| Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120128871 | METHOD FOR PATTERNED MEDIA WITH REDUCED MAGNETIC TRENCH MATERIAL - A bit patterned magnetic media design for reducing the amount of magnetic material located in the trenches between topographic features is disclosed. An intermediate non-magnetic layer is deposited on the topography prior to depositing the functional magnetic layer on the topographic substrate features. The non-magnetic layer increases the width of the land regions that will ultimately support the functional magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer also reduces the amount of trench deposition that can occur in the subsequent deposition of the magnetic recording layer. By eliminating most of the magnetic trench material, the amount of magnetic flux and readback interference produced by the trench material is reduced to an acceptable level. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127839 | THERMALLY ASSISTED MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD EMPLOYING A PLASMONIC ANTENNA COMPRISING AN ALLOYED FILM TO IMPROVE THE HARDNESS AND MANUFACTURABILITY OF THE ANTENNA - A thermally assisted write head having a plasmonic heating device. The plasmonic heating device has a plasmonic antenna located at an air bearing surface of the thermally assisted write head. The plasmonic antenna is constructed of an alloy that is sufficiently hard to withstand the processes such as ion milling and chemical mechanical polishing used to construct the plasmonic antenna. The plasmonic antenna is preferably constructed of AuX, where X is Cu, Ni, Ta, Ti, Zr or Pt having a concentration less than 5 atomic percent. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127609 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA HAVING DECOUPLED CONTROL AND GRADED ANISOTROPY - A structure for high performance perpendicular magnetic recording media has a substrate with a plurality of sequential layers including an adhesion layer, a first soft underlayer (SUL), a coupling layer, a second SUL, a seed layer, a Ru layer, and an onset layer; at least one oxide layer on the onset layer and having a composition with graded anisotropy to improve overwrite of the media; an exchange coupling layer (ECL) on the at least one oxide layer; a cap layer; a decoupling-controlled layer between the ECL and the cap layer to reduce lateral exchange coupling in the cap layer on the ECL; and a carbon overcoat on the cap layer. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120125883 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MAGNETIC WRITE POLE USING A MULTI-LAYERED HARD MASK STRUCTURE - A method for manufacturing a magnetic write pole using a mask that includes a multi-layer hard mask. The multi-layer hard mask hard mask includes a first hard mask layer that is constructed of a Si containing material that can be spun on and a second hard mask material that is deposited by a deposition process such as sputter deposition. The first hard mask layer has optical properties that allow it to function well as a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) and also has optical properties that match well with an underlying image transfer layer. The second hard mask material has good selectivity for reactive ion etching so that it functions well as a RIE hard mask. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120120520 | CPP-TMR SENSOR WITH NON-ORTHOGONAL FREE AND REFERENCE LAYER MAGNETIZATION ORIENTATION - A CPP spin-valve magnetic head, according to one embodiment includes a ferromagnetic free layer having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a first direction; a ferromagnetic reference layer film having a bias-point magnetization nominally oriented in a second direction that is not orthogonal to the said first direction; and a tunnel barrier layer between the free and reference layers. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120113544 | WET ETCHING SILICON OXIDE DURING THE FORMATION OF A DAMASCENE POLE AND ADJACENT STRUCTURE - A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a side gap layer comprising primarily silicon nitride, wherein outer sides of the side gap layer taper away from one another from a leading end of the side gap layer towards a trailing end of the side gap layer; a seed layer above the silicon nitride side gap layer; and a magnetic pole on the seed layer. A method for forming a magnetic head according to one embodiment includes etching a channel in a silicon oxide layer; forming a side gap layer comprising primarily silicon nitride in the channel; forming a seed layer above the side gap layer; plating a pole on the seed layer; and removing the silicon oxide layer by wet etching. Additional systems and methods are also presented. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120107646 | PLANARIZED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH PRE-PATTERNED SURFACE FEATURES AND SECURE ADHESION OF PLANARIZING FILL MATERIAL AND METHOD FOR PLANARIZING THE DISK - A magnetic recording disk has surface features of elevated lands and recessed grooves, and a planarized upper surface. A chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) stop layer is deposited over the lands and into the recesses. An adhesion film, like silicon, is deposited over the CMP stop layer, and fill material containing a silicon oxide (SiO | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107645 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SHORT FLARE DEFINITION BY ADDITIVE PROCESS FOR PERPENDICULAR HEAD - A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording. The method includes forming a write pole, and then depositing a refill layer. A mask structure can be formed over the writ pole and refill layer, the mask structure being configured to define a stitched pole. An ion milling or reactive ion milling can then be performed to remove portions of the refill layer that are not protected by the mask structure. Then a magnetic material can be deposited to form a stitched write pole that defines a secondary flare point. The stitched pole can also be self aligned with an electrical lapping guide in order to accurately locate the front edge of the secondary flare point relative to the air bearing surface of the write head. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105999 | INTEGRATED TOUCH-DOWN PAD AND TOUCH-DOWN SENSOR - In one general embodiment, a magnetic head includes a touch-down pad, comprising at least one shielding element positioned between a leading edge of a main magnetic pole and a trailing edge of a lower return pole; an embedded contact sensor (ECS) in an electrically isolating layer, the ECS positioned near an ABS side of the magnetic head and between the leading edge of the main magnetic pole and the trailing edge of the lower return pole; and a first thermal fly-height control (TFC) element positioned away from the ABS side of the magnetic head. Additional systems and methods are also presented. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105996 | THERMALLY ASSISTED MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD EMPLOYING A NEAR FIELD TRANSDUCER (NFT) HAVING A DIFFUSION BARRIER LAYER BETWEEN THE NEAR FIELD TRANSDUCER AND A MAGNETIC LIP - A thermally assisted magnetic write head having a near-field transducer, a magnetic lip and a diffusion barrier layer between the near-field tranducer and the magnetic lip. The near-field transducer includes a transparent aperture constructed of a material such as SiO | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120099216 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORAGE ARCHITECTURE FOR BIT PATTERNED MEDIA USING BOTH ERASE BAND AND SHINGLED MAGNETIC RECORDING - Storage architecture for bit patterned media uses both erase band and shingled magnetic recording. A hard disk drive may comprise a disk having bit patterned media with a plurality of data tracks arrayed in architecture pages having at least one of erase band mode (EBM), shingled mode (SM) and unallocated space. An actuator has a head for writing data to the data tracks of the bit patterned media. A control system monitors, reallocates and reconfigures the architecture pages from EBM, SM or unallocated space to a different one of EBM, SM or unallocated space to enhance performance of the hard disk drive. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120092790 | PATTERNED PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE AND MEDIUM WITH PATTERNED EXCHANGE BRIDGE LAYER BELOW THE DATA ISLANDS - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording disk with discrete data islands of recording layer (RL) material includes a substrate, a patterned exchange bridge layer of magnetic material between the substrate and the islands, and an optional exchange-coupling control layer (CCL) between the exchange bridge layer and the islands. The exchange bridge layer has patterned pedestals below the islands. The exchange bridge layer controls exchange interactions between the RLs in adjacent islands to compensate the dipolar fields between islands, and the pedestals concentrate the flux from the write head. The disk may include a soft underlayer (SUL) of soft magnetically permeable material on the substrate and a nonmagnetic exchange break layer (EBL) on the SUL between the SUL and the exchange bridge layer. In a thermally-assisted recording (TAR) disk a heat sink layer may be located below the exchange bridge layer and the SUL may be optional. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092789 | THERMAL FLY HEIGHT CONTROL MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD HAVING A NOVEL HEATING ELEMENT GEOMETRY - A heating element for use in a thermal fly height control magnetic recording head of a magnetic data recording system. The heating element has a centrally disposed portion with a straight front edge that is recessed by a substantially constant distance, and has first and second side portions that taper away from the air bearing surface. The side portions preferably taper away from the air bearing surface by an angle of 20 to 45 degrees. The center portion of the front edge is spaced from the air bearing surface by a distance D and has a width W, such that W is 1.5 to 2.5 (or about 2) times D. D is typically 2-6 um to have good heater efficiency while being large enough to not over heat the heater. The heating element has an overall width WW and a overall depth HH from the air bearing surface such that WW is 1.5-2.5 (or about 2) times HH. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091096 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PATTERN CLEAN-UP DURING FABRICATION OF PATTERNED MEDIA USING FORCED ASSEMBLY OF MOLECULES - A pattern clean-up for fabrication of patterned media using a forced assembly of molecules is disclosed. E-beam lithography is initially used to write the initial patterned bit media structures, which have size and positioning errors. Nano-sized protein molecules are then forced to assemble of on top of the bits. The protein molecules have a very uniform size distribution and assemble into a lattice structure above the e-beam patterned areas. The protein molecules reduce the size and position errors in e-beam patterned structures. This process cleans the signal from the e-beam lithography and lowers the noise in the magnetic reading and writing. This process may be used to fabricate patterned bit media directly on hard disk, or to create a nano-imprint master for mass production of patterned bit media disks. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120087034 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM AND MAGNETIC STORAGE APPARATUS USING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a soft magnetic underlayer formed above a substrate, a lower seed layer formed above the soft magnetic underlayer, at least one upper seed layer formed above the lower seed layer, an interlayer formed above the at least one upper seed layer, a perpendicular recording layer formed above the interlayer, and a protective layer formed above the perpendicular recording layer, wherein the at least one upper seed layer comprises Ni or a Ni based alloy including N, and wherein the lower seed layer includes Ni and at least one element selected from a group consisting of: W and Cr. Other embodiments are described herein regarding perpendicular magnetic recording systems and methods of producing perpendicular magnetic media. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120082015 | THERMALLY-ASSISTED RECORDING (TAR) PATTERNED-MEDIA DISK DRIVE WITH OPTICAL DETECTION OF WRITE SYNCHRONIZATION AND SERVO FIELDS - A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) bit-patterned-media (BPM) magnetic recording disk drive uses optical detection of synchronization fields for write synchronization and optical detection of servo sectors for read/write head positioning. The synchronization fields and servo sectors extend generally radially across the data tracks and are patterned into discrete nondata blocks separated by gaps in the along-the-track direction. A near-field transducer (NFT) directs laser radiation to the disk and generates a power absorption profile on the disk that has a characteristic along-the-track spot size less than the along-the-track length of the gaps between the nondata blocks in the synchronization fields and servo sectors. A sensor provides an output signal in response to radiation from the nondata blocks and gaps in the synchronization fields and servo sectors as the disk rotates to control the timing of the magnetic write field applied to the data islands and to control the positioning of the read/write head on the data tracks. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120075747 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPE-ENGINEERED ISLANDS OF EXCHANGE SPRING OR EXCHANGE COUPLED COMPOSITE, BIT PATTERNED MEDIA - A hard disk drive has a magnetic media disk comprising a substrate having an axis, and an exchange coupled, bit patterned media on the substrate arranged in a plurality of tracks. Each of the tracks has a pattern of islands extending in an axial direction from the disk. Each island comprises a first layer having a first anisotropy and a first layer radial width, and a second layer on the first layer and having a second anisotropy that is lower than the first anisotropy. The second layer radial width is less than the first layer radial width. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120070784 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A C-APERTURE OR E-ANTENNA PLASMONIC NEAR FIELD SOURCE FOR THERMAL ASSISTED RECORDING APPLICATIONS - A method of fabricating a c-aperture or E-antenna plasmonic near field source for thermal assisted recording applications in hard disk drives is disclosed. A c-aperture or E-antenna is built for recording head applications. The technique employs e-beam lithography, partial reactive ion etching and metal refill to build the c-apertures. This process strategy has the advantage over other techniques in the self-alignment of the c-aperture notch to the c-aperture internal diameter, the small number of process steps required, and the precise and consistent shape of the c-aperture notch itself. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069471 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-PLANE (CPP) READ SENSOR WITH FERROMAGNETIC BUFFER, SHIELDING AND SEED LAYERS - A current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) or giant magnetoresistance (GMR) read sensor with ferromagnetic buffer, shielding and seed layers is proposed for high-resolution magnetic recording. The ferromagnetic buffer layer is preferably formed of an amorphous Co—X (where X is Hf, Y, Zr, etc.) film. It provides the CPP read sensor with microstructural discontinuity from a ferromagnetic lower shield, thus facilitating the CPP read sensor to grow freely with preferred crystalline textures, and with ferromagnetic continuity to the ferromagnetic lower shield, thus acting as a portion of the ferromagnetic lower shield. The ferromagnetic shielding layer is preferably formed of a polycrystalline Ni—Fe film. It exhibits magnetic properties exactly identical to those of the ferromagnetic lower shield, thus acting identically as the ferromagnetic lower shield, and a uniform columnar grain morphology, thus initiating a uniform large grain morphology in the CPP read sensor. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120063035 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR WITH REFERENCE LAYER INTEGRATED IN MAGNETIC SHIELD - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive (CPP MR) sensor has a shield layers that also functions as the sensor's reference layer. In a CPP MR disk drive read head, the shield layer has a fixed magnetization oriented substantially parallel to the air-bearing surface (ABS) of the slider that supports the read head. The quiescent magnetization of the sensor free layer is oriented at an angle relative to the magnetization of the shield layer, preferably between 120 and 150 degrees, to optimize the sensor response to magnetic fields from the recorded data bits on the disk. The magnetization of the free layer is biased by a biasing structure that includes a ferromagnetic side biasing layer formed near the side edges of the free layer and a ferromagnetic back biasing layer that is recessed from the ABS and has a magnetization oriented generally orthogonal to the ABS. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063034 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR WITH IMPROVED INSULATING STRUCTURE - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor, like a CPP MR disk drive read head, has an improved insulating structure surrounding the stack of layers making up the sensor. The sensor has a first silicon nitride layer with a thickness between about 1 and 5 nm on the side edges of the sensor and on regions of the bottom shield layer adjacent the sensor below the sensor's ferromagnetic biasing layer. The sensor has a second silicon nitride layer with a thickness between about 2 and 5 nm on the back edge of the sensor and on the region of the bottom shield layer adjacent the sensor back edge, and a substantially thicker metal oxide layer on the second silicon nitride layer. The insulating structure prevents edge damage at the perimeter of the sensor and thus allows for the fabrication of CPP MR read heads with substantially smaller dimensions. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063033 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR WITH GRAPHENE SENSE LAYER AND FERROMAGNETIC BIASING LAYER BELOW THE SENSE LAYER - A graphene magnetic field sensor has a ferromagnetic biasing layer located beneath and in close proximity to the graphene sense layer. The sensor includes a suitable substrate, the ferromagnetic biasing layer, the graphene sense layer, and an electrically insulating underlayer between the ferromagnetic biasing layer and the graphene sense layer. The underlayer may be a hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) layer, and the sensor may include a seed layer to facilitate the growth of the h-BN underlayer. The ferromagnetic biasing layer has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with its magnetic moment oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layer. The graphene magnetic field sensor based on the extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) effect may function as the magnetoresistive read head in a magnetic recording disk drive. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120044595 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM (PMRM) AND MAGNETIC STORAGE SYSTEMS USING THE SAME - In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium (PMRM) includes a first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, a second interlayer above the first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, and a third interlayer formed between the first interlayer and the second interlayer that reduces an average cluster size of the second interlayer. In another embodiment, a PMRM includes a first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, a second interlayer above the first interlayer comprising Ru or a Ru alloy, and a third interlayer formed between the first interlayer and the second interlayer that reduces an average cluster size of the second interlayer. The third interlayer has a thickness of between about 1.0 nm and about 3.0 nm and has a structure selected from a group consisting of: BCC, B2, C11b, L21, and D03. Other PMRMs and methods of fabrication are presented as well. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120016499 | IMPLEMENTING SEQUENTIAL SEGMENTED INTERLEAVING ALGORITHM FOR ENHANCED PROCESS CONTROL - A method and apparatus are provided for implementing Advanced Process Control (APC) for enhanced electrical, magnetic, or physical properties process output control using a sequential segmented interleaving algorithm. The sequential segmented interleaving algorithm includes two tuning equations running in parallel. A deposition time is calculated after a production run based upon the relationship between the electrical, magnetic, or physical properties process output and deposition time process input. A deposition rate offset value is calculated after a calibration run based upon the relationship between a calibration deposition thickness process output and an updated deposition time process input calculated after a last production run. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014013 | DISK DRIVE WITH VARIABLE INCREMENTED COUNTING OF WRITES TO THE DATA TRACKS FOR MINIMIZING THE EFFECT OF FAR TRACK ERASURE - A hard disk drive (HDD) minimizes the effects of far track erasure (FTE) by counting the number of writes to the data tracks and incrementing counters based on the known effect of FTE on each track. The extent of the FTE effect is determined for each track within a range of tracks of the track being written, and based on the relative FTE effect for all the tracks in the range a count increment (CI) is determined for each track within the range. A counter is maintained for each track. For every writing to a track, a count for each track within a range of the track being written is increased by the CI value associated with the track number within the range. When the count value for a track reaches a predetermined threshold the data is read from that track and rewritten, preferably to the same track. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120012554 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF FABRICATING MEDIA - A method of fabricating media comprises forming recording media on a substrate. An overcoat is deposited on the recording media opposite the substrate. The overcoat has a first surface finish. The overcoat is etched to remove material and provide the overcoat with a second surface finish that is smoother than the first surface finish. The depositing and etching may occur sequentially in an in-situ, dry vacuum process. The second surface finish may not be mechanically processed after etching to further planarize the overcoat. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120008233 | Extended Cavity VCSEL Mounted to Substrate with Electrical and Thermal Contact to Substrate and Optical Power Directed Toward Substrate - A system according to one embodiment includes a slider adapted for use in a hard disk drive; and a laser coupled to a slider, wherein electrical contacts of the laser are positioned towards or face the slider, wherein light from the laser is emitted towards the slider, wherein the slider acts as a heat sink for the laser. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20110310471 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRAVIOLET CURING OF ADHESIVES WITH LIGHT BEAM SHAPING IN DISK DRIVE MANUFACTURING - UV curing of adhesives with light beam shaping utilizes a spot curing process that focuses a limited amount of UV light onto a target area, such as glue dots. A focusing lens may be used to direct the UV light beam to the target area. The target areas have different geometrical shapes, and the UV light is advantageously concentrated in a more efficient manner. Beam-shaping optics or lenses are used to facilitate re-shaping and re-defining the UV-light beam. The UV beam may be defined and limited to a rectangular spot to improve the spot process quality and efficiency. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110307645 | IMPLEMENTING ENHANCED HOST TO PHYSICAL STORAGE MAPPING USING NUMERICAL COMPOSITIONS FOR PERSISTENT MEDIA - A method and a storage system are provided for implementing host to physical mapping for persistent media including flash memory. Numerical compositions at multiple granularities are used to store the host to physical mappings. A plurality of groupings, each grouping including a fixed number of blocks is encoded using recursive composition, eliminating the need to store separate lengths. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110287698 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELASTOMER PAD FOR FABRICATING MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS - A pad for polishing media disks has an elastomeric body with a Shore A hardness of not greater than 20, and a coating of polystyrene (PS) and a flexible polymer. The elastomeric pad may comprise styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, or a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer. The pad may be viscoleastic with a particulate composite coating. The pad may be a styrenic block copolymer and the coating is a different type of styrenic block copolymer containing solid particles. The coating may have a binder with a mixture of PS and flexible styrenic block copolymers, and filler particles comprising cross-linked PS/divinylbenzene polymer microspheres. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286125 | PATTERNED-MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH DATA ISLAND MISPLACEMENT INFORMATION IN THE SERVO SECTORS - A disk drive with patterned-media disks has information recorded in the servo sectors that identifies misplacement of the data islands in the data regions between the servo sectors. This misplacement information is read from the servo sectors prior to writing to correct either or both the radial position of the write head and the timing of the write pulses to the data islands. The misplacement information may include radial deviation of the data tracks, circumferential or along-the-track misplacement of the data islands, or the location of defective data islands. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110281780 | LUBRICANT SUITABLE FOR USE WITH MAGNETIC DISK - A lubricant according to one embodiment includes a first ingredient and a second ingredient, said first ingredient as the main constituent being a first perfluoropolyether compound represented by the formula (1) which has a weight-average molecular weight of 500 to 6000 and a dispersity smaller than 1.3, and said second ingredient being a second perfluoropolyether compound which has a weight-average molecular weight of 500 to 6000 and has 6 to 10 hydroxyl groups (on average) in one molecule, | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110268993 | SILICON/GOLD SEED STRUCTURE FOR CRYSTALLINE ALIGNMENT IN A FILM STACK - A silicon/gold (Si/Au) bilayer seed structure is located in a film stack between an amorphous or crystalline lower layer and an upper layer with a well-defined crystalline structure. The seed structure includes a Si layer on the generally flat surface of the lower layer and a Au layer on the Si layer. The Si/Au interface initiates the growth of the Au layer with a face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystalline structure with the (111) plane oriented in-plane. The upper layer grown on the Au layer has a fcc or hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) crystalline structure. If the upper layer is a fcc material its [111] direction is oriented substantially perpendicular to the (111) plane of the Au layer and if the upper layer is a hcp material, its c-axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to the (111) plane of the Au layer. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110256424 | PERFLUOROPOLYETHER LUBRICANT AND SYSTEMS COMPRISING SAME - A surface agent includes two end portions and a middle portion disposed between the end portions. The end portions include a terminal section and a midsection. The terminal section includes at least one surface active functional group. The midsection includes at least one perfluoroethyl ether unit. The middle portion includes at least one perfluorobutyl ether unit. