Abstract: An HSA comprises at least an HGA, a controlling circuit for controlling the HGA, and an actuator coil assembly comprising at least one top surface for mounting the HGA and a side surface for mounting the controlling circuit. The HGA has a first connection region parallel to the top surface, the first connection region has multiple first terminal pads formed thereon; the controlling circuit has a second connection region with multiple second terminal pads formed thereon, the second terminal pads are arranged in at least one row which is parallel to the top surface and the side surface, the first terminal pads are bonding to the corresponding second terminal pads to implement an electrical connection. The HSA has a compact structure as so to save space, and the connection way of the HGA and the controlling circuit is simple and solid.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a crystalline seed layer having a pseudo-hcp structure with stacking faults formed above a soft magnetic underlayer, a first interlayer comprising Ru and one of W, Ta, Mo, and Nb formed above the crystalline seed layer, a second interlayer formed above the first interlayer, and a magnetic recording layer formed above the second interlayer. The first interlayer has a W concentration between about 32 at % and 50 at %, Mo in a concentration between about 36 at % and 52 at %, Ta in a concentration between about 20 at % and 30 at %, or Nb in a concentration between about 7 at % and 30 at %. In another embodiment, a system includes a recording medium as described above, a magnetic head for reading from and/or writing to the medium, a head slider for supporting the head, and a control unit coupled to the head.

Abstract: A recording device including a light irradiating and light receiving unit which, in regard to an optical recording medium, which has a reference surface and a recording layer which is formed at a depth position different from the reference surface, where a pit row where intervals of pit formable positions in one circumference is limited to a first interval is formed in the reference surface, and which has a plurality of pit row phases by intervals of the pit formable positions in a pit row formation direction being set in a position which is each deviated by a predetermined second interval in the pit row which are arranged in the radial direction, irradiates a first light as recording light with regard to the recording layer and a second light for obtaining reflected light from the reference surface and which receives reflected light of the second light from the reference surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a read/write process on a recording medium having a defect, the method including determining an area of a recording medium, in which a defect, greater than a first set threshold, occurring in units of tracks, to be a massive defective area; adjusting a first parameter representing a logical track length, based on a size of a defect occurring in each track included in the massive defective area; and performing the read/write process on the recording medium by using the adjusted first parameter.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for determining fly height.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a soft magnetic underlayer formed above a substrate, a lower seed layer formed above the soft magnetic underlayer, at least one upper seed layer formed above the lower seed layer, an interlayer formed above the at least one upper seed layer, a perpendicular recording layer formed above the interlayer, and a protective layer formed above the perpendicular recording layer, wherein the at least one upper seed layer comprises Ni or a Ni based alloy including N, and wherein the lower seed layer includes Ni and at least one element selected from a group consisting of: W and Cr. Other embodiments are described herein regarding perpendicular magnetic recording systems and methods of producing perpendicular magnetic media.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive comprises a write count memory, a read offset setting module and a controller. The write count memory stores a write count for each track or for each zone on a disk. The read offset setting module sets, in accordance with a write count for an adjacent track to a target track or for a zone to which the adjacent track belongs, an offset from a predetermined position on the target track in a read position in which a head is to be positioned when the head is positioned on the target track for data read. The write count is stored in the write count memory. The controller positions the head in a position shifted from the predetermined position by the set offset.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a free fall sensing system having an amplifier and sampling circuit, a sampling data analyzer, a sampling clock duration controller, and a sampling clock generator. The amplifier and sampling circuit is configured to sample data signals from the free fall sensor based on an initial sampling signal and based on a variable sampling signal. The sampling data analyzer is configured to compare a magnitude of sampled data point to a predetermined magnitude, to output an alert signal when the magnitude of the sampled data point is below the predetermined magnitude. The sampling clock duration controller is configured to vary a duration and a frequency of a sampling signal control in response to the alert signal. The sampling clock generator is configured to send a variable sampling signal to the amplifier and sampling circuit in response to the variation of the duration and the frequency of the sampling signal control.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a communication apparatus includes a storage unit, a state detecting unit, a communication unit, and a communication control unit. The storage unit configured to store information. The state detecting unit configured to detect, at least one time during an operation of the communication apparatus, whether the storage unit is in a busy state in which no data writing is allowed, or in a ready state in which data writing is allowed. The communication unit configured to perform communication with a destination communication apparatus. The communication control unit configured to control the communication unit to inform the destination communication apparatus that a data receiving operation is stopped for a first time period, if the state detection unit detects that the storage unit has entered the busy state.

