Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Seagate Technology Incorporated

David E Fowler

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Chun Sei Tsai

Weidong Huang

Thomas Anthony O'Dell

Carl E Barlow

Wentao Yan

Taichi Nakamura

David E Wachenschwanz

Yong Hu

Yu Lo

Sateeshchandra S Bajikar

Tzong-Shii Pan

Michael L Mallary

Yanning Liu

John Edward Scura

Robert Dean Turner

Neil David Knutson

Chirag C Patel

Mark S Crowder

Wuxing Gan

Paul D Mischo

Lanshi Zheng

Matthew A O'Hara

Balvinder Singh

Vijay Prabhakaran

Mark R Bragen

Ladislav R Pust

Boon Sien Chew

Disclosed herein are slider designs having improved trailing air flow dams, and data storage devices including such sliders. In some embodiments, a slider comprises a trailing edge and an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising a trailing edge pad, and a trailing air flow dam coupled to the trailing edge pad, wherein, in an ABS view of the slider, the trailing air flow dam is recessed from and curves away from the trailing edge. In the ABS view, a shape of the trailing air flow dam may comprise two segments. The slider also has a leading edge and may at least one sub-ambient pressure cavity adjacent to the trailing air flow dam and disposed between the trailing air flow dam and the leading edge. A contact point of the trailing air flow dam may be at least 50 microns from a corner of the slider.

Air-bearing surface designs with a curved trailing air flow dam

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, and a head actuated over the disk, the head comprising an asperity sensor operable to generate a sensor signal having a magnitude based on a bias setting of the asperity sensor. The asperity sensor is configured with a first bias setting and a first asperity on the disk is detected based on the sensor signal generated at the first bias setting. The asperity sensor is configured with a second bias setting different from the first bias setting and a second asperity on the disk is detected based on the sensor signal generated at the second bias setting.

Disk drive detecting different asperities on a disk using different sensor bias settings

A method fabricates a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and that is optically coupled with a laser. The HAMR transducer includes a write pole, a waveguide, and at least one protective pad. The write pole has a pole tip with an ABS facing surface. The waveguide is located in a down track direction from the pole tip and directs light from the laser toward the ABS. The protective pad(s) are adjacent to the write pole and have front surface(s) at the ABS.

Heat assisted magnetic recording transducer having protective pads

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, the head comprising a touchdown sensor comprising a resistance. A bias signal is applied at a reference value to the touchdown sensor at a reference temperature, and a corresponding reference resistance of the touchdown sensor is measured. An operating value for the bias signal is generated based on a predetermined operating temperature of the touchdown sensor, the reference resistance, the reference temperature, and a thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the touchdown sensor, wherein the TCR specifies a change in temperature of the touchdown sensor relative to a change in the resistance of the touchdown sensor.

Disk drive calibrating bias signal for touchdown sensor

A suspension assembly for a head gimbal assembly of a disk drive includes a laminated flexure that includes a tongue for attachment of a read head. The suspension assembly includes a load beam that, in a first aspect of the present invention has a protruding dimple that contacts the tongue. In this aspect of the invention, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating is disposed between and contacting the dimple and the tongue. For example, the DLC may be disposed on the tongue at the location of contact with the load beam dimple. Alternatively, in a second aspect of the present invention, the tongue may have a protruding dimple that contacts the load beam. In this aspect of the invention, a DLC coating is disposed between and contacting the dimple and the load beam.

Disk drive head suspension assembly having a DLC coating between dimple and tongue

A magnetic recording device includes a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS), a leading side, and a trailing side and a head residing on the slider. The head has a first magnetic transducer and a first heater for heating an area proximal to the first magnetic transducer. A first shield (S1) comprising a first material is on the leading side of the first magnetic transducer and a second shield (S2) comprising the first material is on the trailing side of the first magnetic transducer. A first pole (P1) comprising the first material is on the trailing side of the second shield (S2), and the first pole (P1) is between 0.6 micron and 2.0 micron thick; and the second shield (S2) is less than 0.6 micron thick. A hard disk drive includes the magnetic recording device.

