Abstract: A disk drive has a recording head slidably coupled to a rail and in magnetic communication with a disk surface. The recording head has an optical power interface and an optical data interface. An optical transceiver is fixably mounted proximate an end of the rail and optically coupled to the optical power interface and/or the optical data interface of the recording head. The coupling between the optical transceiver and the interfaces facilitates writing data to the disk surface and/or reading data from the disk surface via the recording head.

Abstract: A slider of a magnetic recording head includes a ground pad and a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources. The plurality of electrical bond pads includes a plurality of shared bond pads. A first component of the slider is coupled to a first bond pad and one of the shared bond pads. The slider includes one or more additional components each coupled to a respective pair of the shared bond pads. A first ground-coupled component of the slider is coupled between one of the shared bond pads and the ground pad. A first diode is disposed on the slider and coupled in series with the first ground-coupled component. A first Zener diode can be disposed on the slider and coupled between the first diode and the ground pad for enhanced ground noise immunity of the powered devices.

Abstract: A slider of a magnetic recording head comprises a ground pad and a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources. A component of the slider is coupled between first and second bond pads. A first heater of the slider is coupled between the first bond pad and the ground pad. A second heater of the slider is coupled between the second bond pad and the ground pad. A first diode is disposed on the slider and coupled in series with the first heater. A second diode is disposed on the slider and coupled in series with the second heater.

Abstract: A slider of a magnetic recording head comprises a media-facing surface, an upper surface opposing the media-facing surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. A plurality of electrical bond pads is disposed in a spaced-apart relationship on the trailing edge of the slider. An interconnect interposer is connected to the trailing edge of the slider. The interposer comprises a back side comprising a plurality of electrical contacts in contact with the plurality of bond pads on the trailing edge of the slider. The interposer also comprises a front side comprising a plurality of electrical interposer pads corresponding in number to the plurality of electrical contacts on the back side. The interposer further comprises a plurality of conductors each of which electrically couples one of the plurality of electrical contacts on the back side with one of the plurality of interposer pads on the front side.

Abstract: A suspension board with circuit includes a conductive pattern on a top surface thereof. A folded-back portion that is capable of being folded back toward a back surface side is provided therein. At the circumference edge of the folded-back portion, a part of the circumference edge is continuous to the suspension board with circuit around the folded-back portion via a bent portion and the remaining portion of the circumference edge is disposed apart from the suspension board with circuit around the folded-back portion by a penetrating space that penetrates the suspension board with circuit in a thickness direction. The conductive pattern at least includes a top-surface-side terminal that is disposed on the top surface of the suspension board with circuit and a back-surface-side terminal that is disposed in the folded-back portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method generally relate to data writing and more specifically to writing data to a rotating media. An embodiment of such an apparatus comprises a slider body, a transducer and a write driver. The transducer comprises a writer. The write driver is integrated on the slider body, and directly connected to the writer.

Abstract: A slider for magnetic data recording in a thermally assisted recording system. The slider has a slider body and a magnetic recording head formed on a trailing edge of the slider body. A first terminal is formed on a trailing edge surface of the recording head, and a second terminal is formed on a backside surface both the magnetic recording head and the slider body so as to extend across both the magnetic recording head and the slider body. An electrically conductive lead formed within the magnetic recording head connects the first lead with the second lead.

Abstract: An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) is described. The EAMR transducer includes at least one near-field transducer (NFT) and an electronic lapping guide (ELG) substantially coplanar with a portion of the at least one film. In some aspects, the NFT includes a disk portion and a pin portion. The pin is between the disk portion and the ABS. The pin portion corresponds to a critical dimension of the NFT from an ABS location.

Abstract: A system for poling piezoelectric devices comprises a plurality of thin-film components, a plurality of piezoelectric devices, a poling pad for poling the piezoelectric devices, a plurality of traces, and a plurality of current-limiting elements. The thin-film components are separated by dice lanes to form an array, and the piezoelectric devices are formed on the thin-film components. The traces connect the piezoelectric devices across the dice lanes in parallel to the poling pad. Each current-limiting element is connected in series with one of the piezoelectric devices, in order to limit current to individual piezoelectric devices that experience current-related failure.

