Abstract: A suspension has an extending end and an other end. A head IC chip mounting portion is provided between the extending end and the other end of the suspension. A head slider is loaded on a first surface of the suspension at a position on the side of the extending end with respect to the head IC chip mounting portion, the head slider integrally including a head. A head IC chip is mounted at the head IC chip mounting portion of the suspension. First wiring patterns extend along the suspension between a portion of the suspension, at which portion the head slider is loaded, and the head IC chip mounting portion. Second wiring patterns extend along the suspension between the head IC chip mounting portion and the other end of the suspension. The head IC chip is mounted at the head IC chip mounting portion in a condition in which a certain portion of the head IC chip is positioned on the side of a second surface of the suspension, which second surface is opposite to the first surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head device and method of fabrication. With the present invention, the lower lead is formed to inhibit accumulation of redeposited lead material on CPP sensor element side walls during CPP sensor formation. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the lower lead, which normally is etched during sensor element formation, is formed of a low sputter yield material to reduce redeposition flux to the sensor side walls. It is also preferred to form the upper portion of a material that also has a low value for the ratio of its sputter yield at the lead milling angle-to-its sputter yield at the side wall milling angle to inhibit redeposition accumulation on the side wall. It is preferred to clad conventional lead material with a low sputter yield ratio, low resistivity material, to inhibit side wall redeposition accumulation while also providing a low resistance lower lead.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is provided in which an increase in recording density is achieved and in which the tape loading mechanism is simplified. A recording/reproducing apparatus of the type which uses a tape cassette which has a tape reel in a cartridge and in which a tape including a tape-shaped recording medium is wound around the tape reel, includes a take-up reel adapted to take up the tape-shaped recording medium and having a height equal to that of the tape reel of the tape cassette attached to the recording/reproducing apparatus, and a rotary head for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from the tape-shaped recording medium by a helical scan system.

Abstract: A disk cartridge of the present invention comprises a case body (101) having a disk-storage portion and an opening/closing cover (201) having a pair of disk holding members (202) that hold a disk (10) in its inplane direction. The accommodated disk (10) is loaded together with the opening/closing cover (201) into an adapter having compatibility with a large disk cartridge. Thus, information can be, for example, reproduced from the disk (10) in a drive unit designed for a large disk cartridge via the adapter. Moreover, a series of operations can be conducted without touching the disk directly.

Abstract: A disk holding device supports a disk as a recording medium.

Abstract: A disc drive and method of making a disc drive, including a voice coil magnet assembly. The voice coil magnet assembly includes a top magnetic return plate, a bottom magnetic return plate and at least one pair of magnets affixed to at least one of the plates. The voice coil magnet assembly is pre-assembled prior to attachment to a base plate. The pre-assembled voice coil magnet assembly is then structurally coupled to the base plate at a boss or attachment point, and is done so in a rotatable manner at the boss or attachment point, such that the voice coil of an actuator assembly is sandwiched by the rotation of the pre-assembled unit about the structural attachment point or boss.

Abstract: A disk drive apparatus is which includes an improved disk clamp/drive spindle interface. Axial positioning of the disk clamp on the drive spindle is restrainably maintained so that an outer peripheral surface of the disk clamp applies a clamping force to one or more storage disks. In one embodiment, the top end of a drive spindle is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending tabs. Correspondingly, a disk clamp is provided with a plurality of tabs which extend inwardly at a central aperture. The disk clamp tabs and drive spindle tabs are provided so that the disk clamp may be axially advanced about the drive spindle during assembly with the disk clamp tabs passing between drive spindle tabs. In conjunction with such assembly, the disk clamp may be deflected or bowed, toward the spindle center axis via the application of a loading force (e.g. by employing an assembly tool that deflects and maintains deflection of the disk clamp during assembly).

Abstract: A head assembly for an information storage device that includes a head slider with a read/write element for reading/recording information to/from a disk and a suspension for supporting the head slider. The suspension includes a generally planar sheet that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to second end and an arm attaching portion located near the first end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension. The arm attaching portion is adapted to be attached to a head arm. The suspension also includes a slider attaching portion positioned near the second end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension, where the slider attaching portion extends generally in the longitudinal direction and is surrounded by a generally U-shaped opening in the generally planar sheet. The slider attaching portion faces a securing surface of the head slider.

Abstract: The disc protection casing includes a casing body and a disk holder. The casing body has a receiving space therein and an access port formed in a first side of the casing body. The disk holder is insertable into an interior of the casing body via the access port, and one of the disk holder and the first side of the casing body is structured such that the disk holder is prevented from being incorrectly inserted into the casing body.

Abstract: An MR sensor, a thin-film magnetic head and a thin-film wafer with a plurality of the thin-film magnetic heads having a MR multi-layered structure including a non-magnetic material layer, first and second ferromagnetic material layers (free and pinned layers) separated by the non-magnetic material layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic material layer formed adjacent to and in physical contact with one surface of the pinned layer, the one surface being on an opposite side of the pinned layer from the non-magnetic material layer, the multi-layered structure having ends in a direction parallel to a magnetically sensitive surface or an ABS, and longitudinal bias layers formed at both the ends of the MR multi-layered structure, for providing a longitudinal magnetic bias to the MR multi-layered structure. The MR multi-layered structure is shaped such that a magnetization direction of the pinned layer is inclined at an angle from an axis of easy magnetization of the pinned layer.

