Abstract: A magnetic read sensor having improved magnetic performance and robustness. The magnetic sensor includes a magnetic free layer and a magnetic pinned layer structure. The magnetic pinned layer structure includes first and second magnetic layers separated from one another by a non-magnetic coupling layer. The second magnetic layer of the magnetic pinned layer structure includes a layer of CoFeBTa, which prevents the diffusion of atoms and also promotes a desired BCC crystalline grain growth. The magnetic free layer structure can also include such a CoFeBTa layer for further prevention of atomic diffusion and further promotion of a desired BCC grain growth.

Abstract: Vibration of a transducer slider can be used during slider fly height calibration to detect contact of the transducer slider with a disc surface. Amplification of the vibration may cause the transducer slider to tap the disc surface rather than drag across the disc surface when detecting contact with the disc surface. Amplification may be achieved by applying an in-phase AC signal to the transducer slider at the same frequency as the vibration of the slider. Reduced contact between the slider and the disc surface reduces wear on and the possibility of damage to the transducer slider and/or the disc surface. Once the fly height of the transducer slider is calibrated, the AC signal may be shifted out-of-phase with the slider vibration to dampen the slider vibration.

Abstract: Techniques of the present invention include detecting a touchdown between a read/write head of a disk drive and a surface of a magnetic disk using multiple touchdown sensors located at an air-bearing surface (ABS). The multiple sensors increase the likelihood that a touchdown event—i.e., a portion of the ABS of the head contacting the underlying magnetic disk surface—will be detected. During touchdown, the portion of the head contacting the magnetic disk generates frictional heat which changes a characteristic (e.g., the electrical resistance) of at least one of the sensors located at the ABS. When the sensors are connected to a detection circuit, the changing characteristic may be monitored to identify a touchdown event. The touchdown sensors may be, for example, electrically connected in either series or parallel to the detection circuit. Thus, as long as the electrical resistance of one of the sensors is changed, a touchdown event may be detected.

Abstract: A disk driving apparatus includes a base member, a hub member, and a fluid bearing unit. The base member has a head movement region on which a head unit is to be mounted such that a head portion of the head unit can be moved along the radial direction of a recording face in a reciprocating manner while facing the recording face of a recording disk to be mounted on the hub member, and a recessed housing portion housing the fluid bearing unit such that it surrounds at least a part of a rotor unit supported by the fluid bearing unit. Furthermore, the base member has an inhibiting wall at a boundary between the head movement region and the recessed housing portion so as to prevent a lubricant fluid from migrating toward the recording disk side.

Abstract: A head-gimbal assembly (HGA) with a suspension-lead pad having a form that is configured to inhibit formation of an inter-pad solder bridge. The HGA includes a gimbal, a head-slider and a plurality of suspension-lead pads. The head-slider is coupled with the gimbal, and includes a plurality of head-slider pads. The plurality of suspension-lead pads is coupled with the plurality of head-slider pads by a plurality of solder bonds. A suspension-lead pad comprises a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a proximal side, disposed in proximity to a respective head-slider pad, and a distal side. A first width of the suspension-lead pad closer to the proximal side is substantially larger than a second width of the suspension-lead pad further from the proximal side than the first width. A disk drive including the HGA, and a head-slider with a head-slider pad having similar form to the suspension-lead pad are also provided.

Abstract: A magnetic write head for magnetic data recording that incorporates a novel magnetic oscillation generator stricture that sets up a magnetic oscillation in the magnetic media for improving writing and that also narrows the write width and reduces adjacent track interference by suppressing writing in regions outside of the desired data track. The magnetic oscillation generating structure includes a centrally disposed magnetic assist element that generates an oscillating magnetic field that oscillates in a direction that will assist the write pole in writing to the magnetic medium. The magnetic oscillation generating structure also includes first and second magnetic non-assist elements at either side of the assist element. The non-assist elements generate a magnetic field that oscillates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, which counteracts the magnetic write assist from the centrally disposed magnetic assist element and acts to suppress writing in these side regions.

