Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the calibration and use of test glide head gimbal assemblies are disclosed. Calibration is performed by pulse laser adjustment of the flexure mounted to the glide head, while the head is flying above a media test disk having asperities of known dimensions. The calibration process normalizes the fly heights of glide heads used to measure defects on both upper and lower surfaces of disk drive media, allowing upper and lower surfaces to be scanned simultaneously.

Abstract: A magnetic write head arranged to maximize efficiency of an optical device used to locally heat a magnetic medium during use, also to maximize efficiency of a heater element for thermal fly height control. The magnetic head is constructed with a read head, a write head and a slider body. The write head is located between the read head and the slider body. A heater element can be located between the read head and the write head and an optical device such as an optical waveguide can be located between the write head and the slider body. The write head can be constructed to have a write pole that is closer to the slider body than the return pole is, thereby allowing the write pole to be adjacent to the optical device.

Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a thin film stack having a magnetic transducer and a contact pad; and a heater in the thin film stack for inducing thermal protrusion of a media-facing side of the thin film stack, wherein the thin film stack is characterized by the contact pad protruding farther than the magnetic transducer upon the thin film stack being heated by the heater. A method for calibrating a protrusion of a magnetic head includes increasing a thermal protrusion of a magnetic head to induce head-medium contact; determining that the head has contacted the medium, wherein a portion of the head that contacts the medium is a contact pad or overcoat of the contact pad; determining parameters for inducing a desired amount of protrusion based in part on the determination that the head has contacted the medium; and storing the parameters.

Abstract: A method of swaging a head gimbal assembly (HGA) to an actuator arm comprises positioning a tubular element on the HGA adjacent a hole in the actuator arm; restraining the subassembly; providing a rod formed from a shape memory alloy (SMA), the SMA having a martensitic phase at a low temperature and an austenitic phase above a phase transition temperature that is higher than the low temperature, the rod having an initial diameter that is smaller than diameters of the tubular element and the hole; extending the rod through the tubular element and hole; heating the rod above the phase transition temperature such that the rod expands to a second diameter that is greater than the initial diameter to plastically deform the HGA and swage together the HGA and actuator arm to form an assembly; cooling the rod and removing the rod from the assembly such that the rod returns to the initial diameter.

Abstract: A system and method for patterning a master disk or “stamper” to be used for nanoimprinting magnetic recording disks uses an air-bearing slider that supports an aperture structure within the optical near-field of a resist layer on a rotating master disk substrate. Laser pulses directed to the input side of the aperture are output to the resist layer. The aperture structure includes a metal film reflective to the laser radiation with the aperture formed in it. The aperture has a size less than the wavelength of the incident laser radiation and is maintained by the air-bearing slider near the resist layer to within the radiation wavelength. The timing of the laser pulses is controlled to form a pattern of exposed regions in the resist layer, with this pattern ultimately resulting in the desired pattern of data islands and nondata islands in the magnetic recording disks when they are nanoimprinted by the master disk.

Abstract: A magnetic write head arranged to maximize efficiency of an optical device used to locally heat a magnetic medium during use, also to maximize efficiency of a heater element for thermal fly height control. The magnetic head is constructed with a read head, a write head and a slider body. The write head is located between the read head and the slider body. A heater element can be located between the read head and the write head and an optical device such as an optical waveguide can be located between the write head and the slider body. The write head can be constructed to have a write pole that is closer to the slider body than the return pole is, thereby allowing the write pole to be adjacent to the optical device.

Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a thin film stack having a magnetic transducer and a contact pad; and a heater in the thin film stack for inducing thermal protrusion of a media-facing side of the thin film stack, wherein the thin film stack is characterized by the contact pad protruding farther than the magnetic transducer upon the thin film stack being heated by the heater. A method for calibrating a protrusion of a magnetic head includes increasing a thermal protrusion of a magnetic head to induce head-medium contact; determining that the head has contacted the medium, wherein a portion of the head that contacts the medium is a contact pad or overcoat of the contact pad; determining parameters for inducing a desired amount of protrusion based in part on the determination that the head has contacted the medium; and storing the parameters.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the calibration and use of test glide head gimbal assemblies are disclosed. Calibration is performed by pulse laser adjustment of the flexure mounted to the glide head, while the head is flying above a media test disk having asperities of known dimensions. The calibration process normalizes the fly heights of glide heads used to measure defects on both upper and lower surfaces of disk drive media, allowing upper and lower surfaces to be scanned simultaneously.

Abstract: A rod formed from a shape memory alloy is stretched under load to reduce its diameter. The rod is positioned in a boss formed in a head gimbal assembly and actuator comb assembly. The rod is heated above its transition temperature such that the diameter of the rod expands to plastically deform and swage the assembly and form a joint. The rod is then cooled to return to its nominal diameter and removed from the swaged assembly.

Abstract: The head of a disk drive has write elements disposed on one protrusion pad that wears away during initial operation to permit reduced tolerances and, thus, reduced spacing between the disk and head, with the read element being disposed on a separate protrusion pad and spaced from the write element pad in the radial dimension. This prevents read element recession during cooling in the absence of write current that could otherwise occur if the read element were located on the same pad as the write head.

Abstract: A method and tool for measurement of the roll static attitude and y-misalignment of magnetic recording sliders within the head stack assembly having reference elements placed on the deposited end of the magnetic recording slider, which are optically analyzed by a video camera connected to a computer. For fast measurement the head stack assembly is clamped in a fixture mounted on motorized stages, which move each slider into the measurement position. In a two step imaging and analyzing process, the orientation and location of one or more edges of the reference element are computed and compared with known control parameters.

Abstract: A lift tab for a load/unload type of data storage hard drive and a method of smoothing the lift tab. The method includes the step of striking the lift tab with short duration (e.g. 10-500 nanosecond) energy pulses to melt a thin surface layer of the lift tab. The melted layer flows under surface tension forces, smoothing out bumps and scratches. The melted layer quickly refreezes, forming an exceptionally smooth melted and refrozen spot. Preferably, the melted and refrozen spot is 0.2-10 microns deep. More preferably, the melted and refrozen spot is in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 microns thick. The lift tab can have a large number of melted and refrozen spots. The size of the melted and refrozen spots is practically limited by power available from energy sources such as lasers. Preferably, the melted and refrozen spots are at least several tens of microns in diameter. The present invention includes lift tabs having melted and refrozen spots.