Abstract: An AAB slider has a leading edge generally impinging fluid flow due to movement of a medium relative to the slider. A cavity dam defines a continuous air bearing surface that extends over a region between the sides of the slider and between at least one sub-ambient cavity and the leading edge. Step level slots in the air bearing surface at the leading edge admit fluid into the region of the air bearing surface. Side rails on the slider extend rearward from the cavity dam to form the sub-ambient cavity. The air bearing surface is characterized by the absence of a channel adjacent the leading edge that extends between the sides of the slider. A center rail extends rearward from the cavity dam to the trailing edge and supports a transducer. The arrangement is such that airflow to the transducer is minimized, thus minimizing particulate matter from accumulating on the trailing edge slider features, including the transducer.

Abstract: A magnetic disk evaluation apparatus includes an evaluation head for evaluating a magnetic disk, and a support member for supporting the evaluation head. The support member supports the evaluation head in a state where a flying surface of the evaluation head and a surface of a magnetic disk make a flying pitch angle of 95 ?rad or more.

Abstract: With a view to providing a head slider which can suppress the adhesion of dust particles to a flying surface of the head slider when the head slider flies and a disk drive employing the same head slider, a head slider in which at least an air bearing portion and a land portion for forming a vacuum area on the flying surface are provided on the flying surface of the head slider, the land portion being formed in such a manner as to have a difference in level so as to be closer by a step to a disk medium than an end surface of the slider base, wherein the water repellency of an end surface of the land portion and the water repellency of the end surface of the slider base are made higher than the water repellency of the air bearing portion.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, and a magnetic head slider. The slider has a magnetic head, a plurality of surfaces which are formed sequentially from an adjacent side to a magnetic disk, and a slider rail surface which is arranged near an air flow-out edge on a nearest surface of the plurality of surfaces. The slider rail surface includes a long sideways rail surface on an air flow-in side and a lengthwise rail surface on an air flow-out side. The nearest surface of the plurality of surfaces is arranged only in a center area with respect to a width of the slider near the air flow-out edge and has a width substantially less than the width of the slider. An area of the long sideways rail surface is larger than an area of the lengthwise rail surface.

Abstract: A head slider has small friction force even if the head slider comes in contact with a magnetic disk having a smooth surface at high speed. The vibration is also low and wear resistance is high. The head slider is provided with plural air bearing surfaces for floating over the magnetic disk or one or more lubricant bearing surfaces for smoothly gliding over the magnetic disk. A slope angle on the front side of the bearing surface in the traveling direction of the head slider is larger than a slope angle on the rear side of the bearing surface in the vicinity of a contact part of the bearing surface that may come in contact with the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A head slider is provided that includes a slider body having leading and trailing slider edges and first and second side edges. The body further includes an air bearing surface generally disposed within a bearing surface plane. A raised portion is positioned on the bearing surface plane and spaced apart from the leading edge. Also, a comb structure is provided having a plurality of raised protrusions positioned proximate and substantially parallel to the leading edge of the slider, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions form gaps throughout the leading edge.

Abstract: A method of contouring a surface of a slider for supporting a transducer relative to a data storage medium includes applying a lithographic resist layer to the slider surface. The resist layer is then exposed through a single mask having 3a mask pattern defined by variation in an optical density through the mask. The resist layer is exposed in an exposure pattern corresponding to the mask pattern. Portions of the resist layer are removed as a function of the exposure pattern to produce a vertically contoured resist layer. The slider surface is etched through the vertically contoured resist layer during a single etching step to form a vertically contoured surface feature within the slider surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider, for sliding on a magnetic disk, which comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, an air bearing surface having a front step bearing of submicron depth made from the leading edge, and a rail surface made from the front step bearing. A negative pressure recess, which is more profound than the front step bearing, is made from the rail surface, and a side step bearing with a depth identical to that of the front step bearing is made from the rail surface, wherein the ratio of depth R of the recess and depth ?s of the front step bearing is R/?s?5.

