Seagate Technology Incorporated

Jeff O'Konski

Andrew D Habermas

Andrew Sherve

Michael Thomas Johnson

Dongming Liu

Edwin F Rejda

Yuhong Xiong

Joel William Hoehn

Roger L Hipwell

Ricky Ray Anderson

Greg Arthur Schmitz

Leping Li

Mark Allen Herendeen

Dat Quach

John L Ibele

Pramit P Parikh

Saravuth Keo

Edward Alan Knutson

Kara L Maytag

Charles J Mann

Joe J Schobel

Ralph Marquart

Joshua Zierhut

The present disclosure includes methods of lapping that include energizing one or more elements that are located proximal to a first magnetoresistive element in a transducer region and generate heat and cause the first magnetoresistive element to selectively expand in the lapping direction relative to one or more other magnetoresistive elements. The present disclosure also includes methods of lapping that use one or more thermal sensors located proximal to the first magnetoresistive element to help control lapping in the lapping direction. The present disclosure includes related lapping systems and sliders.

Methods of lapping while heating one or more features, and related sliders, row bars, and systems

The present disclosure includes a lapping system that includes a temperature control system system to heat or cool the lapping plate while lapping. The temperature control system can include a closed circuit fluid system and/or one or more electrical resistive heating elements. In some embodiments that cooling system can control the temperature of the lapping plate during lapping to within +/&#x2212;5&#xb0; C., or even +/&#x2212;0.5&#xb0; C.

Lapping system that includes a lapping plate temperature control system, and related methods

The present disclosure includes methods and systems for lapping a row bar of sliders. According to the present disclosure, an electrical interconnect configuration is provided that permits the net current provided to a row bar to heat electrical heating devices during lapping to be managed so as help prevent exceeding breakdown currents of related electrical channels.

Methods and systems for providing electrical power to one or more heat sources in one or more sliders while lapping said sliders

The present disclosure involves electronic test structures, and related methods, for use with one or more magnetoresistive elements at least at the wafer stage of slider manufacturing.

Electronic test structures for one or more magnetoresistive elements, and related methods

The present disclosure involves a row bar that includes a plurality of slider bodies to be lapped. At least one slider body includes at least a first row of a plurality of electrical contact pads; and a second row of a plurality of electrical contact pads. The first row of electrical contact pads extends along the cross-track direction at a first position in a lapping direction. The second row of electrical contact pads extends along the cross-track direction at a second position in the lapping direction. The second row of electrical contact pads are electrically isolated from ground. The present disclosure also involves related methods of locating electrical contact pads on a slider body.

Locating electrical contact pads on a slider body, and related row bars that include such slider bodies

The presently disclosed technology describes systems and methods for attaining a ball bond using less than 1 thousandth of an inch diameter gold wire using ultrasonic bonding energy and without heating an underlying bonding pad. The ball bond allows the use of particularly small bonding pads that are particularly close to adjacent microelectronic structures that limit the use of other bonding techniques that have shallow take-off angles.

Ambient temperature ball bond

Growing community of inventors

Savage, MN, United States of America

Jeff O'Konski