Abstract: A solution to the problem of long, e-beam mastering times needed for patterning masters for patterned magnetic disk media is disclosed. A process for fabrication of masters takes advantage of the circular symmetry of magnetic disks and reduces the total required mastering time by an order of magnitude over prior art processes. This process relies on e-beam mastering of one small arcuate portion of the master, and then replicating that portion around a circular path on the master several times to create a full disk master. The architecture of this design also corrects for errors in head positioning on the final patterned media disk that may be introduced by the mastering process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a stamper from a patterned substrate. The method includes providing a substrate having a top and a bottom with an opening therein, providing a support mechanism configured to retain the substrate, providing a stamper having a formed pattern and configured to come in contact with the top of the substrate, wherein a chamber is formed within the opening of the substrate when the stamper is in contact with the substrate, providing a channel directed toward the chamber to introduce pressurized air into the chamber, and directing pressured air through the channel to the chamber to initiate separation of the stamper from the substrate. In certain embodiments, the pressurized air may be directed toward an opening in the substrate, such as a central ID hole in a disk. The disk may be incorporated within a storage device as pattered magnetic media.

Abstract: A nanoimprinting configuration includes a UV light diffuser that randomizes a collimated UV light beam so as to diffuse the shadowing effect from any defect object that resides in the UV optical path. In addition, a combination center circular pad and outer ring-shaped pad form a donut-shaped “non-contact” area between the two pad pieces. The size and shape of the two pad combination are designed to avoid direct gel pad contact above the patterned imprint zone on the disk substrate. The purpose of the gel pad, non-contact configuration is to eliminate any possible surface deformation incurred along the loading column and thereby avoid the elastic propagation of any deformations to the stamper resist surface.

Abstract: A nanoimprinting system incorporates a patterned media contact architecture to provide a uniform imprinting pressure across the target imprinting area on a disk substrate. The system leverages the unique disk substrate characteristic of an inner diameter hole by incorporating a membrane suspension, gel-pad buffering, and air cushion loading that exploits the inner diameter hole characteristics of the disk substrate. This design dramatically increases the uniformity of the pressing pressure across the target imprinting area. As a result, a simple and effective improvement of the quality of the patterns imprinted on the recording disk substrate is realized.

Abstract: A solution to the problem of long, e-beam mastering times needed for patterning masters for patterned magnetic disk media is disclosed. A process for fabrication of masters takes advantage of the circular symmetry of magnetic disks and reduces the total required mastering time by an order of magnitude over prior art processes. This process relies on e-beam mastering of one small arcuate portion of the master, and then replicating that portion around a circular path on the master several times to create a full disk master. The architecture of this design also corrects for errors in head positioning on the final patterned media disk that may be introduced by the mastering process.

Abstract: A method of precisely controlling the amount of flatness or curvature in a lapping plate is disclosed. The lapping plate is formed from two layers of metal alloys, such as tin-antimony and steel. A bimetallic effect is exploited to induce a linear expansion in the plate so that the flatness or curvature of the plate is manipulated with thermal cycling. The plate is machined and charged under very specific and tightly controlled temperatures to produce a very robust, flat plate charge. As temperature cycling induces a linear expansion along a single plane across the plate, the resultant flatness change is scalar with temperature, and can be repeated and controlled. When the plate laps magnetic sliders, the plate can be thermally cycled to produce a conical surface and a high crown-to-camber ratio can be achieved.

Abstract: A system and apparatus precisely controls the amount of flatness or curvature in a lapping plate. The lapping plate is formed from two layers of metal alloys, such as tin-antimony and steel. A bimetallic effect is exploited to induce a linear expansion in the plate so that the flatness or curvature of the plate is manipulated with thermal cycling. The plate is machined and charged under very specific and tightly controlled temperatures to produce a very robust, flat plate charge. As temperature cycling induces a linear expansion along a single plane across the plate, the resultant flatness change is scalar with temperature, and can be repeated and controlled. When the plate laps magnetic sliders, the plate can be thermally cycled to produce a conical surface and a high crown-to-camber ratio can be achieved.

