Abstract: A disc storage system includes a rotating disc and a transducer. The transducer is carried on a slider which is supported by an armature. The armature is used to move the slider radially across the disc surface whereby information may be read from or written to the disc surface of the transducer. The slider includes an air bearing surface which faces the disc surface. As the disc rotates, the air bearing surface causes the slider to “fly” over the disc surface. Pads are provided on the air bearing surface to improve operational characteristics of the system. For example, the pads may be used to reduce the stiction or improve flying characteristics. Flying instabilities associated with the pads are addressed by a number of characteristics provided to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider assembly is provided, in which a flying height of the head slider is not changed when a peripheral speed and a yaw angle of the magnetic head slider assembly with respect to a magnetic disk are changed according to the change of a magnetic head slider radial position, so that a difference between flying heights in floating profiles become minimum. The magnetic head slider is provided with two stepped surfaces via a difference portion with respect to a contact surface of an inflow pad or an outflow pad of the magnetic head slider (1), wherein a ratio &dgr;s/&dgr;r between a depth &dgr;s of the first stepped surface and a depth &dgr;r of the second stepped surface with respect to the contact surface and a ratio xp/L between a length L of the slider in an air stream inflow direction and a distance xp between an air stream inflow end and a dimple position of the slider are respectively set in a range 0.047≦&dgr;s/&dgr;r≦0.364 and 0.002≦xp/L≦0.4, or a range 0.

Abstract: A slider is used for supporting a transducing head proximate a rotating disc. The slider includes a slider body having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading edge, a trailing edge and first and second side edges. The slider body has a longitudinal axis. An air bearing surface is defined on the disc opposing face. A furrow is positioned on the disc opposing face for flushing contaminants towards the trailing edge of the slider body.

Abstract: A protector protuberance is formed on a head slider incorporated in a recording medium drive such as a hard disk drive. The protector protuberance is allowed to collide against a contamination on a recording medium in front of a head element mounted on the head slider. The head element can be protected from collision against the contamination behind the protector protuberance. The protector protuberance is located as close to the head element as possible. Even with a smaller protector protuberance, the front and rear support protrusions contact the recording medium so as to hold the slider body above the surface of the recording medium. An increase can be prevented in the adsorption acting between the slider body and a lubricant agent spreading over the surface of the recording medium. A smaller protector protuberance enables the head element to approach the recording medium as close as possible upon read/write operations.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider body and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider body has an air bearing surface, an air inflow end, and an air outflow end. The air bearing surface has: a first surface including two portions that extend in a direction of air passage; a second surface including a portion that extends in the direction of air passage, the portion of the second surface being disposed between the two portions of the first surface; a third surface that is located closer to the air outflow end than the first surface is; and a border part located between the first and third surfaces. The first surface and the second surface have such a difference in level that the second surface is located farther from the recording medium than the first surface is. This difference in level varies gradually so as to increase with decreasing distance from the air outflow end.

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 slider includes a slider main body and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider main body has an air bearing surface, an air inflow end, and an air outflow end. The air bearing surface has a first part closer to the air outflow end, a second part closer to the air inflow end, and a border part between the first part and the second part. The second part is slanted against the first part so that the entire air bearing surface has a convex shape bent at the border part.

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: A disk drive system including a disk having a contact surface and a slider having a surface with a pattern of features is described. The disk's contact surface is textured with protrusions that roughen surface. The distance between the protrusions on the disk is less than the distance between the features on the slider surface.

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 disc head slider supports a transducer relative to a moving media in a data storage system. The slider includes a slider body having a media opposing face with a leading slider edge, a trailing slider edge, a recessed area and a bearing surface formed by at least one positive pressurization area. The pressurization area is raised relative to the recessed area. A wearable airflow-blocking pad is positioned upstream of the positive pressurization area, between the positive pressurization area and the recessed area. The pad is wearable from a first height to a second, lower height relative to the positive pressurization area during normal operation of the data storage system. The airflow-blocking pad substantially disrupts fluid flow from reaching the positive pressurization area when at the first height and allows progressively increasing fluid flow to reach the positive pressurization area as the pad wears toward the second height.