Abstract: An arm coil assembly includes a drive arm having at least two grounding pins formed on a mounting region thereof and a voice coil fixed on the tailing end of the drive arm for controlling the drive arm. The grounding pins are provided for electrically connecting with a flexible printed cable assembly by extending through at least two mounting holes formed on the flexible printed cable assembly. Each grounding pin has a slot formed thereon to clamp the flexible printed cable assembly. The arm coil assembly of the present invention having grounding pins with slot structure to clamp the flexible printed cable assembly which is mounted on the drive arm to form an arm flexible cable assembly, thus, the flexible printed cable assembly can be pre-mounted onto the arm coil assembly without using any additional fixtures or tools, therefore simplifying the mounting process and reducing the manufacturing cost thereof. The invention also discloses an arm flexible cable assembly and a disk drive unit including the same.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes a head, a coil motor, a drive circuit, a voltage detector, a head position calculation unit, a velocity calculation unit, a counter electromotive voltage calculation unit, a coil resistance estimation unit, and a control unit. The head position calculation unit calculates a position of the head for each sampling cycle on the basis of servo information. The velocity calculation unit calculates a velocity of the head for each sampling cycle. The counter electromotive voltage calculation unit calculates a counter electromotive voltage of the coil for each sampling cycle. The coil resistance estimation unit successively estimates a coil resistance value of the coil. The control unit calculates a drive instruction for controlling the velocity and outputs the drive instruction to the drive circuit. In addition, the counter electromotive voltage calculation unit subtracts a voltage drop from the inter-terminal voltage to calculate the counter electromotive voltage.

Abstract: Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) baseplate comprising a recessed region that provides additional clearance for a disk. The protective enclosure of the HDD comprises a baseplate. The surface of the baseplate, which opposes a magnetic-recording disk, comprises a recessed region near the outer diameter (OD) of the magnetic-recording disk. The recessed region prevents the disk from being damaged through inadvertent physical contact with the baseplate, which may arise when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. The recessed region may be designed to minimize the damage to the disk if physical contact between the disk and the baseplate does occur. The recessed region may have a variety of shapes, such as a circular indentation or one or more non-contiguous regions in the baseplate where physical contact between the disk and the baseplate is deemed likely to occur.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium comprises a plurality of discrete magnetic elements and first and second adjoining servo sectors. Each of the servo sectors comprises first and second rows of the discrete magnetic elements extending in a track direction. The second row of the discrete magnetic elements are stacked relative to the discrete magnetic elements of the first row in a cross-track direction that is perpendicular to the track direction. The discrete magnetic elements of the first servo sector are staggered in the cross-track direction relative to the discrete magnetic elements of the second servo sector.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium (PMRM) includes a first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, a second interlayer above the first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, and a third interlayer formed between the first interlayer and the second interlayer that reduces an average cluster size of the second interlayer. In another embodiment, a PMRM includes a first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, a second interlayer above the first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, and a third interlayer formed between the first interlayer and the second interlayer that reduces an average cluster size of the second interlayer. The third interlayer has a thickness of between about 1.0 nm and about 3.0 nm and has a structure selected from a group consisting of: BCC, B2, C11b, L21, and D03. Other PMRMs and methods of fabrication are presented as well.

