Abstract: A CPP spin-valve magnetic head, according to one embodiment includes a ferromagnetic free layer having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a first direction; a ferromagnetic reference layer film having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a second direction that is not orthogonal to the said first direction; and a tunnel barrier layer between the free and reference layers.

Abstract: A first sleeve rotatably extends around a shaft. First and second flanges are fixed to the shaft. A second sleeve extending around the first sleeve is fixed thereto. A first annular member fixed to the second sleeve surrounds the first flange. A second annular member fixed to the second flange surrounds a portion of the second sleeve. A first capillary seal includes a clearance between the first flange and the first annular member. A second capillary seal includes a clearance between the second annular member and the second sleeve. Lubricant is provided in the clearances in the first and second capillary seals. The second annular member and the second sleeve are designed so that the lubricant in the clearance in the second capillary seal can be viewed from a point in a radial position which is outward of the second sleeve as seen in an axial direction.

Abstract: A multi-stage sensor is situated on the head transducer and configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. A first sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor has a temperature coefficient of resistance. A second sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor is coupled to the first sensor and has a temperature coefficient of resistance. The first sensor stage is configured to preferentially sense asperities of the media relative to the second sensor stage, and the second sensor stage configured to preferentially sense proximity to, and contact with, a surface of the media relative to the first sensor stage. The first and second sensor stages may be connected in series or in parallel.

Abstract: A load beam part, which includes a plate-like main body portion facing a disk surface and paired flange portions bended from both side edges of the main body portion in a suspension width direction so as to extend toward a direction opposite from the disk surface, is bended at first and second bending lines in such a convex manner as to project in the direction toward the disk surface, the first bending line being positioned between the proximal end portion of the load beam part and the dimple in the suspension longitudinal direction and extending along the suspension width direction, the second bending line being positioned between the first bending line and the dimple in the suspension longitudinal direction and extending along the suspension width direction.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for forming a head gimbal assembly (HGA). In accordance with various embodiments, a slider is formed with opposing first and second side surfaces, an air bearing feature on said first side surface and a dimple extending from said second side surface adapted to facilitate multi-axial rotation of the slider.

Abstract: A head slider for a disk drive storage device. In general, the head slider should fly at the target height above the disk without crashing onto the hard disk. The head slider has an outside flange that encloses a plateau and an inside flange that encloses a plateau. The two plateaus may have the same surface area or the outside plateau may have a greater surface area. Because of the design of the outside flange, the likelihood that the head slider will crash on the hard disk is reduced.

Abstract: Patterned discrete track magnetic media compatible with the constraints imposed by the use of self-assembly technology are described in which the PES servo portion of each servo sector has at least one offset segment used for the position error signal (PES). The downtrack length of the PES offset segment systematically varies according to the track position to encode information about the track position usable by the servo system. The downtrack length of the offset segment and, therefore, the time between the corresponding signal shifts is systematically varied from the inner diameter (ID) to the outer diameter (OD) according to the track position to provide coarse information to the servo system even if part of the track ID code cannot be read. Alternative embodiments include a preamble timing mark formed by another offset segment. A self-servo writing method is described using the preamble timing marks.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head is formed by performing a head forming process, a mounting part forming process and a light source mounting process in that order. In the head forming process, a planned area is secured on a light source placing surface of a slider substrate, then a magnetic head part is formed on a head area other than the planned area and a spacer for securing a mounting space for the laser diode is formed on the planned area. In the mounting part forming process, a light source mounting part is formed by removing the spacer. In the light source mounting process, a laser diode is mounted on the light source mounting part formed by the mounting part forming step.

Abstract: A PMR writer is disclosed that minimizes pole erasure during non-writing and maximize write field during writing through an AFM-FM phase change material that is in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state during non-writing and switches to a ferromagnetic (FM) state by heating during writing. The main pole layer including the write pole may be comprised of a laminated structure having a plurality of “n” ferromagnetic layers and “n?1” AFM-FM phase change material layers arranged in an alternating manner. The AFM-FM phase change material is preferably a FeRh, FeRhPt, FeRhPd, or FeRhIr and may also be used as a flux gate to prevent yoke flux from leaking into the write pole tip. Heating for the AFM to FM transition is provided by write coils and/or a coil located near the AFM-FM phase change material to enable faster transition times.