Abstract: A slider having a slider body having an air bearing surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a transducer on the air bearing surface proximate the trailing edge, the transducer comprising a read sensor and a write sensor. The slider also has a heater, positioned proximate the transducer, and a continuous dielectric layer comprising a dielectric material having a coefficient of thermal conductivity of at least 20 W/m-K, the dielectric layer positioned adjacent to and in contact with the heater and between the heater and the transducer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for testing magnetic media disks during manufacturing using sliders with temperature sensors are provided. One such method involves scanning a surface of a selected disk of a plurality of magnetic media disks using a slider including a magnetic transducer and a temperature sensor, counting a number of the surfaces scanned, determining, during the scanning, whether a threshold crossing event has occurred by determining whether a signal from the temperature sensor signal is not within a preselected range, counting, during the scanning, a number of threshold crossing events, storing, if the number of threshold crossing events is greater than a preselected events limit, the number of surfaces scanned, stopping, if the number of surfaces scanned is greater than a surfaces scanned threshold, the scanning, and returning, if the number of surfaces scanned is less than or equal to the surfaces scanned threshold, to scan a next selected disk.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a magnetic writer comprising a main write pole and a return write pole. The magnetic recording head includes a write heater assembly comprising at least one first heater subassembly and at least one second heater subassembly. At least part of the magnetic write head is disposed between the first heater subassembly and the second heater subassembly. When the first heater subassembly, the second heater subassembly, and the magnetic writer are energized, a variation in the thermal protrusion of the head media interface of the magnetic recording head may be less than about 20 nm along the down track and/or cross track directions.

Abstract: A head stack assembly includes a mounting base, a plurality of drive arms connected with the mounting base, and multiple pairs of head gimbal assemblies connected with the drive arms. Each head gimbal assembly includes a thermal assisted magnetic head, the thermal assisted magnetic head has an air bearing surface, a bottom surface opposite to the air bearing surface, and a laser diode module mounted on the bottom surface and adapted to emit a downward laser light to a write element of the thermal assisted magnetic head and an upward laser light, wherein a light shielding structure is provided to prevent the upward laser light emitting to other laser diode modules to generate light coupling, thereby improving thermal stability of the thermal assisted magnetic head.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive having a structurally efficient magnetic head slider utilizes a MAMR-based spin torque oscillator (STO) for head-disk contact detection and for flying height sensing. Contact detection and spacing estimation techniques consider the nominal temperature difference, and thus different criteria, between read and write operations.

Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-the plane magnetoresistive sensor has top and bottom electrodes narrower than the sensor trackwidth. The electrodes are formed of one of Cu, Au, Ag and AgSn, which have an ion milling etch rate much higher than the etch rates for the sensor's ferromagnetic materials. Ion milling is performed at a high angle relative to a line orthogonal to the plane of the electrode layers and the layers in the sensor stack. Because of the much higher etch rate of the material of the top and bottom electrode layers, the electrode layers will have side edges that are recessed from the side edges of the free layer. This reduces the surface areas for the top and bottom electrodes, which causes the sense current passing through the sensor's free layer to be confined in a narrower channel, which is equivalent to having a sensor with narrower physical trackwidth.

Abstract: A multi-stage sensor is situated on the head transducer and configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. A first sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor has a temperature coefficient of resistance. A second sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor is coupled to the first sensor and has a temperature coefficient of resistance. The first sensor stage is configured to preferentially sense asperities of the media relative to the second sensor stage, and the second sensor stage configured to preferentially sense proximity to, and contact with, a surface of the media relative to the first sensor stage. The first and second sensor stages may be connected in series or in parallel.

Abstract: Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) having a balanced resistive temperature detector (RTD). A HDD includes a head slider comprising a single RTD. A read/write IC comprises a balance resistor having the same resistance as the single RTD when the head slider is not in physical contact with the disk. The same amount of current flows through the single RTD and the balance resistor except when the head slider is in physical contact with the disk. Detecting a voltage change across the single RTD enables physical contact between the head slider and the disk to be accurately detected using a circuit with low noise. Alternately, the head slider may include two RTDs connected in sequence, and the balance resistor may possess the same resistance as the two RTDs. The two RTDs may vary inversely with environmental changes to avoid the need to recalibrate the balance resistor after any environmental change.

Abstract: Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. The write enhancement circuitry is formed on the head carrier as ladder network blocks. A first ladder network block is a first capacitor C1 located in parallel with the write coil. The second ladder network block includes a second capacitor C2 having substantially the same inductance L2. The compensation circuitry is referred to as a ladder network because additional ladder blocks, like the second block but with different values of capacitance and inductance, may be located on the head carrier.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider is disclosed. The magnetic head slider includes a slider substrate and a laminated magnetic head element on the slider substrate. Additionally, the laminated magnetic head element includes a magnetoresistance effect element and a recording magnetic pole formed in a layer higher than the magnetoresistance effect element. A first thin-film resistor heater element is formed in a position further from an air bearing surface than the magnetoresistance effect element and the magnetic recording pole and a second film resistor heater element is formed in a layer lower than the first thin-film resistor heater element, and closer to the air bearing surface and the magnetoresistance effect element than the first heater element. A thin-film resistor sensor element is formed in a layer higher than the second thin-film heater element and closer to the air bearing surface than the second heater element.

