Abstract: A beam direction module which can be applied to an optical switch, comprising: a collimator support member; a first mirror substrate including first micro-mirrors, and first windows through which beams can pass; a first electrode substrate including first mirror driving electrodes, and second windows through which beams can pass; a first spacer; a second mirror substrate including second micro-mirrors, and third windows through which beams can pass; a second electrode substrate including second mirror driving electrodes, and fourth windows through which beams can pass; a second spacer; and an inter-mirror spacer, wherein the first electrode substrate, the first spacer, the first mirror substrate, the inter-mirror spacer, the second mirror substrate, the second spacer and the second electrode substrate are stacked successively on the collimator support member and fixed between caps and the collimator support member while pins protruding from the collimator support member are inserted into alignment through-hol

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic write/read device comprising a magnetic read element and a magnetic write element is formed in a thin film magnetic head portion of a magnetic head slider. A heat generating resistor is formed between a substrate portion and the magnetic reproducing device for heating thereby thermally expanding and protruding a portion of the magnetic head slider to control the flying height. The heat generating resistor is positioned between the substrate portion and the magnetic reproducing device being apart from the magnetic reproducing device for making the response speed for the flying height control of the magnetic head slider as high as possible and decreasing the effect caused by the heat generation of the heat generating resistor on the magnetic reproducing device as little as possible.

Abstract: A method for selectively sensing and removing asperities from the surface of hard disk drive media is disclosed. A thermally controlled flying height burnish slider is flown on a test stand with its thermal flying height control deactivated. The burnish slider flies at a nominal flying height over the surface of the media to remove any existing loose particles from the surface. A glide slider coupled to a PZT sensor is then flown over the surface of the media, the PZT sensor head mapping locations of any asperities on the surface of the media. The thermal flying height controlled burnish slider is next flown over the surface of the media with the thermal flying height control activated. The thermal flying height control is actuated when a mapped location of an asperity on the surface is proximate to the burnish slider, causing the burnish slider to protrude, wearing off the asperity.

Abstract: A system for selectively sensing and removing asperities from hard disk drive disk is disclosed. The system includes a test stand supporting the disk, the test stand having at least one suspension for flying over a surface of the disk. The system also includes a glide pad coupled to the at least one suspension for flying over the surface and locating asperities. A PZT sensor is coupled to the glide pad for sensing and mapping asperities on the surface of the disk. A burnish pad is coupled to the at least one suspension for wearing-away sensed and mapped asperities on the surface of the disk and a thermal fly height controller is coupled to the burnish pad for protruding the burnish pad when it is proximate to one of the mapped asperities for facilitating the wearing-away of the mapped asperity.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk unit, the flying height margin of a magnetic recording element part during recording is reduced, whereby improvement in recording density and increase in capacity or decrease in size of the unit is realized. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk unit has a magnetic disk arranged in a freely rotational manner and a magnetic head slider disposed to face a surface of the magnetic disk, and generates air flow between the magnetic disk and the magnetic head slider for flying, and records data using a magnetic recording element. The magnetic head slider has a slider substrate part and a thin-film head part formed on the slider substrate part using a thin-film process. The thin-film head part has an insulating member, a magnetic recording element provided in the insulating member, and a heat radiation member for radiating heat generated by the magnetic recording element from lateral regions of the magnetic recording element to the slider substrate part.

Abstract: A glide-height disk-tester operates with the test disk rotating at a predetermined constant rotational speed and uses a glide head with an electrically-resistive heater and a thermally-responsive protrusion pad located on its trailing end. The linear velocity of the disk relative to the slider maintains the slider at its nominal fly height, which is typically higher than any expected asperity. With no current applied to the heater, the protrusion pad is generally flush with the air-bearing surface of the slider. Increasing levels of current are applied to the heater, which causes movement of the protrusion pad toward the disk surface. When the pad contacts an asperity, the current level applied at the instant of asperity contact is recorded. The applied current level can be correlated to the glide height from a previous calibration process using a calibration disk with known calibration bump heights.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a magnetic disk device which lowers the cost, maintains reliability by compensating the thermal dent or protuberance caused by a change in the environmental temperature, makes it possible to increase the recording density by decreasing the floating amount of the slider, to increase the capacity of the device or to decrease the size thereof. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk device comprises a magnetic disk, a magnetic head slider, and a drive unit for moving the magnetic head slider, wherein an air stream is generated between the magnetic disk that rotates and the magnetic head slider to effect the recording or the reproduction in a state where the magnetic head slider is floating. The magnetic head slider includes a slider substrate portion and a thin-film head portion that has recording and reproducing elements, a metal film, and an insulating film formed on the slider substrate portion and constituting a slider-floating plane along with the slider substrate portion.