Abstract: A suspension board with circuit includes a conductive region in which a conductive layer is formed and a mounting region for mounting a slider on which a magnetic head that is electrically connected to the conductive layer is mounted. The mounting region mounts the slider so that the slider is capable of relatively moving with respect to the conductive region, and the conductive region includes an opposing region that is opposed to the slider in the thickness direction at the time of the relative movement of the slider with respect to the conductive region and a damage preventing portion for preventing damage to the opposing region by the slider.

Abstract: A graphene magnetic field sensor has a ferromagnetic biasing layer located beneath and in close proximity to the graphene sense layer. The sensor includes a suitable substrate, the ferromagnetic biasing layer, the graphene sense layer, and an electrically insulating underlayer between the ferromagnetic biasing layer and the graphene sense layer. The underlayer may be a hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) layer, and the sensor may include a seed layer to facilitate the growth of the h-BN underlayer. The ferromagnetic biasing layer has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with its magnetic moment oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layer. The graphene magnetic field sensor based on the extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) effect may function as the magnetoresistive read head in a magnetic recording disk drive.

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: Embodiments of the present invention provide a head slider that suppresses accumulation of lubricant droplets on an air-bearing surface due to a backflow, and thus improves reliability of a disk drive. According to one embodiment, a lubricant droplet being adhered to a head slider and accumulated thereon, which are caused by extremely low flying height of the head slider, are prevented from falling onto a recording medium. When velocity of a recording medium at a position where the head slider faces the recording medium is assumed to be v, step depth ?4 at an outflow side of an outflow side rail satisfies, ?4?0.1125*log10(v)+0.019.

Abstract: Approaches for a hard-disk drive suspension interconnect having a wide bandwidth. A suspension interconnect includes a substrate layer, a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate layer, and a plurality of transmission-line (TL) conductors disposed within the dielectric layer. Air gaps may be disposed around the TL conductors to minimize the tendency of the dielectric material to act as an electrical shunt, which impedes high bandwidth signal transmission. An air gap may exist in the dielectric layer between adjacent TL conductors. Additionally, the area adjacent to the plurality of TL conductors, along the direction of signal travel, may alternate between dielectric material and air gaps. Indeed, there need not be any solid material enclosing the TL conductors save for a plurality of dielectric cross ties that provide structural support thereto. The substrate layer may also comprise one or more air gaps underneath a portion of the plurality of TL conductors.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a head includes a slider and a head section on the slider. A supporting surface of the slider includes a leading step in an inflow side of airflow, a leading pad on the leading step, a negative-pressure cavity in a downstream side of the leading pad, a trailing step in an outflow end side of the airflow, a center rail extending from the leading step to the trailing step, a guide groove in the center rail, configured to guide the airflow to the trailing step, and an intake groove formed in the leading pad, extending in a direction transverse to the airflow, communicating with the guide groove, and includes two end parts in its longitudinal direction, the two end parts extending in a direction of the airflow and forming openings open to the inflow side of the leading pad.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a head includes a slider including a supporting surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium, and a head section on the slider, configured to record data on and reproduce data from the recording medium. The supporting surface includes a negative-pressure cavity in the supporting surface to produce a negative pressure, a leading step on an inflow side of the airflow in relation to the negative-pressure cavity, a trailing step on an outflow side of the airflow in relation to the negative-pressure cavity, and including the head section, and a pad provided outside the trailing step at an outflow end part of the negative-pressure cavity, and open in at least one of a central side of the slider and an outflow end side of the slider.

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: A magnetic recording element has a substrate, a main pole for recording that includes an edge part positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS), a waveguide through which a laser light propagates, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator is positioned away from the substrate and extends to the ABS as facing a part of the waveguide. The plasmon generator has a propagation edge extending in a longitudinal direction. The propagation edge has an overlapping part overlapping the waveguide in the longitudinal direction, and a near field light generator positioned on the ABS and located in the vicinity of the edge part of the recording magnetic pole. The overlapping part of the propagation edge is coupled with the laser light propagating through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode so that a surface plasmon is generated. The propagation edge propagates the surface plasmon generated in the overlapping part to the near field light generator.

Abstract: A slider for a head gimbal assembly includes a trailing surface, a plurality of connection pads arranged on the trailing surface adapted for both bonding the slider to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly and testing the performance of the slider. At least a part of the connection pads each comprises a bonding portion and a testing portion electrically connected to the bonding portion and larger than the bonding portion, all the bonding portions and the rest part of the connection pads are arranged in a first row and the testing portions are arranged outside the first row. The slier of the present invention has a new pad layout to facilitate bonding of the connection pads and permit to provide additional pads thereon to connect the additional sensors therein for precise reading and writing, thereby improving the performance of the slider. The invention also discloses a head gimbal assembly and a disk drive unit including the same.