Abstract: An interleaved conductor structure for electrically connecting the read/write electronics to a read/write head in a hard disk drive is provided. The interleaved conductor structure may allow for an increased characteristic-impedance range, greater interference shielding and a reduction of signal loss that is contributed by a lossy conductive substrate. The electrical traces may have different widths, be offset, or even wrap around each other at the via connections.

Abstract: A head for magnetic data recording that includes an embedded contact sensor. The embedded contact sensor detects head disk contact by detecting changes in temperature as a result of contact between the head and the disk. The embedded contact sensor includes a thermoresistive layer and a structure for pinning the magnetic domains of the thermoresistive layer. This pinning of the magnetic domains prevents the thermoresistive layer from changing resistance in response to magnetic fields (rather than temperature) so as to avoid unwanted signal noise as a result of a magnetic signal from the magnetic media.

Abstract: A slider and a pair of microactuator elements are disposed on a gimbal portion of a flexure. The gimbal portion comprises a first tongue portion, a second tongue portion, and a hinge portion. A trailing-side portion of the slider is secured to the second tongue portion. A leading-side portion of the slider is movable relative to the first tongue portion. A conductive circuit portion comprises a conductor connected to an element of the slider and a conductor connected to electrodes of microactuator elements. The conductive circuit portion comprises a first wiring pattern portion disposed inside microactuator elements and a second wiring pattern portion extending rearwardly relative to the gimbal portion.

Abstract: Various embodiments concern a head suspension system having a load beam. The lead beam comprises a metal base having a proximal portion and a distal portion. Two opposing rails extend along the proximal and distal portions. The load beam has a void in the metal base separating the proximal portion from the distal portion, the void extending between the rails. A pair of microactuators is coupled to each of the proximal portion and the distal portion such that each microactuator extends across the void. The microactuators bend the rails to move the distal portion along a X-Y plane relative to the proximal portion. Additionally, the rails stiffen the load beam to resist movement between the first portion and the second portion along a Z-axis.

Abstract: A system for poling piezoelectric devices comprises a plurality of thin-film components, a plurality of piezoelectric devices, a poling pad for poling the piezoelectric devices, a plurality of traces, and a plurality of current-limiting elements. The thin-film components are separated by dice lanes to form an array, and the piezoelectric devices are formed on the thin-film components. The traces connect the piezoelectric devices across the dice lanes in parallel to the poling pad. Each current-limiting element is connected in series with one of the piezoelectric devices, in order to limit current to individual piezoelectric devices that experience current-related failure.

Abstract: A slider comprising a contact sensor element configured to respond to a change in resistance due to a change in temperature, and a shield structure. The shield structure comprises a lower thermal conductivity than the contact sensor element and a greater hardness than the contact sensor element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a flying height adjusting type magnetic head slider with reduced influence of a heater coil induction field. According to one embodiment, a magnetic head slider comprises a heater, a read element, and a write element, which are formed on a substrate. The heater is formed between a lower magnetic shield of the read element and the substrate by meandering a heater coil in direction Y going away from ABS. Magnetic fields by generated in direction Y orthogonal to a track width direction X of the lower magnetic field upon energization of the heater coil are offset each other, exerting no influence on the magnetized state in the track width direction X of the lower magnetic shield. A magnetic field hx induced in the track width direction X of the lower magnetic shield is coincident with the magnetizing direction of the lower magnetic shield, acting to maintain the magnetized state of the lower magnetic shield.

Abstract: A head-slider. The head-slider includes a slider and a magnetic-recording head formed on the slider. The magnetic-recording head includes a main pole, a return pole to which a recording magnetic field from the main pole returns, a sensor element, a shield provided between the sensor element and the main pole, and a heater element for adjusting a shape of a flying surface of the magnetic-recording head. The magnetic-recording head further includes a first recess provided at a tip end face of at least one element selected from the group consisting of the return pole and the shield, and a second recess provided on an exposed flying surface and corresponding to the first recess.

