Abstract: A slider comprising a contact sensor element configured to respond to a change in resistance due to a change in temperature, and a shield structure. The shield structure comprises a lower thermal conductivity than the contact sensor element and a greater hardness than the contact sensor element.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk and a head-slider. The head-slider includes an air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface includes a trailing-edge rail surface, an inner trailing-edge pad, and an outer trailing-edge pad. The pad surface of the outer trailing-edge pad includes a straight outer edge slanting outward; and, the angle of the outer edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?1. The pad surface of the inner trailing-edge pad includes a straight inner edge slanting inward; and, the angle of the inner edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?2. For absolute values of skew angles at an outermost data track position and an innermost data track position on the disk that are denoted by ?1 and ?2, respectively, the following conditions are satisfied: ?2??1,?1+?1?90°, and ?1??2,?2+?2?90°.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a head slider that suppresses accumulation of lubricant droplets on an air-bearing surface due to a backflow, and thus improves reliability of a disk drive. According to one embodiment, a lubricant droplet being adhered to a head slider and accumulated thereon, which are caused by extremely low flying height of the head slider, are prevented from falling onto a recording medium. When velocity of a recording medium at a position where the head slider faces the recording medium is assumed to be v, step depth ?4 at an outflow side of an outflow side rail satisfies, ?4?0.1125*log10(v)+0.019.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider having a thermal microactuator capable of efficiently transmitting thermal expansion displacement in the vicinity of a heating element to the region of a read/write element and thereby enabling high-speed displacement response is realized. The magnetic head slider comprises a slider substrate and a thin film stack part formed on the slider substrate. The thin film stack part includes a read/write element for reading and writing data and one or more heating elements arranged on one side or on each side of the read/write element in regard to a direction corresponding to the track width direction for generating heat in response to energization. Further, a low Young's modulus layer (made of a material having a low Young's modulus or void) is arranged between the slider substrate and the thin film stack part.

Abstract: An object is to provide a flat surface inspection apparatus that can prevent sliders from being damaged and detect micro defects. A flat surface inspection apparatus includes: a measured subject; a stage that supports the measured subject; a spindle that rotates the stage; a first part having light sources applying light beam onto the measured subject, a scattered-light-detecting section, a signal processing section that converts the scattered light into information about a first defect, and a first memory section that stores therein the information about the first defect; and a second part having sliders mounted with a contact sensor that detects a second defect smaller than the first defect, a loading/unloading mechanism that flies the slider over the measured subject, a slider control section that controls the loading/unloading mechanism based on the information about the first defects and second defects.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider inspection device including a motor unit for revolving a disk medium, a slider unit provided with a reproducing head, which is levitated from a surface of the disk medium under force generated by the revolving disk medium, a magnetic field generator positioned at an opposite side of the disk medium with respect to the slider unit for generating a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the disk medium surface, and a circuit unit for generating the magnetic field from the magnetic field generator, and measuring a resistance value of the reproducing head levitated from the disk medium surface.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive includes a disk enclosure, a magnetic-recording disk accommodated in the disk enclosure, and a diffusion suppressing film. The diffusion suppressing film divides the space in the disk enclosure into a first space where the magnetic-recording disk is disposed and a second space for retaining a lubricant. The diffusion suppressing film also suppresses diffusion of the lubricant from the second space to the first space.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk and a head-slider. The head-slider includes an air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface includes a trailing-edge rail surface, an inner trailing-edge pad, and an outer trailing-edge pad. The pad surface of the outer trailing-edge pad includes a straight outer edge slanting outward; and, the angle of the outer edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?1. The pad surface of the inner trailing-edge pad includes a straight inner edge slanting inward; and, the angle of the inner edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?2. For absolute values of skew angles at an outermost data track position and an innermost data track position on the disk that are denoted by ?1 and ?2, respectively, the following conditions are satisfied: ?2??1, ?1+?1?90°, and ?1?2, ?2+?2?90°.

Abstract: A head slider is capable of restricting deformation of a medium-facing surface, and includes heat generating elements located at a distance from a read/write head in a Y direction corresponding to the radial direction of a disk medium. A width of the heat generating element in a Z direction is smaller than the widths in the X and Y directions.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a magnetic head slider capable of securing a larger flying margin even when position variations occur at the time of flying. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a magnetic head slider having an excellent flying following capability. A read element and a write element of a magnetic head slider are arranged on a spherical or ellipsoidal projection and this projection is formed on a thin film magnetic head part. This may prevent a flying margin from being reduced by variations in flying position and may prevent a manufacturing step from being caused on the spherical or ellipsoidal projection. Moreover, by making the constituent ratio of the thin film magnetic head part on an air-bearing surface of the magnetic head slider 100 to be 7% or more, the read element and the write element are arranged at a pressure center position on the center rail surface of the air-bearing surface.

