Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a storage media cartridge in a data storage library is disclosed. The apparatus includes an accessor, a pinion and a rack having a straight section and a curved section. The curved section includes multiple rack teeth that are capable of rotating independently from each other to allow the pinion to travel along the straight section and onto the curved section of the rack, or vice versa, without any interruption.

Abstract: A vertically stacked DFH design in a read/write head is disclosed that allows independent control of write gap protrusion and read gap protrusion. A first heater is formed in an insulation layer proximate to a sensor in a read head. A second heater is formed in a second insulation layer proximate to the write pole tip in a main pole layer. The two heaters are connected in series or in parallel through leads to a power source that activates the heaters. In one embodiment, the heaters have a fixed resistance ratio. Preferably, there are two drivers in the power source so that a first power can be applied to the first heater and a second power can be applied to the second heater to enable an adjustment of reader protrusion/writer protrusion or gamma ratio. Fast reader and writer actuation is achieved and low power consumption is realized.

Abstract: A write circuit and a head for a hard disk drive. The head includes a substrate that has an electrical ground and a write element that has a center tap. The head also has a resistor that is connected to the center tap and the electrical ground. The resistor provides a return path for AC and DC components of any common mode signal in a write circuit. The resistor can also generate heat that thermally expands the head and varies a head flying height. The write element is connected to an write driver circuit that provides in phase currents to a write element during the write operation and out of phase currents during a read operation. The out of phase currents allow for thermal expansion and flying height control even during a read operation.

Abstract: A gimbal, a disk drive suspension that includes the gimbal, and a related method of manufacture, wherein the gimbal is configured to be coupled between a disk drive slider and a disk drive load beam. The gimbal includes a strut having a buss and a projection that is coupled to the buss. A combination of the projection and the buss define a gap.

Abstract: A magnetic field detecting element comprises: a stack which includes first, second and third magnetic layers whose magnetization directions depend upon an external magnetic field, the second magnetic layer being positioned between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, a first non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, wherein the stack is adapted such that sense current flows in a direction that is perpendicular to a film surface thereof; and a bias magnetic layer which is provided on a side of the stack, the side being opposite to an air bearing surface of the stack.

Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic head, in which the magnetic spacing can be controlled appropriately, regardless of the presence of the variation in height of the medium-opposed surface of the closure. The thin-film magnetic head includes: at least one head element formed on or above an element-formation surface of a substrate, for reading data from a magnetic recording medium and/or writing data to a magnetic recording medium; an overcoat layer formed on the element-formation surface so as to cover the at least one head element; and at least one closure adhered to at least a portion of an upper surface of the overcoat layer. Here, at least one of the at least one closure includes at least one element for adjusting the height of a medium-opposed surface of the closure. The element is preferably a heating element provided within the closure.

Abstract: A magnetic element includes a pinned layer, a nonferromagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. The nonferromagnetic spacer layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer has a track width of not more than 0.08 micron.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element includes: a free layer made of a ferromagnetic material, the free layer configured to change the direction of magnetization under the influence of an external magnetic field; an insulating layer overlaid on the free layer, the insulating layer made of an insulating material; an amorphous reference layer overlaid on the insulating layer, the amorphous reference layer made of a ferromagnetic material, the amorphous reference layer configured to fix the magnetization in a predetermined direction; a crystal layer overlaid on the amorphous reference layer, the crystal layer containing crystal grains; a non-magnetic layer overlaid on the crystal layer, the non-magnetic layer containing crystal grains having grown from the crystal grains in the crystal layer; and a pinned layer overlaid on the non-magnetic layer, the pinned layer configured to fix the magnetization in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element comprises: a magnetoresistive stack including: first, second and third magnetic layers whose magnetization directions change in accordance with an external magnetic field, said second magnetic layer being located between said first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer; a first non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between said first and second magnetic layers; and a second non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between said second and third magnetic layers; wherein sense current is adapted to flow in a direction perpendicular to a film plane; a bias magnetic layer provided on an opposite side of said magnetoresistive stack from an air bearing surface.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic writer are described. The method and system include providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) on a portion of the magnetic writer. The BARC has a low reflectivity. The method and system also include providing a barrier layer on at least a portion of the BAR and providing a mask on at least a portion of the barrier layer. The barrier layer isolates the BARC from the mask.

Abstract: A magnetic tunnel transistor (MTT) having a pinned layer that has no antiferromagnetic material in an active area of the sensor. The MTT can include a layer of antiferromagnetic material that is exchange coupled with the pinned layer in an area outside of the active area of me sensor, such as outside the track-width, beyond the stripe height, or both outside the track-width and beyond the stripe height. The pinned layer can also be pinned without any exchange coupling at all. In that case, pinning can be assisted by shape enhanced magnetic anisotropy, by extending the pinned layer beyond the stripe height.

