a head slider has a flexure, several trace patterns positioned on the flexure, front flexure-bonding pads disposed on the flexure at a position corresponding to a leading edge of the head slider and connected to the trace patterns, and rear flexure-bonding pads disposed on the flexure at a position corresponding to a trailing edge of the head slider and connected to the trace patterns. The front and the rear flexure-bonding pads and the trace patterns are integrally formed and disposed on the flexure at the same time, so the fabricating process is simplified and there is no alignment problem for bonding location. This can ensure the connection strength and position between the head slider and the suspension changeless and, in turns, ensure a good attitude of the head slider. The invention also discloses a HGA and a disk drive device with such suspension, and a fabricating method for the suspension.

Abstract: Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver.