Abstract: Sliders that include a slider body having an outer side edge, an inner side edge, a trailing edge and a leading edge, and a base; a trailing edge set of features positioned towards the trailing edge of the slider body, the trailing edge set of features having air bearing surfaces, the air bearing surfaces being above the base of the slider body; a leading edge set of features positioned towards the leading edge of the slider body; a gap positioned between the trailing edge set of features and the leading edge set of features, the gap having a gap surface, the gap surface substantially coplanar with the base of the slider body; and a first gap feature and a second gap feature distributed evenly within the gap from the inner side edge to the outer side edge, the first and second gap features each having upper surfaces, the upper surfaces of the first and second gap features being above the base of the slider body but below the air bearing surface of the trailing edge features.

Abstract: A DFH (Dynamic Flying Height) type slider ABS design has significantly improved DFH efficiency and back-off efficiency as well as uniform touchdown detectability. This is the result of decoupling the local pressure variations at the read/write head that result from skew angle variations across a disk, from local stiffness due to ABS protrusion caused by heater activation. The decoupling, which allows the heater activation stiffness to be carefully tuned, is a result of the effects of airflow channeled by a wide down-track channel onto a narrow down-track channel formed in an extended finger of the central pad of the slider. Airflow impinges on the finger channel in a manner that eliminates variations in air pressure at the central pad due to variations in skew angle.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic head slider apparatus that can minimize a change in a roll angle caused by an impact force even with a submount mounted on a side surface thereof and achieve steady flying with the roll angle minimized. A dimple position and a pressure center position of a lifting force are moved in a slider width direction to thereby align a center of mass of a slider having a submount including a laser diode mounted on a side surface thereof, the dimple position, and the pressure center position of the lifting force with each other. This provides a magnetic head slider and a suspension thereof, and a magnetic disk drive apparatus offering higher recording density and higher reliability.

Abstract: A slider that minimizes lubricant accumulation includes bearing surfaces that provide above ambient fluid pressure, a cavity located between two bearing surfaces and at least one step feature that is spaced apart from the bearing surfaces and is located in and protrudes from a floor of the cavity at a height that is less than a height of the bearing surfaces. The at least one step feature includes surfaces configured to diverge and converge airflow in the cavity.

Abstract: A head slider for supporting a head over a magnetic disk in a hard disk drive, and a method of making the head slider are disclosed. The air bearing surface (ABS) of the head slider includes a relatively deep recess in front of a trailing pad and an island pad. A recess is formed between the trailing pad and the island pad of the ABS. In operation, the recess may reduce the peak pressure of the ABS, resulting in a reduced mid disk (MD) hump without a reduction in other performance parameters. The reduction in peak pressure may also reduce lubrication pick-up from the magnetic disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a head slider for a magnetic disk drive. The head slider comprises a first recess on the air bearing surface of the head slider. The head slider further comprises a second recess on the air bearing surface, wherein the first recess is deeper than the second recess and is closer to the leading edge than the second recess and wherein the second recess is closer to the trailing edge than the first recess.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a bearing surface of the head slider includes a leading step at the inflow end portion, a skirt portion at the inflow end portion, a leading pad on the leading step and including a junction extending to the skirt portion, first groove surfaces individually on the opposite sides of the junction and being continuous with a downstream central portion of the skirt portion, second groove surfaces on an upstream side of the first groove surfaces and formed deeper than the first groove surfaces, and negative-pressure grooves individually on the transversely opposite sides of the first groove surfaces between the second groove surfaces and the skirt portion and formed deeper than the second groove surfaces.

