Abstract: A spindle motor assembly that utilizes a fluid dynamic bearing electrically grounded to provide a conductive path through the spindle motor assembly. In one embodiment, the fluid dynamic bearing includes a liquid metal that is conductive and of low electrical resistance that provides the conductive path between the spindle and the spindle housing.

Abstract: Adjusting the resonance of a power distribution network in a device to ensure a resonance frequency of the device is outside of a frequency band of wireless signals, other interference signals, or interference signals intrinsic to the device. The resonance frequency may be adjusted by cutting slices into the power and/or ground planes such that a serpentine pattern (or other desired pattern) is formed. The serpentine pattern increases the length that the current travels along the power/ground plane and thus, changes the resonance frequency of the device.

Abstract: A method for preventing electrical overstress from interfering with a magnetic read-write device by identifying one or more characteristic functions of the device that characterize electrical overstress, generating a wave form representative of the electrical overstress by using the one or more characteristic functions and enabling the generated wave form to be combined with a read signal to counteract the electrical overstress. The method can be implemented with a crosstalk cancellation circuit that includes a coupler filter configured to receive signals from the write driver, a differentiator to differentiate the signal, a gain adjust coupled to the coupler filter configured to adjust gain on the received signal, a phase adjust configured to adjust the phase to match the crosstalk, and an inverter coupled to invert the matched signal to enable cancellation of the crosstalk.

Abstract: A Spindle motor assembly that utilizes a fluid dynamic bearing electrically grounded to provide a conductive path through the spindle motor assembly. In one embodiment, the fluid dynamic bearing includes a liquid metal that is conductive and of low electrical resistance that provides the conductive path between the spindle and the spindle housing.

Abstract: A disk drive electrical interconnect includes one or more electrical contacts for providing a controlled discharge form a disk drive head in a manner that reduces the potential for damaging the head in preparation for testing or the like. In some embodiments the electrical interconnect includes a charge dissipation electrical contact that is interconnected with a read element of the head using an electrical trace. A resistor is disposed in series between the charge dissipation electrical contact and the read element. A probe may engage the charge dissipation electrical contact to remove the electrical charge from the read element at a desired rate because of the resistor. Once the electrical charge has been sufficiently dissipated, another probe may engage another contact of the electrical interconnect to provide a desired electrical signal to the head.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnet (152) for resetting a corresponding head (138). The magnet (152) is located on or close to a load/unload ramp (140?) that is used to park the head (138), such that the magnet (152) is spaced from its corresponding parked head (138) by distance of no more than about 1 millimeter when the head (138) is parked. The magnet (152) may be either a permanent magnet or an electromagnetic which induces a magnetic field upon the head (138) to reset its magnetization.

Abstract: Actively controlling ESI voltage on an object such as a magnetic storage disk (12), a rotating MR head, or insulator, includes the method and system for actively monitoring (92) a generated ESI voltage on the object (12). The method and system generate (100, 102, and 104) a signal responsive to the generated ESI voltage. Then, an opposing ESI voltage is produced (76) from the responsive signal. The method and system then apply the opposing ESI voltage (76) to the object (12) for opposing and controlling the generated ESI voltage.

Abstract: A method and corresponding structure for establishing an electrical interconnection is disclosed. There are at least two conductors in one embodiment. The first conductor is preferably a static dissipative material, while the second conductor may be of any conventional electrically conductive material (e.g., copper). These two conductors move relative to each other. More specifically, the first conductor is brought into contact with a device having a stored charged. After a certain amount of relative movement between the first and second conductors, and while the first conductor has remained in contact with the device to allow for dissipation of at least a portion of the charge therefrom, the second conductor is then brought into contact with the device.

Abstract: A method of integrating slider/head assemblies with silicon chips. The method facilitates the integration of silicon chips containing desirable circuits such as electrostatic discharge protection with slider/head designs such that the slider/head design may be selected independently of the type of silicon chip as long as compatible dimensions are used for each. First a bar of N slider/head assemblies is formed. A bar of N silicon chips is formed and then coupled to the bar of N slider/head assemblies to form an integrated bar of N slider/head/silicon chip units. Leads between the silicon chips and the slider/head assemblies are established. Finally, the integrated bar of N slider/head/silicon chip units is diced into N individual slider/head/silicon chip units. The method also includes the step of lapping the bar of N slider/head assemblies to form magnetic head air bearing surfaces and machining the bar of N slider/head assemblies to decrease the weight of the N slider/head assemblies.