Abstract: A slider includes a void for controlling the flying height of the slider over a disk in a HDD. The slider comprises a slider body having a leading surface and a trailing surface. A read/write element is formed in a portion of the slider body proximate to the trailing surface of the slider body and a first thermal heater proximate the read/write element, wherein a first void is defined within the slider body proximate to the read/write element for increasing a mobility of the read/write element to increase the protrusion when thermal energy is introduced to the read/write element.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a slider on which a head element is mounted is arranged at a tip end part of a load beam. The head support mechanism includes a support projection arranged at the tip end part of the load beam, a gimbal part including the slider and arranged to support the slider in a revolvable manner around the support projection, a displacement member arranged to revolve the slider around the support projection, and a counter balance aligned along a symmetric axis of the gimbal part so as to align a centroid of the gimbal part including the slider with the support projection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing sliders for a disk drives. The apparatus includes at least one gimbal structure adapted to engage at least one slider. The gimbal structure permits the slider to move in at least pitch and roll. A processing media is positioning opposite a surface on the least one slider to be processed. A preload mechanism biases the slider toward the processing media. One or more fluid bearing features are provided on at least one of the slider or the processing media configured to generate aerodynamic lift forces at an interface of the processing media with the surface of the slider during movement of the processing media relative to the slider. Various processing media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A glide head with a slider body that has a leading edge, a trailing edge and an air bearing surface is disclosed. The glide head also has an array of thermal proximity sensing elements connected in a bridge circuit that are adjacent both the trailing edge and the air bearing surface, a heating element mounted to the glide body for elevating the temperature of the thermal proximity sensing elements in relation to the temperature of an inspected surface, and a controller coupled to the array of thermal proximity sensing elements. The controller receives signals from the thermal proximity sensing elements, and determines the existence of a surface variation in the inspected surface based upon differences in the signals received from the thermal proximity sensing elements.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording layer of a recording medium, a return pole opposed to the main pole with a write gap therebetween, and a high-frequency oscillator between respective facing surfaces of the main pole and the return pole and configured to produce a high-frequency magnetic field. At least one of the main and return poles faces the high-frequency oscillator and includes a laminated structure portion includes a magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer laminated to one another.

Abstract: A slider tester includes a disk, movable table, table drive mechanism, guide member, etc. A plurality of suspensions are mounted on the movable table. A slider is mounted on each suspension. A guide member can support respective lift tabs of the suspensions. The guide member includes a first guide surface, second guide surface, and opening arranged in a track width direction of the disk. When any of the lift tabs gets into the opening as the movable table moves in the track width direction of the disk, the slider is dropped toward a recording surface of the disk.

Abstract: A magnetic disk is provided wherein a non-magnetic substrate, a magnetic layer, a protection layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially stacked. The surface of the lubrication layer has irregular structure patterns along a circumferential direction of the magnetic disk that have circumferential lengths that each correspond to a central angle. The irregular structure patterns may be formed by an adsorption between the lubrication layer and the surface of the protection layer. When a natural frequency of a magnetic head slider used to record to the magnetic disk is f and the magnetic disk rotation speed is R0, the central angle is set so as not to coincide with an angle ?0 expressed by ?0=360×(R0/60)/(f×1000).

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension, wherein a supporting portion such as an arm or base plate includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension, the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension, wherein a supporting portion such as an arm or base plate includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension, the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension, wherein a supporting portion such as an arm or base plate includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension, the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