Abstract: This application discloses a hard disk drive, a head stack assembly, a head gimbal assembly, each including a slider with a deposited end including at least one means for retaining lubricant that tends to accumulate on the deposited end.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a medium projection detection mechanism that detects a projection on the surface of a recording medium. The medium projection detection mechanism has a discharging electrode, a capacitor, and an input line and an output line that are connected to the discharging electrode. The discharging electrode is configured to receive a voltage applied through the input line, and the capacitor is configured to store electric charge by the applied voltage. The output line is connected to a projection detection processing system and is connected to the charging electrode and the projection detection processing system to detect the location of the projection that is a detection target by detecting voltage change that is caused by discharging between the discharging electrode and the projection when the projection is detected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic head, a head assembly, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus which are capable of effectively detecting thermal asperity. The magnetic head according to the present invention includes a heat-generating resistor, a recording coil, and a resistive element. The heat-generating resistor is adapted to generate heat when power is fed thereto so that the heat generation causes at least a part of the air bearing surface to thermally expand and protrude. The recording coil is adapted to generate a recording magnetic field, and the resistive element is disposed closer to the air bearing surface than the recording coil and connected in series or in parallel with the heater. Thus, the resistive element can share a common wiring with the heater for power feeding, which eliminates the waste of wiring and achieves miniaturization.

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: Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. An enhancement capacitor is formed with a dielectric layer between two layers of electrically-conductive magnetically-permeable shield material that serve as the capacitor plates. The write enhancement circuitry may also include an enhancement resistor. The enhancement capacitor and resistor are connected between the two terminals on the head carrier that connect to the write head coil. The capacitor and resistor are fabricated on the head carrier at the same time and in the same process as the read head. The first and second capacitor plates are generally coplanar with and formed of the same electrically-conductive magnetically-permeable material that forms the first and second magnetic shields for the read head.

Abstract: A dynamic fly heater (DFH) for improved lifetime and better film uniformity is disclosed for a magnetic head. The heater has a lower amorphous Ta layer and an upper W layer to promote small grain size and reduced electro-migration. The composite film is especially advantageous for heaters greater than 1000 Angstroms thick where dR/R is difficult to control in the prior art. The DFH may be a (Ta/W)n laminate in which the Ta layers are about 30 Angstroms thick and the combined thickness of the W layers is from 400 to 1200 Angstroms. A Ta film is preferably sputter deposited with an Ar pressure of 3 to 5 mTorr and the W film is sputter deposited in the same chamber with a 3 to 20 mTorr Ar pressure. In one embodiment, a merged read/write head has one DFH in the read head and a second DFH in the write head.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are presented for electrically coupling a slider to ground. In one embodiment, a bonding pad is provided on a side of the slider body separate from the bonding pad(s) used for read/write signals. This separate bonding pad is electrically coupled within the slider body to components that are to be coupled to ground. A separate conductor provided on the suspension (e.g., a trace, a flex circuit, etc.) may be electrically coupled to the separate bonding pad via gold ball bonding. The conductor is also coupled to ground in the hard-disk drive device (e.g., via the preamplifier). The use of the separated bonding pad and trace may negate the need to use a conductive adhesive to electrically ground the slider via its attachment to the tongue of a slider.

Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, a magnetic head slider provided with a heater disposed near a read element to adjust flying height, is required to increase a thermal protrusion by heat generated by the heater without increasing a thermal protrusion attributable to heat generated by a recording current or environmental temperature. A magnetic head slider includes a thin-film head unit including a read element, a heater having a thin heating line extended above and below the read element, a write element, and an insulating layer of alumina (Al2O3) or the like insulating those components. The thin heating line of the heater is formed from a thin resistive film of NiCr or the like. The thin heating line of the heater is extended above and below the read element so as to meander in a zigzag shape in a direction perpendicular to the device forming surface. The thin heating line has a thickness between about 0.1 and 0.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reading device includes a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, a perpendicular magnetic head having a recording head width having a heat-generating portion and a reading head, a fine adjustment portion, and a R/W-IC. The perpendicular magnetic head is configured to perform magnetic recording on the recording medium while locally heating the recording medium so as to enable a change of the coercive force of the recording medium during the recording after correcting of the position of the perpendicular magnetic head by the fine adjustment portion is completed, and to perform reading of the magnetic recording information with the aid of the reading head after correcting of the position of the perpendicular magnetic head by the fine adjustment portion is completed.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reading device includes a magnetic recording medium having at least one magnetic recording layer, a magnetic head enabling a data transfer rate of more than 50 MB/s and a recording density of more than 5 Gb/in2 on the magnetic recording medium, and a R/W-IC. The magnetic head includes a recording head and a reading head. The at least one magnetic recording layer contains (1) at least one metal element selected from a first group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni as a primary component, and (2) at least two elements selected from a second group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir and Si.

