Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a near-field transducer positioned towards an air bearing surface side of the apparatus; and at least one conductor or circuit for causing heating of the near-field transducer. A method according to one embodiment includes heating the near-field transducer by passing a current through the at least one conductor or circuit; and illuminating the near-field transducer during a write operation, wherein the current does not pass through the at least one conductor or circuit for at least a majority of a time of illumination. Additional embodiments are also presented.

Abstract: Vibration of a transducer slider can be used during slider fly height calibration to detect contact of the transducer slider with a disc surface. Amplification of the vibration may cause the transducer slider to tap the disc surface rather than drag across the disc surface when detecting contact with the disc surface. Amplification may be achieved by applying an in-phase AC signal to the transducer slider at the same frequency as the vibration of the slider. Reduced contact between the slider and the disc surface reduces wear on and the possibility of damage to the transducer slider and/or the disc surface. Once the fly height of the transducer slider is calibrated, the AC signal may be shifted out-of-phase with the slider vibration to dampen the slider vibration.

Abstract: A magnetic shield that is capable of enhancing magnetic reading, such as in use as a data transducing head. A magnetic stack can have a read element with an air bearing surface (ABS). The read element may be positioned adjacent a shield layer with a continuously curvilinear sidewall and a shield feature may be positioned within the areal extent of the continuously curvilinear sidewall.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method are generally directed to a magnetic senor constructed with an anisotropic liner capable of screening magnetic flux. Various embodiments can have a data read element positioned on an air bearing surface adjacent a magnetic shield which is at least partially lined with an in-plane anisotropy layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are a slider for a memory device and a hard memory device having the same. The slider for a memory device includes a slider body configured to fly over the surface of a medium at a particular height; and a reverse flow preventing unit disposed at part of the slider body adjacent to a trailing edge of the slider body and configured to prevent a reverse flow of air between the medium and the slider body.

Abstract: Approaches for a head slider for use within a hard-disk drive. The head slider comprises an air bearing surface (ABS) and an electromagnetic transducer disposed at an air outflow end of the air bearing surface. The air bearing surface comprises a slit feature that is present prior to the electromagnetic transducer in the direction of air flow. The physical dimensions of the slit feature are designed to lower an amount of pressure required for a protrusion of the head slider to detect a surface of a magnetic-recording disk. The air bearing surface may further comprise an optional hollow recess prior to the slit feature in the direction of air flow. The size and the shape of the hollow recess are designed to decrease a change in a fly height of the head slider in response to a change in altitude of the hard-disk drive.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method for directing windage involves a body defining an aperture. A fastener is operably disposed in the aperture and is selectively engageable with a fixed support member between a first mode permitting rotation of the body around the fastener longitudinal axis, and a second mode affixing the body in place to the support member at a desired rotational orientation. A shroud depends from the body and is sized at a distal end for an operable mating relationship adjacent an arcuate edge of a disc that is rotatable around a disc axis. The shroud distal end is operably disposed a first distance from the fastener longitudinal axis in a direction of a plane including the fastener longitudinal axis and the disc axis. A leading edge of the shroud, with respect to a direction of windage established by disc rotation, is disposed a second distance from the fastener longitudinal axis that is the same or less than the first distance from the fastener longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A method manufacturing of a fluid dynamic bearing includes: forming a substantially linear groove having a length corresponding to a circumferential direction width of the dynamic pressure groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of a shaft housing hole portion, along the circumferential direction of a surface orthogonal to a first processing direction along the central axis direction of a work, by a byte that performs a micro alternating drive in a second processing direction orthogonal to the first processing direction; and extending the dynamic pressure groove that extends in the first processing direction by continuously forming the substantially linear grooves in the first processing direction by displacing the relative positions of the work and the byte in the first processing direction.

Abstract: In a bearing apparatus, a first cup portion defining a portion of a stationary portion of a bearing apparatus includes a circular plate portion and a cylindrical portion projecting downward from an outer edge portion of the circular plate portion. A rotating portion of the bearing apparatus includes an annular recessed portion arranged to accommodate at least a lower end portion of the cylindrical portion. Accordingly, it is possible to limit the axial dimension of the bearing apparatus while also enabling both a radial dynamic pressure groove array and a pumping groove array to have a sufficient axial dimension. Additionally, one end of a through hole defined in the rotating portion is arranged to open into the annular recessed portion, so that any air bubbles introduced into a lubricating oil by the pumping groove array can be efficiently caused to flow downward through the through hole and out of the bearing apparatus.

Abstract: A glide head with a slider body that has a leading edge, a trailing edge and an air bearing surface is disclosed. The glide head also has an array of thermal proximity sensing elements connected in a bridge circuit that are adjacent both the trailing edge and the air bearing surface, a heating element mounted to the glide body for elevating the temperature of the thermal proximity sensing elements in relation to the temperature of an inspected surface, and a controller coupled to the array of thermal proximity sensing elements. The controller receives signals from the thermal proximity sensing elements, and determines the existence of a surface variation in the inspected surface based upon differences in the signals received from the thermal proximity sensing elements.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with a disk base including a disk wall with a first intake, a second intake off of the first intake, an outlet and an air filter configured to receive a first airflow from the first intake and suction from a second airflow from the second intake creating negative pressure at a trapping surface of the air filter away from the outlet. At least one disk rotates to create a rotating disk surface generating airflow configured to enter the first intake to create the first airflow. A disk damper includes an enclosing wall neighboring the air filter to create a flow chamber providing a third airflow through the outlet formed of the first air flow crossing the trapping surface and the second air flow. A disk cover mounts on the disk base to encapsulate the air chamber. The disk base and disk damper are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an inner component, an outer component; and a tolerance ring located between the inner and outer components to provide an interference fit there between. The tolerance ring includes a strip of material having a plurality of radially extending projections. The strip of material is curved into a ring having a gap. The radially extending projections are compressible between the inner and outer components, and the stiffness of the radially extending projections varies around the circumference of the tolerance ring.

Abstract: A contact surface of a contact head slider is received on a film of a lubricant on a storage medium. The rotation of the storage medium allows the contact surface to slide on the surface of the storage medium. The lubricant adheres to the contact surface. The groove is formed on the rear rail between the contact surface and an air bearing surface. The lubricant on the contact surface is forced to flow into the groove based on so-called meniscus effect. Since the air bearing surface extends at a level lower than that of the contact surface, the air bearing surface is prevented from adhesion of the lubricant. A positive pressure is thus reliably generated at the air bearing surface. The contact head slider is allowed to slide on the surface of the storage medium with a high stability.

Abstract: An annular groove is provided to the rotary portion and/or the fixed portion in a bearing seal portion, and its cross section has a shape approximated by an arc. The annular groove is such that the relationship between the groove width W in a direction following the surface constituting a bearing seal portion and the groove depth Dg in a direction perpendicular to the surface constituting the bearing seal portion is Dg/W<0.4.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing device (30) comprises a shaft (31), a sleeve (32) in which the shaft (31) is installed so as to be able to rotate in relative fashion, a lubricant (34) filled into a minute gap between the shaft (31) and the sleeve (32), a sleeve cover (35) attached to the upper end surface of the sleeve (32), a lubricant reservoir (50) for retaining the lubricant (34) between the sleeve (32) and the sleeve cover (35), and flow suppressing parts (51a, 51b) formed inside the lubricant reservoir (50) so as to protrude in an axial direction.