Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes forming a structure having a first region including a ceramic material, a second region including a plurality of particles disposed in a ceramic matrix material, and a magnetic head assembly disposed in the first region. The method also includes directing a first ion beam at a side of the first and second regions of the structure, the first ion beam including an oxidizing species to oxidize one or more portions of the particles located near the side of the second region, where the one or more oxidized portions of the particles protrude from the side of the ceramic matrix material of the second region. The method further includes directing a second ion beam at the side of the first and second regions of the structure, the second ion beam including an inert species to recess the first and second regions.

Abstract: A slider, such as for a data storage system, the slider having a leading edge, a trailing edge, an air-bearing surface, and a transducer proximate the trailing edge. The slider has a low surface energy coating on the air-bearing surface and a high surface energy coating on the transducer. In some embodiments, the high surface energy coating is present on a contact sensor.

Abstract: Reducing slider bounce within a hard disk drive. A force is received at a first material while the first material is in contact with a disk of a hard disk drive; the first material comprising a portion that is flexible in a first direction and is substantially non-flexible in a second direction. The first direction is a direction that is normal to the disk and the second direction is a direction that is parallel to a surface of the disk. The force is substantially absorbed by the portion that is flexible to reduce the force associated with interaction between the first material and the disk, thereby reducing slider bounce within the hard disk drive.

Abstract: A slider, having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a working surface, and read/write heads proximate the trailing edge. The slider includes a protective overcoat over the working surface of the slider, and a self-assembled monolayer coating on the working surface of the slider and over the protective overcoat, the coating comprising at least one self-assembled monolayer material.

Abstract: A substrate for a magnetic read/write head is disclosed. The substrate can reduce detachment of crystal grains when the substrate is machined. The substrate may be machined when the substrate is cut into strips or a flow path surface recess is formed to produce the magnetic read/write head. The reduced detachment of crystal grains makes the magnetic read/write head more resilient to chipping, which allows the magnetic read/write head to have a lower and more stable flying height that increases recording density.

Abstract: A ceramic sintered body contains Al2O3 crystal grains, internal TiC crystal grains existing in the Al2O3 crystal grains and external TiC crystal grains other than the internal TiC crystal grains. The Al2O3 crystal grains and the external TiC crystal grains retain stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient remaining after sintering, so that the Al2O3 crystal grains and the external TiC crystal grains pull each other in the interface therebetween. As a result, when the ceramic sintered body is machined, micro-cracks generated in the interface can easily grow due to the residual stress in addition to the shearing force caused by the machining operation, so that machinability is improved.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head substrate according to the present invention includes: a ceramic base with a principal surface; and an undercoat film, which covers the principal surface of the ceramic base. An electrical/magnetic transducer is provided on the undercoat film. The substrate further includes an intermediate layer between the principal surface of the ceramic base and the undercoat film. The intermediate layer is made of a material other than an aluminum oxide and has been patterned so as to make a portion of the principal surface of the ceramic base contact with the undercoat film.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preventing TMR MRR drop of a slider, including: positioning a row bar constructed by sliders on a tray, each slider incorporating a TMR element; loading the tray into a processing chamber and evacuating the processing chamber to a predetermined pressure; forming a first etching means; exposing the sliders to the first etching means such that an oxide layer is formed on a surface of the TMR element; forming a second etching means; and exposing the sliders to the second etching means such that the oxide layer is etched to get a reduced thickness. The invention also discloses a method for manufacturing sliders.

Abstract: A hard disk drive slider comprises an overcoat layer, which covers an air-bearing surface of the slider. The overcoat covers an exposed surface of a tunneling magnetoresistance transducer. An adhesion layer is coupled with the overcoat layer and the air-bearing surface. The adhesion layer comprises a compound of nitrogen. The compound of nitrogen reduces noise in read data from the tunneling magnetoresistance transducer.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a drive circuitry, a storage disk, a suspension and a slider. The slider is supported by the suspension and receives electrical current from the drive circuitry. The slider includes a flying side that generally faces the storage disk, a read/write head, and a slider deformer that is electrically decoupled from the drive circuitry. In one embodiment, the slider deformer is formed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of other portions of the slider. In this embodiment, the slider deformer causes a deformation of a portion of the flying side when the temperature of the slider deformer changes. Thus, when the read/write head expands or contracts due to a change in temperature of the slider, the slider deformer at least partially offsets the expansion and/or contraction of the read/write head to maintain a substantially consistent head-to-disk spacing of the disk drive.

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

Abstract: A method for manufacturing sliders from a bar has: a radiating step which includes radiating an electromagnetic wave on at least a part of each space on a second surface of said bar, wherein said second surface is a back surface of a first surface of said bar, said first surface being formed into an air bearing surface of said slider, wherein said space is sandwiched between said elements, and wherein said electromagnetic wave is radiated such that an entire portion of said bar forms a curved shape such that said first surface forms a convex surface; a lapping step of lapping said first surface while pressing said bar against a lapping surface such that said first surface of each element forms a concave shape; and a dicing step of dicing said bar along said spaces to separate said bar into said sliders.