Abstract: A slider portion is provided with protrusion portions having a spherical surface, contacting a recording medium. A center of a magnetic pole is arranged on the line C1 connecting the vertices of the protrusion portions. Line C1 is more or less aligned with the gliding direction of the protrusion portions. Thereby, positional variations between the magnetic pole and the surface of the recording medium can be minimized even when the head slider is tilted with respect to the surface of the recording medium. Thus, a gliding converter support structure is provided whose conversion efficiency does not decrease when it is tilted with respect to the surface of the recording medium, which is easy to manufacture, has little gliding resistance, and does not easily accumulate dust.

Abstract: A flying head slider often comprises support projections defining the top ends higher than the level of an air bearing surface opposed to the surface of a recording disk. The support projections serve to reduce adsorption or effect of meniscus acting on the slider seated on the disk. The slider further comprises an adsorption prevention protrusion formed on a transducer protection layer superposed on the outflow end of a slider body. The adsorption prevention protrusion swells from a medium-opposed surface at which a transducer element is exposed. When the slider inclines downstream around the tip end of the support projection in response to a reverse rotation of the disk, the slider allows the adsorption prevention protrusion to first contact the surface of the disk at the outflow end. Enlargement of the contact area can be avoided between the slider and the surface of the disk. The adsorption or effect of meniscus cannot be intensified between the slider and the surface of the disk.

Abstract: In a microactuator, a fixed substrate and a movable substrate are placed to be spaced opposed to each other. Between these substrates, a plurality of actuators are arranged to provide different moving distances. The actuators include comb-like movable electrodes formed on the movable substrate, and fixed electrodes formed on the fixed substrate, and having a plurality of teeth that extend outside the leading ends of the teeth of the movable electrodes in an undriven state. The movable substrate is allowed to move so that the leading ends of the teeth of the movable electrodes reach the outer ends of the teeth of the fixed electrodes. The portions of the fixed electrode teeth, which extend outside the movable electrode teeth, are different in length among the actuators.

Abstract: A disk drive suspension mounting system is provided in which staking of the mounting plate to an actuator arm does not distort the mounting plate flange or impinge on gram loading values of the load beam, by increasing the diameter of the bore to from 95% to 99% of the flange opening, decreasing the diameter of the flange opening to slip fit the staking ball, and lengthening the bore so as to maintain displaced mass and torque values.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed including a disk, an actuator arm including a head, and a voice coil motor for actuating the actuator arm to position the head radially over the disk. The voice coil motor includes a voice coil portion including a first side and a second side opposite the first side for conducting a current. The current conducted by the first side generates a first side magnetic flux in a first direction, and the current conducted by the second side generates a second side magnetic flux in a second direction different from the first direction. The voice coil motor further includes a rotary voice coil yoke including a first magnet for generating a unidirectional magnetic flux, and a magnetic flux conductor shaped to form an air gap with respect to the first magnet, the magnetic flux conductor for guiding the unidirectional magnetic flux through the air gap.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved bias magnet-to-magnetoresistive element interface and method of fabrication. In a preferred embodiment, the wall/walls of an MR element opposing a bias layer are formed by over etching to provide vertical side walls without taper. In the preferred embodiment, a protective element is formed over the MR element to protect it during etch processes. In some embodiments, a filler layer is deposited prior to bias layer formation. In CIP embodiments, any portion of the filler layer forming on vertical side walls of the MR element is etched to provide an exposed side wall surface for contiguous bias layer formation. In CPP embodiments, the filler layer forms on a vertical back wall and electrically insulates the MR element from the bias layer.

Abstract: In a contact type magnetic disk drive, a suspension spring or a load beam spring has a length smaller than 5 mm inclusive. This successfully reduces the amplitude of vibration to occur during seek. Also, a magnetic head slider has a mass of greater than 2 mg inclusive and is urged against the disk medium by a load of less than 1 g inclusive, so that a mean wear thickness and maximum amount of jump are reduced. For the reduction of the mean wear thickness and maximum amount of jump, the disk medium may include a lubrication layer having a thickness of greater than 5 nm inclusive, or the suspension spring or the load beam spring may have its thickness sequentially reduced from the side adjoining the spring support mechanism toward the slider. The disk drive reduces the wear of the slider and that of a magnetic disk, and achieves durability and reliability as well as high-density recording.

Abstract: A slider used in a disk drive apparatus is described which has an air bearing surface and a trailing surface and a plurality of recessed steps at the trailing edge. These steps at the trailing edge greatly reduce stictional forces.

Abstract: A disk cartridge has a casing composed of upper and lower casings 1,2 which are adapted to rotatably receive therein a disk-like medium 4, a shutter 5 attached to the casing so as to open and shut openings for driving shaft insertion holes 11, 12 and magnetic head insertion holes 12, 22 formed in the upper and lower casings 1,2, a disk-like medium taking-out port 15 formed in the casing and a cover member 3 for opening and closing the disk-like medium taking-out port 15, wherein the cover member 3 is disposed in the casing at a position opposing the shutter 5; a disk-like medium placing portion is provided by forming tongue-like projections 36 in the cover member 3 to support the disk-like member 4 from its lower surface side; the cover member 3 is so arranged as to slide between the upper and lower casings 1,2, whereby the disk-like member 4 can be taken out by simply drawing the cover member 3 from the disk-like medium taking-out port 15 or the disk-like medium 4 can be placed by simply inserting it, and op

Abstract: A pickup adjusting mechanism is provided with a turntable on which a disk-shaped recording medium is clamped, a disk motor which drives the turntable, a first base which supports the disk motor, a pickup which reads information recorded on the disk-shaped recording medium, a second base which is supported on the first base and movably supports the pickup, and an angle adjusting part which is provided between the first base and the second base, and adjusts an angle of the pickup with respect to the disk-shaped recording medium clamped on the turntable.