Abstract: A head slider for a disk drive storage device. The head slider is adapted to fly at the target height above the disk, reduce contamination by preventing particles from being trapped under the head slider, fly well in helium at low velocity and obtain a manufacturing tolerance so that multiple head sliders may be produced and function properly. The head slider has an internal cavity that is substantially enclosed by the air bearing surface. There are two gaps in the air bearing surface that are misaligned relative to the leading edge. The gaps aid in preventing particles from entering the cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method for a slider pad that allows for contact to be mitigated without plastic deformation. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a slider that presents a transducer and has at least one air bearing surface (ABS) feature. The ABS feature comprises a pair of sidewalls spaced a distance X apart. A pad is deposited on the ABS feature so that the pad comprises a hemispherical cross-section and has a circumferential diameter greater than X.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling lubrication in hard disk drives. Hard disk drives often include lubrication on the disks to protect the disks from incidental contact with the head slider. Embodiments of the invention include lubrication control surfaces or dams on the air bearing surface (ABS) of the head slider. The dams redirect air flow on the ABS and/or redirects excess lubrication that migrates from the disk to the head slider. By redirecting excess lubrication, the lubrication control dams remove and/or store the lubrication and avoid failure that may occur as a result of the lubrication interfering with the ABS or the read/write elements of the head.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive includes a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head slider adapted to fly over a surface of a magnetic recording medium and read or write information. The magnetic head slider includes a slider air bearing surface and a magnetic transducer. The slider air bearing surface includes a front pad having front rail surfaces and front step bearing surfaces, a rear pad having a rear rail surface and a rear step bearing surface, and a negative-pressure groove interposed between the front pad and the rear pad. A vibration suppressing groove is formed in the rear rail surface so as to be deeper than the rear rail surface and to be closed at its periphery. The vibration suppressing groove quickly damps out translational and pitching vibrations in the flying height direction of the magnetic head slider while stabilizing its flying.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a facing surface of a slider of a head includes a leading step on an inflow side of the slider, a leading pad on the leading step, a pair of side steps extending in a first direction from the leading step toward an outflow end of the slider and opposed to each other across a space in a second direction, side pads provided on the side steps to be continuous with the side pads, individually, a trailing step located on an outflow side of the airflow and provided with a head section, and induction grooves continuously extending from the leading pad to the side pads, individually, and configured to guide introduced airflow.

Abstract: A novel head includes an air bearing surface having a trailing pad adjacent the read transducer and lying in a primary plane. The air bearing surface includes a sub-ambient pressure cavity recessed from the primary plane by at least 500 nm. At least one leading pad is disposed upstream of the sub-ambient pressure cavity and has a leading pad surface in the primary plane. A moat is disposed upstream of the leading pad and is recessed from the primary plane by at least 500 nm. The moat continuously spans the entire width of the slider. A particle fence in the primary plane is disposed immediately upstream of the moat and adjacent the leading face. The particle fence continuously laterally spans at least 70% of the width of the slider.

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

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a head includes a slider and a head portion on the slider. A facing surface of the slider includes a negative-pressure cavity defined by a recess in the facing surface, a leading step portion on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions extending in a first direction from the leading step portion, a trailing step portion on an outflow side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of skirt portions extending in the first direction from the side portions toward the outflow end of the slider, and an enclosure step portion continuously arranged along an outflow end edge and opposite side edges of the facing surface from the trailing step portion to opposite sides of the skirt portions and outsides of the side portions and formed deeper than the skirt portions and shallower than the negative-pressure cavity.

Abstract: A head-slider which is configured to fly above a magnetic-recording disk. The head-slider includes a disk-facing side, which faces the magnetic-recording disk. The disk-facing side includes a plurality of surfaces including at least: a step bearing surface; a rail surface, which protrudes toward the magnetic-recording disk and is configured to exert a positive pressure; a deep-recessed surface, which is formed deeper than the step bearing surface and is configured to exert a negative pressure; an extended lateral surface, which is formed at substantially a same depth as the step bearing surface and disposed outside the deep-recessed surface in a width direction of the head-slider; and, an extended rear surface, which is formed at substantially the same depth as the step bearing surface and disposed at a trailing edge of the head-slider, and contiguous with the extended lateral surface.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a slider of a head includes a negative-pressure cavity defined by a recess formed in a disk-facing surface, a leading step portion which is situated on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow and projects from a bottom surface of the negative-pressure cavity, a trailing step portion which is provided on an outflow-side end portion of the facing surface on the downstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, projects from the bottom surface of the negative-pressure cavity, and constitutes a part of the facing surface, and a maximum-positive-pressure producing step portion which is spaced upstream from the trailing step portion with respect to the airflow, projects from the bottom surface of the negative-pressure cavity, and produces a maximum positive pressure. A head portion is provided on the trailing step portion.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk and a head-slider. The head-slider includes an air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface includes a trailing-edge rail surface, an inner trailing-edge pad, and an outer trailing-edge pad. The pad surface of the outer trailing-edge pad includes a straight outer edge slanting outward; and, the angle of the outer edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?1. The pad surface of the inner trailing-edge pad includes a straight inner edge slanting inward; and, the angle of the inner edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is ?2. For absolute values of skew angles at an outermost data track position and an innermost data track position on the disk that are denoted by ?1 and ?2, respectively, the following conditions are satisfied: ?2??1,?1+?1?90°, and ?1??2,?2+?2?90°.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a slider of a head includes a trailing step portion which protrudes from a facing surface of the slider, is situated on the downstream side of a negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow, and has a top surface, a trailing pad which protrudes from the top surface, and an adjustment recess which is formed in the top surface on the upstream side of the trailing pad with respect to the airflow and is shallower than the negative-pressure cavity. The adjustment recess defines a first step portion, which extends across a first direction and hangs from the top surface toward a bottom of the adjustment recess, and a second step portion, which extends across the first direction, is spaced in the first direction from the first step portion, and rises from the bottom of the adjustment recess toward the top surface.