Abstract: The magnetic head slider material of the present invention is constituted by a sintered body containing 100 parts by weight of alumina, 20 to 150 parts by weight of titanium carbide and silicon carbide in total, and 0.2 to 9 parts by weight of carbon.

Abstract: A slider in a disk drive is shock-protected with an overcoat layer of either metal or polymer directly on the areas of the slider that are prone to contact the disk when the slider is loaded off the platform, or when the slider is shocked while in operation over the data zone of the disk. The material used to form the layer absorbs shock and reduces wear, and is bonded or sputtered to the head in a region other than the pads of the air bearing surface. This region is typically the reactive ion etched (RIE) surface area and is slightly below the pads of the air bearing surface of the head. In an alternate version of the invention, the slider is protected by covering only the edges of the slider with a suitable material. Finally, the entire slider may be encased with the overcoating except for the pads of the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A head slider is designed to prevent collision against a surface of a disk due to an external impact and the like while a device is in use to avoid damages on an air bearing surface (“ABS”) of the head slider and the surface the disk. This is achieved by a structure of the head slider which produces a large positive pressure on a positive dynamic pressure generating section when the head slider comes close to the disk. More specifically, the ABS of the head slider comprises three surfaces of different positional heights, and the positive dynamic pressure generating section having a height equivalent to a mid level surface of the second highest position is provided on a portion of the head slider made of a material of high brittleness at each of locations near both side edges lateral to a tracking width of a magnetic head.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a slider design is presented that provides improved protection for the head/sensor of the slider. In one embodiment, the design of the slider is such that ESD protection is provided during the slider wafer process, the “back-end” processes (e.g., when the completed slider/head is incorporated into an HGA), and during operation in a disk drive or the like. In this embodiment, a conductive film is provided that surrounds the insulating-material slider substrate. The conductive film provides a grounding path during the wafer fabrication processes. This conductive layer may be further patterned during head fabrication to provide a ground path for back-end fabrication processes. A conductive stripe may be added for discharging debris in the slider-to-disk interface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a transducer slider. The method involves first coating a substrate with a radiation-sensitive layer and exposing the radiation-sensitive layer to radiation according to an intensity pattern. Preferably, the intensity pattern is provided using a grayscale mask. Once the image is developed into the radiation-sensitive layer, the image is transferred into the substrate to form a transducer slider having a surface profile comprising a tapered edge. In the alternative or in addition, the surface profile may comprise a rounded corner. The invention also relates to a structure for forming a transducer slider.

Abstract: A slider in a disk drive is shock-protected with an overcoat layer of either metal or polymer directly on the areas of the slider that are prone to contact the disk when the slider is loaded off the platform, or when the slider is shocked while in operation over the data zone of the disk. The material used to form the layer absorbs shock and reduces wear, and is bonded or sputtered to the head in a region other than the pads of the air bearing surface. This region is typically the reactive ion etched (RIE) surface area and is slightly below the pads of the air bearing surface of the head. In an alternate version of the invention, the slider is protected by covering only the edges of the slider with a suitable material. Finally, the entire slider may be encased with the overcoating except for the pads of the air bearing surface.

Abstract: The present invention is an air bearing slider comprising a transducer for communicating with a disc; a composite slider body with a front portion composed of a first material and a rear portion composed of a second material; an air bearing surface defined on a disc opposing face of the composite slider body, where the air bearing surface comprises the front portion and the rear portion; and a transducer basecoat portion attached to the rear portion of the slider body and containing the transducer. During flight, the mechanical close point of the slider body is at the transducer pole tip.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider section and an element section. The slider section has a first medium facing surface and an air inflow end. The element section has a second medium facing surface, an air outflow end, and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider section and the element section are produced separately, and bonded to each other so that the air inflow end and the air outflow end are disposed on opposite sides with the first and second medium facing surfaces in between.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproduction method comprising recording or reproducing a track of a rotating magnetic disk by means of a magnetic head, wherein the magnetic disk comprises a support and a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and a binder; the track has a breadth of 2 ?m or less; and a frictional force between the magnetic layer and the magnetic head at innermost peripheral area of a recording region of the magnetic disk is 30 mN or less, a frictional force between the magnetic layer and a magnetic head at outermost peripheral area of a recording region of the magnetic disk is 20 mN or less, and a ratio of the frictional force at the innermost peripheral area to the frictional force at the outermost peripheral area is from 1.0 to 4.0.

Abstract: A recording/reproduction element is mounted on a magnetic head slider via a piezoelectric element so that a displacement of the piezoelectric element performs fine control of the position of the recording/reproduction, thus enabling fine spacing and high track positioning accuracy. This improves linear recording density and track density. A pair of electrodes are formed on both sides of a piezoelectric element to constitute a piezoelectric actuator. One electrode is arranged opposite the rear surface (air flow out end) of a magnetic head slider 11. A recording/reproduction element is arranged on and electrically insulated from the other electrode. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric element displaced in a spacing direction, enabling fine spacing control, a piezoelectric element displaced in the track direction, enabling fine track position control, and a piezoelectric element displaced in a magnetic disc rotation direction, enabling reduction of jitter of a reproduction signal.

