Abstract: A plurality of positioning parts for positioning a disc chucking member that is inserted are formed in a circumferential surface of the disc engaging part of a turntable by providing stepped surfaces that are lower than a disc sliding surface of the circumferential surface of the disc engaging part. Molding pins are passed through these positioning parts, and the turntable is molded with the disk chucking member being positioned in this way. As a result, in a disc chucking apparatus and a disc-drive that use the turntable, a disc can be smoothly chucked without being impeded by the positioning parts of the disc chucking member that is inserted onto the disc engaging part, and recording and reproduction can be favorably performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetoresistive element that includes a pair of magnetic layers and an intermediate layer between the magnetic layers. The intermediate layer contains at least three elements selected from Groups 2 to 17, and the elements include at least one selected from the group consisting of F, O, N, C and B. According to the invention, a magnetoresistive element with high magnetoresistance change ratio and low resistance can be provided. The invention also provides a method for producing a magnetoresistive element. The method includes forming a precursor and forming at least one part of the intermediate layer from the precursor. The precursor is reacted with at least one reactive species selected from the group consisting of oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms and carbon atoms in a reactive atmosphere containing the reactive species.

Abstract: A rotary head drum apparatus and a magnetic recording and playback apparatus wherein crosstalk between a writing signal and a playback signal transferred using independent rotary transformers is reduced and facility of assembly and rework of a magnetic head are improved. A flat disk-type rotary transformer for a writing signal and another flat disk-type rotary transformer for a playback signal are disposed adjacently in a stationary drum, and a shield plate for preventing crosstalk is interposed between the two rotary transformers. Alternatively, one of a writing rotary transformer and a playback rotary transformer is formed from a flat disk-type rotary transformer while the other is formed from a cylindrical rotary transformer, and the flat disk-type rotary transformer is disposed on a bottom portion of a stationary drum while the cylindrical rotary transformer is disposed on an outer circumference of a center boss of the stationary drum.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording head for use with magnetic recording media includes a main pole having a concave tip. The concave tip focuses the magnetic flux from the main pole onto a smaller area of the magnetic recording medium than a conventional main pole when the main pole is at its flying height from the magnetic recording medium. Although the most preferred perpendicular recording head includes a concave cavity having an elliptical profile when viewed from the side, any substantially concave cavity may be used advantageously.

Abstract: In a thin film magnetic head, a face surface faces a recording medium and a front surface of an upper core layer is a curved surface which gradually retreats in a height direction generally perpendicular to the face surface as it approaches both sides thereof, and the thickness of the upper core layer gradually increases in the height direction. It is thus possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of side fringing, efficiently cause a magnetic flux to flow from the upper core layer to an upper pole layer, and make the thin film magnetic head adaptable to a higher recording density.

Abstract: An actuator assembly of a disc drive having an actuator arm rotatably mounted adjacent a data disc. The actuator arm has a top surface and a bottom surface, and includes a head gimbal assembly support portion located at one end of the actuator arm. The actuator assembly further includes an arm circuit fastened to the top surface of the actuator arm. The actuator assembly may additionally include a head gimbal assembly that electrically couples the data transducer and the arm circuit. The gimbal circuit is partially routed along the head gimbal assembly and over the top surface of the actuator arm. Alignment apertures on the arm circuit and the head gimbal circuit and alignment pins on the actuator arm may be used for positioning of the circuits over the top surface of the actuator arm.

Abstract: A read head for use with magnetic recording media having a plurality of magnetic tracks includes a read sensor, first and second magnetic lead shields for improving track resolution, and first and second magnetic shields for improving linear resolution. The read sensor is formed on a side wall of one of the first and second magnetic lead shields using a technique such as ion beam deposition for enhanced film growth rate on the side wall. A magnetic disc drive storage system incorporating the read head and a method of making the read head are also included.

Abstract: A tape loading device for loading a tape from a first state, in which the tape is mounted on a chassis, to a second state, in which a tape running path is formed as a result of a tape guide post pulling out and winding the tape at a prescribed position is provided. The tape loading device includes a transportation member having the tape guide post thereon; a forward wall integrated with the transportation member and disposed rearward to the tape guide post and inclined so that normal thereto is directed forward and obliquely upward; and a pressure-contact member, which is in pressure-contact with the forward wall in the second state, for urging the transportation member forward and obliquely upward.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus includes a tape guide element guiding member for guiding a tape guide element; a bendable chain-like driving member having a first end and a second end, the chain-like driving member being connected to the tape guide element guiding member at the first end, and the second end of the chain-like driving member being pulled or pushed so as to produce a reciprocating movement of the tape guide element guiding member; and a chain guiding member for guiding the chain-like driving member. The chain-like driving member includes a plurality of flexures for facilitating a bending movement of the chain-like driving member. The chain-like driving member causes a reciprocating movement of the tape guide element while being bent during a loading operation and an unloading operation.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the common mode impedance while enabling maintenance of the differential mode impedance of a pair of traces located with respect to a ground plane formed by a load beam or trace assembly of a disk drive head suspension. The method includes forming a ground plane having apertures with isolated conductive islands in the apertures for setting a desired common mode impedance. The method includes a cut and try approach using sample coupons to adjust the ratio of backed area to island area to adjust the common mode impedance while maintaining the differential mode impedance by maintaining the ratio of unbacked area to the sum of the backed and island areas.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive stack for use in a magnetic read head has a plurality of layers including a ferromagnetic free layer, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, and an antiferromagnetic pinning layer. The pinned layer and pinning layer each have a greater number of structural grains than the free layer, which decreases a fluctuation of magnetization in the magnetoresistive stack without decreasing a spatial resolution of the magnetoresistive stack.