Abstract: Provided is a head slider that can heat a recording medium with a simple structure. In the head slider (10), a hole portion (14h) having an opening in a medium facing surface (10a) facing a disk-shaped recording medium (2) is formed, and a heating element (32) that is heated by being energized and a reflection portion (43) for reflecting heat radiated from the heating element (32) toward the disk-shaped recording medium (2) are disposed in the hole portion (14h).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a head slider that suppresses accumulation of lubricant droplets on an air-bearing surface due to a backflow, and thus improves reliability of a disk drive. According to one embodiment, a lubricant droplet being adhered to a head slider and accumulated thereon, which are caused by extremely low flying height of the head slider, are prevented from falling onto a recording medium. When velocity of a recording medium at a position where the head slider faces the recording medium is assumed to be v, step depth ?4 at an outflow side of an outflow side rail satisfies, ?4?0.1125*log10(v)+0.019.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head slider having a surface that is formed into a multiple step configuration to stabilize flying of the slider. According to one embodiment, a magnetic head slider has an air bearing surface including surfaces in three stages different in height from one another. An outflow side rail surface and inflow side rail surfaces, in a first stage are approximately the same in height. A rear step bearing surface, front step bearing surface, and side step bearing surfaces and, which are in a second stage, are shallow step surfaces being approximately the same in height, and being formed lower than the surfaces in the first stage. A deep cavity surface is formed further lower than the surfaces in the second stage. A film for preventing adhesion of organic contaminants and a lubricant is formed on the shallow step surfaces, and in the second stage.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider including: a head element which records or reproduces information on a magnetic disk, a slider having said head element, and an electric conducting film in which paired first and second parts are formed to be substantially parallel, where current flows within said first and second parts are in the opposite direction as against said slider.

Abstract: When a piezoelectric element is deformed in the direction of decreasing a flying height, a pressure at a trailing pad increases, and the flying height of a magnetic head is not efficiently decreased and may be increased conversely in some occasions. A position of contact between a suspension and a dimple is set toward a leading edge with respect to a piezoelectric element, and a pad for generating a positive pressure is disposed between the dimple and the piezoelectric element in addition to a trailing pad. Fluctuations of a positive pressure generated toward the leading edge with respect to the dimple are thus suppressed when the piezoelectric element is deformed.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider has a recess portion recessed with respect to the center rail. The recess portion has a spherical or oval-spherical projection, which includes a read element and a write element disposed in the recess portion. The recess portion may prevent increasing flying height of a slider base due to projection height h may be suppressed, and may secures higher air film stiffness, so that consequently flying stability of the slider may be improved.

Abstract: A suspension having a magnetic head assembly 1 mounted thereon is provided, wherein the magnetic head assembly comprises: a write head 1-2; a read head 1-1; and a resistive heating element 1-3 for controlling the flying heights of the magnetic heads, wherein the wires HTx and GTx for the resistive heating element is disposed such that they sandwich the wires RxX and RxY for the read head. The wires for the resistive heating element may be disposed between the wires for the write head and the wires for the read head. Furthermore, the waveform of the current or voltage to the resistive heating element has a time constant of 1 ?sec or more, the resistive heating element having wires disposed near the wires of the read head.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a slider that may suppress contamination from being attached to the flying surface of the slider without influence on reduction of the flying height of the slider, and a method for producing the same. According to one embodiment, ions exerting an effect of decreasing surface energy are implanted in the whole surface of a flying surface of a magnetic head slider except for a front rail surface and a center rail surface. According to this, contamination is prevented from being attached to a front step bearing surface, a side step bearing surface, a center step bearing surface and a negative pressure groove where contamination is particularly liable to be attached in the flying surface of the magnetic head slider, so as to suppress destabilization in flying of the slider.

Abstract: A suspension having a magnetic head assembly 1 mounted thereon is provided, wherein the magnetic head assembly comprises: a write head 1-2; a read head 1-1; and a resistive heating element 1-3 for controlling the flying heights of the magnetic heads, wherein the wires HTx and GTx for the resistive heating element is disposed such that they sandwich the wires RxX and RxY for the read head. The wires for the resistive heating element may be disposed between the wires for the write head and the wires for the read head. Furthermore, the waveform of the current or voltage to the resistive heating element has a time constant of 1 ?sec or more, the resistive heating element having wires disposed near the wires of the read head.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a magnetic head slider capable of securing a larger flying margin even when position variations occur at the time of flying. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a magnetic head slider having an excellent flying following capability. A read element and a write element of a magnetic head slider are arranged on a spherical or ellipsoidal projection and this projection is formed on a thin film magnetic head part. This may prevent a flying margin from being reduced by variations in flying position and may prevent a manufacturing step from being caused on the spherical or ellipsoidal projection. Moreover, by making the constituent ratio of the thin film magnetic head part on an air-bearing surface of the magnetic head slider 100 to be 7% or more, the read element and the write element are arranged at a pressure center position on the center rail surface of the air-bearing surface.