Abstract: A method of precisely controlling the amount of flatness or curvature in a lapping plate is disclosed. The lapping plate is formed from two layers of metal alloys, such as tin-antimony and steel. A bimetallic effect is exploited to induce a linear expansion in the plate so that the flatness or curvature of the plate is manipulated with thermal cycling. The plate is machined and charged under very specific and tightly controlled temperatures to produce a very robust, flat plate charge. As temperature cycling induces a linear expansion along a single plane across the plate, the resultant flatness change is scalar with temperature, and can be repeated and controlled. When the plate laps magnetic sliders, the plate can be thermally cycled to produce a conical surface and a high crown-to-camber ratio can be achieved.

Abstract: A system and apparatus precisely controls the amount of flatness or curvature in a lapping plate. The lapping plate is formed from two layers of metal alloys, such as tin-antimony and steel. A bimetallic effect is exploited to induce a linear expansion in the plate so that the flatness or curvature of the plate is manipulated with thermal cycling. The plate is machined and charged under very specific and tightly controlled temperatures to produce a very robust, flat plate charge. As temperature cycling induces a linear expansion along a single plane across the plate, the resultant flatness change is scalar with temperature, and can be repeated and controlled. When the plate laps magnetic sliders, the plate can be thermally cycled to produce a conical surface and a high crown-to-camber ratio can be achieved.

Abstract: A ramp wherein the amount of deformation in the front end edges of guiding parts caused by thermal expansion. The ramp includes at least two guiding parts individually formed for each suspension arm and made of a polymeric material having a small friction coefficient for guiding the suspension arm by sliding into a accommodation zone, and a guide supporting member made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the polymeric material of the guiding part for supporting each guiding part at a predetermined position. The guide supporting member has guide support holes which are located in zones to be contacted with the associated guiding parts, are not contacted with associated recording disks, and are engaged with the associated guiding parts at such positions that distances to the front end edges of the guiding parts become shortest. Each of the guiding parts has a projection.

Abstract: A ramp 200 has an attaching portion 221 and an arm holding portion 222. The attaching portion is molded with high polymer material so that the attaching portion has a screw hole 25 for fixing the ramp to the housing of an information recording disk apparatus by a screw. The arm holding portion is molded with high polymer material whose fiction coefficient is small, and the arm holding portion has a storing portion 27 to hold the suspension arm retracted from the recording disk and also has a guide portion 28 against which the suspension arm slides so that it is easily moved in and out of the storing portion 27. The attaching portion 221 and the arm holding portion 222 are united in one by subsequently molding the attaching portion and the arm holding portion.

Abstract: A ramp wherein the amount of deformation in the front end edges of guiding parts caused by thermal expansion. The ramp includes at least two guiding parts individually formed for each suspension arm and made of a polymeric material having a small friction coefficient for guiding the suspension arm by sliding into a accommodation zone, and a guide supporting member made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the polymeric material of the guiding part for supporting each guiding part at a predetermined position. The guide supporting member has guide support holes which are located in zones to be contacted with the associated guiding parts, are not contacted with associated recording disks, and are engaged with the associated guiding parts at such positions that distances to the front end edges of the guiding parts become shortest. Each of the guiding parts has a projection.

Abstract: A ramp structure that is designed to reduce the amount of thermal expansion induced misalignment (changes in ramp-disk spacing) between load/unload ramps and data storage disks of a data storage device. The ramp structure has a rigid support structure and ramp units attached to the rigid support structure. The ramp units are made of plastic that is particularly suited for use as load/unload ramps. The ramps are mechanically connected only by means of being attached to the rigid support structure. The data storage disks are attached to a spindle. The rigid support structure is made of a material that has a thermal expansion coefficient that is equal to the thermal expansion coefficient of the spindle and any other parts to which the disks are attached. As a temperature change causes the spindle to expand and the spacing between disks to change, the rigid support structure expands at the same rate, thereby maintaining alignment between the ramps and the disks.