Abstract: A silicon coating on an air bearing surface for magnetic thin film heads. A thick silicon layer is provided to replace metallic layers such as TiW as an overcoat for thin film heads. The silicon layer will provide a durable head-disk interface and act as a reflective surface for fly height measurement. The silicon layer can be planarized with the pole tips to avoid any magnetic spacing loss. The thickness of the silicon coating is preferably between 125 and 6500 angstroms thick. The slider body may be fabricated from silicon such that the silicon coating is substantially identical to the silicon slider body, thereby preventing thermal mismatch therebetween. The silicon coating is preferably applied using a magnetron sputtering technique which provides a high rate of deposition of silicon to form a dense, low stress silicon layer.

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: A disc head slider is provided and includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface which includes a bearing surface that is generally disposed within a bearing surface plane. An angled inside rail, an angled outside rail and a cavity dam are formed on the disc-facing surface. At least one of the angled inside rail, the angled outside rail and the cavity dam includes a surface portion that defines at least a portion of the bearing surface. A sub-ambient pressure cavity is formed between the angled inside and outside rails, and includes a cavity floor that is displaced from the bearing surface plane. At least one recessed surface is formed on the disc-facing surface and is generally positioned outside of the angled inside rail, the angled outside rail and the sub-ambient pressure cavity. The recessed surface(s) is further displaced from the bearing surface plane than the cavity floor.

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: A disc head slider includes a slider body having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a slider length measured from the leading edge to the trailing edge, a central-recess floor and a plurality of raised rails. Each raised rail forms a respective bearing surface. At least one of the raised rails has a recessed rail surface, which is recessed from the respective bearing surface and raised from the central recess floor. At least twenty isolated bearing pads are positioned on the recessed rail surface and together form at least part of the respective bearing surface. Each bearing pad has a pad length and a pad width, which are at least one percent of the slider length.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider assembly is provided, in which a flying height of the head slider is not changed when a peripheral speed and a yaw angle of the magnetic head slider assembly with respect to a magnetic disk are changed according to the change of a magnetic head slider radial position, so that a difference between flying heights in floating profiles become minimum. The magnetic head slider is provided with two stepped surfaces via a difference portion with respect to a contact surface of an inflow pad or an outflow pad of the magnetic head slider (1), wherein a ratio &dgr;s/&dgr;r between a depth &dgr;s of the first stepped surface and a depth &dgr;r of the second stepped surface with respect to the contact surface and a ratio xp/L between a length L of the slider in an air stream inflow direction and a distance xp between an air stream inflow end and a dimple position of the slider are respectively set in a range 0.047≦&dgr;s/&dgr;r≦0.364 and 0.002≦xp/L≦0.4, or a range 0.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a cavity dam, a subambient pressure cavity and first and second elongated rails. The first and second rails are disposed about the subambient pressure cavity. Each of the rails has a rail width measured from an inner rail edge to an outer rail edge, a leading bearing surface, a trailing bearing surface, and a recessed area extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces. The recessed area is recessed from the bearing surfaces and raised from the cavity floor, across the rail width. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. Each channel has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed area, non-divergent channel side walls and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow and forward of a localized region of the respective trailing bearing surface.

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 magnetic head slider has a magnetic head mounting surface holding a magnetic head, to be kept closest to a magnetic disk when the magnetic head slider is in operation, a slider rail surface contiguous with a surface, on the side of an air inlet end, and opposite sides of a portion, near an air outlet end, of the magnetic head and extending near to the air outlet end, a step bearing surface formed at least on the side of the air inlet end of the slider rail surface, and a negative-pressure groove formed so as to surround the step bearing surface. The magnetic head mounting surface is typically formed on an alumina protective film protecting the magnetic head. The variation of the flying height of the magnetic head slider with respect to a rolling direction is reduced and a proximity ability to approach the magnetic disk is improved.