Abstract: A slider with an air-bearing surface includes an ID-side leading pad, an OD-side leading pad, an ID-side trailing pad, and an OD-side trailing pad. Each leading and trailing pad includes a respective pocket extending from the respective pad toward the air-bearing surface. The pockets each include a respective step surface surrounded by a trailing-side wall, an ID-side wall, and an OD-side wall. Each step surface has a respective depth, and each pocket is open to a leading side of the pocket. The slider further includes at least one cavity between the leading and trailing pads. The cavity includes a bottom surface of the slider having a cavity depth greater than all of the respective depths of the step surfaces of the pockets.

Abstract: A slider assembly for supporting a recording element in operative relation to a flexible moving recording medium is disclosed. The slider may have a face including air bearing surfaces positioned toward the recording medium. A recording element may be in an air bearing surface near the trailing edge of the face, wherein there is no other slider or other supporting surface on an opposite side of the recording medium. A vacuum cavity may be formed in the face for creation of sub-ambient pressure to attract the slider toward the recording medium. An air bearing surface may be provided with a transverse pressure contour (TPC) along at least one of its edges for providing flying height control, with the TPC having a step geometry. A mounting device may mount the slider in a biased manner toward the recording medium and urge the slider toward the recording medium.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving flying height stability in a small form factor hard disk drive that typically moves at lower speeds is achieved by a slider having an ABS with an air channel and pocket. The air channel and pocket are configured to increase the amount of aerodynamic lift provided by normally smaller amounts of intake air at the inner diameter of the rotating disk and, thereby, to achieve a desired flying height profile.

Abstract: An air bearing surface, with multiple deflection rails in a negative pressure pocket, between a leading air bearing surface and a central island for the read-write head. A gap separates left and right deflection rails. During the slider's normal operation, incoming particles may collide with at least one of the deflection rails and deflect away from the central island and the read-write head. The gap supports diminishing additional negative pressure in the negative air pressure pocket. The gap may minimize the accumulation of debris behind the rejection rails. The invention includes head gimbal assemblies containing these sliders, actuator arms coupled to the head gimbal assemblies, actuator assemblies including at least one of the actuator arms, and hard disk drives which include the actuator assemblies. The invention also includes methods for making sliders, actuator arms, actuator assemblies, and hard disk drives, as well as the products of these manufacturing methods.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a slider of a head is provided with a negative-pressure cavity 54 formed in a disk-facing surface, a leading step portion located on the upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions opposed to each other, a head mounting pad provided on the facing surface on an outflow side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow and provided with a head portion, a positive-pressure generating pad which is arranged on the facing surface between a leading pad and the head mounting pad and configured to produce a positive pressure, and a pair of center skirts which are disposed on the outflow side of the positive-pressure generating pad and are shallower than the negative-pressure cavity.

Abstract: A head has an air bearing surface with left and right leading pressurizing steps. The left and right leading pressurizing steps are each partially surrounded by left and right leading pads, respectively. The left leading pressurizing step includes a left short region that extends for a first distance (measured parallel to the slider longitudinal axis) from the leading face of the slider to the left leading pad. The left leading pressurizing step also includes a left long region that extends for a second distance (measured parallel to the longitudinal axis) from the leading face to the left leading pad. The second distance is at least 25% greater than the first distance. The left short region is disposed closer to the left lateral face than is the left long region. The left long region is disposed closer to the longitudinal axis than is the left short region.