Abstract: A disc recording and/or reproducing device includes a disc compartment that has a plurality of disc mounts placed one upon another, on which discs are mounted. The device also includes a recording and/or reproducing mechanism for selectively recording and/or reproducing a disc mounted on one of the plurality of disc mounts. An injection mechanism is included for ejecting the disc mounted on the disc mount. A control mechanism is included that moves along a line substantially perpendicular to the placing direction and is configured to start the recording and/or reproducing mechanism when in a first position and start the ejection mechanism when reaching a second position on another side of the line.

Abstract: A method and system for positionally displacing a transducer, or multiple transducers, over a location on a data storage medium is disclosed. An actuator assembly containing at least one actuator arm supporting at least one transducer is used to access a desired location on the data storage medium. The actuator arm contains an intrinsically excitable element, such as piezoelectric material, responsive to a control signal to produce an excitement. The excitement in the element generates a movement of the element that is magnified by a flexure to positionally displace the transducer, which is attached to the flexure. The transducer is displaced from a current, or origination, location to the desired location.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a patterned data/information storage and retrieval medium in the form of an annular disk having an outer diameter, a central opening defining an inner diameter, and opposed first and second major surfaces, the method including inserting a smaller diameter cylindrical shaft of a stamping/imprinting tool in the central opening and biasing the inner diameter of the disk into contact with the cylindrical shaft at a pre-selected location along the inner diameter of the disk during stamping/imprinting of a pre-selected pattern such as a servo pattern in at least one of the first and second major surfaces of the disk, the biasing creating a space between the inner diameter of the disk and the surface of the cylindrical shaft which has a maximum width at a location diametrically opposite the pre-selected location.

Abstract: A disk drive suspension and method has a limiter structure that limits movement of the tongue relative to a surrounding frame by extending the plastic film layer and optionally the metal layer components of a flexure-defining flexible circuit laminate beyond the flexure tongue distal end and attaching the terminal regions of the extended components to the surrounding frame laterally of the tongue. The flexure-defining laminate is attached to the suspension rigid portion proximally and optionally distally as well as laterally with the limiter structure. A lift tip can be used to enable lifting of the suspension and to stiffen the suspension in lieu of the distal attachment of the flexible circuit.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording head has a second pole piece which includes a bottom ferromagnetic shaping layer and a top ferromagnetic probe layer. Each of these layers has a flare point where the layers first commence to widen after the ABS with the flare point of the shaping layer being located between an air bearing surface (ABS) of the head and the flare point of the probe layer. Further, the probe layer has a probe at the ABS which has a decreasing width from its top to its bottom to provide a trapezoidal shape which minimizes side writing due to skew of the probe at outermost and innermost circular tracks of a rotating magnetic disk.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a disc clamping device includes a clamp body including a tip operating portion, wherein the tip operating portion moves downward by a depressed disc. The disc clamping device further includes an engagement body including an entry guide portion to guide the disc along the entry guide portion to a center location. When the clamp body is in an upward position, the uppermost surface of the clamp body is positioned to be the same height as an uppermost surface of the entry guide portion of the engagement body.

Abstract: The invention is a suspension gimbal-head assembly that includes a magnetic head having a leading edge and a following edge, a suspension gimbal, the magnetic head is mechanically connected to the suspension gimbal at the head leading edge and the head following edge. There is also provided a disk drive that includes a suspension gimbal-head assembly that includes a magnetic head having a leading edge and a following edge, a suspension gimbal, the magnetic head mechanically connected to the suspension gimbal at the head leading edge and the head following edge.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a read head employ a bias stack which is in a sensor stack of the read head. The bias stack includes a biasing layer and is separated from a free layer in the sensor by a spacer layer. A magnetic moment of the free layer is longitudinally biased antiparallel to a magnetic moment of the biasing layer because of the coupling therebetween. The free layer is therefore more uniformly longitudinally biased than when hard bias layers are employed at first and second side surfaces of the sensor. Various methods are described for making the various read heads of the present invention.

Abstract: An actuator assembly including one or more actuator arms, wherein each of the actuator arms defines a clasp hole and a clamp-opening hole and a slot running between the clasp hole and clamp-opening hole, and optionally, a second slot running from the clasp hole to a distal end of the actuator arm, thereby creating two clasp fingers. A flex suspension assembly is included with a protrusion, such as a boss and a head on a distal end. The flex suspension assembly is coupled to the actuator arm by resiliently increasing the diameter of the clasp hole so as to allow the boss on the flex suspension assembly to be inserted into the clasp hole. With the boss is inserted, the clasp hole is allowed to revert to its original diameter, thereby clamping the boss in the clasp hole. A method for assembly is also provided.