Abstract: In a disk drive device, a hub has an outer circumferential wall portion configured to hold a recording disk. A base member has a cylindrical portion, whose central axis is the rotation axis of the hub, on a surface on the side of the hub. A fluid dynamic bearing holds a lubricant and rotatably supports the hub relative to the base member. A ring-shaped attraction plate including a magnetic material is fixed to the base member and faces a magnet in the axial direction. The outer circumferential wall portion is configured such that the outer circumferential wall portion surrounds the attraction plate and that the range of the outer circumferential wall portion in the axial direction overlaps with the range of the attraction plate in the axial direction.

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: In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetic disk includes rotating a magnetic disk, supporting a floating head on the rotating magnetic disk, the floating head having a slider body and an element unit formed on a trailing edge of the slider body, contacting a floating surface of the slider body with the magnetic disk, and protruding a portion of the floating head toward the magnetic disk due to application of power to a heater element within the element unit, wherein the element unit is positioned away from the magnetic disk. In another embodiment, a floating head includes a slider body comprising AlTiC, an element unit positioned on a trailing edge of the slider body, the element unit having an initial recess amount of at least about 4 nm, and a heater element positioned within an alumina protective film of the element unit.

Abstract: A head slider with a pocket. An air bearing surface. A central levitating surface. A magnetic recording head provided in proximity to a trailing edge side of the central levitating surface. A deep recessed surface provided on both sides of the head slider in a width direction of the head slider with respect to the central levitating surface, wherein the deep recessed surface is configured to generate negative air pressure. A second deep recessed surface extending from a leading edge side of the central levitating surface. A levitating surface provided on a leading edge side of the deep recessed surface and a second levitating surface provided between the deep recessed surface and the second deep recessed surface, wherein the pocket is provided whose depth from the levitating surface and the second levitating surface is deeper than a periphery immediately in front of a terminus of the second deep recessed surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head, according to one embodiment, includes a sensor film, a sensor cap film provided above the sensor film, a pair of shields including an upper magnetic shield and a lower magnetic shield which serve as electrodes that pass current in a film thickness direction of the sensor film, a track insulating film contacting both sides of the sensor film in the track width direction, a graded domain control film arranged on both sides in the track width direction of the sensor film adjacent the track insulating film, and an element height direction insulating film positioned on an opposite side of the sensor film relative to an air-bearing surface, wherein an edge position of the element height direction insulating film adjacent the sensor film on the air-bearing surface side is substantially the same as an edge position of the sensor cap film in the element height direction.

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 tail section of the head slider has a deep write hole that may improve the altitude performance of the head slider by minimizing fly height variations at high altitudes (i.e., altitudes above 3000 m) or in low atmospheric pressure environments. The write hole prevents the fly height from changing. Additionally, the write hole limits the amount of lubricant that will flow over the ABS.

Abstract: A head-slider. The head-slider includes a slider, and a thin-film magnetic-recording head. The thin-film magnetic-recording head includes: a read element; a write element; a non-magnetic insulating protective layer disposed around both read and write elements; a resist disposed at a position further away from an air-bearing surface than the read element; and, a hard-material member including a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide and tungsten, which is disposed at a position further away from the air-bearing surface than the read element and the write element. Both an end of the resist and an end of the hard-material member overlap the write element when viewed in a stacking direction. A ratio of a distance from the air-bearing surface to a deepest end of the hard-material member to a distance from the air-bearing surface to a deepest end of the resist is at least 0.9.

Abstract: A bearing lubricant includes a base oil containing an ester compound consisting of 2-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol and at least one of carboxylic acids having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, the ester compound being represented by the following formula (1), in which the base oil has a kinetic viscosity at approximately 40° C. of approximately 7 to 15 mPa, and has a pour point of approximately ?60° C. or less: where R1 and R2 represent hydrocarbon groups having 4 to 11 carbon atoms.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a slider of a magnetic head is provided with a negative-pressure cavity formed in a facing surface, a leading step portion situated on the upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions opposed to each other, a trailing step portion situated on the outlet end side of the negative-pressure cavity, and a pair of embossed portions formed on the facing surface so as to project from the negative-pressure cavity and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow. The embossed portions individually extend along a second direction so as to be situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion and are formed so as to be lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with an outlet-side end surface of the slider.