Abstract: The present invention includes a head slider for a disk drive. The slider includes a slider body having leading and trailing slider edges and first and second side edges. The body further includes an air bearing surface configured to face a disk surface. A raised portion is portioned on the air bearing surface. A plurality of isolated cup-shaped features having openings facing the leading slider edge is positioned on the raised portion. Furthermore, the plurality of cup-shaped features extends substantially from the leader slider edge to the trailing slider edge.

Abstract: A disc drive assembly includes a housing, a disc, an actuator, a ramp and a slider. The ramp is positioned along an edge of the disc to engage a portion of the actuator when the actuator is in a parked position. The slider is supported over the disc by the actuator and includes first and second elongated rails. Each rail has a leading bearing surface, a trailing bearing surface, and a recessed area extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. Each channel includes a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed area, non-divergent channel side walls and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow and forward of a localized region of the respective trailing bearing surface.

Abstract: A textured air bearing surface (“ABS”) slider design of particular utility in devices which utilize an air bearing surface to control the flying height or spacing between two relatively moving surfaces such as the sliders designed for use in conjunction with the read/write data transducer elements in a hard disk drive. The textured ABS slider provides much improved slider-to-media stiction and contact start stop (“CSS”) performance due to its provision of much earlier take-off characteristics which is of particular importance for use with high RPM drive designs which allow for higher data throughput. At low RPMs the fly height of the slider is increased while the fly height remains substantially the same at normal operating speeds. The textured ABS slider design disclosed may be readily effectuated with only minimal design and processing changes.

Abstract: A head slider with a precise positioning actuator includes a thin plane shaped head section provided with a first surface that is substantially perpendicular to an ABS of the head slider, a second surface opposite to the first surface and at least one head element formed on the first surface, and an actuator section located at a side of the second surface of the head section and integrally fixed to the head section, for precisely positioning the at least one head element.

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 disc storage system includes a rotating disc and a transducer. The transducer is carried on a slider which is supported by an armature. The armature is used to move the slider radially across the disc surface whereby information may be read from or written to the disc surface of the transducer. The slider includes an air bearing surface which faces the disc surface. As the disc rotates, the air bearing surface causes the slider to “fly” over the disc surface. Pads are provided on the air bearing surface to improve operational characteristics of the system and texturing is provided to a landing zone region on the disc surface.

Abstract: A magnetic element has a shape in which the outside portions of a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer, which protrude from both side ends of a trailing-side ABS to both side ends of a slider, retreat from a magnetic functional portion G so as not to be exposed at a protecting layer. Therefore, it is possible to decrease a flying amount between the magnetic functional portion and a disk, and impart design freedom to the slider, thereby permitting the manufacture of a magnetic head having excellent corrosion resistance and adaptable to a higher recording density.

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 slider is used for supporting a transducing head proximate a rotating disc. The slider includes a slider body having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading edge, a trailing edge, and first and second side edges. The slider body has a longitudinal axis. An air bearing surface is defined on the disc opposing face and the air bearing surface has a pad proximate the trailing edge. A trench is positioned adjacent to the pad with the trench being recessed from the air bearing surface at a step depth. A channel for flushing lubricant from the disc opposing face is positioned on the pad. The channel is recessed from the air bearing surface at a channel depth.

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 head slider, usually employed in a recording disk drive, comprises a chamfered vertex defined at a corner of a polygonal bottom surface surrounded by a contour separated from a contour of an air bearing surface. Even when the chamfered vertex collides with the surface of a recording disk, a scratch or damage may be hardly generated on the surface of the recording disk, as compared with a keen vertex. The recording disk drive employing the head slider may enjoy an improved shock resistance.