Abstract: A disc head slider is provided and includes a disc-facing surface. The disc-facing surface comprises an inside set of surface components that includes an inside cavity dam and an inside sub-ambient pressure cavity having an inside cavity floor. The disc-facing surface further comprises an outside set of surface components that includes an outside cavity dam and an outside sub-ambient pressure cavity having an outside cavity floor. The disc-facing surface also comprises a center set of surface components that is generally disposed between the inside and outside sets of surface components. The center set of surface components includes a center cavity dam and a center sub-ambient pressure cavity having a center cavity floor. The inside, outside and center sets of surface components are separate and disassociated from one another.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider for eliminating the fluctuations of contact forces between a magnetic head and a recording disk due to changes in atmospheric pressure or shocks includes a plurality of fluid force generating faces positioned at a plurality of different height levels. The magnetic head slider includes a positive pressure generation area and a contact pad provided on a top level along the air flow direction due to rotation of the magnetic disk. The contact pad supports the magnetic head. A squeeze pad area is provided at a middle height level between the top level and the low level of the surfaces to traverse the low level of the surfaces for suppressing fluctuations of contact forces between the magnetic head and the magnetic disk medium.

Abstract: A slider 3a is disposed to face a disk-like recording medium and enabled to support a read/write head. The slider 3a has an air bearing surface formed between a leading edge 10 and a trailing edge 11; side rails 20 and 21 formed on the air bearing surface almost like a U-letter so as to dispose its tip at the trailing edge side 11; a cross rail 22; and a pair of landing pads 30a and 31a formed between the tip of each of the side rails and the cross rail 20 to 22 and the trailing edge 11. One of the pair of landing pads 30a and 31a is formed as a convex surface at its side facing the rail of the landing pad 31a disposed at the outer periphery side of the disk-like recording medium while the slider is disposed so as to face the disk-like recording medium.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider in which a leading pad is projected in a thicknesswise direction of the slider, in comparison with a trailing pad so as to reduce vibration caused by contact between a flat medium surface of a disc and the slider carrying thereon a magnetic head, to reduce variation in flying height caused by wavy unevenness of the medium surface, and to reduce variation in atmospheric pressure around the slider, thereby it is possible to enhance the recording density and the reliability of the magnetic head slider while reducing the costs thereof. Further, a magnetic disc unit using the above-mentioned magnetic head slider.

Abstract: A slider utilizes a triple-etch, high pitch-stiffness side rail ABS design. The slider is characterized by a relatively deep shallow recession at its leading edge, which maximizes the cavity area while at the same time increases the pitch angle to achieve DLC pad clearance as required by smooth media ABS designs. The slider ABS has a shallower recession at the trailing edge, which provides low gram-load sensitivity and low flying standard deviation. The slider ABS further presents a decreased sensitivity in response to altitude variations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards air-bearing sliders that are used in disk drives. The invention involves pitching a slider so that the leading portion of the slider is closer to the disk than the trailing portion of the slider. The negative pitch reduces the sensitivity of the slider to ambient air pressure, radial position, and to data accessing over the disk. When used in combination with a reverse-flow disk drive, negatively pitched sliders facilitate the routing of traces to the head.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device having a magnetic disk, a magnetic head slider with a magnetic head mounted thereon and having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface and a fourth surface which are formed sequentially from an adjacent side to the magnetic disk, and a gap of a magnetic head arranged on the first surface. A relation of d1<d2<d3 is established where d1 is a depth from the first surface to the second surface, d2 is a depth from the second surface to the third surface, and d3 is a depth from the third surface to the fourth surface. The magnetic head slider has a floating pitch attitude of at least 50 micro-radians with respect to the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface and a leading surface adjacent to the disc facing surface. The disc facing surface has leading-most edge and first and second side edges. A bearing surface is formed on the disc facing surface. A debris deflection surface is formed along the leading surface, which is spaced vertically from the leading-most edge with respect to the disc facing surface and has a tangent that forms an angle with the bearing surface of less than ninety degrees.

Abstract: A flying head slider includes a slider body. The upstream or leading end of a bottom surface on the slider body is defined along a first datum line extending in the lateral direction of the slider body. The first datum line may be set perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the slider body. The upstream or leading end of the front air bearing surface is defined along a second datum line intersecting the first datum line at a predetermined inclined angle. As the incidence angle of an airflow colliding against a step defined at the leading end of the front air bearing surface gets decreased, the pitch angle of the slider body also gets decreased in the flying head slider during flight.

