Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method evaluates a head comprising a read element, a recording element, a coil, and a heater to change a projection amount of the elements by thermal expansion. The method includes: floating the head over the medium rotated; projecting including conducting electricity through the heater with an electric power, and projecting the elements toward the medium; first recording including stopping the conduction, and recording data in a sector on the medium after the stopping; second recording of recording data in another sector on the medium; reproducing the recorded data to obtain their reproducing characteristics; and obtaining including repeating the projecting, first and second recording, and reproducing, while changing the electric power in the projecting, obtaining the electric power for the heater at which the characteristics equal each other to compute the projection amount due to a current fed through the coil upon recording.

Abstract: A head slider is assembled in a magnetic disk drive unit and is capable of floating from a surface of a rotating magnetic disk by an air stream, which is formed between the rotating magnetic disk rotating and a disk-side face of the head slider. The head slider has a float pattern formed on the disk-side face that forms the air stream on the surface of the rotating magnetic disk; and a pad formed on the disk-side face and separated from the float pattern. A top end of the pad is projected from the float pattern so as to contact the magnetic disk when rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped. The float pattern is located outside of a range of the air stream which is disturbed by the pad, which is on the downstream side of the air stream with respect to the pad.

Abstract: A suspension for the head assembly includes a mount section formed in a gimbal section, and a head slider adhered on the mount section with an adhesive. Cable patterns are formed on a base member of the gimbal section, and electrically insulated from the base member. One end of each pattern is located in the mount section and capable of connecting with a head slider. A pad is projected from a surface of an adhering area of the mount section in which the head slider is adhered. The pad is electrically connected with the base member of the mount section.