Abstract: A disk library apparatus includes a magazine for housing a plurality of storage disks, a plurality of pallets each having a disk placing surface for placing a storage disk and which are arranged in the magazine so that pallets having different engaging claw shapes are adjacent to each other, and a picker for taking out a pallet selected from the plurality of pallets from the magazine. The picker includes at least one arm for taking out the selected pallet from the magazine in the taking-out of the selected pallet. Each of the at least one arm is, in the taking-out of the selected pallet, engaged with an engaging claw of the selected pallet and in a position shifted from an engaging position with an engaging claw of each pallet adjacent to the selected pallet when seen in a pallet arranging direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving and positioning a read/write head to a disk and related methods are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a deck; a spindle on the deck; a safety enclosure surrounding at least the spindle; and a movable carriage having at least one head receiving portion. The carriage is movable between a first position wherein the head receiving portion is outside the safety enclosure and a second position wherein the head receiving portion is inside the safety enclosure. The apparatus further includes an automated mechanism arranged to pick up the head from the head receiving portion when in the second position and to load the head to the disk for testing.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for phase offset based spectral aliasing compensation. For example, a circuit for spectral aliasing reduction is disclosed that includes a phase shift circuit operable to phase shift an analog input signal and to provide a phase shifted analog signal; a first analog to digital converter circuit operable to provide a first series of digital samples corresponding to the analog input signal at a sampling frequency; a second analog to digital converter circuit operable to provide a second series of digital samples corresponding to the phase shifted analog signal at the sampling frequency; and an averaging circuit operable to average the first series of digital samples with the second series of digital samples to yield an average output.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for servo data based harmonics calculation. For example, a circuit for determining harmonics is disclosed that includes an analog to digital conversion circuit that provides a series of digital samples corresponding to a pattern within a servo data region of a storage medium, and a harmonic calculation circuit. The harmonic calculation circuit is operable to calculate a first harmonic value for the series of digital samples, calculate a second harmonic value for the series of digital samples, and calculate a ratio of the first harmonic value to the second harmonic value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic disk apparatus. The apparatus includes: a recording medium including a recording surface for recording information; a slider including a head configured to write information to the recording medium or read information from the recording medium; and a controller configured to control moving of the slider so as to remove a substance adhered to the slider and such that the slider is stopped at a position where the slider and the recording surface of the recording medium do not interfere with each other after the slider is moved at a given velocity or acceleration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bipolar servo marks writing with high output. The method includes providing a servo write head having first and second write gaps; and applying a varying current comprising either (i) abrupt changes in current in combination with current ramps or (ii) patterns of high-frequency current pulses before and after writing servo marks to a medium proximate to and moving past the first and second write gaps. The apparatus includes a bipolar servo write driver configured to generate a varying bipolar current signal having both negative and positive polarity currents and a servo write head having a first write gap and second write gap spaced apart, the varying current signal comprising either (i) abrupt changes in current in combination with current ramps or (ii) patterns of high-frequency current pulses before and after low-frequency pulses and a component to move a medium proximate to and past the first and second write gaps.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive includes a head, a voice coil motor, a driving circuit, an identification unit, a storage unit, and an estimation unit. The head is configured to perform write/read of information to a storage medium. The voice coil motor is configured to move the head. The driving circuit is configured to drive the voice coil motor, based on a command signal. The identification unit is configured to identify at least one parameter of a discrete-time model. The discrete-time model represents a transfer function from the command signal to a voltage drop quantity by an inductance of a coil of the voice coil motor. The storage unit is configured to store the parameter. The estimation unit is configured to estimate a back electromotive force of the coil, based on the discrete-time model including the parameter.

Abstract: Controlling positions of storage media heads is disclosed. An example storage media head position controller includes a position error filter to filter a media head position error based on a target position for a storage media head relative to a storage medium and a present media head position to generate a position signal, and a media speed monitor to modify an integration factor in the position error filter based on a media speed to adjust a phase margin of the position control loop.

Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a slider adapted for use in a hard disk drive; and a laser coupled to a slider, wherein electrical contacts of the laser are positioned towards or face the slider, wherein light from the laser is emitted towards the slider, wherein the slider acts as a heat sink for the laser.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording apparatus includes a magnetic recording medium for perpendicular magnetic recording system, a magnetic head including a read head to read data from the magnetic recording medium, and an actuator to actuate the magnetic head on the magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium includes a first magnetic pattern recorded in a servo area by applying a magnetic field horizontally to a disk surface, and the first magnetic pattern corresponding to positioning data used for positioning the magnetic head. The magnetic recording medium further includes a second magnetic pattern recorded in the servo area by applying a magnetic field perpendicularly to the disk surface, and the second magnetic pattern corresponding to position correction data used for correcting the positioning data. The position correction data is derived from modulated original position correction data. The original position correction data is created for correcting the positioning data.

Abstract: There are provided a motor and a recording disc driving device, which may minimize a frictional force between a shaft and a bearing assembly to enable a rotor to be readily rotated at the time of initial movement of the rotor. The motor may include: a bearing assembly including a shaft rotatably fastened to the bearing assembly; a base fastened to a lower end portion of the bearing assembly; a stator fastened to the base and including a winding coil; and a rotor case fastened to an upper end portion of the shaft, and including a magnet fastened to the rotor case to be positioned to face the winding coil, wherein the magnet is fastened to the rotor case in such a manner as to be protruded towards a lower portion of the rotor case so that a magnetic force due to an eddy current generated in the base is increased.