Abstract: An air bearing surface for a head assembly for a data storage device comprises at least one air bearing pad. At least one channel is recessed within the at least one air bearing pad. The at least one channel is formed with an open top and is located entirely within boundaries of the at least one air bearing pad.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention reduce damage to a disk recording medium when a slider flying above the disk recording medium inside a magnetic disk drive comes into contact with the disk recording medium due to slider vibration. In one embodiment, a magnetic head slider includes a front pad, a rear pad, and carbon protective films. The front pad includes a step bearing surface disposed on the side of a leading end and leading side rail surfaces formed on the step bearing surface. The rear pad includes a rear step bearing surface disposed across a deep groove surface from the front pad and a trailing side rail surface formed on the rear step bearing surface. The carbon protective films are formed on regions including vertices of slider corner portions, respectively. The leading side rail surfaces and the trailing side rail surface are formed substantially on the same level. The carbon protective films are harder than a slider base material and have a small coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head that shows stable read and/or write performances, maintaining the reliability over time by suppressing the wear of the head sufficiently, is provided. The head comprises: a substrate having an element-formed surface and an opposed-to-medium surface; a magnetic head element; an overcoat layer formed on the element-formed surface so as to cover the magnetic head element; a closure provided on the overcoat layer, a surface of the closure being in contact with the upper surface of the overcoat layer; and an element contact pad formed in a sliding-side surface of the head and having a contact surface including a part of the opposed-to-medium surface, a part of an end surface of the overcoat layer and a part of an end surface of the closure, one end of the magnetic head element reaching the contact surface.

Abstract: A head for use in an information storage device includes a novel ABS, and a transducer with a heating element. The ABS includes a transducer pad that includes a surface in a first plane. The ABS also includes a pressure-relief trough that is recessed from the first plane by at least 0.1 microns and has an upstream breadth of no more than one fourth of the total length of the slider. The pressure-relief trough is disposed immediately upstream of the transducer pad and continuously spans the total width of the transducer pad. The ABS also includes a flow-diversion dam that has a dam surface that lies in the first plane. The dam surface continuously spans the total width of the transducer pad. The dam surface is disposed immediately upstream of the pressure-relief trough and generally downstream of a sub-ambient pressure cavity.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a slider of a head comprises a negative-pressure cavity formed in a facing surface, a leading step portion situated on an inflow side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions opposed to each other, a trailing step portion situated on an outflow side of the negative-pressure cavity, a leading pad provided on an end portion of the leading step portion on the negative-pressure cavity side, and a plurality of recesses formed on the inflow side of the leading pad and individually opening in the inflow-side end face. The leading step portion includes a main step portion which is situated beside the inflow side of the leading pad and extends in a second direction, and at least one extended step portion extending transversely to the second direction from the main step portion toward the inflow side and situated between the recesses.

Abstract: Head elements are formed on a wafer to suppress deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer, which is caused by ESD generated during air bearing surface polishing of a thin film magnetic head. The wafer is cut into rovers in each of which are connected head elements. Rover air bearing surfaces are polished until an MR elements attain a predetermined height. A final polishing step finishes air bearing surfaces by applying an electroconductive polishing liquid to achieve a predetermined shape and surface roughness with high accuracy. A pinning defect occurrence rate is reduced by suppressing deterioration in pinning strength of a pinned layer of a read element. To achieve this, a specific resistance of the electroconductive polishing liquid is controlled to 5 G?·cm or less. A shallow rail and a deep rail are formed on the air bearing surfaces, and the rover is cut into thin film magnetic heads.

Abstract: The application discloses processes for fabricating a slider or head for a data storage device. The processes disclosed provide a transducer portion that is separated from a slider body by a gap. In an illustrated embodiment, actuator elements are fabricated in the gap to adjust a position of the transducer portion relative to the slider body.