Abstract: A trailing ABS face, which is a surface generating positive pressure, is formed to rise from a surface facing a recording medium, which is a surface generating negative pressure, toward the recording medium and furthermore, a surface facing the element, in which a gap portion of a magnetic element is located, is formed to rise from the trailing ABS face. Thereby, the floating lift of a magnetic head can be reduced while the floating position can be stabilized and furthermore, collision of the magnetic head with a disk surface can be properly avoided.

Abstract: A projection serves to space the air bearing surface apart from the surface of a recording disk when the recording disk stands still. The contact area can be reduced between a flying head slider and the surface of the recording disk. When the flying head slider inclines downstream around the tip end of the projection in response to a reverse rotation of the recording disk at the beginning of the rotation, the flying head slider allows a rugged surface to contact the surface of the recording disk at the outflow end thereof. The effect of meniscus or adsorption cannot be intensified between the lubricating agent or oil and the air bearing surface, namely, the flying head slider. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably avoid failure in starting the recording disk to rotate. Less torque of the spindle motor allows the recording disk to normally start rotating.

Abstract: A negative pressure air bearing slider including a first air bearing surface formed on the bottom of the slider body at the upstream position so as to extend in the lateral direction of the slider body, and a pair of second air bearing surfaces formed on the bottom of the slider body separately from the first air bearing surface at downstream positions spaced in the lateral direction so as to define an air stream passage therebetween. The second air bearing surfaces serve to generate positive pressures that are spaced apart at downstream positions where a transducer element is embedded in the slider body, so that the slider's stiffness to rolling action can be enhanced. The cooperation of the front and rear rails enables for the creation of a higher negative pressure.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface, a recessed area positioned on the disc-facing surface, and a raised rail positioned on the disc-facing surface adjacent the recessed area. The raised rail includes a bearing surface and a recessed step surface which is recessed from the bearing surface and is raised from the recessed area. A plurality of bearing pads are formed on the recessed step surface and have upper surfaces that together define the bearing surface. A non-bearing pad is formed on the recessed step surface and has an upper surface, which is generally coplanar with the bearing surface, and a pointed leading pad edge.

Abstract: An air bearing slider designed for operation at ultra-low flying heights. The air bearing slider has an air bearing surface having portions which are constructed from a low-friction, high-wear-resistance material.

Abstract: A head and disk system for use in a disk drive includes a slider having a surface that contacts the disk. This disk contacting surface of the slider is textured with pads, bumps, an etched surface or an otherwise roughened surface. The contact area of the disk has a greater roughness than a data zone. The head disk system exhibits acceptable stiction. Additionally, low glide avalanche over the CSS zone, thus enabling low fly height, is achieved.

Abstract: A slider having contact protection for ultra-low fly heights. The contact protection includes contact pads having an ultra-low height dimension to reduce friction and damage for intermittent contact for ultra-low fly height applications.

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 textured air bearing surface (“ABS”) slider design of particular utility in devices which utilize an air bearing surface to control the flying height or spacing between two relatively moving surfaces such as the sliders designed for use in conjunction with the read/write data transducer elements in a hard disk drive. The textured ABS slider provides much improved slider-to-media stiction and contact start stop (“CSS”) performance due to its provision of much earlier takeoff characteristics which is of particular importance for use with high RPM drive designs which allow for higher data throughput. At low RPMs the fly height of the slider is increased while the fly height remains substantially the same at normal operating speeds. The textured ABS slider design disclosed may be readily effectuated with only minimal design and processing changes.

Abstract: An air bearing slider capable of reducing to the utmost variations in its flying height, irrespective of its movement along the radial direction of the storage disk. A larger positive pressure (or lift) can be generated at the air bearing surface when the air bearing surface receives an air stream running along the front raised surface and the front wall during rotation of the storage disk. Even when the air stream approaches from different directions, it still reaches the air bearing surface through the constant area of the front raised surface and the front wall. Accordingly, variations in the direction of the air stream fail to cause variations in the positive pressure at the air bearing surface, so that variations in the flying height of the slider can be reduced to the utmost irrespective of its radial movement along the storage disk.

