Seagate Technology Incorporated

Thomas Roy Pitchford

Zine-Eddine Boutaghou

Anthony Pascal Sannino

Jorge Vicente Hanchi

Andreas Argyros Polycarpou

Michael Joseph Stirniman

Scott Edward Ryun

David Shiao-Min Kuo

Method and apparatus for enhanced sensitivity fly height testing and measurement

A method is disclosed for constructing an ultra-low-flying-height slider for carrying a transducing head in a disc drive system including a rotatable disc. The method comprises removing material from an air bearing surface of the slider to create a channel at a likely location of contact with the rotatable disc and filling the channel with a low-friction, high-wear-resistance material. The channel is filled such that the air bearing surface is configured the same as the air bearing surface configuration prior to removing material.

Method for constructing an ultra-low-flying-height slider

A disc head slider is provided, which includes a slider body having a disc-opposing face with leading and trailing slider edges and a slider length measured between the leading and trailing slider edges. The disc-opposing face has a bearing surface and a recessed area which is recessed from the bearing surface. A convergent channel is recessed within the bearing surface and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the recessed area, channel side walls, a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow, and a channel length measured between the leading and trailing channel ends. The trailing channel end is located rearward of a midpoint along the slider length and the channel floor is vertically contoured relative to the bearing surface along at least a portion of the channel length.

Disc head slider having profiled convergent channel features

An air bearing slider designed for operation at ultra-low flying heights. The air bearing slider has an air bearing surface having portions which are constructed from a low-friction, high-wear-resistance material.

Enhanced durability ultra-low-flying-height sliders

Growing community of inventors

Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Thomas Roy Pitchford