Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Junguo Xu

Mikio Tokuyama

Jianhua Li

Masaaki Matsumoto

Masaru Furukawa

Hidekazu Kohira

Masayuki Kurita

Yuki Shimizu

Ryuji Tsuchiyama

Hideaki Tanaka

Yoshihiko Miyake

Yuuichi Ootani

Masato Shiimoto

Masahito Kobayashi

Naoki Satoh

Kiyoshi Hashimoto

Toshiya Shiramatsu

Hiroshi Tani

Yukio Kato

Shinsuke Higuchi

Kenichiro Takahashi

Shinji Yonemura

Makoto Satou

Toshifumi Honda

Toshihiko Nakata

Yasutaka Nishida

Yuta Urano

Yukihiro Shibata

Yohji Maruyama

Takanori Yamazaki

Takeshi Harada

Toshiyuki Nakao

Hiromitsu Tokisue

Kenji Suzuki

Takayoshi Ohtsu

Hiroyuki Katada

Takehiro Sato

Ikuya Tagawa

Mitsuhiro Shoda

Tetsuya Matsusaki

Hidetoshi Anan

Yuichi Aoki

Satoru Ookubo

Yuichiro Sano

Nobuo Nakagawa

Yuka Morimoto

A hard-disk drive having a structurally efficient magnetic head slider utilizes a MAMR-based spin torque oscillator (STO) for head-disk contact detection and for flying height sensing. Contact detection and spacing estimation techniques consider the nominal temperature difference, and thus different criteria, between read and write operations.

Hard disk drive with contact detection using a spin torque oscillator

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a MAMR head. The MAMR head includes an STO and an embedded contact sensor (ECS). The STO and the ECS are electrically connected in series and are connected to the same terminals. During operation, the current applied to the STO is controlled with respect to a change in resistance of the ECS.

Magnetic head for microwave assisted magnetic recording

A method for measuring the head-disk clearance between a slider and a disk includes measuring a first resistance with a first bias applied to an embedded contact sensor of the slider, measuring a second resistance with a second bias applied to the embedded contact sensor of the slider, and determining the head-disk clearance based at least in part on a difference between the first resistance and the second resistance. A system includes a disk drive, a slider comprising an embedded contact sensor, and circuitry to apply at least two bias voltages to the embedded contact sensor, measure at least two resistances of the embedded contact sensor based on the application of the at least two bias voltages, and to determine the head-disk clearance based at least in part on a difference between the at least two resistances.

Systems and methods for clearance monitoring in storage media

A hard disk drive electronic component processes a signal from a piezoelectric actuator to identify where on a disk the slider encounters a disk defect. The signal received from the piezoelectric actuator may be based on the mechanical propagation, through the suspension to the piezoelectric actuator, of an effect of slider contact with the protrusion. Further, an actuator may be commanded to systematically move the head slider across the writeable portion of the disk to map all the protrusions on the writeable portion of the disk.

High-speed recording disk defect detection

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the data storage field and hard disk drives (HDD) using microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) technology. Aspects of the preferred embodiments are to prevent the breakdown of spin torque oscillators (STO) due to large amounts of current flowing through the STO during head/disk contact. A magnetic head slider is disposed above and spaced apart from a disk. A STO is formed on a section of the magnetic head slider. Two electrodes are coupled to the STO, and one electrode has a higher potential than the other electrode. A preamplifier is adapted to send a current through the two electrodes, resulting in the higher potential electrode protruding closer to the disk than the lower potential electrode. Current then flows from one electrode to the disk without flowing through the STO, and breakdown of the STO is prevented.

Head structure with electric damage protection for a microwave-assisted hard disk drive

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing enhanced surface analysis test (SAT) function for microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) hard disk drives (HDDs) using embedded contact sensor (ECS) and spin-torque oscillator (STO) signals. A preamplifier circuit receives the embedded contact sensor (ECS) and spin-torque oscillator (STO) signals and compares the received ECS and STO signals to identify magnetic disk media defects including bumps or thermal-asperity (TA) defects and pits or hole defects.

Implementing surface analysis test (SAT) function for microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) HDD with embedded contact sensor (ECS) and spin torque oscillator (STO) signals

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for preventing electrostatic discharge (ESD) in hard disk drives using spin-torque oscillator (STO) for microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR). A control circuit adjusts a disk electrical potential with an electrical potential of a spin-torque oscillator (STO) element. The control circuit maintains a potential difference of less than about 115 millivolts (mV) between the disk and the STO element.

