Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for determining contact between a head and a storage medium.

Abstract: A head for magnetic thermally assisted magnetic data recording, having a read element, a write element a heater element for controlling thermal protrusion of the read and write elements and a thermal sensor for detecting contact a portion of the head with a magnetic media. The thermal contact sensor is arranged so that the thermal conduction between the thermal contact sensor and the read element is substantially equal to the thermal conductivity between the thermal contact sensor and the write element. In this way the accuracy of the detection of thermal contact is maintained whether the read element makes contact with the disk or the write element makes contact with disk.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided related to magnetic recording tape. Respective voltage sources are coupled to respective magnetic head components of a tape recording apparatus. Circuitry controls each voltage source independently in accordance with identity information for a magnetic tape, relative humidity within the tape recording apparatus, or other factors. Chemical migration from the tape, and/or plating or erosion of elements of the tape recording apparatus are substantially reduced or eliminated according to the present teachings.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor comprising a first shield and a second shield and a sensor stack between the first and the second shield, the sensor stack having a plurality of layers wherein at least one layer is annealed using in-situ rapid thermal annealing. In one implementation of the magnetic sensor a seed layer is annealed using in-situ rapid thermal annealing. Alternatively, one of a barrier layer, an AFM layer, and a cap layer is annealed using in-situ rapid thermal annealing.

Abstract: A magnetic-recording head with touch-down detector incorporating a carbon nano-tube (CNT). The magnetic-recording head includes a write element, a read element and a touch-down detector. The write element is configured to write data to a magnetic-recording disk. The read element is configured to read data from the magnetic-recording disk. The touch-down detector includes a thermal sensor, and a CNT portion. The thermal sensor is configured to convert heat to a voltage signal. The CNT portion is configured to touch down on the magnetic-recording disk. The CNT portion is also coupled to the thermal sensor, and is configured to transfer heat generated by contact between the CNT portion and the magnetic-recording disk to the thermal sensor. A hard-disk drive (HDD) including the magnetic-recording head with touch-down detector incorporating a CNT, and a method for detecting contact between the magnetic-recording head and a recording surface of a magnetic-recording disk are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided related to magnetic recording tape. One or more ion emitters are disposed in non-contacting proximity to a passing recording tape. Static electric charges born on the tape are neutralized prior to passing the tape in contact with a read-write head. Migration of chemical constituency from the tape to the head is prevented or significantly reduced with a corresponding elimination or reduction of related problems.

Abstract: A slider includes a substrate having a trailing edge, a leading edge opposite the trailing edge, and an air bearing surface connecting the trailing edge with the leading edge; a read/write transducer formed at the trailing edge; and a coat layer attached on the trailing edge and covering on the read/write transducer. The slider further includes a protection layer for shielding the read/write transducer thereby preventing the read/write transducer from damaging during a laser soldering process. The present invention can prevent the read/write transducer from damaging during the laser bonding process and, in turn improve the reading and writing performance of the slider. The invention also discloses an HGA and a disk drive unit.

Abstract: A head-cleaning device cleans the surface of a head for reading and writing data from/to a medium, and includes a cleaning unit that moves in parallel with grooves provided in the surface of the head while abutted to the grooves, and thereby cleans the surface of the head.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive transducer head assembly includes a reader element, a writer element and a high impedance shunt electrically connecting the reader element and the writer element. The high impedance shunt provides a high impedance conductive path for maintaining electrostatic charge equipotential between the reader element and the writer element.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main pole which generates a recording magnetic field, a return pole which forms a closed magnetic circuit for the recording magnetic field, and a side shield magnetically spaced from the main pole in a cross-track direction in which a point on a trailing edge of the side shield which is closest to the main pole is positioned on a leading side of a trailing edge of the main pole.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a trailing shield, and a multilayered side/leading shield disposed on a leading side of the main magnetic pole in a down-track direction and on either side of the main magnetic pole in a cross-track direction. The side/leading shield includes an inner layer nearer to the main magnetic pole which surrounds the main magnetic pole on three sides and an outer layer farther from the main magnetic pole than the inner layer which surrounds the main magnetic pole and inner layer on three sides. The inner layer has a saturation magnetization (Ms) that is greater than a Ms of the outer layer, and the trailing shield has a relative permeability of greater than about 50. Other magnetic heads and methods of producing magnetic heads are also presented according to various embodiments.

Abstract: A voice-coil motor (VCM) with a flux guide configured to reduce vibrations of a head when accessing data in a disk drive. The VCM includes at least one VCM magnet, a voice coil, and at least one flux guide. The voice coil is disposed in proximity to a magnetic pole of the VCM magnet. The flux guide is coupled to the voice coil; and, the flux guide is configured to reduce vibrations of the head when accessing data in the disk drive.

Abstract: A structure according to one embodiment includes a substrate having a media facing side; and a thin film stack formed on the substrate, the thin film stack including magnetic films and insulating films, wherein the thin film stack is recessed from a plane extending along the media facing side of the substrate, wherein the magnetic films are recessed more than the insulating films, wherein the magnetic films each have a substantially flat media facing surface, wherein the insulating films each have a substantially flat media facing surface.