Abstract: A head slider having a disk opposing surface, an air inlet end, and an air outlet end. The head slider includes a front rail formed on the disk opposing surface in the vicinity of the air inlet end, the front rail having an air bearing surface and a step surface lower in level than the air bearing surface; a transducer formed in the vicinity of the air outlet end; and a first groove for expanding air once compressed by the front rail to generate a negative pressure. The head slider further includes a second groove formed on the step surface near the air inlet end except opposite side portions of the step surface. The step surface reaches the air inlet end at the opposite side portions.

Abstract: A dual etch depth slider air bearing surface includes a front pad disposed along the front and partially along the sides of the slider and a rear pad partially disposed along the rear of the slider, wherein a skewed center rail connects the front pad to the rear pad. Extending above the rear pad is a V-shaped ABS pad and extending above the front pad are two leading edge ABS pads that are separated by a channel towards the longitudinal center of the slider. The design enables the slider to fly much higher over the landing zone of the disk than at the data zone and provides for a steep take off profile followed by a rapid descend over the data zone.

Abstract: A magnetic data transducing head slider is provided with a transversely extended crossbar or other barrier near the leading edge. The barrier is deposited onto the air bearing surface of the slider using photolithographic techniques that enable precise determination of the barrier dimensions and the barrier set-back from the leading edge. The barrier set-back, width and thickness can be selected to control the transducer flying height and the pitch of the slider relative to the data recording surface of a magnetic disk when the slider is aerodynamically supported relative to the disk. The barrier also acts as a shield to minimize particulate contamination.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider mounted on a magnetic disk unit for supporting a magnetic head that writes and reads information to and from a magnetic disk is constructed such that a depth &dgr;s1 from the surfaces of leading and trailing pads, which come into contact with a medium surface when the disk is at rest, to stepped surfaces formed on the air inflow side of the leading pads, a depth &dgr;s2 from the contact surfaces to stepped surfaces formed on the air inflow side of the trailing pad and a step depth &dgr;s3 from the contact surfaces to the surfaces of side rails are in a relation of &dgr;s1≦&dgr;s2≦&dgr;s3. With this arrangement, the slider can follow the waved medium surface at a low flying height with a small flying height fluctuation, thus realizing high density recording, high reliability and reduced cost of the magnetic disk unit.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for constructing an ultra-low-flying-height slider for carrying a transducing head in a disc drive system including a rotatable disc. The method comprises removing material from an air bearing surface of the slider to create a channel at a likely location of contact with the rotatable disc and filling the channel with a low-friction, high-wear-resistance material. The channel is filled such that the air bearing surface is configured the same as the air bearing surface configuration prior to removing material.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider for sliding on a magnetic disk includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, an air bearing surface having a front step bearing of submicron depth made from the leading edge, and a rail surface made from the front step bearing. A negative pressure recess which is more profound than the front step bearing is made from the rail surface, and a side step bearing having a depth identical with the front step bearing is made from the rail surface. The ratio of the depth R of the recess to the depth &dgr;S of the front step bearing is R/&dgr;s>5.

Abstract: An AAB slider has a leading edge generally impinging fluid flow due to movement of a medium relative to the slider. A cavity dam defines a continuous air bearing surface that extends over a region between the sides of the slider and between at least one sub-ambient cavity and the leading edge. Step level slots in the air bearing surface at the leading edge admit fluid into the region of the air bearing surface. Side rails on the slider extend rearward from the cavity dam to form the sub-ambient cavity. The air bearing surface is characterized by the absence of a channel adjacent the leading edge that extends between the sides of the slider. A center rail extends rearward from the cavity dam to the trailing edge and supports a transducer. The arrangement is such that airflow to the transducer is minimized, thus minimizing particulate matter from accumulating on the trailing edge slider features, including the transducer.