Abstract: In a magnetic head suspension according to the present invention, each of paired right and left connecting beams that are positioned on both sides of an open section, with which paired piezoelectric elements are at least partially overlapped in a plan view, in a suspension width direction and connect a proximal end section that is directly or indirectly connected to a main actuator and a distal end section to which the load bending part is connected includes proximal-side and distal-side beams. The distal-side beam is inclined with respect to the proximal-side beam in a plan view such that a connection point between the proximal-side and distal-side beams is located closer to a suspension longitudinal center line relative to a virtual line connecting the proximal end of the proximal-side beam and the distal end of the distal-side beam.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a recording head for perpendicular recording, includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording layer of a recording medium, a return pole opposed to the main pole with a write gap therebetween and configured to form a magnetic circuit in conjunction with the main pole, a junction formed of a nonmagnetic body in which soft magnetic bodies are dispersed and configured to physically connect the main and return poles to each other, a coil configured to excite the magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit, a spin-torque oscillator arranged between the return pole and an end portion of the main pole and configured to produce a high-frequency magnetic field, and a current source configured to supply a current to the spin-torque oscillator through the return and main poles.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole generating a recording magnetic field in a magnetic recording medium, a return yoke paired with the main magnetic pole and a spin torque oscillator interposed between the main magnetic pole and the return yoke and including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a third magnetic layer of Fe4N, the second magnetic layer being interposed between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, wherein the magnetic recording head is configured to allow a current for oscillation to flow in a direction from the first magnetic layer to the third magnetic layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head of a disk drive includes a head slider including a disk-facing surface, and an inflow end surface and an outflow end surface extending across the disk-facing surface, a write element and a read element in an end portion of the head slider on the side of the outflow end surface, and an SiNx film formed on the outflow end surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A CPP spin-valve magnetic head, according to one embodiment includes a ferromagnetic free layer having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a first direction; a ferromagnetic reference layer film having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a second direction that is not orthogonal to the said first direction; and a tunnel barrier layer between the free and reference layers.

Abstract: Patterned discrete track magnetic media compatible with the constraints imposed by the use of self-assembly technology are described in which the PES servo portion of each servo sector has at least one offset segment used for the position error signal (PES). The downtrack length of the PES offset segment systematically varies according to the track position to encode information about the track position usable by the servo system. The downtrack length of the offset segment and, therefore, the time between the corresponding signal shifts is systematically varied from the inner diameter (ID) to the outer diameter (OD) according to the track position to provide coarse information to the servo system even if part of the track ID code cannot be read. Alternative embodiments include a preamble timing mark formed by another offset segment. A self-servo writing method is described using the preamble timing marks.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider body having a leading edge and an opposite trailing edge, as well as a top face and a bottom face each extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The slider body further includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the bottom face, a first recess defined on one of the protrusions, and a sacrificial layer deposited on the slider body in the recess. A bottom surface of the sacrificial layer extends at least as far from the bottom face as bottom surfaces of the plurality of protrusions. In another aspect, a first blocking feature is located at a first uptrack edge on an air bearing surface of a slider, with the first blocking feature being substantially continuous along the first uptrack edge and protruding outwardly from the air bearing surface to reduce particle interaction with the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A graphene magnetic field sensor has a ferromagnetic biasing layer located beneath and in close proximity to the graphene sense layer. The sensor includes a suitable substrate, the ferromagnetic biasing layer, the graphene sense layer, and an electrically insulating underlayer between the ferromagnetic biasing layer and the graphene sense layer. The underlayer may be a hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) layer, and the sensor may include a seed layer to facilitate the growth of the h-BN underlayer. The ferromagnetic biasing layer has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with its magnetic moment oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layer. The graphene magnetic field sensor based on the extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) effect may function as the magnetoresistive read head in a magnetic recording disk drive.

Abstract: A slider for magnetic data recording having a semiconductor based magnetoresistive sensor such as a Lorentz magnetoresistive sensor formed on an air bearing surface of the slider body. The slider is constructed of Si, which advantageously provides a needed physical robustness as well being compatible with the construction of a semiconductor based sensor thereon. A series of transition layers are provided between the surface of the Si slider body and the semiconductor based magnetoresistive sensor in order to provide a necessary grain structure for proper functioning of the sensor. The series of transition layers can be constructed of layers of SiGe each having a unique concentration of Ge.

