International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Lee K Dorius

Laurence S Samuelson

Sanford A Bolasna

Weidong Huang

John M Harker

Donald Ray Gillis

Mike Suk

Robert Nolan Payne

Gurinder P Singh

Timothy C O'Sullivan

Francis Chee-Shuen Lee

Pantelis Alexopoulos

Paul R Peck

Yoshinori Takeuchi

Kiyoshi Hashimoto

Ullal Vasant Nayak

Taichi Nakamura

Vedantham Raman

Takashi Nakamura

Yong Hu

Hung V Nguyen

Hiroshi Agari

Richard Lindsay Stover

Atsushi Tobari

Owen R Melroy

Tsuyoshi Matsumoto

Tatsushi Aoki

A slider may include a first side-edge surface, a second side-edge surface, and an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising: a first side cavity adjacent to the first side-edge surface, and a first island side blocker situated at a mouth of the first side cavity, wherein: a first outer surface of the first island side blocker forms a portion of the first side-edge surface, a second outer surface of the first island side blocker is recessed from the first side-edge surface, a first side opening is situated on a leading side of the first island side blocker, and a second side opening is situated on a trailing side of the first island side blocker.

Slider air bearing designs with side blocker for contamination robustness

Approaches for a head slider for use within a hard-disk drive. The head slider comprises an air bearing surface (ABS) and an electromagnetic transducer disposed at an air outflow end of the air bearing surface. The air bearing surface comprises an inner (ID) side rail proximate the inner diameter side and an outer (OD) side rail proximate the outer diameter side. The ID side rail is longer in length than the OD side rail. The physical dimensions of the ID side rail have a geometry that reduces a contact force between the head and the magnetic-recording disk when the head experiences a positive roll static attitude (RSA). The physical dimensions of the OD side rail have a geometry that reduces contact force between the head and the magnetic-recording disk when the head experiences a negative RSA.

Air-bearing surface of head for minimizing contact with disk

A slider resistant to lubricant accumulation. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation includes a positive-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to levitate the slider above a magnetic-recording disk and a negative-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to bring the slider into proximity with the magnetic-recording disk at a fly height sufficient for writing data to and reading data from the magnetic-recording disk. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation also includes a lubricant-accumulation barrier disposed in proximity to a trailing edge of the slider. The lubricant-accumulation barrier is configured to reduce lubricant accumulation on the slider. The lubricant-accumulation barrier also includes a plurality of lubricant-accumulation-barrier portions disposed at a plurality of respective depths below an outer-most surface of a disk-facing side of the slider.

Slider having a lubricant-accumulation barrier including a plurality of lubricant-accumulation-barrier portions

A slider resistant to lubricant accumulation. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation includes a positive-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to levitate the slider above a magnetic-recording disk and a negative-air-pressure portion of the slider configured to bring the slider into proximity with the magnetic-recording disk at a fly height sufficient for writing data to and reading data from the magnetic-recording disk. The slider resistant to lubricant accumulation also includes a lubricant-accumulation barrier disposed in proximity to a trailing edge of the slider. The lubricant-accumulation barrier is configured to reduce lubricant accumulation on the slider.

Slider having a lubricant-accumulation barrier

An air bearing surface of a slider, which achieves low crown sensitivity is described. In one embodiment, the air bearing surface comprises a center channel and a plurality of side channels, wherein at least one side channel of the plurality of side channels is open to the center channel. The center channel and the plurality of side channels are configured to allow air to flow along the center channel toward the trailing edge of the ABS, such that there is low crown sensitivity.

Air bearing with low crown sensitivity through side channels

An air-bearing surface of a hard disk drive slider comprises a trailing edge wherein a magnetic transducer is coupled to the air-bearing surface. A leading edge is opposite from the trailing edge. A channel is coupled to the air-bearing surface wherein the channel comprises: a closure at a distal end proximal to the leading edge; a bottom surface; and a center of the channel approximately aligned colinear with a center of the magnetic transducer. In this configuration the channel generates significantly more negative pressure proximal to the leading edge thereby stiffening the air bearing during operation.