Magnetic recording head with dynamic fly height heating and having thermally controlled pole tip protrusion to control and protect reader element

A novel method and apparatus is provided for printing magnetic patterns using heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The apparatus includes an array of probes that is arranged in a predetermined pattern, such as a servo pattern. The array of probes is brought into contact, or near-contact, with a magnetic recording medium that has been bulk erased substantially along an initialization direction. Each probe is energized so as to heat its respective contacted (or near-contacted) region of the recording medium above a threshold temperature. An external magnetic field is applied to the heated regions in a direction that is substantially opposite from the initialization direction. The strength of the external magnetic field is chosen to be greater than the coercivity of the recording medium at the threshold temperature, but less than the coercivity of the recording medium at room temperature. As a result, only magnetizations in the heated regions become aligned with the external field.

Printing magnetic pattern onto disk

A magnetic recording device comprises a slider body having a slider interface surface and a magnetic transducer having a lower surface coplanar with an air bearing surface of the magnetic recording device. The magnetic transducer has a transducer interface surface perpendicular to the air bearing surface The magnetic recording device further comprises a piezoelectric actuator operably connecting the slider interface surface and the transducer interface surface. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to translate the magnetic transducer with respect to the slider body in a direction substantially parallel to the slider and transducer interface surfaces. The piezoelectric actuator comprises a plurality of elongate flexures disposed in parallel planes within a body of the piezoelectric actuator.

Micro-actuator enabling single direction motion of a magnetic disk drive head

A method and system for determining a shape of a portion of an air-bearing surface (ABS) of a head residing on a slider are described. The ABS is configured to fly at a fly height from and with a velocity with respect to a disk during normal operating conditions. The method and system include driving at least one heater residing in the head while the slider is substantially at the normal operating conditions with respect to the disk and the fly height. The shape of the portion of the ABS changes in response to the heater(s) being driven. The method and system also include performing Doppler measurements on the slider while the heater is driven. The shape may then be determined based on the Doppler measurements.

Method and system for mapping the shape of a head under operating conditions

A method and system for providing a disk drive is described. The disk drive includes media such as one or more disks, a slider, and a head residing on the slider. The head has an air-bearing surface (ABS), a portion of which contacts the media during touchdown. The head further includes a plurality of touchdown sensors. A first touchdown sensor is proximate to the ABS, while a second touchdown sensor is distal from the ABS. The touchdown sensors are capable of detecting a temperature change of 0.1 degree Celsius or, in some embodiments, smaller.

Differential head integrated touchdown sensors for hard disk drives

A method and system for providing a disk drive is described. The disk drive includes media such as one or more disks, a slider and a head residing on the slider. The head has an air-bearing surface (ABS) and includes a touchdown sensor proximate to the ABS. The touchdown sensor is capable of detecting a temperature change of 0.1 degree Celsius or, in some embodiments, smaller. The disk drive also includes touchdown sensor control circuitry coupled with the touchdown sensor. The touchdown sensor control circuitry drives a current through the touchdown sensor and converts a signal from the touchdown sensor into an indication of whether touchdown has occurred.

Head integrated touchdown sensor for hard disk drives

The present invention is directed to a load/unload disk drive that includes:

Disk texture located in load/unload zone of disk for cleaning contamination and disk lubricant from head ABS surface

A head suspension assembly for a disk drive that inhibits thermal pole tip protrusion includes a slider assembly having a slider exterior surface including a trailing surface, a slider interior region that is defined by the slider exterior surface, and a write head having an electrically coupled write coil positioned within the slider interior region. The write coil generates heat during write operations of the disk drive. The slider assembly also includes a heat dissipater positioned substantially within the slider interior region. The heat dissipater is electrically isolated from the write coil, and has a thermal conductivity of at least approximately 50 W/mK.

Internal heat dissipater used to reduce slider and write pole thermal protrusion for thin film recording heads

Sliders having air bearing surfaces are disclosed for use with magnetic recording and reading heads in a magnetic disk drive assembly to reduce the pressure gradients resulting from the flow of air between the slider and the spinning disk. To relieve such pressure gradient, the bottom surface of the air bearing surface at or near the trailing edge includes one or more recesses, which may be one or more steps, inclined ramps, curves or other configurations. Other surfaces of the slider may also include recesses to relieve these pressures. The sliders having air bearing surfaces may be attached to, or integral with, a magnetic recording or reading head in a magnetic disk drive assembly. A method of reducing the formation of pressure gradients is also disclosed whereby air flow between the disk and the head creates a pressure greater than atmospheric, at least a part of which is released through a recess on the air bearing surface of the slider.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

David E Fowler