Abstract: A row bar having a plurality of slider forming areas collocated and slider cutting areas formed between two adjacent slider forming areas respectively, the slider forming areas are eventually cut into individual sliders along the slider cutting areas respectively, each slider having a pole tip embedded therein and an air bearing surface pattern on an air bearing surface facing to a disk, and at least a regular measuring pattern with straight line is formed on one of the slider cutting areas, to serve as a frame of reference for measuring the position of the pole tip and the air bearing surface pattern. The present invention can improve the measuring accuracy, decrease the measuring error and, in turn, improve the performance of the slider.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to approaches to effectively let noise on a head slider bonded to a silicon substrate of a microactuator, escape to the ground. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a microactuator bonded to a gimbal tongue. The microactuator comprises a piezoelectric element and a movable part for moving in response to expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric element. The motion of the movable part causes a head slider to slightly move. The microactuator further comprises a conductive path including an impurity-containing silicon layer formed on the silicon substrate. The conductive path transmits electric charge of the head slider to a suspension. The conductivity of the impurity-containing silicon layer is lower than the one of the silicon substrate so that the noise charge of the head slider may escape to the suspension.

Abstract: Pre-patterned discrete track media for self-servo writing are described. Embodiments include land and groove patterns for two or more Integrated Servo sequence fields for each servo sector in which one of the Integrated Servo sequence fields is aligned with the data track and a second sequence is offset by one-half of a track width. The lands and grooves between the Integrated Servo sequence fields are preferably the same width as those between the data tracks to facilitate planarization. Alternative embodiments include a sync feature for each servo sector formed by a selected groove and/or land pattern as a marker for the start of the servo fields. Alternative embodiments include a bootstrap zone with servo patterns that are readable when DC-magnetized. Described methods of self-servowriting include ways to adapt to eccentricity and non-circularity of pre-patterned discrete tracks with respect to the head paths.

Abstract: A recording head includes a slider, and a recording element fixed to a side surface of the slider on the side of an outflow end and having a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole which generate a recording magnetic field. A spot light generating element includes a core having a reflecting surface that reflects a luminous flux introduced from one end side to the other end side in a direction different from the direction of introduction and a luminous flux condensing unit configured to generate a spot light by propagating the reflected luminous flux to the other end side while condensing the same, and a clad configured to confine the core in the interior thereof. The spot light generating element is fixed adjacently to the recording element in a state in which the other end side is faced toward a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: An opening (3) is formed on a surface of a metal film (2), a plurality of axes (4, 5, 6, 7) cross each other substantially perpendicularly at the opening (3), a plurality of periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) are provided for respective axes (4, 5, 6, 7), and each of the periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) includes a plurality of grooves (8-n, 9-n, 10-n, and 11-n) substantially perpendicular to the axis for which each periodic groove is provided, and the periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) is positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the opening (3).

Abstract: A magnetic recording element has a substrate, a main pole for recording that includes an edge part positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS), a waveguide through which a laser light propagates, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator is positioned away from the substrate and extends to the ABS as facing a part of the waveguide. The plasmon generator has a propagation edge extending in a longitudinal direction. The propagation edge has an overlapping part overlapping the waveguide in the longitudinal direction, and a near field light generator positioned on the ABS and located in the vicinity of the edge part of the recording magnetic pole. The overlapping part of the propagation edge is coupled with the laser light propagating through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode so that a surface plasmon is generated. The propagation edge propagates the surface plasmon generated in the overlapping part to the near field light generator.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head has a magneto-resistive (MR) effect element including an MR effect film formed by sequentially layering a magnetic pinned layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a free layer, and a pair of bias magnetic field application layers formed at junction tapered parts formed on both end parts of the magneto-resistive effect film in the width direction via insulating layers. Further, magnetic pinned layer oxidized films whose thickness is Hx (unit: nm) are disposed on end parts of the magnetic pinned layer at the junction tapered parts, free layer oxidized films whose thickness is Hf (unit: nm) are disposed on end parts of the free layer at the junction tapered parts, and the oxidized films are configured such that the thickness ratio (Hx/Hf) is not more than 0.5.