Abstract: Electrostatic discharge protection for an inductive coil in a magnetic head of a disk drive. Structures are provided to dissipate electrostatic charges which may arise between the leads of the inductive coil or between the inductive coil and one of the pole pieces in a magnetic head. An electrostatic discharge element is coupled to the inductive coil for dissipating electrostatic charge from the inductive coil. The electrostatic discharge element may include a spark gap, a diode circuit, a MOSFET, a silicon controlled rectifier or a bleed transistor circuit. The electrostatic discharge element may include a first electrostatic discharge element coupled between the first turn of the inductive coil and the magnetic yoke and a second electrostatic discharge element coupled between the magnetic yoke and the last turn of the inductive coil. The magnetic yoke or pole piece may include an upper and a lower magnetic pole with mirrored protection circuits provided for each pole.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the number of wires needed between the read/write elements and the AE module. An inductive coil and a magneto-resistive element are formed on a substrate such that each includes an input signal lead and a ground return lead terminal. The ground return lead terminal of the inductive coil and the magneto-resistive element share a common ground return lead. The common ground return lead may be formed using a distinct wiring construct or by using a conductive substrate. A conductive suspension may also be formed wherein the conductive substrate is coupled to the conductive suspension. The input signal lead of the inductive coil and the magneto-resistive element may also share a common connector pad for providing signal coupling. A current flow element may be used to control the flow of current through the inductive coil and the magneto-resistive element.

Abstract: In a magnetic read/write assembly, a removable fusible-link shorts the magnetoresistive (MR) sensor element to minimize electrical current through the MR sensing element during discharge of static electricity. Other magnetic head assembly elements such as the write coil and MR magnetic shields are also shorted using fusible-links. The fusible-link is removable during the assembly process. The existing terminal pads and wires are used to remove the fusible-link.

Abstract: The magnetic states of MR reproducing heads are reinitialized during media drive manufacturing by applying initializing magnetic fields to the transducers after they have been manufactured and incorporated into media drive assemblies.

Abstract: A method of lapping the air bearing surface of a magnetoresistive head which minimizes the likelihood of interelement shorts at the air bearing surface is described. In a final, linear lapping phase, the air bearing surface is lapped back and forth parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head elements in an oscillatory path across a stationary lapping surface. Any scratches or smears of the elements will be along the length of the elements rather than transverse to the elements. Any transverse scratches or smears occurring in earlier lapping phases will be removed during the linear lapping phase.

Abstract: An MR head has its MR stripe protected from electro-static discharge (ESD) on a slider, such as titanium carbide. The MR stripe is protected by a plurality of silicon integrated circuit devices which conduct ESD-induced current from the MR stripe to a silicon chip substrate ground potential or to larger components in the MR head such as the first and second shield layers and the coil layer. In a preferred embodiment the integrated circuit devices and interconnects are constructed in a single crystal silicon chip. The silicon chip is fixedly mounted to a trailing edge of the slider and the MR head is mounted on a trailing edge of the silicon chip adjacent the integrated circuit devices. The invention includes a method of mass producing sliders by combining thin film technology for making MR heads with integrated circuit technology for making integrated circuit devices. These technologies are combined at the wafer level to ultimate completion of individual sliders.

Abstract: A process of making an MR head having its MR stripe protected from electro-static discharge (ESD) on a slider, such as titanium carbide. The MR stripe is protected by a plurality of silicon integrated circuit devices which conduct ESD-induced current from the MR stripe to larger components in the MR head such as the first and second shield layers and the coil layer. In a preferred embodiment the integrated circuit devices and interconnects are constructed in a single crystal silicon chip. The silicon chip is fixedly mounted to a trailing edge of the slider and the MR head is mounted on a trailing edge of the silicon chip adjacent the integrated circuit devices. The invention includes a method of mass producing sliders by combining thin film technology for making MR heads with integrated circuit technology for making integrated circuit devices. These technologies are combined at the row level to ultimate completion of individual sliders.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive read/inductive write magnetic transducer, magnetic stability of the magnetoresistive read sensor is improved by reducing the bias current to the magnetoresistive read sensor to a predetermined value during a period when a write current signal is applied to the inductive write head. The reduced bias current is greater than zero, but less than that required for reading data stored in a magnetic storage media. The reduced bias current is about 30% of the full bias current applied during the read operation of the magnetoresistive head.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor in which the MR layer is transversely biased by a soft magnetic layer separated from the MR layer by a nonmagnetic spacer layer an antiferromagnetic stabilization layer of NiO provides a stabilizing exchange-coupled magnetic field to the transverse bias layer insuring that the transverse bias layer is fully saturated in a preferred direction during sensor operation.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor in which the MR layer is transversely biased by a soft magnetic layer separated from the MR layer by a nonmagnetic spacer layer an antiferromagnetic stabilization layer of NiO provides a stabilizing exchange-coupled magnetic field to the transverse bias layer insuring that the transverse bias layer is fully saturated in a preferred direction during sensor operation.

Abstract: In a magnetic read/write transducer, the elements of the magnetoresistive (MR) and inductive heads are shorted together and to the slider substrate to provide a low resistance, conductive path bypassing the MR sensor element and minimizing electrical current through the MR sensor element during discharge of static electric charge. The MR sensor element, the MR conductive leads, the MR magnetic shield elements and inductive pole tips exposed at the slider air bearing surface are shorted together and to the slider substrate by a layer of conductive material, such as tungsten, formed over the slider air bearing surface. The conductive layer shorts the head elements together and to the slider substrate thus protecting the head against ESD/EOS damage during subsequent handling and assembly. The conductive layer is removed by wet etching prior to placing the magnetic head into operation in a magnetic storage system.