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 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: 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: In a method of pre-contact detection and active damping of air bearing vibrations in a hard disk drive, a slider is isolated from ground. The slider is then capacitively coupled with a hard disk of the hard disk drive via a thermal fly-height control (TFC) heating element. An alternating current (AC) signal is applied to the slider via the TFC heating element to control the amplitude of the slider.

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: An apparatus comprising a slider including a slider substrate with a trailing side and a writer with bond pads disposed on the trailing side. The writer has an optic input for receiving an optic output. The apparatus comprises an optoelectronic substrate having a substrate surface facing the trailing side, and having contacts on the substrate surface that are joined to the bond pads by conductive bridges, and having an optoelectronic emitter adjacent the substrate surface for generating the optic output.

Abstract: A slider for use in a magnetic data recording system that is constructed from a Si wafer by a method that saves valuable wafer real estate by minimizing kerf related to the cutting of the wafer into slider rows. The sliders are produced from a (110) oriented Si wafer, and the sliders are parsed into rows by a process that involves forming a mask having a trench or opening between the rows of sliders at the location of the desired cut and parallel to a vertical (111) plane of the wafer. The wafer is then exposed to KOH which removes wafer material in the vertical direction through the wafer without removing wafer material in the horizontal direction. The vertical removal of wafer material is due to the extreme preferential removal of the (110) surface Si over that of the (111) surface Si. This results in a narrow straight trench being formed. The KOH etch removal can form a trench or cut having a width of only 30 to 50 um through a 1 mm thick wafer.

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: Slider used to access data on rotating disk in hard disk drive, including heating element as vertical micro-actuator coupled to deformation region including read-write head and to expansion chamber, plate thermally coupled to heat sink. Slider further includes vertical control signal stimulating heating element coupled to film to alter vertical position, and expansion chamber, plate, and heat sink minimizing thermal pole tip protrusion. Flexure finger including micro-actuator assembly for coupling to slider, and possibly providing vertical control signal to heating element. Head gimbal assembly including flexure finger coupled to the slider. A head stack assembly including at least one of the head gimbal assemblies coupled to a head stack. Hard disk drive including head stack assembly. The invention includes manufacturing the slider, the head gimbal assembly, the head stack assembly, and the hard disk drive, as well as these items as products of the invention's manufacturing processes.

Abstract: A magnetic stripe reading device including a magnetic head assembly including a mounting element, at least one information reading sensor having output contacts, the sensor being mounted in the mounting element and a flat cable coupled to the output contacts of the at least one information reading sensor, a portion of the flat cable being arranged in a doubled-over configuration over the output contacts, thereby to provide anti-tampering protection to the output contacts.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a slider with a lift pad and a thermal protrusion pad in which the heads are located. The lift pad is located immediately in front of the thermal protrusion pad and is designed to achieve the flying characteristics needed for normal operation of the disk drive. The thermal protrusion pad includes a heater which is used to protrude the pad for burnishing-on-demand and/or for thermal fly-height control. The thermal protrusion pad is designed to generate very little lift so that protruding the thermal protrusion pad does not significantly increase the lift experienced by the slider. An alternative embodiment uses two overcoat thicknesses on the ABS surface with the thermal protrusion pad having a thin overcoat and the lift pad having a thicker overcoat.

Abstract: A tape head read/write module that has a composite air bearing surface, and a method and apparatus for embedding a chip in a substrate to form a composite air bearing surface. An example of the module includes a substrate that has an air bearing surface, a front, a back, and a chip receiving slot. The air bearing surface of the substrate has a first portion adjoining a first side of the chip receiving slot, and a second portion adjoining a second side of the chip receiving slot. The module also includes a chip that has an air bearing surface, a bottom surface, a front, a back, and active elements. The active elements are located proximate the front of the chip. The chip is positioned in the chip receiving slot in the substrate, with the air bearing surface of the chip substantially aligned with the air bearing surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A disk drive for storing data includes a drive housing, a storage disk that is rotatably coupled to the drive housing, a slider assembly positioned near the storage disk, and a drive circuitry. The slider assembly includes a head that interacts with the storage disk during a data transfer operation. The drive circuitry performs a performance test on the head at a first HtD spacing and at a second HtD spacing that is different than the first HtD spacing while the drive is operation. The slider assembly includes a slider mover that moves the head between the first HtD spacing and the second HtD spacing. The slider mover can move the head to the first HtD spacing during the data transfer operation if the result of the performance test is a first test result and the slider mover moves the head to the second HtD spacing during the data transfer operation if the result of the performance test is a second test result.