Abstract: A negative pressure air bearing slider including a first air bearing surface formed on the bottom of the slider body at the upstream position so as to extend in the lateral direction of the slider body, and a pair of second air bearing surfaces formed on the bottom of the slider body separately from the first air bearing surface at downstream positions spaced in the lateral direction so as to define an air stream passage therebetween. The second air bearing surfaces serve to generate positive pressures that are spaced apart at downstream positions where a transducer element is embedded in the slider body, so that the slider's stiffness to rolling action can be enhanced. The cooperation of the front and rear rails enables for the creation of a higher negative pressure.

Abstract: An air bearing surface for use on a magnetic read/write head. The air bearing surface provides a stable flight profile while exhibiting exception load/unload characteristics through the use of a plurality of pads providing high pressure areas as well as a central cavity providing a sub-ambient pressure to counter the high pressure areas. The channel is set a predetermined distance from the leading edge of the air bearing, the predetermined distance being greater than with prior art designs. A channel extends from the leading edge to the cavity to allow airflow into the cavity. The channel and the set back of the cavity both act in conjunction to facilitate unloading of the air bearing by preventing excessive sub ambient pressures.

Abstract: There is provided a head slider for reducing a sticking force or stiction between the head slider and a disk in a disk drive unit in which a difference in level between an air bearing and a head portion is small when the disk rotates in a reverse direction. Air bearing portions having flat top surfaces are formed in parallel with each other on both sides of a side of a slider which flies above the disk at an air outflow end of the slider. A head portion comprising head elements and a protection film for protecting the head elements is provided at an air outflow end of one of the air bearing portions, while a dummy head portion comprising only a protection film is provided at an air outflow end of the other air bearing portion. Top surfaces of the head portion and the dummy head portion are formed lower by a step than top surfaces of the air bearing portions.

Abstract: A slider with contact interface features for contact starts and stops. Contact interface features include elevated leading edge contact interface features including elevated contact pads, ribs or protective layer. In addition, the invention includes a slider with a trailing edge contact interface at the bearing surface having a relatively rough surface structure including textured or rough surface patterns.

Abstract: A negative pressure air bearing slider includes a pair of front rails having a predetermined air inlet passage interposed therebetween at the front side of the slider where air enters, a negative pressure rail disposed at the rear of the front rails and forming air outlet passages connected to the air inlet passage, and forming a negative pressure space where negative pressure is generated according to the flow of air at the rear thereof, and a rear rail disposed at the rear of the negative pressure space, where a magnetic head is installed. In the slider, a stepped portion protruding toward the air outlet passages is formed at the negative pressure rail.

Abstract: A slider includes first and second trailing slider edges and side edges, and first and second rails disposed about the side edges. Each of the rails has a width measured from an inner rail edge to an outer rail edge, a leading air-bearing surface, and a trailing air-bearing surface. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing air-bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. The slider further includes at least one raised bar extending across an air-bearing surface. The slider also includes raised features attached to the cavity or to the step level surfaces. Positional variations of features near the trailing edge are controlled more precisely by a step level mask which determines the position of the features and the trailing edge.

Abstract: A negative pressure air-bearing slider includes a body flying in a first direction along a track of a disc where information is recorded while being raised to a predetermined height, a plurality of rails provided at the bottom of the body corresponding to a surface of the disc, an air inflow channel arranged at the bottom of the body in the first direction and having an air inflow portion at the leading end portion of the slider and an air exhaust portion at the inside of the body, and a pair of negative pressure recess portions provided at the air exhaust portion of the air inflow channel to be arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with respect to the air inflow channel. Thus, a constant flying height is maintained in the overall area of a disc. A pitch angle is maintained within an appropriate range in the overall area of a disc. The size of the roll angle is minimized in the overall area of a disc and maintained to be constant.