Abstract: A magnetic storage device capable of recording a drop height and an electronic device using the same are presented. The magnetic storage device includes: a G-sensor, installed in the magnetic storage device, for outputting a first trigger signal when the magnetic storage device starts to drop and outputting a second trigger signal when the magnetic storage device stops dropping; a timer, for calculating a duration between the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal, and recording the duration as a drop time; a logic operation processor, having a built-in height calculation formula, for calculating a drop height according to the drop time; and a memory unit, for storing the drop time and the drop height. An electronic device using the magnetic storage device is also presented, which is capable of record the actual drop height when a drop event occurs on the electronic device.

Abstract: An example magnetic recording head includes: a main magnetic pole; a laminated body; and a pair of electrodes. The laminated body includes a first magnetic layer having a coercivity lower than magnetic field applied by the main magnetic pole, a second magnetic layer having a coercivity lower than the magnetic field applied by the main magnetic pole, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The pair of electrodes is operable to pass a current through the laminated body.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the modulation between a magnetic head and a magnetic storage medium, such as a disk, is disclosed. A magnetic read/write head is positioned above a magnetic storage medium at a given flying height. The magnetic read/write head reads a signal from the magnetic storage medium. A tester measures an alternating electric current between the magnetic read/write head through the slider and the magnetic storage medium. A computer may then calculate the modulation by the magnetic read/write head based on the alternating electric current. A DC voltage to the head may be applied to lower the flying height of the magnetic head.

Abstract: In a hard disk drive, for the purpose of solving a problem that a mass of the tip of a VCM actuator increases, a primary resonance frequency lowers and a control band lowers in a case where a balance driving mechanism which damps a vibration during the driving of a microactuator is mounted, a damping unit using a displacement enlargement mechanism by resonance is disposed to obtain a sufficient damping effect with a small mass, thereby setting a resonance frequency of the damping unit to be higher than a frequency of a resonance peak of a damping object.

Abstract: An active head slider for a use in a Hard Disk drive having first and second actuators. The first actuator deforming a portion of a slider body that includes a read/write head to reduce the flying height of the portion over a disk. The second actuator forming a protrusion in a bottom surface of the slider body that includes an end of the read/write head to further reduce the flying height of the read/write head. Preferably, the first actuator is a piezoelectric actuator and the second actuator is one or more thermo actuators.

Abstract: This application discloses a hard disk drive and a control circuit that are configured to determine touchdown by determining the SAGC for a track, removing the repeatable component of the SAGC to create the non-repeatable component and determining an indication of clearance irregularity and/or touch down when the standard deviation of the non-repeatable component spikes. These operations may create a defect map and/or a Flying height On Demand (FOD) control table in or for the hard disk drive as products of operating the hard disk drive.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a plurality of disk surfaces and a plurality of corresponding heads. The disk drive further comprises a preamp including a first integrated circuit coupled to a first plurality of the heads. The first integrated circuit comprises a first read-output for outputting a preamplified read signal, a first write-input for receiving a first write signal, a write-output-passthrough for outputting a passthrough write signal in response to the first write signal, and a read-input-passthrough for receiving a passthrough read signal. The preamp further comprises a second integrated circuit coupled to a second plurality of the heads, wherein the second integrated circuit comprises a second read-output for outputting the passthrough read signal, and a second write-input for receiving the passthrough write signal.

Abstract: A modified hard disk drive (HDD) state is provided. The modified HDD state corresponds to a state wherein the heads of a hard disk drive assembly are parked as a baseline setting, but permitted to float over the platters for completing requests on a limited basis. This prioritizes HHD protection in certain contexts.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is disclosed, for energy-saving operation of a storage device with a read/write head. The method includes monitoring workload of the storage device, calculating current mean workload and adjusting seek speed of the read/write head of the storage device to one of a plurality seek speeds depending on the calculated current mean workload. The step of adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head includes adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is below a first threshold, adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a second seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is between the first threshold and a second threshold, and adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be the first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is greater than the second threshold. A computer program product and a data processing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: An MR element includes an MR stack disposed between first and second main shield portions, and a pair of side shields disposed on opposite sides of the MR stack in the track width direction. The first main shield portion includes a first exchange coupling shield layer that is exchange-coupled to a first antiferromagnetic layer. The second main shield portion includes a second exchange coupling shield layer that is exchange-coupled to a second antiferromagnetic layer. The MR stack includes a spacer layer, and first and second free layers with the spacer layer therebetween. The direction of magnetization of the first free layer is controlled by the first exchange coupling shield layer. The direction of magnetization of the second free layer is controlled by the second exchange coupling shield layer. Each side shield includes at least one shield-coupling magnetic layer that is in contact with and magnetically coupled to one of the first and second exchange coupling shield layers.