Abstract: An air bearing slider includes an asymmetric taper for control of pressurization and suction force formation. The asymmetric taper is disposed on an edge of a slider to accommodate for the speed differential across the disc radial direction, thereby improving take-off performance, reducing sensitivity to skew angle and altitude variation, and reducing the severity of impacts during ramp loading and unloading. A leading taper intersecting a leading surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a longitudinal, bisecting plane of the slider. In another embodiment, side taper intersecting a side surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a latitudinal, bisecting plane of the slider. In another embodiment, rail taper intersecting a rail recess surface and air bearing surface of the slider is asymmetric about a longitudinal, rail-bisecting plane.

Abstract: A floating-type head slider having a rail plane that functions as an air bearing in accordance with a kinetic pressure of an air flow caused by rotation of a recording medium, that supports a recording/reproducing device for recording and reproducing information, and that keeps a predetermined gap between the device and a surface of the recording medium, wherein an edge of the rail plane includes only segments of ellipses and circles, and tangent lines of the segments, preferably the edge of the rail plane is continuous to provide a floating head slider having high reliability even in a dusty environment and a recording/reproducing apparatus in which such a floating head slider is employed.

Abstract: A dual etch depth slider air bearing surface includes a front pad disposed along the front and partially along the sides of the slider and a rear pad partially disposed along the rear of the slider, wherein a skewed center rail connects the front pad to the rear pad. Extending above the rear pad is a V-shaped ABS pad and extending above the front pad are two leading edge ABS pads that are separated by a channel towards the longitudinal center of the slider. The design enables the slider to fly much higher over the landing zone of the disk than at the data zone and provides for a steep take off profile followed by a rapid descend over the data zone.

Abstract: A disc head slider is provided, which includes a slider body having a disc-opposing face with leading and trailing slider edges and a slider length measured between the leading and trailing slider edges. The disc-opposing face has a bearing surface and a recessed area which is recessed from the bearing surface. A convergent channel is recessed within the bearing surface and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the recessed area, channel side walls, a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow, and a channel length measured between the leading and trailing channel ends. The trailing channel end is located rearward of a midpoint along the slider length and the channel floor is vertically contoured relative to the bearing surface along at least a portion of the channel length.

Abstract: One embodiment of a recording head for a disk drive with a load/unload mechanism has an air bearing on one surface. The air bearing comprises a patterned set of three air bearing pads, and at least one deep pocket. The three air bearing pads are spaced apart from each other by the deep pocket, with the largest of the air bearing pads located on the leading edge, and the other pads on the trailing edge. The air bearing pads have unique geometry one of the trailing corners of the air bearing is free of all the air bearing pads. This configuration gives the air bearing superior performance characteristics over prior art designs with load/unload mechanisms, particularly in regard to contact with the disk during loading and unloading sequences.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device is provided with a magnetic head slider mounted with a magnetic head and a magnetic disk, and the magnetic head slider has the possibility of contacting the magnetic disk at the vicinity of the magnetic head during operation of the magnetic disk device. The magnetic head slider is 1.25 mm or less in length, 1 mm or less in width and 0.3 mm or less in thickness, and the friction force exerted between the magnetic head slider and the magnetic disk is 10 mN or less. The magnetic head comprises four substantially parallel surfaces, and the depth from a first surface, which is the most adjacent surface to the magnetic disk, to a second surface is 10 nm to 50 nm, the depth from the second surface to a third surface is 50 nm to 200 nm, and the depth from the third surface to a fourth surface is 400 nm to 1 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a slider which can maintain a uniform flying posture and a predetermined flying height by suppressing variations of roll angle and flying height of the slider.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider for writing or reading magnetic information while flying above a magnetic disk, includes a slider body provided with a magnetic head core, and a rail and/or a pad for generating lift, provided on the surface facing a recording medium of the slider body. A crown is formed at least at a position on the rail selected from the group consisting of the surface facing the recording medium of the slider body, the rail, and the pad. The rail includes side-rails formed on both sides of the surface facing the recording medium of the slider body and extending from the air inflow side to the air outflow side of the slider body. A groove is provided between the side-rails. At least one protrusion is provided on each side-rail on the air inflow side and/or on each side of the groove on the air inflow side. The protrusion protrudes more toward the magnetic disk than the side-rails.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards air-bearing sliders that are used in disk drives. The invention involves pitching a slider so that the leading portion of the slider is closer to the disk than the trailing portion of the slider. The negative pitch reduces the sensitivity of the slider to ambient air pressure, radial position, and to data accessing over the disk. When used in combination with a reverse-flow disk drive, negatively pitched sliders facilitate the routing of traces to the head.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a leading slider edge, a cavity dam, a subambient pressure cavity, which trails the cavity dam and has a cavity floor, and first and second rails disposed about the subambient pressure cavity. Each rail has leading and trailing bearing surfaces and a recessed surface extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces, which is recessed from the bearing surfaces and raised from the cavity floor, across the rail width. Recessed leading channels are positioned near the leading slider edge and have a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the leading slider edge, non-divergent channel side walls, and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow. A trailing channel is recessed within each of the trailing bearing surfaces and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed surface, non-divergent channel side walls, and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow.