Abstract: A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a stitched notched trailing shield. The trailing shield includes a first pedestal portion having sides that are self aligned with the sides of the write pole and having a back edge that extends a first shield throat height. The shield further includes a second shield portion stitched onto the pedestal portion, the second shield portion having a back edge that extends beyond the back edge of the pedestal portion.

Abstract: A novel head stack assembly (HSA), and method for HSA assembly, are disclosed and claimed. A first flexure tail has a long axis approximately parallel to a side of the actuator arm. The actuator arm includes a slot in the side having a slot end. The first flexure tail is disposed partially within the slot. The first flexure tail includes a first raised region in contact with the slot adjacent the slot end. The first raised region includes an out-of-plane bend with cross-sectional curvature along the long axis. The first raised region may be squeezed while inserting the first flexure tail partially within the side slot, with the first raised region adjacent the slot end, and then allowed to expand into contact with the slot adjacent the slot end.

Abstract: In a suspension in a hard disk drive, a gimbal with asymmetric dynamic properties, in which the two halves of the gimbal may have different stiffness distribution or inertia distribution. Structural difference between the two halves, or materials with different stiffness, may cause the different stiffness distribution or inertia distribution. When the suspension vibrates, the different stiffness and/or inertia distribution increase the friction between the gimbal and a load beam of the suspension, and increase the damping of the suspension.

Abstract: A tape head and bearing assembly comprises an air bearing structure having a tape bearing surface with a plurality of openings therein configured to provide a continuous air bearing of pressurized air to support a linear tape moving along a path, the air bearing being provided on only one side of the linear tape. A head slider assembly, such as an HDD-type assembly, is positioned at the opposite side of the linear tape from the tape bearing surface and is configured to be in contact with the linear tape.

Abstract: An integral recording head, for use in a linear tape drive system, includes a circumferentially grooved roller guide assembly and a recording head actuator assembly. The circumferential groove feature is incorporated on the surfaces of the roller guide assembly, and provides a substantial frictional contact force that acts to reduce the lateral motion, and further attenuates high frequency lateral disturbances of the magnetic tape. The reduced high frequency content of the lateral disturbances significantly improves the ability of the actuator to achieve a desired track following control. The grooved roller guide assembly is formed integrally of two solid cylindrical contact surfaces separated by a circumferential slot that accommodates the recording head actuator assembly.

Abstract: A slider assembly for supporting a recording element in operative relation to a flexible moving recording medium is disclosed. The slider may have a face including air bearing surfaces positioned toward the recording medium. A recording element may be in an air bearing surface near the trailing edge of the face, wherein there is no other slider or other supporting surface on an opposite side of the recording medium. A vacuum cavity may be formed in the face for creation of sub-ambient pressure to attract the slider toward the recording medium. An air bearing surface may be provided with a transverse pressure contour (TPC) along at least one of its edges for providing flying height control, with the TPC having a step geometry. A mounting device may mount the slider in a biased manner toward the recording medium and urge the slider toward the recording medium.

Abstract: An integrated lead flexure having a spring metal layer, a dielectric insulating layer on a side of the spring metal layer, a conductor layer on the side of the insulating layer opposite the spring metal layer and a coverlay on the side of the conductor layer opposite the insulating layer. The flexure further includes base region, a gimbal region extending from the base region, and a tail region extending from the base region opposite the gimbal region. The conductor layer includes terminal pads at the tail region and head bond pads at the gimbal region. Traces in the conductor layer extend between the terminal pads and the head bond pads across the tail, base and gimbal regions. One or more spring metal windows in the spring metal layer at the tail region are adjacent to substantial portions of at least some of the traces. One or more coverlay windows in the coverlay at the tail region are adjacent to substantial portions of the tail region spring metal windows.

Abstract: A tape head assembly for writing data to and reading data from a tape includes a tape head member having an engagement surface that is configured to engage the tape as the tape moves past the tape head member. A plurality of arrays of interactive elements are supported on the engagement surface. Each array is longitudinally offset from each other array. Each individual array includes a read group having only read elements and a write group having only write elements. Each read group is laterally offset from each write group within each array.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head is provided capable of suppressing the magnetic field attributable to the edge write phenomenon and improving resistance to an external magnetic field. The perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a magnetic layer that has a main magnetic pole on a surface facing a recording medium; a return yoke layer that is disposed on the magnetic layer with a nonmagnetic layer disposed therebetween and has a large width in the direction of the main magnetic pole; and a coil layer for applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic layer. The return yoke layer is provided with such a shape that as seen in the plan view, the return yoke layer is exposed from the medium facing surface with a width not greater than the width in the track width direction of a protrusion region of the return yoke layer that covers the coil layer and the width of the return yoke layer gradually increases in the height direction from the medium facing surface.