Abstract: A head slider, of a disk apparatus, flying over a rotary magnetic recording disk, having a characteristic less dependent on the atmospheric pressure. The head slider of a disk apparatus comprises: a magnetic element adapted to fly over a magnetic recording medium; a medium opposing surface being formed with, with respect to the direction in which the medium moves, an inflow pad portion at the upstream end and a pair of side rail portions extending downstream from the inflow pad portion, and a center pad at the central part and a pair of side pads on the sides of the center pad and upstream of the center pad at the downstream end of the head slider. The center pad and the side pads are constituted so that a positive pressure generated by the side pads is greater than a positive pressure generated by the center pad.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a slider structure able to lower a flying height compensation ratio caused by a projecting deformation of an air bearing surface of a slider by a flying height control mechanism and afford a change in flying height with a low control power. In one embodiment, a slider is provided with a leading edge, an air bearing surface, and a trailing edge. The air bearing surface includes a front pad, the front pad being made up of a front step bearing surface, leading rail surfaces, and side step bearing surfaces. The air bearing surface also includes a negative pressure groove surface surrounded by the front pad.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a suspension assembly comprising a suspension, a slider, and a suspension interface by which the slider is rotatably connected about a yaw axis to the suspension.

Abstract: A compact slider has a reduced area of bearing surfaces, thus remarkably decreasing a lifting force obtained by an air bearing characteristic. In one embodiment, a shallowly grooved surface is disposed on an inflow side of a bearing surface of a slider, and a pair of inflow side air bearing surfaces are disposed rearward of and adjacently to the shallowly grooved surface. Side shallowly grooved surfaces are disposed on both sides rearward of the air bearing surfaces in such a manner as to extend near an outflow end. A center air bearing surface is disposed at a center in a width direction at the outflow end of the slider. A magnetic head is mounted at the center air bearing surface. A center shallowly grooved surface is disposed on an inflow side of the center air bearing surface. A deeply grooved surface is disposed at a center of the bearing surface surrounded substantially by the air bearing surfaces, the side shallowly grooved surface, and the center shallowly grooved surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head is disclosed that includes a head slider having a medium opposing surface to oppose a magnetic recording medium, the head slider being configured to fly by receiving airflow, caused by the movement of the magnetic recording medium, on the medium opposing surface, the medium opposing surface including an air bearing surface and a groove part, the groove part being lower than the air bearing surface; and a buffer member configured to prevent the magnetic recording medium from being damaged when the groove part comes into contact with the magnetic recording medium, the buffer member being provided on a part of the surface of the groove part in the peripheral part of the medium opposing surface.

Abstract: Magnetic head sliders having air-bearing surfaces designed to reduce the protrusion compensation effect. The magnetic head slider includes: at least one front pad located an upstream portion of the slider and operative to generate a lifting force; and a rear pad that is located downstream of the front pad and includes a load-carrying part, for generating a lifting force, and a head mounting part. The head mounting part is separated from the load-carrying part by a groove formed between the load-carrying part and the head mounting part. The head mounting part contains a heat source that generates heat energy and thereby causes a protrusion throw to form on the slider. The groove suppresses formation of the protrusion throw on the load-carrying part and thereby localizes the protrusion throw mostly in the area adjacent to the head mounting part.

Abstract: A method for preventing TMR (tunnel magneto-resistance) MRR (magneto-resistance resistance) drop of a slider, comprises steps of: positioning a row bar constructed by a plurality of slider structural bodies on a tray, each slider body having a pole tip with a TMR element; loading the tray into a processing chamber and evacuating the processing chamber to a preset pressure; introducing a processing gas containing oxygen gas into the processing chamber; and exposing the slider structural bodies to an etching means in the atmosphere of the processing gas to oxidize a surface of the TMR element to form an oxidation layer thereon. The invention also discloses a method for forming micro-texture on a surface of slider in same process, and a method for forming such a slider.

Abstract: A method for bonding slider row bars for photolithography process, includes steps of: providing a first carrier plate having a sticky surface; providing slider row bars each having a first surface for forming ABS and an opposite second surface, and securing each slider row bar to the first carrier plate with its first surface facing the sticky surface; providing an encapsulation glue and dispensing it to the second surfaces and gaps between the slider row bars; providing a second carrier plate and attaching it to the second surfaces through the encapsulation glue; irradiating the first carrier plate and the encapsulation glue with ultraviolet light such that the first carrier plate is removed from the slider row bars, and the encapsulation glue is cured to bond the slider row bars with the second carrier plate together.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the slider surface comprises an inflow shallow groove part formed in a stepped manner, two inflow end pads, a negative pressure generating deep groove part, an outflow shallow deep groove part formed on the air outflow end side, an outflow end pad provided on the outflow shallow groove part, and a trimmed part (flying height reducing portion) in which the outflow end pad is extended to the air outflow end while being narrowed in width. A magnetic head is formed on the trimmed part on the outflow side of the outflow end pad, and the trimmed part between the magnetic head and the outflow end is formed with a groove portion in the air outflow direction.