Implementing enhanced ESD prevention for hard disk drives using spin-torque oscillator (STO)

A defect inspecting method is provided which comprises a pre-scan defect inspecting process including a pre-scan irradiating step for casting irradiation light onto the surface of a sample, a pre-scan detecting step for detecting the scattered lights, and a pre-scan defect information collecting step for obtaining information on preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the scattered lights; a near-field defect inspecting process including a near-field irradiating step in which the distance between the sample surface and a near-field head is adjusted so that the sample surface is irradiated, a near-field detecting step for detecting near-field light response, and a near-field defect information collecting step for obtaining information on the preselected defects on the basis of the near-field light response; and a merging process for inspecting defects present on the sample surface by merging the pieces of information on the preselected defects.

Method and device for inspecting for defects

A magnetic head slider inspection device including a motor unit for revolving a disk medium, a slider unit provided with a reproducing head, which is levitated from a surface of the disk medium under force generated by the revolving disk medium, a magnetic field generator positioned at an opposite side of the disk medium with respect to the slider unit for generating a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the disk medium surface, and a circuit unit for generating the magnetic field from the magnetic field generator, and measuring a resistance value of the reproducing head levitated from the disk medium surface.

Magnetic head slider inspection device

A slider comprising a contact sensor element configured to respond to a change in resistance due to a change in temperature, and a shield structure. The shield structure comprises a lower thermal conductivity than the contact sensor element and a greater hardness than the contact sensor element.

Noise and particle shield for contact sensor in a slider

Provided is a head slider that can heat a recording medium with a simple structure. In the head slider (), a hole portion () having an opening in a medium facing surface () facing a disk-shaped recording medium () is formed, and a heating element () that is heated by being energized and a reflection portion () for reflecting heat radiated from the heating element () toward the disk-shaped recording medium () are disposed in the hole portion ().

Head slider, head assembly, and magnetic disk device

A magnetic disk drive includes a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head slider adapted to fly over a surface of a magnetic recording medium and read or write information. The magnetic head slider includes a slider air bearing surface and a magnetic transducer. The slider air bearing surface includes a front pad having front rail surfaces and front step bearing surfaces, a rear pad having a rear rail surface and a rear step bearing surface, and a negative-pressure groove interposed between the front pad and the rear pad. A vibration suppressing groove is formed in the rear rail surface so as to be deeper than the rear rail surface and to be closed at its periphery. The vibration suppressing groove quickly damps out translational and pitching vibrations in the flying height direction of the magnetic head slider while stabilizing its flying.

Magnetic disk drive and magnetic head slider with stabilized flying

Embodiments of the present invention provide a slider that may suppress contamination from being attached to the flying surface of the slider without influence on reduction of the flying height of the slider. Ions exerting an effect of decreasing surface energy are implanted in the whole surface of a flying surface of a magnetic head slider except for a front rail surface and a center rail surface. According to this, contamination is prevented from being attached to a front step bearing surface, a side step bearing surface, a center step bearing surface and a negative pressure groove where contamination is particularly liable to be attached in the flying surface of the magnetic head slider, so as to suppress destabilization in flying of the slider.

Head slider

A hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive includes a disk enclosure, a magnetic-recording disk accommodated in the disk enclosure, and a diffusion suppressing film. The diffusion suppressing film divides the space in the disk enclosure into a first space where the magnetic-recording disk is disposed and a second space for retaining a lubricant. The diffusion suppressing film also suppresses diffusion of the lubricant from the second space to the first space.

Hard-disk drive with vapor-phase lubricant supply system

A disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk and a head-slider. The head-slider includes an air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface includes a trailing-edge rail surface, an inner trailing-edge pad, and an outer trailing-edge pad. The pad surface of the outer trailing-edge pad includes a straight outer edge slanting outward; and, the angle of the outer edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is &#x3b2;. The pad surface of the inner trailing-edge pad includes a straight inner edge slanting inward; and, the angle of the inner edge with respect to the longitudinal direction of the head-slider is &#x3b2;. For absolute values of skew angles at an outermost data track position and an innermost data track position on the disk that are denoted by &#x3b1;and &#x3b1;, respectively, the following conditions are satisfied:&#x3b1;&#x2266;&#x3b2;,&#x3b1;+&#x3b2;&#x2266;90&#xb0;, and &#x3b1;&#x2266;&#x3b2;,&#x3b1;+&#x3b2;&#x2266;90&#xb0;.

Disk drive including head-slider configured to suppress lubricant droplet accumulation

Growing community of inventors

Kasumigaura, Japan

Junguo Xu