Abstract: A thin film inductive head comprising a bottom pole, an insulation region fabricated on the bottom pole, a cavity layer formed on the insulation region, the cavity layer containing an aperture, and a top pole deposited on the cavity layer so that the top pole lies substantially in the aperture of the cavity layer and has a height at least partially defined by the depth of the aperture.

Abstract: A thin-film head electromagnetic transducer has two pole pieces which define a gap. The surface of at least one of the pole pieces has a linear edge defining one side of the gap and has two linear edges which are at an acute angle to the linear edge defining the gap and are symmetric about and abut at an axis perpendicular to the linear edge defining the gap.

Abstract: An inverted magnetoresistive head is disclosed. The inverted magnetoresistive head includes a reader positioned on top of a writer. The writer includes a bottom pole, a polymer insulator, a write gap, a pole tip and a top pole. The reader includes a bottom shield, a first reader gap, a magnetoresistive element, electrical contacts, a second reader gap and a shield.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an inverted magnetoresistive head is disclosed. The method includes fabricating a writer. The writer includes a bottom pole positioned within a recessed substrate. The bottom pole is filled with copper coils and polymer. A write gap, a pole tip, and a top pole/bottom shield are fabricated on a portion of the polymer. A top surface of both the polymer and the write gap are planarized to provide a substantially smooth surface upon which a reader can be placed. The reader is fabricated on top of the writer and includes a first reader gap, a magnetoresistive element, a second reader gap, and a shield.

Abstract: A thin-film head electromagnetic transducer has two pole pieces which define a gap. The surface of at least one of the pole pieces has a linear edge defining one side of the gap and has two linear edges which are at an acute angle to the linear edge defining the gap and are symmetric about and abut at an axis perpendicular to the linear edge defining the gap.

Abstract: A load arm assembly for a disk drive including a load beam, a head for communicating with a recording medium, and a gimbal spring interconnecting the head and the load beam. The interconnection includes a pivot having a first contact surface in point contact with a second contact surface. In accordance with the present invention, a coating is applied to at least one of the first and second contact surfaces and has a low frictional coefficient for reducing the friction between the first and second contact surfaces.

Abstract: An improved composite head assembly is achieved by using bonding glass to fasten the back leg of the core to an air-bearing slider. The improved bonding of the present invention results in improved rigidity of the head assembly and virtually eliminates tail draggers associated with the prior art.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for supporting an electrical magnetic transducer over a rotating magnetic disk has a slider body and first and second side rails. The slider body has a leading edge, a trailing edge and first and second side edges. First and second side rails are positioned along the first and second side edges, respectively. The first and second side rails have a convex crown ranging between about 0.50 micro inches and about 3.0 micro inches. An interface surface of the slider facing the surface of the magnetic disk has a three-dimensional roughness average ranging between about 0.20 micro inches and about 0.60 micro inches. The three-dimensional roughness average is an average of depth variations across the surface of the slider and is dependent upon crown, camber, twist, flatness, cylindrical sag, profile variations and edge blend of the air bearing slider.

Abstract: A gimbal spring apparatus includes a cantilevered tongue having a side edge and a planar mounting surface for an adhesive connection to a magnetic disk head slider. The tongue has an upper surface, opposite to the mounting surface, with a dimple protrusion for point contact with a load beam. Tabs extend from the side edge and is positioned generally adjacent the dimple. The tabs extend below a geometric plane defined by the planar mounting surface and through the adhesive connection for electrical contact with the magnetic disk head slider. The contacts provide an electrical discharge path from the magnetic disk head slider to the gimbal spring for discharging static electricity generated between the slider and a magnetic recording surface.

Abstract: A support means is disclosed for mounting an integrated circuit chip preamplifier with respect to an aluminum transducing head support arm in a magnetic disc drive. The support means includes two heat shields, each with an aluminum foil layer facing the preamplifier and a thermally insulative adhesive layer facing the rigid arm. The preamplifier is secured to the foil layer of the most adjacent heat shield with an electrically insulative but thermally conductive adhesive. The alternating thermally conductive and thermally insulative layers interfere with longitudinal heat transfer but allow lateral heat transfer to promote heat dissipation laterally outwardly of the support means, and thus substantially reduce thermal expansion of the support arm.