Abstract: A slider of a magnetic hard disk drive has one or more electric lapping guides in immediate proximity to the read/write stack of the slider. The lapping guides remain part of the slider during its operation. In the preferred embodiment, two essentially identical lapping guides are symmetrically placed on a slider back. One write head terminal is utilized to conductively access the two lapping guides on one side such that only one additional terminal has to be placed on the slider back together with corresponding leads. The placement of lapping guides on the slider back face provides for an economic lapping of individual sliders with increased precision and reliability regardless of any lapping plane skew.

Abstract: The invention includes head gimbal assemblies, actuators, and disk drives containing at least one airfoil boundary reducing air flow turbulence about a slider induced by said head gimbal assembly accessing a rotating disk surface.

Abstract: A slider fabrication assembly and method for making the same are provided. A slider is formed on a substrate. A corrodible component of the slider is exposed to an environment in contact with the slider. A kerf region of the substrate is positioned adjacent to the slider. The kerf region is removable from the slider. A sacrificial anode is embedded in the kerf region and exposed to the environment. The sacrificial anode is electrically coupled to the corrodible component of the slider thereby forming an electrochemical cell. The sacrificial anode is less noble, i.e., more corrodible, than the corrodible slider component, and thus corrodes first. When the kerf region is removed, the corroded sacrificial anode is removed as well.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider and fixing a bar which improves fabrication accuracy without increasing manufacturing costs. After thin film magnetic head devices are formed on a wafer, the wafer is cut into bars each including two or more magnetic head sliders. The bars are carried and mounted onto a suction plater. A surface of each bar to be processed is brought into direct contact with a suction surface of the suction plate, and is positioned in a plane parallel to the suction surface. An adhesive is applied to the surface of a support substrate. The surfaces opposite to the surfaces to be processed are pressed against the adhesive. The adhesive is allowed to set. Adhesive thickness varies according to variations in thicknesses of the bars. Therefore, the surfaces of the bars to be processed can be kept aligned with a reference plane.

Abstract: A slider body configuration, or slider, for carrying a data transducer in cooperative relationship with a rotating data storage disc. The slider includes a plurality of landing pads which serve to minimize the contact area between the slider and the discs when the heads are parked in contact with the discs, and the landing pads project from surfaces which are farther removed from the disc surface than the air bearing surfaces, thus minimizing the size and strength of any liquid miniscus formed between the slider and the disc when the slider and disc are in contact. By recessing the bases of the landing pads from the air bearing surfaces, the effect of the landing pads on the separation between the data transducer and the discs is minimized.

Abstract: A glide head for detecting asperities on a disc surface is provided. The glide head includes a glide slider which includes a glide slider body that has a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a bottom surface therebetween. The bottom surface is centered along a longitudinal axis that extends between the leading and trailing edges. An inside rail is disposed on the bottom surface on a first side of the longitudinal axis extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge. An outside rail is disposed on the bottom surface on a second side of the longitudinal axis. The outside rail also extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The inside and outside rails are substantially equidistant from the longitudinal axis at the bottom surface. The outside rail is positioned lower than the inside rail such that a bottom surface of the outside rail extends further from a point on the longitudinal axis on the trailing edge than does a bottom surface of the inside rail.

Abstract: An aerodynamic slider has at least one side surface that is continuously curved between the leading and trailing surfaces to substantially eliminate off-track forces on the side surface due to changing skew orientations. A slider profile is modeled, and a numerical simulation of airflow on the modeled profile is generated for each of a plurality of skew orientations within a range of skew orientations at which the slider will fly. The modeled slider profile is repeatedly adjusted based on the numerical simulations until a vibration analysis on the modeled profile indicates vibration does not exceed a predetermined minimum.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for supporting a transducer over a moving recording medium and a method for fabricating such an air bearing slider. The air bearing slider lifts off the recording medium with a predetermined take-off velocity when the recording medium begins to move. The air bearing slider has a first etched region that has a first etch depth and a second etched region that has a second etch depth. The etch depth ratio of the first etch depth to the second etch depth provides a pad-type air bearing slider with a take-off velocity ratio that is greater than or equal to 100%. The etch depth ratio of the first etch depth to the second etch depth provides a rail-type air bearing slider with a take-off velocity ratio that is greater than or equal to approximately 70%.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider materials having different widths are cut out from the wafer. Each of the three types of slider materials includes rows of the sections to be the sliders. Processing including lapping is performed on a surface to be medium facing surfaces of each of the three types of slider materials. The materials are then separated to form slider aggregates each of which includes one of the rows of the sections to be the sliders. Rails are formed in a surface to be the medium facing surfaces of the slider aggregates.