Abstract: A head slider for magnetic disks is lifted above a magnetic disk by airflow generated by rotation of the magnetic disk. The head slider includes an airflow guide part. The airflow guide part guides the airflow along a disk-facing surface of the head slider toward the sides of the disk-facing surface.

Abstract: On a disk-facing surface of a magnetic head slider, rail surfaces that are at the same height as a magnetic device surface and raised leading surfaces connect the magnetic device surface to the raised leading surfaces. Moreover, a central step surface at a level lower than the magnetic device surface and higher than a recessed area extends from an area between the raised leading surfaces to an area between the rail surfaces. Therefore, even if the amount of Air intake is reduced due to atmospheric pressure changes or the like, air can be efficiently guided to the magnetic device surface and thus, the flying position of the magnetic head slider can be stabilized.

Abstract: A head for use in a magnetic hard disk drive or other information storage device includes a novel air bearing surface. The novel air bearing surface includes two leading pads separated by a longitudinal channel, and a trailing pad. The leading pads and trailing pad each include a major surface that lies in a first plane. A side pad, laterally spaced from the trailing pad, includes a major surface that lies in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane but that is offset from the first plane by a shallow recess depth in the range of 0.5 microinches to two microinches. The side pad also includes a major surface that lies in a third plane that is parallel to the second plane but that is offset from the first plane by standard recess depth in the range of three to five microinches.

Abstract: A slider manufacturing method includes: providing a row bar constructed from multiple slider bodies having a surface for forming an air bearing surface (ABS); forming multiple cutting lines on the surface for forming an ABS of the row bar; forming a stress absorption region adjacent to the cut line in a cutting region defined by two adjacent cutting lines; grinding the surface for forming an ABS of the row bar; and cutting the row bar along the cutting lines to form multiple individual sliders. When the row bar is cut by a cutter into multiple individual sliders along the cutting lines, stress generated in the cutting region adjacent to cutting lines during cutting is partly or fully absorbed by the stress absorption region, reducing the chances of clear edge jumps forming at the edges of the ABS of the slider after the cutting, and disk surface scratching by the slider.

Abstract: A magnetic head structure is formed on an air-bearing surface thereof including first, second and third surfaces located in order in a height direction from a level closest to the magnetic recording medium so as to form negative and positive pressure-generating regions. The structure includes a first positive pressure-generating region having the second and first surfaces formed at a central portion along a longitudinal direction thereof, a first negative pressure-generating region having the third surface formed on a side of an air inlet edge with respect to the first positive pressure-generating region and a second negative pressure-generating region having the third surface formed on a side of an air outlet edge with respect to the first positive pressure-generating region.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider suitable for a disk drive measuring 1.8 inches or less in disk size incorporates preventive measures against the decreases in lifting force that occur in small sliders with a slider width of 0.8 mm or less. The present invention improves the inclination margins of the flying slider in a rolling direction at the lowest flying point, and achieves low flying height and stable flying. The slider is constructed with stepped surfaces on the slider's leading-side flying surface formed up of shallow-grooved surfaces and a deep-grooved surface so that a trailing-side width W2 between the stepped surfaces is smaller than a leading-side width W1.

Abstract: A head slider, of a disk apparatus, flying over a rotary magnetic recording disk, having a characteristic less dependent on the atmospheric pressure. The head slider of a disk apparatus comprises: a magnetic element adapted to fly over a magnetic recording medium; a medium opposing surface being formed with, with respect to the direction in which the medium moves, an inflow pad portion at the upstream end and a pair of side rail portions extending downstream from the inflow pad portion, and a center pad at the central part and a pair of side pads on the sides of the center pad and upstream of the center pad at the downstream end of the head slider. The center pad and the side pads are constituted so that a positive pressure generated by the side pads is greater than a positive pressure generated by the center pad.

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: A magnetic head slider includes a magnetic head for recording/reproducing information from/into a magnetic disk and a slider on which the magnetic head is mounted. The slider has a first surface and a second surface provided at an air-outflow side at positions with respect to the first surface, and projections having a cylindrical shape are provided on a third surface at an air-inflow side at positions with respect to said first surface.