Abstract: Pre-patterned discrete track media for self-servo writing are described. Embodiments include land and groove patterns for two or more Integrated Servo sequence fields for each servo sector in which one of the Integrated Servo sequence fields is aligned with the data track and a second sequence is offset by one-half of a track width. The lands and grooves between the Integrated Servo sequence fields are preferably the same width as those between the data tracks to facilitate planarization. Alternative embodiments include a sync feature for each servo sector formed by a selected groove and/or land pattern as a marker for the start of the servo fields. Alternative embodiments include a bootstrap zone with servo patterns that are readable when DC-magnetized. Described methods of self-servowriting include ways to adapt to eccentricity and non-circularity of pre-patterned discrete tracks with respect to the head paths.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a hard disk drive, an acceleration detection portion, and a controller. The hard disk drive has a protective function for moving a head from a recording area of a disk to an evacuation position. The acceleration detection portion is configured to detect, as a detection target acceleration, an acceleration in one of a vertical direction and an almost-vertical direction with respect to a gravity direction. The controller is configured to detect a movement based on the acceleration detected as the detection target acceleration and determine whether to activate the protective function of the hard disk drive based on the detected movement.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of detecting contact of a magnetic head with a magnetic disk by changing the dynamic flying height of the magnetic head in a magnetic disk drive is disclosed. The method can detect a change in the rotational speed of the magnetic disk. The method can detect the contact of the magnetic head with the magnetic disk based on the detected change in the rotational speed.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrodynamic bearing assembly that includes: a sleeve with an axial hole into which a shaft is inserted; a radial dynamic pressure unit formed on at least one of an outer diameter of the shaft and an inner diameter of the sleeve; and a sub-radial dynamic pressure unit formed on at least one of the outer diameter of the shaft and the inner diameter of the sleeve in an upper part in an axial direction of the radial dynamic pressure unit, wherein an oil interface formed in an axial hole between the radial dynamic pressure unit and the sub-radial dynamic pressure unit moves up toward the sub-radial dynamic pressure unit as the temperature of a motor rises due to driving of the motor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hard-disk drive system performs fly-height control using a read-back mode and a loop-back mode. The read-back mode measures first and second harmonics pre-recorded on the medium and divides the first measurement by the second to obtain a read-back mode harmonic ratio. The loop-back mode measures the same first and second harmonics; however, the harmonics are provided by a write precompensation circuit rather than the medium. Further, the loop-back mode measurements are performed using asynchronous sampling to address aliasing and quantization errors. The first measurement is divided by the second to generate a loop-back harmonic ratio. In logarithm domain, the loop-back ratio is subtracted from the read-back mode ratio to remove environment-induced variations in the read path electronic circuits. The resulting harmonic ratio is subtracted from an initial harmonic ratio determined, for example, during manufacturing, to determine how much the harmonic ratio has changed.

Abstract: A method of protecting information written to a recording medium includes magnetizing the recording medium to form a first magnetic pattern corresponding to information to be stored, and magnetizing the recording medium to form a protective magnetic pattern having a phase difference of 180° from the first magnetic pattern at a position adjacent to where the first magnetic pattern is formed, with adjacent bits of the first magnetic pattern opposite and the protective magnetic pattern opposite to each other.