Abstract: A head slider for recording and playing back signals on a medium while floating on the medium has a head slider body and a lubrication layer on a slider surface of the head slider body. A lubricant of the lubrication layer has a main chain structure the same as a main chain structure of a lubricant of a lubrication layer of the medium. However, a terminal group of the lubricant of the lubrication layer, which is applied on the head slider has different structure from a structure of a terminal group of the lubricant of the lubrication layer on the medium. Thus, the adhesion does not occur between the lubrication layers of the head slider and the medium. As a result, the glide height of the head slider from the medium can be reduced by a distance of sub-nano-orders. The floating height of the head slider from the medium is decreased so that a plurality of signals are recorded on the medium in a high density.

Abstract: A trapezoidal shaped silicon slider is described in the present invention. The slider has a first parallel surface larger than a second parallel surface, thereby generating a built-in positive pitch with respect to a recording medium when the slider is incorporated into a hard disk drive. The slider further includes round edges at the first parallel surface, longitudinal holes within its body, non-planar slanted side surfaces, and a rounded leading edge. The silicon, trapezoidal slider is fabricated using a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique.

Abstract: The head slider of the present invention is characterized in that, when an inertia force is generated, at an upstream position spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the direction of air inflow end from a position where the inertia force is applied to the head slider, and at a downstream position spaced apart by same distance in the direction of air outflow end from a position where the inertia force is applied, the membrane rigidities of air spring layer formed between the head slider and a recording medium are Kl and Kt respectively; and the distance between the upstream position and the downstream position in a direction parallel to the surface of the recording medium is L, and the amount of flying in a vertical direction from the recording medium at the downstream position is Xh, and the angle formed by the surface to be opposed to the recording medium of the head slider against the recording medium in stable flying of the head slider is &thgr;p, then the relation of

Abstract: A marking method for a sintered product of the invention includes forming a concave portion on the sintered product by irradiating the sintered product with laser light thereby to write identification information on the sintered product. The depth of the concave portion is adjusted in a range between 0.1 &mgr;m and 5 &mgr;m, inclusive.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the position of a digital data storage device slider through the use of an electro-thermal micromechanical actuator is disclosed. A movable member is etched into a face of a slider opposite the air-bearing surface of the slider. The movable member is substantially freestanding in relation to the slider, having only a single end connected to the slider. An electrically actuated heater element with two parallel current paths is disposed on the movable member. One of the current paths is substantially narrower than the other current path. When a current is passed through the heater element, the narrower current path heats up more quickly than the wider current path. By varying the current passed through the heater element in a selected manner, a distortion of the movable member is harnessed and used to create a relative motion in the slider body, allowing the slider to be quickly and exactly located over the centerline of a track of a storage device.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider materials having different widths are cut out from the wafer. Each of the three types of slider materials includes rows of the sections to be the sliders. Processing including lapping is performed on a surface to be medium facing surfaces of each of the three types of slider materials. The materials are then separated to form slider aggregates each of which includes one of the rows of the sections to be the sliders. Rails are formed in a surface to be the medium facing surfaces of the slider aggregates.

Abstract: Embodiments include a method for adjusting the twist of an air bearing surface of at least one slider to substantially match a target values for twist, the at least one slider having a back surface opposite the air bearing surface, the back surface including two sets of diagonally opposite comer regions, with each set including one comer region adjacent to a leading edge of the slider and one comer region adjacent to a trailing edge of the slider. The method includes forming a first mechanical scribe on the back surface extending through at least a portion of the corner regions adjacent to the leading edge of the slider and forming a second mechanical scribe on the back surface extending through at least a portion of the comer regions adjacent to the trailing edge of the slider.

Abstract: Embodiments include a method for adjusting the twist, crown and camber of an air bearing surface a slider to substantially match final target values for twist, crown and camber, the slider having a back surface opposite the air bearing surface, the back surface including two sets of diagonally opposite corner regions. The method includes the steps of measuring the twist, crown and camber of the at least one slider. A first group of twist scribes are formed on the back surface in one of the two sets of diagonally opposite corner regions. A first group of crown and camber scribes are formed on the back surface. The twist, crown and camber of the slider are measured and comparing to the final target values. Additional twist scribes are formed if the final target value for twist is not reached. Additional crown and camber scribes are formed if the final target values for crown and camber are not reached.

Abstract: A slider of a magnetic hard disk drive has one or more electric lapping guides in immediate proximity to the read/write stack of the slider. The lapping guides remain part of the slider during its operation. In the preferred embodiment, two essentially identical lapping guides are symmetrically placed on a slider back. One write head terminal is utilized to conductively access the two lapping guides on one side such that only one additional terminal has to be placed on the slider back together with corresponding leads. The placement of lapping guides on the slider back face provides for an economic lapping of individual sliders with increased precision and reliability regardless of any lapping plane skew.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a controlled air bearing which allows adjustable control over the magnetic spacing between the pole tips of a slider and the surface of the disc. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a slider for use in a data storage system, the slider comprises a base portion having a leading edge end and a trailing edge end. The embodiment further comprises a movable air bearing surface element positioned at the leading edge end of the base portion. Finally, the embodiment further comprises an actuator positioned at the leading edge end of the base portion and coupling the base portion to the movable air bearing surface element, the actuator selectively controllable to move the movable air bearing surface element relative to the base portion to alter an air bearing surface provided by the base portion and the movable air bearing surface element to thereby control a fly height of the slider.