Abstract: Proposed is a fluid dynamic bearing system having a bearing bush, a shaft rotatably supported in a bearing bore of the bearing bush and a hub connected to the shaft. A bearing gap filled with bearing fluid and having an axial section is defined between the shaft, the bearing bush and the hub. A first and a second fluid dynamic radial bearing are disposed along the axial section of the bearing gap, the radial bearings being marked by grooved bearing patterns on the associated bearing surfaces of the shaft and/or of the bearing bush. The two radial bearings have a mutual distance dL measured from an apex line of the first radial bearing to an apex line of the second radial bearing. A separator groove is disposed in the bearing bush or in the shaft in the axial section of the bearing gap between the two radial bearings and has an axial length lS. According to the invention, the ratio between the distance dL and the length lS is greater than 5 (five).

Abstract: Embodiments provide a write pole and a magnetic shield for write heads. The write pole includes a trailing step, while the magnetic shield includes a slanted bump. The slanted bump and the trailing step provides maximize magnetic flux for writing to a magnetic media such as a magnetic storage disk in a hard disk drive, while avoiding saturation. One embodiment of a method for forming the write pole includes depositing non-magnetic gap material on the write pole and trailing step. An ion beam milling process is used to form a taper in the non-magnetic gap material. The magnetic shield is then deposited on the taper, forming the slanted bump of the shield.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor or read head for a magnetic recording disk drive has multiple independent current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) MR sensing elements. The sensing elements are spaced-apart in the cross-track direction and separated by an insulating separation region so as to be capable of reading data from multiple data tracks on the disk. The sensing elements have independent CPP sense currents, each of which is directed to independent data detection electronics, respectively. Each sensing element comprises a stack of layers formed on a common electrically conducting base layer, which may be a bottom magnetic shield layer formed of electrically conducting magnetically permeable material. Each sensing element has a top electrical lead layer. A top magnetic shield layer is located above the sensing elements in contact with the top lead layers.

Abstract: A magnetic-recording-disk test-head. The magnetic-recording-disk test-head includes a slider, a test pad and a slider-surface-shape control mechanism. The slider includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. The test pad is disposed at a trailing-edge side of the slider and is configured to remove and to detect asperities on a magnetic-recording disk. The slider-surface-shape control mechanism is configured to change a shape of an air-bearing surface of the slider and is disposed at a leading-edge side of the slider.

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 slider for an information storage system. The slider comprising a single overcoat layer, wherein the layer is deposited onto an ABS of the slider by a filtered cathodic arc process, the layer having a Si/C ratio less than about 10% and a thickness of less than about 15 ?.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to air-bearing sliders used in magnetic storage systems that employ a trench arranged between a transducing head connected to a slider body and a leading edge of the slider body. The trench is configured to divert air passing over an air-bearing surface of the slider body away from the transducing head.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider comprising: an air inflow end; an air bearing surface; and an air outflow end, the air bearing surface comprising: an inflow side rail face further formed towards the air inflow end than the center of the air bearing surface; an outflow side rail face formed further towards the air outflow end than the inflow side rail face, having a magnetic recording/reproduction element arranged thereon; a negative pressure groove face formed between the inflow side rail face and the outflow side rail face; and a groove face formed between the inflow side rail face and the negative pressure groove face, or between the inflow side rail face and the outflow side rail face; and comprising at least one step structure shallower than the groove face at the slider end in the width direction of the groove face.

Abstract: According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a production method of a fluid dynamic bearing including: a shaft arranged along a center axis; an annular portion expanding radially outwards from the shaft; a sleeve having a top surface opposed to an under surface of the annular portion, for supporting the shaft and the annular portion in a relatively rotatable manner; and a lubricating fluid interposed between the shaft and annular portion and the sleeve, includes the step of preparing the annular portion having a substantially annular edge surrounding the center axis on the under surface; the step of applying a forming liquid for forming a solid lubricating film on the radially outer side of the edge of the under surface; and the step of evaporating a solvent of the forming liquid.