Abstract: In a slider using thermal expansion type, being adjustable on a flying height thereof, having problems to be solved, i.e., to reduce the electric power consumption, and to lesson the heat load upon a reproducing element thereof, wherein a heating device 4 is located separating from tip portions of the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3. Also, for deforming only the vicinity of the heating device 4 and the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3, so as to protrude from, the heating device 4 and the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3 are surrounded by a resin film 6 of small rigidity, thereby increasing an amount of protrusion of the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3 per a unit of electric power, but without increasing temperature of the reproducing element 3, with an aim of the structure of cutting off the force from materials of circumferences against the deformation.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus, a function of shielding a magnetic head is improved while maintaining the form factor with an inexpensive structure. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus has a magnetic disk, a magnetic head that records or plays back information, a magnetic head support mechanism supporting the magnetic head, a positioning mechanism that moves the magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk to place the head in position, an enclosure made of a nonmagnetic material, and a shield member made of a magnetic material. The magnetic disk, magnetic head, magnetic head support mechanism, positioning mechanism, and shield member are housed in the enclosure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic write/read device comprising a magnetic read element and a magnetic write element is formed in a thin film magnetic head portion of a magnetic head slider. A heat generating resistor is formed between a substrate portion and the magnetic reproducing device for heating thereby thermally expanding and protruding a portion of the magnetic head slider to control the flying height. The heat generating resistor is positioned between the substrate portion and the magnetic reproducing device being apart from the magnetic reproducing device for making the response speed for the flying height control of the magnetic head slider as high as possible and decreasing the effect caused by the heat generation of the heat generating resistor on the magnetic reproducing device as little as possible.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention improve the power consumption and response speed of a heater for the gap flying height (hg) adjustment, to minimize an influence that the heater has on a life of a read element, and to provide a heater having resistance lines reduced in breaking and ensuring higher reliability. In one embodiment, a read/write element is formed near an air bearing surface (ABS) on a slider, and the circumference of the read/write element is filled with alumina. The read/write element includes an upper magnetic pole piece, a lower magnetic pole piece, a coil, and a resist filling around the coil, and a read element (MR) for performing reading, and an upper shield and lower shield for protecting the read element from an external magnetic field. A heater for adjusting the flying height is provided between the slider and the read/write element but near the read/write element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention achieve a decrease in electric power consumption while ensuring high recording density and high reliability in a magnetic disk apparatus. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a rotatable magnetic disk and a magnetic head slider to be able to fly above a surface of the magnetic disk. The magnetic head slider comprises an air bearing surface, by which the magnetic head slider is caused to fly and come near to the rotating surface of the magnetic disk with a predetermined spacing therebetween, recording and reproducing elements to perform at least one of recording on and reproduction from the magnetic disk, and a heating device to adjust a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk. The heating device is mounted such that heating thereof causes a part of the air bearing surface to expand and project to increase a distance between the recording and reproducing elements and the surface of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A thermal flying height adjustment slider capable of being mounted on a small-sized thin film magnetic head slider is provided wherein terminals of an energizer serving as a heater prevent corrosion of pole pieces and the number of terminals is reduced. In one embodiment, one of terminals of the energizer serving as the heater is electrically connected to the lower pole piece, so that a relay terminal for a heating device is used also as the terminal for preventing the corrosion of pole pieces.

Abstract: In a slider using thermal expansion type, being adjustable on a flying height thereof, having problems to be solved, i.e., to reduce the electric power consumption, and to lesson the heat load upon a reproducing element thereof, wherein a heating device 4 is located separating from tip portions of the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3. Also, for deforming only the vicinity of the heating device 4 and the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3, so as to protrude from, the heating device 4 and the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3 are surrounded by a resin film 6 of small rigidity, thereby increasing an amount of protrusion of the recording and reproducing elements 2 and 3 per a unit of electric power, but without increasing temperature of the reproducing element 3, with an aim of the structure of cutting off the force from materials of circumferences against the deformation.

Abstract: A beam direction module which can be applied to an optical switch, comprising: a collimator support member; a first mirror substrate including first micro-mirrors, and first windows through which beams can pass; a first electrode substrate including first mirror driving electrodes, and second windows through which beams can pass; a first spacer; a second mirror substrate including second micro-mirrors, and third windows through which beams can pass; a second electrode substrate including second mirror driving electrodes, and fourth windows through which beams can pass; a second spacer; and an inter-mirror spacer, wherein the first electrode substrate, the first spacer, the first mirror substrate, the inter-mirror spacer, the second mirror substrate, the second spacer and the second electrode substrate are stacked successively on the collimator support member and fixed between caps and the collimator support member while pins protruding from the collimator support member are inserted into alignment through-hol