Abstract: A marking method for a sintered product of the invention includes forming a concave portion on the sintered product by irradiating the sintered product with laser light thereby to write identification information on the sintered product. The depth of the concave portion is adjusted in a range between 0.1 &mgr;m and 5 &mgr;m, inclusive.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disk drive, including a base, a disk stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly also includes a load spring and a slider attached to said load spring. The slider and load spring are attached to form a gimballing connection between the slider and the load spring. The slider includes an air-bearing surface which has a contact area. The slider also includes a transducer. The transducer is typically located near said contact area. The contact area includes a roughened surface portion and a smooth surface portion. The smooth surface portion is adjacent the transducer. The roughened surface portion is rougher than the smooth surface portion. The roughened surface portion is also rougher than the other surfaces associated with the air-bearing surface of the slider. The roughened surface portion of the contact area is formed by one of several techniques.

Abstract: An air bearing slider embodiment of the present invention includes a body portion having an air bearing surface (ABS) side and a flexure surface side. The ABS side has at least one air bearing surface and at least one recessed area. A thin film composed of a compressive force material is deposited within the recessed area. The compressive force material produces an omnidirectional outward force within the recessed area that creates a positive crown and camber. Preferably, the thin film has a thickness range from 10 nm to 200 nm, and is composed of diamond-like carbon (DLC). An alternative air bearing slider includes a body portion with an ABS side and a flexure surface side. A thin film composed of a tensile force material is deposited upon said flexure side. The tensile force material creates an onmidirectional inward force on the flexure side which results in positive crown and camber. The manufacturing method for the improved sliders utilizes semiconductor processing techniques.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider having a recording-reproducing element for recording and reproducing information relative to a magnetic recording medium. A sliding protective film is formed at one outer side or each of opposite outer sides of that portion, constituting the recording-reproducing element, in a direction perpendicular to a travel surface of the magnetic head slider opposed to the magnetic recording medium, at least part of the sliding protective film covers that portion reaching the travel surface, and the sliding protective film is also formed on each of side surfaces of the slider.

Abstract: The hard disk testing and certifying device of the present invention includes a spin stand to rotate a disk to be tested. A single read/write head, including both a write head and a read head is mounted upon an armature which movably supports the read/write head. The device includes a computerized control system and signal processing system that provides write signals to the write head and receives and processes read head signals from the read head. In the preferred embodiment the read/write head simultaneously provides write signals to the disk and receives read signals from the disk. Preferably, the read/write head functions continually and the certification testing is conducted utilizing a spiral path. In the preferred read/write head the read head is disposed behind the write head and an electromagnetic field shield is disposed between them to reduce electromagnetic field interference between the write head and the read head during simultaneous operation.

Abstract: A method for correcting an outer surface of a magnetic slider mainly made of ceramic to a desired surface shape, wherein a laser beam is applied to an outer face of a work piece (10) to partially melt a ceramic base, the melted part (20) is resolidfied, and the surface shape of the slider is exactly corrected to the desired shape by using shrinkage stress during the resolidification.

Abstract: A curved surface is formed between first and second a substantially planar surfaces that are normal to each other, such as the bottom and side surfaces of a slider for a disc drive. A laser beam has a center with a focus and a power distribution, such as a Gaussian distribution, such that the laser power is greatest at the center of the beam and is weaker radially from the center of the beam. The laser beam is directed at the first surface along a first path substantially normal to the first surface so that a center of the laser beam is substantially contiguous to the second surface. The laser beam is moved along a second path substantially parallel to the second surface to ablate the slider at the first surface adjacent the second surface to ablate the material and form a continuous curved surface between and tangential to the first and second surfaces.

Abstract: An optical disc data storage system includes an optical disc having a data surface. An actuator arm having a distal end is selectively radially positionable adjacent the data surface. A transducing element is carried on a slider which is coupled to the distal end of the actuator arm. The slider includes an air bearing surface and the transducing element includes an optical mesa adjacent the air bearing surface. The optical mesa is spaced apart from the data surface whereby contact between the data surface and the mesa structure is prevented.

Abstract: A slider is used in an optical or magneto-optical head having an optical assembly mounted on the slider body, for directing a read-write laser beam onto and from a data storage disk. The optical assembly includes an optical fiber a mirror a quarter wavelength plate, and a lens. The optical fiber guides the laser beam along an optical path defined by the optical assembly and the slider body. The laser beam emanating from the optical fiber impinges upon the mirror and is reflected thereby onto and through the quarter wavelength plate. The laser beam continues its travel along the optical path through the lens and a magnetic coil assembly onto the disk. The slider includes a channel pattern formed on its upper surface for positioning the optical components on the slider body. The channel pattern includes a plurality of channels that define an optical path, and a plurality of cavities formed along these channels for receiving various components such as optical, magnetic and electrical components.