Abstract: An assembly includes a slider having an air bearing surface and a slider mounting surface opposite the air bearing surface. The slider mounting surface includes first, second, third, and fourth slider pads. A first slider trace electrically shorts the first slider pad with the third slider pad. A second slider trace electrically shorts the second slider pad with the fourth slider pad. A transducing head is supported by the slider. The transducing head includes a positive terminal electrically connected to the first slider pad and a negative terminal electrically connected to the second slider pad. The first, second, third, and fourth slider pads can be connected to pads on a connection circuit with interleaved traces.

Abstract: A HGA comprises a slider and a suspension with a flexure having a tongue region for supporting the slider. A read/write transducer and a piezoelectric element are formed oppositely. The connecting points of the curve beams and the inner tongue of the tongue region are in mirror positions to a center point of the inner tongue, and the connecting points of each curve beam are located at opposite sides of a center axis of the flexure. The slider has multiple electrical pads electrically connecting with the read/write transducer. The inner tongue has multiple electrical pads. The flexure has multiple inner leads electrically connected with the electrical pads of the inner tongue formed on the curve beams. The structure of the HGA prevents the read/write transducer from damaged and cause the manufacture of the HGA simpler. The present invention also discloses a suspension and a disk drive unit.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer are disclosed. The method and system include providing a magnetic element that includes a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is a tunneling barrier layer. The free layer is configured to be biased in a first direction. The pinned layer has a pinned layer magnetization configured to be pinned in a second direction that is at a first angle from perpendicular to the ABS. The first angle is nonzero and different from ninety degrees. The second direction and the first direction form a second angle that is different from ninety degrees.

Abstract: Recording heads for data storage systems are provided. Recording heads include a substrate layer made of a first material. The substrate layer has a bearing surface side. A tapered feature made of a second material is included on the bearing surface side. The first material is illustratively a multiphase material and the second material is illustratively diamond-like carbon.

Abstract: An MR element in a CPP-GMR structure includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a spacer layer that is epitaxially formed on the first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer that is located on the spacer layer, and that is laminated with the first ferromagnetic layer to sandwich the spacer layer. A sense current flows along a lamination direction of the first and second ferromagnetic layers. Angle of magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer relatively change due to an externally applied magnetic field.

Abstract: An MR element in a CPP structure includes a spacer layer made of Cu, a magnetic pinned layer containing CoFe and a free layer containing CoFe that are laminated to sandwich the spacer layer. The free layer is located below the magnetic pinned layer. The free layer is oriented in a (001) crystal plane, the spacer layer is formed and oriented in a (001) crystal plane on the (001) crystal plane of the free layer. Therefore, in a low resistance area where an area resistivity (AR) of the MR element is, for example, lower than 0.3 ?·?m2, an MR element that has a large variation of a resistance is obtained.

Abstract: A transducer includes magnetic material formed on a substrate that is shaped to include a trailing edge, a leading edge and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending between the trailing edge and the leading edge. A layer of protective material is positioned in contact with each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material. Backfill material surrounds the protective material on each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material.

Abstract: A slider having a slider body is provided. An electrical connection is coupled to the slider body. A first actuator is coupled to the electrical connection and adapted to displace a first portion of the slider body. Additionally, a second actuator is coupled to the electrical connection and adapted to displace a second portion of the slider body.

Abstract: A magnetic writer comprises a write pole, a substrate and a non-magnetic, oxygen-free buffer material. The write pole has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side and second side. The substrate is at the leading edge of the write pole. The non-magnetic, oxygen-free buffer material is located between the write pole and the substrate.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body having an air bearing surface, a first contact finger, and a transducing head. The first contact finger extends from the slider body and has a contact surface area of between about 2 square microns to about 20 square microns. The transducing head is supported by the slider body near the first contact finger and extends from the air bearing surface by a distance less than that of the first contact finger.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body and a bond pad. The bond pad is positioned on the slider body and has a bonding surface with a recessed channel for directing solder flow.

Abstract: A slider is formed of a two-phase material having a first component and a second component that is harder than the first component. A media-facing surface is formed on two-phase material, with a leading edge extending transversely from the media-facing surface. The second component is selectively removed from the two-phase material in a contact region located along at least one of the leading edge and the media-facing surface, such that a hardness of the slider is reduced in the contact region.

Abstract: A head slider is capable of restricting deformation of a medium-facing surface, and includes heat generating elements located at a distance from a read/write head in a Y direction corresponding to the radial direction of a disk medium. A width of the heat generating element in a Z direction is smaller than the widths in the X and Y directions.