Abstract: An air bearing slider for a disc drive has an overcoat localized on the air bearing surface to provide a continuous covering over a leading portion of the air bearing surface. The overcoat terminates in a trailing cut-off line, and a trailing portion of the air bearing surface is not covered by overcoat. The overcoat also covers the pole tips of the transducer at a pole tip recession from the air bearing surface. The leading portion covered by the overcoat includes all of the air bearing surface that contacts the disc during contact/start/stop, which is protected by a uniform continuous overcoat layer. The trailing cut-off line is disposed at an angle to expose the trailing corners of the air bearing surface, such that all of the overcoat is elevated above the lowermost portion of the air bearing surface through pitch and roll angles of flying at inner and outer radii. Methods of applying the localized overcoat include subtractive and additive photolithographic deposition processes.

Abstract: A burnishing head configured to provide extremely close control of the burnishing height, to aerodynamically eject particles generated by the burnishing process from beneath the burnishing head onto the disc surface, whence they can be swept from the disc by centripetal force, and to optimize the tribological relationship between the burnishing head and a disc being burnished. The burnishing head includes a plurality of burnishing pads arranged in an elliptical pattern, with the actual burnishing surface of the burnishing pads being either ion milled to provide a closely controlled surface texture, or lapped to a extremely smooth surface. The shape of the individual burnishing pads is also formed by the process of ion milling, and is either elliptical, or, preferably, an aerodynamic teardrop shape, which acts to aerodynamically displace generated particles from beneath the burnishing head.

Abstract: A method of forming a leading edge taper in a selected area on the bearing surface of a disc head slider includes directing an etching beam toward the bearing surface, with a first portion of the selected area being shaded from the etching beam and a second portion of the selected area being unshaded from the etching beam. The areas of the first and second portions are varied over time to form the taper.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a coil structure for use in a writer portion of a recording head is disclosed. The method comprises fabricating a bottom pole. A bottom insulating layer is fabricated on the bottom pole, while a seed layer is fabricated on the bottom insulator layer. Alternating third and fourth coil conductors are spacially positioned on the seed layer. A first plurality of insulating barriers are fabricated on the seed layer between the alternating third and fourth coil conductors. A middle insulating layer is fabricated on the third coil conductor, the second coil conductor, and the first plurality of insulating barriers. The A alternating third and fourth coil conductors are spacially positioned on the middle insulating layer. A second plurality of insulating barriers are fabricated on the middle insulating layer between the alternating third and fourth conductors.

Abstract: A method of forming a leading edge taper in a selected area on the bearing surface of a disc head slider includes directing an etching beam toward the bearing surface, with a first portion of the selected area being shaded from the etching beam and a second portion of the selected area being unshaded from the etching beam. The areas of the first and second portions are varied over time to form the taper.