The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 21, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2012
Thomas Robert Albrecht, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert E. Fontana, Jr., San Jose, CA (US);
Bruce Alvin Gurney, San Rafael, CA (US);
Timothy Clark Reiley, San Jose, CA (US);
Xiao Z. Wu, San Jose, CA (US);
Thomas Robert Albrecht, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert E. Fontana, Jr., San Jose, CA (US);
Bruce Alvin Gurney, San Rafael, CA (US);
Timothy Clark Reiley, San Jose, CA (US);
Xiao Z. Wu, San Jose, CA (US);
HGST Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, NL;
Abstract
A structure for preventing Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) damage to a magnetoresistive sensor during manufacture. The structure includes a switching element that can be switched off during testing of the sensor and then switched back on to provide ESD shunting to the sensor. The switch can be a thermally activated mechanical relay built onto the slider. The switch could also be a programmable resistor that includes a solid electrolyte sandwiched between first and second electrodes. One of the electrodes functions as an anode. When voltage is applied in a first direction an ion bridge forms across through the electrolyte across electrodes making the resistor conductive. When a voltage is applied in a second direction, the ion bridge recedes and the programmable resistor becomes essentially non-conductive.