Three-etch ABS design with a closed front channel

An air bearing surface (ABS) for a head assembly for a data storage device is described. The ABS includes a member, comprising a first extended region and a second extended region, wherein these two regions define a channel. This channel is open to the leading edge (LE) of the ABS, and is configured so as to allow air to flow along the channel toward the trailing edge (TE) of the ABS. As a result, the pressure of the air flowing along the channel does not experience significant fluctuations in pressure until approaching the trailing edge.

Air bearing surface with shallow center channel

An air bearing surface of a slider is described. In one embodiment, the air bearing surface comprises a center channel. The air bearing surface further comprises a plurality of side channels, wherein at least one side channel of the plurality of side channels is open to the center channel, and a plurality of pocket areas. The center channel, the plurality of side channels, and the plurality of pocket areas are configured to allow air to flow along the center channel toward the trailing edge of the ABS, such that a change in ambient pressure and a change and relative velocity of a head assembly with respect to a data storage medium of a data storage device would not significantly affect the fly height of a head assembly utilizing the ABS.

Air bearing with both low altitude and speed sensitivities

A magnetic head slider suitable for a disk drive measuring 1.8 inches or less in disk size incorporates preventive measures against the decreases in lifting force that occur in small sliders with a slider width of 0.8 mm or less. The present invention improves the inclination margins of the flying slider in a rolling direction at the lowest flying point, and achieves low flying height and stable flying. The slider is constructed with stepped surfaces on the slider's leading-side flying surface formed up of shallow-grooved surfaces and a deep-grooved surface so that a trailing-side width Wbetween the stepped surfaces is smaller than a leading-side width W

Magnetic disk slider having improved inclination margins in a rolling direction

The present invention provides a non-actuatable, self-limiting wear contact pad slider and method for making the same. A protruding element surrounding the transducer is fabricated using a third etch step so that the protruding element has a height that is greater than or equal to the designed fly height of the aerodynamic lift surface minus the disk roughness.

Self-limiting wear contact pad slider and method for making the same

The present invention provides an optimized pad design for a slider that minimizes the effect of mask alignment tolerances to allow for a more consistent N58 pad area and hence a more controllable burnish rate of the protruding pad. The protruding pad includes a first portion and a second portion formed by processing material to form the first and second portion wherein at least a quantity of the first portion comprises a first material type and the second portion comprises a second material type, the protruding pad further comprising a boundary interface separating the first material type from the second material type, the boundary interface having a position on the first portion that is dependent upon an alignment tolerance for the processing and that defines a surface area for the material of the second type, wherein the surface area of the material of the second type is negligibly affected by the position of the boundary interface.

Optimized pad design for slider and method for making the same

A negative-pressure air bearing slider structure includes a slider surface disposed adjacent to a data storage medium, and a leading edge relative to the motion of the data storage medium. A U-shaped rail with a closed end facing the leading edge and an open end facing the trailing edge is formed on the slider surface. The closed end of the U-shaped rail extends laterally across less than the width of the slider surface. In a first set of embodiments, there is a single U-shaped rail centered between two side rails. In a second set of embodiments, there are two U-shaped rails, each disposed along a respective side of the slider surface.

Negative pressure air bearing slider

A magnetic head has a left side rail formed on a disk facing surface in a protruded manner, and a right side rail formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner. A cross rail formed on the disk facing surface protrudes and is elongated continuously to both the left side rail and the right side rail. A left air bearing surface is formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner, and formed only on a side of a leading edge continuously from the left side rail. The left air bearing surface has a continuous portion to the left side rail, and a right air bearing surface which is formed on the disk facing surface in a protruded manner, formed only on a side of the leading edge continuously from the right side rail. The left air bearing surface has a continuous portion to the right side rail, wherein a recessed portion is constructed on the disk facing surface so as to be surrounded by the left side rail the left air bearing surface, the cross rail, the right air bearing surface, and the right side rail. At least part of the recessed portion produces negative pressure.

Hard disk drive magnetic head air bearing surface design for preventing particulate contamination thereon

A slider used in a disk drive apparatus is described which has an air bearing surface and a trailing surface and a plurality of recessed steps at the trailing edge. These steps at the trailing edge greatly reduce stictional forces.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Lee K Dorius