Abstract: A magnetic head, according to one embodiment, includes a main magnetic pole having a protruding portion such that a distance from a first side of a trailing edge of the main magnetic pole to a leading edge of the main magnetic pole is different from a distance from a second side of the trailing edge of the main magnetic pole to the leading edge of the main magnetic pole, an auxiliary magnetic pole, and a coil wound around a magnetic circuit, the magnetic circuit including the main magnetic pole and the auxiliary magnetic pole. In another embodiment, a disk drive system includes a magnetic storage medium, at least one magnetic head as described previously for writing to the magnetic medium, a slider for supporting the magnetic head, and a control unit coupled to the magnetic head for controlling operation of the magnetic head. Additional systems and heads are also presented.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole including a write magnetic pole layer for recording, the write magnetic pole layer comprising magnetic layers being antiferromagnetically coupled via a thin non-magnetic conductor layer between the magnetic layers, wherein the write magnetic pole layer for recording has a flare section which gradually widens in a height-wise direction of a throat height section. The main magnetic pole also includes a non-magnetic cap layer laminated above an uppermost layer of the write magnetic pole layer, the non-magnetic cap layer being textured to provide anisotropy, and a subsidiary magnetic pole layer for supplementing the recording laminated above the non-magnetic cap layer. The head also includes an auxiliary magnetic pole, a magnetic shield positioned via a non-magnetic layer on a trailing edge and both sides of the main magnetic pole in a track width direction, and a coil for generating a recording magnetic field.

Abstract: Magnetic storage media that include a multilayer structure are described. In general, the magnetic storage media include a substrate, an underlayer that includes a plurality of underlayer particles formed over the substrate, and a magnetic layer that includes a plurality of magnetic particles formed over the underlayer. The magnetic layer may define a saturated magnetization and thickness product less than or equal to approximately 1.00 memu per square centimeter, and the magnetic particles may be selected from the group consisting of magnetic platelet-shaped particles and magnetic particles with an aspect ratio less than or equal to approximately 1.5. In addition, the described magnetic storage media may exhibit minimal interlayer diffusion between the underlayer and magnetic layer. Reduced interlayer diffusion between different layers of a magnetic recording medium may result in an improved magnetic recording surface for recording and storing data.

Abstract: The following abstract replace prior abstract in the application. It is an object to provide a simple and practical method capable of producing a magnetic storage medium of a type such as a bit-patterned type, a magnetic storage medium of the above-mentioned type and an information storage device which may be produced by such a simple and practical method, and in a method of producing a magnetic disk, there are performed: a film-forming process of forming, on a glass substrate 61, a magnetic film 62 so that the Curie temperature becomes 600 K or lower; and an ion injection process (C) of injecting ions locally into an area other than a predetermined protected area on the magnetic film 62.

Abstract: A hard disk control module includes a load/unload counter and a controller. The load/unload counter counts a number of loads/unloads of a head on/from a surface of a disk. The controller may determine the number of counted loads/unloads during a reference time. The controller controls an unload standby time of the head according to a load/unload count value and the reference time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a touch-down and contact between a head and a storage medium by using a signal generated by a data storage device, specifically by a sensor installed in a slider. The method includes: separating a signal detected by a sensor into a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component, wherein the sensor has an electrical characteristic that changes according to temperature; using the DC component to detect a touch-down state of the head during a touch-down test to determine a value of a control signal for adjusting the flying height of the head; and using the AC component to detect a contacting state between the head and the storage medium in an operating state of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method of detecting a touch-down of a head in a disk drive, a method of adjusting a head flying height by using the method of detecting a touch-down of a head, and a disk drive using the method of detecting a touch-down of a head detect a change of an electrical characteristic of a sensor installed in a slider, wherein the electrical characteristic changes according to temperature; and determines that the head flying height reached a touch-down flying height if the detected change of the electrical characteristic satisfies a threshold condition.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a first ferromagnetic layer, an intermediate layer, a third ferromagnetic layer, a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole. The intermediate layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The third ferromagnetic layer includes a CoIr alloy and is provided so that the first ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the third ferromagnetic layer and the intermediate layer. The first magnetic pole is provided so that the third ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the first magnetic pole and the first ferromagnetic layer. The second magnetic pole is provided so that the second ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the second magnetic pole and the intermediate layer.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a magnetic media and a read/write unit. The magnetic media may be configured to store data. The magnetic media may also be rotated during access of the magnetic media. The read/write unit may comprise a plurality of transducers arranged in a linear array. Each of the transducers may be fabricated on a semiconductor substrate with fixed head positions with respect to the magnetic media. The read/write unit may also be positioned in close proximity to and across the surface of the magnetic media. Each transducer may be configured to read data from the magnetic media and write data to the magnetic media.