Abstract: A slider in a disk drive is shock-protected with an overcoat layer of either metal or polymer directly on the areas of the slider that are prone to contact the disk when the slider is loaded off the platform, or when the slider is shocked while in operation over the data zone of the disk. The material used to form the layer absorbs shock and reduces wear, and is bonded or sputtered to the head in a region other than the pads of the air bearing surface. This region is typically the reactive ion etched (RIE) surface area and is slightly below the pads of the air bearing surface of the head. In an alternate version of the invention, the slider is protected by covering only the edges of the slider with a suitable material. Finally, the entire slider may be encased with the overcoating except for the pads of the air bearing surface.

Abstract: An improved glide head has an air bearing surface with a flatness of less than about 1 ?inch. The air bearing surfaces are formed from the very smooth and flat surface of a wafer, preferably prior to slicing the glide heads from the wafer. Thus, a wafer is formed having a flat surface with a plurality of air bearing surface contoured onto the surface. To form a glide head, a transducer can be mounted on the air bearing surface or the surface opposite the air bearing surface, preferably at the wafer level before slicing.

Abstract: A slider head assembly is provided which includes a slider head for reading/writing data on the surface of a rotating disc. The slider head is disposed in spaced relationship with respect to the disc for read/write (R/W) operations. The slider head assembly is comprised of a body portion having an essentially planar surface positioned to co-act with the surface of the disc with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end or trailing slider surface of the head assembly has a read/write element thereat. The distal end or leading slider surface of the assembly has an actuation device mounted thereon, having a surface the position of which can be modified by an external signal to change the position of the head with respect to the planar or air bearing surface (ABS) of the head assembly. This will change the characteristics of the boundary layer of air between the rotating disc and the head, causing the head assembly to move closer to or farther from the rotating disc when actuated by the external signal.

Abstract: Embodiments include a slider having a silicon body and at least one carbide pad structure embedded therein. At least one head structure for reading and/or writing data is located on the silicon body. The silicon body includes an air bearing surface on which the head is located. The air bearing surface also includes at least a portion of the carbide pad structure thereon. In one aspect, the metal carbide structure may be made from a material such as titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, vanadium carbide, tungsten carbide, or molybdenum carbide. In another aspect, the head may be located on the air bearing surface between carbide pad structures.

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: A slider for improved head-disc interface. The slider includes a slider body, an air bearing and edge surfaces. Edge surfaces of the slider include a rounded edge surface having a deposited edge covering for head-disc interface.

Abstract: A slider head assembly is provided which includes a slider head for reading/writing data on the surface of a rotating disc. The slider head is disposed in spaced relationship with respect to the disc for read/write (R/W) operations. The slider head assembly is comprised of a body portion having an essentially planar surface positioned to co-act with the surface of the disc with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end or trailing slider surface of the head assembly has a read/write element thereat. The distal end or leading slider surface of the assembly has an actuation device mounted thereon, having a surface the position of which can be modified by an external signal to change the position of the head with respect to the planar or air bearing surface (ABS) of the head assembly. This will change the characteristics of the boundary layer of air between the rotating disc and the head, causing the head assembly to move closer to or farther from the rotating disc when actuated by the external signal.

Abstract: To provide a magnetic-head substrate capable of improving the heat radiation characteristic while keeping a mechanical strength and a milling characteristic equal to those of a conventional Al2O3-TiC system and preventing an device from contacting a medium face and moreover superior in film contact strength, electrical withstand voltage, and face quality. The magnetic-head substrate is constituted of a sintered body containing 99 wt % or more of silicon carbide and 0.3 wt % or less of free carbon and having a relative density of 99% or more.

Abstract: A magnetic head has a left side rail formed on a disk facing surface in a protruded manner, and a right side rail formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner. A cross rail formed on the disk facing surface protrudes and is elongated continuously to both the left side rail and the right side rail. A left air bearing surface is formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner, and formed only on a side of a leading edge continuously from the left side rail. The left air bearing surface has a continuous portion to the left side rail, and a right air bearing surface which is formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner, formed only on a side of the leading edge continuously from the right side rail.

Abstract: A magnetic head and production method with excellent productivity with which a surface with fine irregularities is formed only on the bearing surface of the sliding member facing the magnetic recording medium to form a fine air flow path without changing the properties of the smooth surface of the core member that has been finish polished. The sliding properties and the magnetic properties can be improved with no damage to the magnetic recording medium by this surface with fine irregularities.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head has a reproducing element or/and recording element which is held from the direction of its thickness between a first ceramic substrate and a second ceramic substrate. The reproducing element or/and recording element is positioned at substantially the center with respect to the direction of track width. The first and second ceramic substrates hold the reproducing element or/and recording element from, for example, the direction of track width. The reproducing element or/and recording element is provided with a yoke type reproducing part which has at least one pair of magnetic cores with a magnetic gap therebetween on the side of a medium opposed face and a magnetoresistance effect element to which a signal magnetic flux from a magnetic recording medium is led through the pair of magnetic cores.