Abstract: Foundation layers of a thin film magnetic head are disposed between insulating layers and bias magnetic field application layers, and are configured of Cr or Cr alloy. The insulating layers are configured of a Si oxide such that the Si content of the Si oxide is in the range of 30˜56 at % (atom %) and that the atom ratio of oxygen to Si (O/Si) is in the range of 0.8˜1.3. With the configuration, the occurrence rate of noise is reduced.

Abstract: A slider for a head gimbal assembly includes a trailing surface, a plurality of connection pads arranged on the trailing surface adapted for both bonding the slider to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly and testing the performance of the slider. At least a part of the connection pads each comprises a bonding portion and a testing portion electrically connected to the bonding portion and larger than the bonding portion, all the bonding portions and the rest part of the connection pads are arranged in a first row and the testing portions are arranged outside the first row. The slier of the present invention has a new pad layout to facilitate bonding of the connection pads and permit to provide additional pads thereon to connect the additional sensors therein for precise reading and writing, thereby improving the performance of the slider. The invention also discloses a head gimbal assembly and a disk drive unit including the same.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetic disk includes rotating a magnetic disk, supporting a floating head on the rotating magnetic disk, the floating head having a slider body and an element unit formed on a trailing edge of the slider body, contacting a floating surface of the slider body with the magnetic disk, and protruding a portion of the floating head toward the magnetic disk due to application of power to a heater element within the element unit, wherein the element unit is positioned away from the magnetic disk. In another embodiment, a floating head includes a slider body comprising AlTiC, an element unit positioned on a trailing edge of the slider body, the element unit having an initial recess amount of at least about 4 nm, and a heater element positioned within an alumina protective film of the element unit.

Abstract: There is provided a head gimbal mechanism 2 including a slider 10 placed between a recording medium D and a beam 11 and having a device generating near-field light, gimbal means 12 for fixing the slider to the tip of the beam 11 at a state that it can rotate about two axes which are parallel to the surface of the recording medium and are orthogonal to each other, and a flexible optical waveguide 13 composed of a basic waveguide section 21 placed along the beam and a bent waveguide section 21 that is bent in the Z-direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium from the tip of the basic waveguide and connecting to the slider in non-contact with the beam and the gimbal means, the optical waveguide 13 guiding the luminous flux to the slider, wherein the basic waveguide section is placed at a state that at least a predetermined length on the bent waveguide section side relative to the beam is not fixed to the beam.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor or read head for a magnetic recording disk drive has multiple independent current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) MR sensing elements. The sensing elements are spaced-apart in the cross-track direction and separated by an insulating separation region so as to be capable of reading data from multiple data tracks on the disk. The sensing elements have independent CPP sense currents, each of which is directed to independent data detection electronics, respectively. Each sensing element comprises a stack of layers formed on a common electrically conducting base layer, which may be a bottom magnetic shield layer formed of electrically conducting magnetically permeable material. Each sensing element has a top electrical lead layer. A top magnetic shield layer is located above the sensing elements in contact with the top lead layers.