Abstract: Projected ABSs (air bearing surfaces) are formed on a disk facing plane of a slider. Three-dimensional corners constituting the corners of ABSs are chamfered. Two-dimensional corners constituting side edges of ABSs are not chamfered and has sharp edges. Damages of a disk surface and breakage of the slider are prevented when the slider collides with the disk surface by external shock.

Abstract: A head slider having a disk opposing surface, an air inlet end, and an air outlet end. The head slider includes a front rail formed on the disk opposing surface in the vicinity of the air inlet end, the front rail having an air bearing surface and a step surface lower in level than the air bearing surface; a transducer formed in the vicinity of the air outlet end; and a first groove for expanding air once compressed by the front rail to generate a negative pressure. The head slider further includes a second groove formed on the step surface near the air inlet end except opposite side portions of the step surface. The step surface reaches the air inlet end at the opposite side portions.

Abstract: An air bearing slider supports a transducer over a moving recording medium based on air flow generated by the movement of the recording medium. A first pad is formed near a leading edge of the slider and has a first leading edge contoured to provide a first effective length relative to the air flow for the first pad. A second pad is formed near a trailing edge of the slider and has a second leading edge contoured to provide a second effective length relative to the air flow for the second pad. A third pad is formed near the trailing edge of the slider and has a third leading edge which is contoured to provide a third effective length relative to the air flow for the third pad. The first, second, and third effective lengths vary as the air bearing slider moves relative to the moving recording medium to maintain a desired orientation and fly height for the slider during such movement.

Abstract: A head slider having excellent shock resistance and a head supporter, as well as a disk drive, using the head slider. The head slider is characterized in the form of its opposite-to-disk surface having a fixed point set at a position located outwardly of the rear end portion of the slider and at a predetermined distance from a point of application of a load to urge the slider toward the disk, whereby the slider, when a shock power is externally applied to the slider, is rotated such that at least one of pitch angle and roll angle is kept positive. Owing to this structure, a disk drive excellent in shock resistance can be provided.

Abstract: A magnetic disc apparatus includes a magnetic disc, a slider incorporating lifting rails or lifting pads, a magnetic head provided to a lifting rail or a lifting pad on the outflow end side, a suspension supporting the slider, and a carriage attached to the suspension. The slider has an inverted stepped wall formed in a shape such that it is caved in a direction from the inflow end to the outflow end of the slider, and a bleed surface formed at the outflow end side of the inverted stepped wall and caved from the lifting rails or the lifting pads. An action point of an equivalent load is located offset from the inverted stepped wall of the slider toward the inflow end of the slider.

Abstract: A dual depth slider air bearing surface that enables the slider to achieve a ramp fly height profile near the textured landing zone of a disk. The air bearing slider includes a slider body on which a U-shaped leading ABS pad is defined near and along a leading edge (relative to a moving recording medium) and partially along each side of the slider body. A front step pad extends from the leading edge section of the leading ABS pad to the leading edge of the slider body, at a reduced height relative to the height of the ABS pad. An asymmetric rear pad is defined along a longitudinal axis of the slider body and proximate to a trailing edge of the slider body. Extending above the rear pad is a trailing ABS pad, which has an asymmetric profile with respect to the longitudinal axis of the slider. The trailing ABS pad has a curved bowing profile towards the front of the slider body on the leading edge side of the trailing ABS pad.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disk drive, includes 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 includes an air-bearing surface which has roughened contact surface areas to reduce stiction in a contact start stop drive or in a drive that parks the slider on a ramp.