Abstract: A magnetic-recording-disk test-head. The magnetic-recording-disk test-head includes a slider, a test pad and a slider-surface-shape control mechanism. The slider includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. The test pad is disposed at a trailing-edge side of the slider and is configured to remove and to detect asperities on a magnetic-recording disk. The slider-surface-shape control mechanism is configured to change a shape of an air-bearing surface of the slider and is disposed at a leading-edge side of the slider.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to air-bearing sliders used in magnetic storage systems that employ a trench arranged between a transducing head connected to a slider body and a leading edge of the slider body. The trench is configured to divert air passing over an air-bearing surface of the slider body away from the transducing head.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head having a main coil (the write coil) and main pole (the write pole) that directs write flux in a direction perpendicular to the recording layer in the magnetic recording medium, and a transverse auxiliary pole (TAP) that injects auxiliary magnetic flux into the write pole at an angle to the primary or perpendicular axis of the write pole. The additional flux from the TAP, which is injected non-parallel to the primary magnetization of the write pole, exerts a torque on the magnetization of the write pole, thereby facilitating magnetization reversal of the write pole. The TAP is coupled to the main coil but not electrically connected to it. A separate passive coil, not electrically connected to the main coil, may be wrapped as a loop around the main pole and the TAP. Alternatively, the TAP may be located near one of the electrically conductive turns of the main coil.

Abstract: An MR element in a CPP-GMR structure includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a spacer layer that is epitaxially formed on the first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer that is located on the spacer layer, and that is laminated with the first ferromagnetic layer to sandwich the spacer layer. A sense current flows along a lamination direction of the first and second ferromagnetic layers. Angle of magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer relatively change due to an externally applied magnetic field.

Abstract: An MR element in a CPP structure includes a spacer layer made of Cu, a magnetic pinned layer containing CoFe and a free layer containing CoFe that are laminated to sandwich the spacer layer. The free layer is located below the magnetic pinned layer. The free layer is oriented in a (001) crystal plane, the spacer layer is formed and oriented in a (001) crystal plane on the (001) crystal plane of the free layer. Therefore, in a low resistance area where an area resistivity (AR) of the MR element is, for example, lower than 0.3 ?·?m2, an MR element that has a large variation of a resistance is obtained.

Abstract: A slider having a slider body is provided. An electrical connection is coupled to the slider body. A first actuator is coupled to the electrical connection and adapted to displace a first portion of the slider body. Additionally, a second actuator is coupled to the electrical connection and adapted to displace a second portion of the slider body.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body having an air bearing surface, a first contact finger, and a transducing head. The first contact finger extends from the slider body and has a contact surface area of between about 2 square microns to about 20 square microns. The transducing head is supported by the slider body near the first contact finger and extends from the air bearing surface by a distance less than that of the first contact finger.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body and a bond pad. The bond pad is positioned on the slider body and has a bonding surface with a recessed channel for directing solder flow.

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: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording apparatus includes a magnetic recording medium including magnetically recordable recording tracks with a width L1, non-recording sections each provided between adjacent recording tracks, and a wide land track having a width L2 larger than the width L1 of the recording tracks, and a head slider including read and write heads.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing head media spacing (HMS) from about 100 Angstroms to about 65 Angstroms or less, without substantial reductions in the carbon overcoat or lubricant thickness. A protruding feature extends above the actuated portion of the air bearing surface and generally covers the read-write sensors. The protruding feature can either be static or thermally actuated. The protruding feature is small enough to engage with the lubricant without causing large head media disturbances and lubricant pickup and re-distribution or preventing contact detection. The protruding feature is also extremely small relative to the size of the actuated portion of the air bearing surface, but large enough to provide a wear and corrosion resistance to head media spacing sensitive features.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a magnetic storage medium includes a data area in and from which a magnetic head on a magnetic head slider records and reproduces data, the data area including an innermost peripheral radius Rid [m] and an outermost peripheral radius Rod [m]. If a rotational speed during recording and reproduction of the data is RPS [rps], waviness of the storage medium with a wavelength in a range between ?1 (=2×?×Rid×RPS/300,000) and ?2 (=2×?×Rod×RPS/100,000) is set to at most 0.05 nm in terms of a standard deviation value (sigma value).

Abstract: A magneto-resistive effect (MR) element includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer in which a relative angle of magnetization directions of the first and second magnetic layers changes according to an external magnetic field; and a spacer layer that is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The spacer layer contains gallium nitride (GaN) as a main component.