Abstract: A self-loading disc head-slider has a slider body, with a leading slider edge and a trailing slider edge, and first and second raised rails. Each raised rail has a leading rail edge, inside and outside rail edges and a bearing surface. A cavity dam extends between the first and second raised rails. A subambient pressure cavity trails the cavity dam, between the first and second raised rails. A stepped leading taper extends from the leading slider edge to the bearing surfaces of the first and second raised rails. The stepped leading taper is formed of first and second steps. The first step is positioned along the leading slider edge. The second step wraps around the leading rail edges of the first and second raised rails and extends along a portion of the inside and outside rail edges of the first and second raised rails. The first and second steps have a step height of 0.05 to 1.5 microns.

Abstract: A slider for supporting transducer elements in a disc drive. The slider including an edge protection feature for contact interface protection for head disc interface.

Abstract: A head slider is provided that includes a slider body having leading and trailing slider edges and first and second side edges. The body further includes an air bearing surface generally disposed within a bearing surface plane. A raised portion is positioned on the bearing surface plane and spaced apart from the leading edge. Also, a comb structure is provided having a plurality of raised protrusions positioned proximate and substantially parallel to the leading edge of the slider, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions form gaps throughout the leading edge.

Abstract: A disc head slider for supporting a transducer relative to a data storage disc includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface with a leading slider edge and a trailing slider edge. First and second rails are disposed on the disc-facing surface about a central recess and form first and second bearing surfaces, respectively, which terminate prior to the trailing slider edge. First and second wear-resistant pads are formed on the disc-facing surface between respective ones of the first and second bearing surfaces and the trailing slider edge. The first and second wear-resistant pads are raised from the central recess and are recessed from the first and second bearing surfaces to provide transitions in the disc-facing surface that generate vibration-dampening pressure gradients while limiting contact between the pads and the data storage disc during operation.

Abstract: A rail is formed on a medium-opposed surface of a slider body in a flying head slider. An air bearing surface is defined on the upper surface of the rail, which faces the medium. Projections are formed on the medium-opposed surface. The projections serve to space the air bearing surface from a medium such as a recording disk when the slider body contacts the recording disk. A trailing end of the rail is narrowed laterally along the trailing end of the medium-opposed surface. Even when the slider body contacts the recording disk at the trailing end, in addition to the projections, the contact area between the slider body and the recording disk is reduced because of the narrowed trailing end. Since the rail is narrowed without changing its original thickness or height from the bottom base of the medium-opposed surface, no additional processing is required to form the air bearing surface.

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 data transducing head slider is provided with a transversely extended crossbar or other barrier near the leading edge. The barrier is deposited onto the air bearing surface of the slider using photolithographic techniques that enable precise determination of the barrier dimensions and the barrier set-back from the leading edge. The barrier set-back, width and thickness can be selected to control the transducer flying height and the pitch of the slider relative to the data recording surface of a magnetic disk when the slider is aerodynamically supported relative to the disk. The barrier also acts as a shield to minimize particulate contamination.

Abstract: A slider is used for supporting a transducing head proximate a rotating disc. The slider includes a primary air bearing having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading edge and a first trailing edge. An air bearing surface is defined on the disc opposing face. The slider further includes a secondary air bearing having a disc opposing face bounded by a front edge and a second trailing edge. The air bearing surface is defined on the disc opposing face. The air bearing surface has a pad proximate the second trailing edge wherein the transducing head is located on the pad. An interface connects the secondary air bearing to the primary air bearing and the interface displaces the transducing head vertically with respect to the primary air bearing to maintain head media spacing (HMS) between the transducing head and the disc substantially constant as the slider flies above the disc.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface and a leading surface adjacent to the disc facing surface. The disc facing surface has leading-most edge and first and second side edges. A bearing surface is formed on the disc facing surface. A debris deflection surface is formed along the leading surface, which is spaced vertically from the leading-most edge with respect to the disc facing surface and has a tangent that forms an angle with the bearing surface of less than ninety degrees.