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110249365 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH IMPROVED LAMINATED MAIN POLE - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has an improved antiferromagnetically-coupled laminated main pole (MP) formed on a substrate. The MP has two ferromagnetic multilayers, each comprising at least one FeCo/NiFe/FeCo ferromagnetic trilayer, antiferromagnetically coupled across an antiferromagnetically coupling (AFC) film consisting essentially of ruthenium (Ru). The MP has a NiFe layer directly above the AFC film, on the side of the AFC film opposite the side facing the substrate, and in contact with the Ru AFC film and the lower FeCo layer of the upper multilayer. There is no NiFe layer directly below the Ru AFC film so the side of the AFC film facing the substrate is in direct contact with the upper FeCo layer of the lower multilayer. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110212347 | PATTERNED-MEDIA PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH SERVO REGIONS HAVING MAGNETIZED SERVO PILLARS AND OPPOSITELY-MAGNETIZED SERVO TRENCHES - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording disk has a pre-patterned disk substrate with pillars and trenches arranged in data regions and servo regions. In the data regions, the height of the data pillars is equal to or greater than the spacing between the data pillars, while in the servo regions the height of the servo pillars is less than the spacing between the servo pillars. A magnetic recording material with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is deposited over the entire disk substrate, which results in magnetic material on the tops of the data pillars and servo pillars and in the servo trenches. The material in the data trenches is either nonmagnetic or discontinuous. After the application of a high DC magnetic field in one perpendicular direction and a low DC magnetic field in the opposite direction, the resulting disk has patterned servo sectors with servo pillars all magnetized in the same perpendicular direction and servo trenches magnetized in the opposite perpendicular direction. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110199867 | ALL-OPTICAL MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM USING CIRCULARLY POLARIZED LIGHT AND BIT-PATTERNED MEDIA - A perpendicular magnetic recording system uses bit-patterned media (BPM) and circularly polarized light to switch the magnetization of the discrete magnetic bits by the inverse Faraday effect. Circularly polarized light generates an external rotating electric field in a plane orthogonal to the light propagation direction, which induces a magnetic field parallel to the light propagation direction in a magnetic material exposed to the electric field. The BPM is a generally planar substrate with discrete spaced-apart metal or metal alloy magnetic islands that are magnetizable in a perpendicular direction and are separated by nonmagnetic spaces of non-metallic material on the substrate. A near-field metal transducer is patterned into at least three tips, with the tips surrounding and defining a transducer active region. The circularly polarized light is incident on the tips, which produce a strong in-plane rotating electric field. A magnetic island exposed to the rotating electric field will experience an induced perpendicular magnetic field that switches the magnetization of the magnetic island. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110154060 | IMPLEMENTING SECURE ERASE FOR SOLID STATE DRIVES - A method and apparatus are provided for implementing secure erase for solid state drives (SSDs). An encryption key is used to encrypt data being written to SSD. A controller identifies a key storage option, and responsive to the identified key storage option, stores a key for data encryption and decryption. The controller deletes the key within the SSD responsive to the identified key storage option, ensuring that once the key is deleted, the key is not recoverable and data is effectively erased. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110153959 | IMPLEMENTING DATA STORAGE AND DUAL PORT, DUAL-ELEMENT STORAGE DEVICE - A method for implementing data storage and a dual port, dual element storage device are provided. A storage device includes a predefined form factor including a first port and a second port, and a first storage element and a second storage element. A controller coupled between the first port and second port, and the first storage element and second storage element controls access and provides two separate data paths to the first storage element and second storage element. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110151360 | PHOTOLITHOGRAPHIC METHOD AND MASK DEVICES UTILIZED FOR MULTIPLE EXPOSURES IN THE FIELD OF A FEATURE - A photolithographic mask set for creating a plurality of characters on a device includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one mask character area and at least one mask character field area that surrounds said mask character area; wherein each said mask character field area has a radiation energy density transmission factor T | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110151144 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM, MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE SAME, AND MAGNETIC RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - Embodiments of the invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium improved for fly ability, high in read signal quality, and capable of suppressing magnetic decay of recorded magnetization to be caused by stray fields. In one embodiment, a perpendicular recording layer is formed over a substrate with a soft magnetic underlayer therebetween, then an amorphous or nano-crystalline layer is formed between the substrate and the soft magnetic underlayer. The soft magnetic underlayer includes first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers, as well as a nonmagnetic layer formed between those first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers. The first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers are given uniaxial anisotropy in the radial direction of the substrate respectively and coupled with each other antiferromagnetically. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110149441 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH WRITE DRIVER TO WRITE HEAD TRANSMISSION LINE HAVING NON-UNIFORM SECTIONS FOR OPTIMAL WRITE CURRENT PULSE OVERSHOOT - An interconnect between the write driver and the write head in a magnetic recording disk drive enables an inherent write current overshoot. The interconnect includes an integrated lead suspension (ILS) and a short flex cable that connects the write driver circuitry to the ILS. The interconnect is a two-segment transmission line, with the first segment connected to the write driver having multiple sub-segments or sections with non-uniform impedance levels. The section of the first segment that connects to the write driver is the short flex cable and has an impedance substantially higher than the source impedance Z | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110149429 | FLOATING HEAD DEVICE FOR FLOATING A HEAD ON A MAGNETIC DISK AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING A MAGNETIC DISK - In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetic disk includes rotating a magnetic disk, supporting a floating head on the rotating magnetic disk, the floating head having a slider body and an element unit formed on a trailing edge of the slider body, contacting a floating surface of the slider body with the magnetic disk, and protruding a portion of the floating head toward the magnetic disk due to application of power to a heater element within the element unit, wherein the element unit is positioned away from the magnetic disk. In another embodiment, a floating head includes a slider body comprising AlTiC, an element unit positioned on a trailing edge of the slider body, the element unit having an initial recess amount of at least about 4 nm, and a heater element positioned within an alumina protective film of the element unit. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110143169 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH ORDERED NUCLEATION LAYER AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE DISK - A continuous-media perpendicular magnetic recording disk with an oxide-containing granular Co alloy recording layer (RL) having minimal grain size dispersion has an ordered nucleation layer (ONL) formed below RL. The ONL has ordered nucleation sites arranged in a generally repetitive pattern. The nucleation sites are generally surrounded by non-nucleation regions of a different material than the nucleation sites. The Co-alloy grains of the subsequently deposited RL grow on the nucleation sites and the oxide of the RL become generally segregated on the non-nucleation regions. The ordered nucleation sites may be formed of a Ru-containing material and the non-nucleation regions may be formed of an oxide. The ONL is formed by nanoimprint lithography, preferably by a master mold fabricated with a method using self-assembling block copolymers for creating periodic nanometer scale features. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110141626 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH INTEGRATED LEAD SUSPENSION HAVING MULTIPLE SEGMENTS FOR OPTIMAL CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE - An integrated lead suspension (ILS) in a magnetic recording disk drive has the transmission line portion of the ILS between the flex cable and the gimbal formed of multiple interconnected segments, each with its own characteristic impedance. At the interface between any two segments there is a change in the widths of the electrically conductive traces of the transmission line. The change in impedance of a fixed-length segment is a function of the change in its trace width. The number of segments and their characteristic impedance values are selected to produce the largest frequency bandwidth with a substantially flat group delay from the write driver to the write head. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110141616 | MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND MAGNETIC DISK STORAGE DEVICE - In one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole adapted for generating a magnetic field for recording information on a magnetic disk, a magnetic shield member adapted for suppressing spreading of a magnetic field output from the main magnetic pole through a non-magnetic insulation member, a side top gap, a side bottom gap, and a trailing gap. The side top gap is less than two times the trailing gap, the side bottom gap is larger than the side top gap, and the magnetic shield member is positioned on a sliding surface of the magnetic recording head and includes a trailing portion positioned adjacent the trailing gap in the trailing direction and at least one side portion positioned adjacent the side bottom gap in the cross-track direction. Other heads and systems are also presented according to various embodiments. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110141606 | TUNNELING JUNCTION MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - According to one embodiment, a TMR effect element includes a ground layer, an antiferromagnetic layer above the ground layer, a first ferromagnetic layer above the antiferromagnetic layer and exchange-coupled to the antiferromagnetic layer, an anti-parallel coupling layer above the first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer having a magnetic moment coupled anti-parallel to the magnetic moment of the first ferromagnetic layer via the anti-parallel coupling layer, an insulation barrier layer above the second ferromagnetic layer, and a third ferromagnetic layer above the insulation barrier layer. At least a portion of the second ferromagnetic layer and at least a portion of the third ferromagnetic layer on an insulation barrier layer side are comprised of a crystal, and the insulation barrier layer comprises MgO and an oxide material having an independent cubic crystal structure and complete solid solubility with MgO. Other elements, heads, and formation methods are described according to various embodiments. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110134565 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH TRACK IDENTIFICATION USING PHASE-TYPE SERVO PATTERNS - A magnetic recording disk drive has a disk with a head positioning servo pattern of multiple circumferentially-spaced chevron patterns of discrete patterned servo islands. The disk drive has servo electronics that decodes the chevron patterns to determine the absolute radial position of the head without the need for separate track identification fields. The chevron pattern with the smallest radial period has a radial period P | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110134564 | MAGNETIC HEADS HAVING A GRADED DOMAIN CONTROL FILM AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF - A magnetic head, according to one embodiment, includes a sensor film, a sensor cap film provided above the sensor film, a pair of shields including an upper magnetic shield and a lower magnetic shield which serve as electrodes that pass current in a film thickness direction of the sensor film, a track insulating film contacting both sides of the sensor film in the track width direction, a graded domain control film arranged on both sides in the track width direction of the sensor film adjacent the track insulating film, and an element height direction insulating film positioned on an opposite side of the sensor film relative to an air-bearing surface, wherein an edge position of the element height direction insulating film adjacent the sensor film on the air-bearing surface side is substantially the same as an edge position of the sensor cap film in the element height direction. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110134561 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD AND SYSTEM WITH IMPROVED SPIN TORQUE OSCILLATOR FOR MICROWAVE-ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING - A microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head and system has a spin-torque oscillator (STO) located between the write pole of the write head and a trailing shield that alters the write field from the write pole. The STO is a stack of layers whose planes lie generally parallel to the X-Y plane of an X-Y-Z coordinate system, the stack including a ferromagnetic polarizer layer, a free ferromagnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer between the polarizer layer and the free layer. In the presence of the write field from the write pole the polarizer layer has its magnetization oriented at an angle between 20 and 80 degrees, preferably between 30 and 70 degrees, with the Z-axis. In the presence of a direct electrical current through the STO stack, the free layer magnetization rotates or precesses about the Z-axis with a non-zero angle to the Z-axis. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110134559 | METHODS FOR PRODUCING AND/OR TESTING MAGNETIC HEADS USING CLASSIFICATIONS - In one embodiment, a manufacturing method for magnetic heads includes classifying magnetic heads into one of a first tested head class, and a non-test-candidate head class, determining characteristic values of the magnetic heads classified in the first tested head class, estimating characteristic values of the magnetic heads classified in the non-test-candidate head class, wherein the estimating is based on the characteristic values of the magnetic heads classified in the first tested head class, classifying each of the magnetic heads classified in the non-test-candidate head class into one of: a second tested head class, and a non-test head class based on the estimated characteristic values, determining characteristic values of the magnetic heads classified in the second tested head class, and screening magnetic heads in the second tested head class based on the determined characteristic values of the magnetic heads classified in the second tested head class. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110128649 | MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING NON-MAGNETIC SEPARATING REGIONS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a patterned magnetic recording layer above a substrate, the patterned magnetic recording layer including recording regions and separating regions for separating the recording regions and a non-magnetic alloy layer positioned in the separating regions, wherein the non-magnetic alloy layer includes Ti. In another embodiment, a method for producing a magnetic recording medium includes forming separating regions in a magnetic recording layer by removing portions of the magnetic layer, wherein the separating regions separate recording regions in the magnetic layer, and depositing a non-magnetic alloy layer in the separating regions. Other media and methods are described according to more embodiments. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110122525 | MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM USING LAYERS HAVING HIGHER- AND LOWER-HK ANISOTROPIC MAGNETIC FIELDS - According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer formed above a substrate, comprising: a first magnetic layer formed from a [Co/Pt] | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110119498 | IMPLEMENTING DATA CONFIDENTIALITY AND INTEGRITY OF SHINGLED WRITTEN DATA - A method, apparatus and a data storage device are provided for implementing data confidentiality and integrity of data stored in overlapping, shingled data tracks on a recordable surface of a storage device. A unique write counter is stored for each zone written to the recordable surface of the storage device. An encryption key is used together with the write counter information and a logical block address to encrypt each sector being written, and to decrypt all sectors being read. An individual sector is decrypted, obtaining the write counter information and reading the data sector. A message authentication code is stored for each zone. All sectors of the zone are read to perform integrity check on a sector. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110116184 | MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING A MULTILAYER MAGNETIC FILM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a method for producing a magnetic head includes depositing a first film above a substrate, etching a pattern into the first film, depositing a second film on the etched portion of the first film, and depositing a third film above the first and second film to form a multilayer magnetic film, wherein the second film is embedded between the first and third film in a portion of the first film that is removed. In another embodiment, a differential magnetic read head includes a magnetic multilayer film comprising a stack of a first magnetic sensor film and a second magnetic sensor film which are not magnetically connected and a hard magnetic film provided on both sides in a track width direction of the magnetic multilayer film for controlling a magnetic domain of the magnetic multilayer film. The hard magnetic film is a laminated structure as described above. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110109993 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH ENHANCEMENT CAPACITOR ON SLIDER BODY FOR WRITE CURRENT OVERSHOOT AT WRITE CURRENT SWITCHING - Write enhancement circuitry on the head carrier of a magnetic recording disk drive provides additional write current overshoot beyond that provided by the write driver circuitry. An enhancement capacitor is formed with a dielectric layer between two layers of electrically-conductive magnetically-permeable shield material that serve as the capacitor plates. The write enhancement circuitry may also include an enhancement resistor. The enhancement capacitor and resistor are connected between the two terminals on the head carrier that connect to the write head coil. The capacitor and resistor are fabricated on the head carrier at the same time and in the same process as the read head. The first and second capacitor plates are generally coplanar with and formed of the same electrically-conductive magnetically-permeable material that forms the first and second magnetic shields for the read head. The enhancement resistor is a stack of layers that is coplanar with and formed of the same materials as the stack of layers that form the sensor portion of the read head between the two magnetic shields. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110102940 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLANARIZING SURFACES WITH FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMERS - The surfaces of hard disk drive magnetic media disks are planarized with surface-grafted polymer chains that form a monolayer-thick film of uniform, self-limiting thickness. The thickness is controlled by the molecular weight of the polymer selected. The polymer film may be swollen by a solvent vapor to fill variable width gaps in the topography. The polymer may be cross-linked in place by radiation or thermal processing. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110102936 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main pole, wherein a thickness in a down-track direction of the main pole increases moving away from an air bearing surface of the magnetic pole, and wherein a center position in a thickness direction of a portion of the main pole which is exposed at the air bearing surface (the ABS portion) is positioned toward a trailing side of the main pole with respect to a center position in a thickness direction of a portion of the magnetic pole having a greatest cross-sectional area and which is set back from the air bearing surface (the set-back portion). Further embodiments of this magnetic recording head, along with systems thereof and methods of producing magnetic recording heads are also described, according to more embodiments. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110096436 | PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH PATTERNED SERVO SECTORS AND METHOD USING BLOCK COPOLYMERS FOR MAKING A MASTER MOLD FOR NANOIMPRINTING THE DISK - A patterned-media perpendicular magnetic recording disk has patterned servo regions and is nanoimprinted from a master mold made using directed self-assembly of block copolymers. The disk has patterned concentric circular data tracks of discrete data islands, with the tracks having a track pitch in the radial or cross-track direction. The disk also has patterned servo sectors extending generally radially across the patterned data tracks. The servo pattern is a chevron pattern of slanted or non-radial stripes that have a stripe pitch in the cross-stripe direction substantially equal to the track pitch. As a result of the method of making the master mold, the nanoimprinted disk has a chevron servo pattern with non-radial stripes that are magnetized segments of radial lines separated by nonmagnetic spaces. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110096434 | SYSTEMS HAVING WRITER WITH DEEPER WRAP AROUND SHIELD AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME - A method according to one embodiment includes etching an underlayer positioned under a main pole for reducing a thickness thereof and creating an undercut under the main pole; adding a gap material along sides of the main pole and in the undercut; and forming a shield along at least a portion of the gap material. A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a main pole; an underlayer positioned under the main pole and spaced therefrom, thereby defining an undercut therebetween; a first layer of gap material extending along sides of the main pole and in the undercut; a second layer of gap material extending continuously along the underlayer under the main pole; and a shield encircling the main pole, wherein the shield extends between the first and second layers of gap material in the undercut. Additional systems and methods are also presented. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110086440 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN EXTRAORDINARY MAGNETORESISTIVE (EMR) DEVICE WITH NOVEL LEAD STRUCTURE - A method for manufacturing an extraordinary magnetoresistive sensor (EMR sensor) having reduced size and increased resolution is described. The sensor includes a plurality of electrically conductive leads contacting a magnetically active layer and also includes an electrically conductive shunt structure. The electrically conductive leads of the sensor and the shunt structure can be formed in a common photolithographic masking and etching process so that they are self aligned with one another. This avoids the need to align multiple photolithographic processing steps, thereby allowing greatly increased resolution and reduced lead spacing. The EMR sensor can be formed with a magnetically active layer that can be close to or at the air bearing surface (ABS) for improved magnetic spacing with an adjacent magnetic medium of a data recording system. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110085264 | PATTERNED PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM WITH DATA ISLANDS HAVING A FLUX CHANNELING LAYER BELOW THE RECORDING LAYER - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium, such as a disk for use in hard disk drives, has a flux channeling layer (FCL) located below the recording layer (RL) in each of the discrete data islands. The disk includes a substrate, a soft underlayer (SUL) of soft magnetically permeable material on the substrate, and a nonmagnetic exchange break layer (EBL) on the SUL. A nonmagnetic separation layer (SL) is located between the FCL and the RL in the islands. The FCL has an anisotropy field substantially lower than the anisotropy field of the RL, and a magnetization equal to or higher than the magnetization of the RL. The FCL is saturated at a much lower field than the RL and thus channels the magnetic flux from the write head through the island positions. The dipolar fields from the RL above the FCL polarize the magnetization of the FCL parallel to the magnetization direction of the RL in the absence of an external field, to thereby enhance the readback signal. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110085261 | MAGNETORESISTIVE MAGNETIC HEAD HAVING A NON-MAGNETIC PART ON A MEDIUM FACING SURFACE SIDE OF THE SENSOR - According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes an upper magnetic shield, a lower magnetic shield,a magnetoresistive element having a magnetization-free layer formed therein formed between the shields, an upper magnetic shield restricting part formed on a medium facing surface side, a lower magnetic shield restricting part formed on the medium facing surface side, and a non-magnetic part formed between the upper and lower magnetic shield restricting parts on the medium facing surface side such that the magnetoresistive element is not exposed at the medium facing surface. The non-magnetic part is positioned such that a distance between the upper and lower magnetic shield restricting parts in a direction perpendicular to a plane of deposition is smaller than a distance between the upper and lower magnetic shields in the direction perpendicular to the plane of deposition near the medium facing surface. Other systems and heads are disclosed as well. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110075286 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING TRACK PITCH IN A HARD DISK DRIVE TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH OFF-TRACK CAPACITY AND ADJACENT TRACK ERASURE - Track pitch in a hard disk drive is selected to satisfy the requirements of both off-track capacity (OTC) and adjacent track interference (ATI). The invention separately measures the track pitch requirements for OTC and ATI. The track pitch for the drive is set with the larger of the OTC and ATI track pitches. The OTC track pitch is measured with a 747 curve, and the ATI track pitch is measured by the positions of adjacent tracks at which the on-track error rate is not worse than a given value after the targeted number of adjacent track writes in the ATI requirement. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110074062 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA - A system, method and apparatus for manufacturing high density magnetic media is disclosed. A flexible mold having a very low modulus of less than about | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110069413 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE READ HEAD WITH MULTIPLE SENSING ELEMENTS FOR PATTERNED-MEDIA - A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor or read head for a magnetic recording disk drive has multiple independent current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) MR sensing elements. The sensing elements are spaced-apart in the cross-track direction and separated by an insulating separation region so as to be capable of reading data from multiple data tracks on the disk. The sensing elements have independent CPP sense currents, each of which is directed to independent data detection electronics, respectively. Each sensing element comprises a stack of layers formed on a common electrically conducting base layer, which may be a bottom magnetic shield layer formed of electrically conducting magnetically permeable material. Each sensing element has a top electrical lead layer. A top magnetic shield layer is located above the sensing elements in contact with the top lead layers. The top shield layer is formed of soft magnetically permeable material, but is electrically insulating, so that the independent sense currents can be passed to the independent sensing elements. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110051288 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM AND WRITE HEAD WITH TRANSVERSE AUXILIARY POLE FOR FAST SWITCHING OF WRITE POLE MAGNETIZATION - A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head having a main coil (the write coil) and main pole (the write pole) that directs write flux in a direction perpendicular to the recording layer in the magnetic recording medium, and a transverse auxiliary pole (TAP) that injects auxiliary magnetic flux into the write pole at an angle to the primary or perpendicular axis of the write pole. The additional flux from the TAP, which is injected non-parallel to the primary magnetization of the write pole, exerts a torque on the magnetization of the write pole, thereby facilitating magnetization reversal of the write pole. The TAP is coupled to the main coil but not electrically connected to it. A separate passive coil, not electrically connected to the main coil, may be wrapped as a loop around the main pole and the TAP. Alternatively, the TAP may be located near one of the electrically conductive turns of the main coil. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110038081 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM WITH SPIN TORQUE OSCILLATOR AND CONTROL CIRCUITRY FOR FAST SWITCHING OF WRITE POLE MAGNETIZATION - A perpendicular magnetic recording hard disk drive includes a write head with a write pole and an electrically conductive coil coupled to the write pole, a write driver for supplying electrical write current to the coil to generate magnetic flux in the write pole, a spin torque oscillator (STO) that injects auxiliary magnetic flux to the write pole to facilitate magnetization switching of the write pole, and STO control circuitry. Direct electrical current to the STO induces rotation of the magnetization of a free ferromagnetic layer in the STO, which generates the auxiliary magnetic flux. The STO control circuitry may be coupled to the STO via the electrical lines that connect the write driver to the write head, the lines that connect the read amplifier to the read head, or, if the disk drive is one with thermal fly-height control (TFC), the lines that connect the TFC circuitry with the heater. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110038079 | PERPENDICULAR RECORDING MEDIA WITH SUBLAYERS OF OXIDE DOPANT MAGNETIC MATERIALS - Perpendicular recording media with sublayers of dual oxide dopant magnetic materials are disclosed. The magnetic layer may comprise multiple sublayers of magnetic materials. In each sublayer, dual oxide dopants are incorporated. The compositions of the sublayers can be the same or different depending on the application. The magnetic layer may be deposited using a target comprising a mixture of CoPtCrB and dual oxides as dopants. The layer deposited with such targets can be the entire magnetic layer or a sublayer. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110035634 | STORAGE DEVICE WITH ADAPTIVE ERROR-CORRECTING CODE FOR IMPROVED AREAL EFFICIENCY - A method for adaptively applying an error-correcting code to a storage device is disclosed. A determination is made that a system is in an idle state of input/output requests. First data symbols are copied into a first location within a buffer. First data symbol errors corrected using a first error-correcting code. Second data symbols including corrected bits are written in a second location on the recording media with a second error-correcting code. An error number for the second data symbols in the second location is determined. If the error number is below a first threshold error number, the first data symbols are deleted. If the error number is above the first threshold error number, the second data symbols are deleted. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110032640 | MULTI-LAYER, THIN FILM OVERCOAT FOR MAGNETIC MEDIA DISK - A thin film magnetic disk overcoat for perpendicular magnetic recording media comprises three layers. The initial layer comprises a dense mixture of both SiC | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110032638 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM, MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE SAME, AND MAGNETIC RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - Embodiments of the invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium improved for fly ability, high in read signal quality, and capable of suppressing magnetic decay of recorded magnetization to be caused by stray fields. In one embodiment, a perpendicular recording layer is formed over a substrate with a soft magnetic underlayer therebetween, then an amorphous or nano-crystalline layer is formed between the substrate and the soft magnetic underlayer. The soft magnetic underlayer includes first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers, as well as a nonmagnetic layer formed between those first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers. The first and second amorphous soft magnetic layers are given uniaxial anisotropy in the radial direction of the substrate respectively and coupled with each other antiferromagnetically. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110026165 | SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR VIBRATION DAMPING OF INTEGRATED LEAD SUSPENSIONS IN HIGH DENSITY MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES - An integrated lead suspension (ILS) has a constrained layer damper (CLD) that attenuates vibration of the ILS. The CLD may be applied over an already assembled ILS such that the CLD is applied to the cover layer, to the base layer, or to both. Alternatively, the ILS may be encapsulated via a deposition process such that a damping layer is sandwiched between the conductor layer and the cover layer of the ILS, between the conductor layer and the dielectric layer of the ILS, or both. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110026161 | PARTIALLY-OXIDIZED CAP LAYER FOR HARD DISK DRIVE MAGNETIC MEDIA - A perpendicular recording magnetic media with a partially-oxidized cap layer combines a second oxide layer with a first cap layer to form the singular, partially-oxidized cap. The oxidized portion and the non-oxidized portion of the partially-oxidized layer are sputtered from a same target and have a same composition of metallic elements. The Ms of the oxidized portion is about twice as high as the non-oxidized portion. The oxidized portion has a thickness in the range of about 5 to 25 angstroms. The layer composition may comprise CoPtCrBTa, with a Cr at % of about 18-24%, Pt at about 13-20%, B at about 4-10%, and Ta at about 0-2%. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110026155 | PATTERNED-MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY SCRAMBLED PATTERNS AND DISK DRIVE OPERABLE WITH THE DISK - Patterned-media magnetic recording disks are made from a master template that has nondata regions that contain a pattern of one or more discrete nondata islands and discrete gaps, with the pattern representing a scrambled number. All disks made from the master template, or from replica molds made from the master, will have the same patterns. When the disks are DC-magnetized so that all the nondata islands are magnetized in the same direction, these patterns will include one or more of discrete magnetized nondata islands and discrete nonmagnetic gaps that are scrambled in a pseudo-random manner. During operation of the disk drive the patterns are detected by the read head and interpreted within the disk drive using knowledge of the pseudo-random scrambling function, so that reading and writing of data can occur in the conventional manner. If the disks are copied in an attempt to replicate the master template, the resulting disks will be inoperable in a disk drive because of the scrambling. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20100326819 | METHOD FOR MAKING A PATTERNED PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK - A method for making a patterned-media magnetic recording disk uses nano-imprint lithography (NIL) for patterning a resist layer over the magnetic recording layer. A hard mask layer is located above the magnetic recording layer and an etch stop layer is located above the hard mask layer and below the resist layer. Residual resist material in the recesses of the patterned resist layer is removed by reactive ion etching (RIE) to expose the underlying etch stop layer. The etch stop material in the recesses is then removed by RIE to expose regions of the hard mask layer. A reactive ion milling (RIM) process removes the exposed hard mask material. The RIM process causes no undercutting of the unexposed hard mask material, which allows the very small critical dimensions of the patterned-media disk to be reliably achieved when ion milling is subsequently performed through the hard mask that has been patterned by the RIM process. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100321813 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING METROLOGY ON PATTERNED MEDIA DISKS WITH TEST PATTERN AREAS - Techniques for performing metrology on magnetic media disk formations that are arranged in curvilinear patterns are disclosed. Small integrated test patterns having rectangular periodicity are integrated among the concentric circles of patterned media formations. The test patterns cover only very small areas of the disk so as to not significantly affect disk capacity. The periodicity of the test patterns allows their formations to be more readily measured by metrology technology than those having a curvilinear periodicity. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100309576 | PATTERNED MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH WRITE CLOCK PHASE ADJUSTMENT FOR WRITE HEAD TRACK MISREGISTRATION - A patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive has compensation for write head track misregistration (TMR) from the track centerline. As the disk rotates, the read head detects angularly spaced servo sectors and generates a position error signal (PES) which is used by the servo control system to maintain the read head on track. As the disk rotates, the read head also detects angularly spaced synchronization marks, which are used to control the write clock so that magnetization reversal of the magnetic write field from the write head is synchronized with the position of the data islands. If there is TMR of the write head, there will be an effective shift of A(p in the timing of when the center of the data islands pass through the write field. The disk drive includes write clock phase adjustment circuitry that correlates the PES with Δφ to compensate for TMR of the write head. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100296193 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH NOTCHED TRAILING SHIELD - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a write pole, a trapezoidal-shaped trailing shield notch, and a gap between the write pole and notch, with the gap being formed of a nonmagnetic mask film, such as alumina, a nonmagnetic metal protective film and a nonmagnetic gap layer. The write pole has a trailing edge that has a width substantially defining the track width and that faces the front edge of the notch but is spaced from it by the gap. The write pole has nonmagnetic filler material, such as alumina, surrounding it except at its trailing edge, where it is in contact with the gap. A reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) process removes the filler material at the side edges of the write pole and thus widens the opening at the side edges. The nonmagnetic metal film protects the underlying mask film and write pole during the widening of the opening. The gap layer and trailing shield notch are deposited into a widened opening above the write pole, so the sides of the notch diverge to cause the generally trapezoidal shape. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100259846 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIN-ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING FOR CONTROLLING SWITCHING FIELD AND TIGHTENING SWITCHING FIELD DISTRIBUTION IN BIT PATTERNED MEDIA - Multilayer magnetic structures control the switching field and tighten the switching field distribution in bit patterned media. A strain-inducing layer is excited, e.g., by a localized magnetic field or a localized thermal heating or a voltage, and induces a strain on the magnetic layer(s) of the patterned bit to initiate switching of the bit magnetization. The strain induced on the magnetic layer forces a rotation or an amplitude variation of the magnetic layer anisotropy. A localized magnetic field is simultaneously or subsequently applied to complete the switching of the bit magnetization. The invention provides control of switching field and switching field distribution for bit-patterned media devices. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100254042 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM WITH AUXILIARY COIL AND CIRCUITRY FOR FAST SWITCHING OF WRITE POLE MAGNETIZATION - A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head having a main coil (the write coil) and main pole (the write pole) that directs write flux in a direction perpendicular to the recording layer in the magnetic recording medium, and an auxiliary coil and auxiliary pole that injects magnetic flux into the write pole at an angle to the primary or perpendicular axis of the write pole. The additional flux from the auxiliary pole, which is injected non-parallel to the primary magnetization of the write pole, exerts a relatively large torque on the magnetization of the write pole, thereby facilitating magnetization reversal of the write pole. Electrical circuitry is connected to the main coil and the auxiliary coil to generate the auxiliary flux simultaneous with the switching of the magnetization of the write pole. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100254041 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM WITH HELICAL WRITE COIL AND AUXILIARY COIL FOR FAST SWITCHING OF WRITE POLE MAGNETIZATION - A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head having a main helical coil (the write coil) and main pole (the write pole) that directs write flux in a direction perpendicular to the recording layer in the magnetic recording medium, and an auxiliary coil and auxiliary pole that injects magnetic flux into the write pole at an angle to the primary or perpendicular axis of the write pole. The auxiliary coil is preferably a helical coil wrapped around the auxiliary pole. The additional flux from the auxiliary pole, which is injected non-parallel to the primary magnetization of the write pole, exerts a relatively large torque on the magnetization of the write pole, thereby facilitating magnetization reversal of the write pole. Electrical circuitry is connected to the main coil and the auxiliary coil to generate the auxiliary flux simultaneous with the switching of the magnetization of the write pole. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100247969 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE ANISOTROPY LAYERED MAGNETIC STRUCTURES FOR CONTROLLING REVERSAL MECHANISM AND TIGHTENING OF SWITCHING FIELD DISTRIBUTION IN BIT PATTERNED MEDIA - Multiple anisotropy layered magnetic structures for controlling reversal mechanism and tightening of switching field distribution in bit patterned media are disclosed. The invention extends the exchange spring concept to more variable and sophisticated structures. Three or more layers with different anisotropy or anisotropy gradients increase writeability gains beyond the simple hard/soft bilayer exchange spring concept for BPM. The structures have a thin very hard, high anisotropy center layer that acts as a threshold or pinning layer for domain wall propagation through the entire media structure. In addition or alternatively, a thin very soft, low anisotropy center layer in between the commonly used soft surface layer and hard media layer allows quick initial propagation of the domain wall into the center of the media structure. Various properties of the media structures can be tuned more independently for optimization if using more advanced multi-anisotropy layer stacks. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100246062 | PATTERNED-MEDIA PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH SERVO REGIONS HAVING MAGNETIZED SERVO PILLARS AND OPPOSITELY-MAGNETIZED SERVO TRENCHES - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording disk has a pre-patterned disk substrate with pillars and trenches arranged in data regions and servo regions. In the data regions, the height of the data pillars is equal to or greater than the spacing between the data pillars, while in the servo regions the height of the servo pillars is less than the spacing between the servo pillars. A magnetic recording material with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is deposited over the entire disk substrate, which results in magnetic material on the tops of the data pillars and servo pillars and in the servo trenches. The material in the data trenches is either nonmagnetic or discontinuous. After the application of a high DC magnetic field in one perpendicular direction and a low DC magnetic field in the opposite direction, the resulting disk has patterned servo sectors with servo pillars all magnetized in the same perpendicular direction and servo trenches magnetized in the opposite perpendicular direction. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100235718 | Decoding Techniques for Correcting Errors Using Soft Information - Two levels of error correction decoding are performed using first and second level decoders. A composite code formed by combining an inner component code and an outer component code can be used to decode the data and correct any errors. Performing two level decoding using a composite code allows the size of the inner parity block to be reduced to a single Reed-Solomon symbol while keeping a good code rate. The first level decoder generates soft information. The soft information can indicate a most likely error event for each possible syndrome value of the inner component code. The soft information can also include error metric values for each of the most likely error events. The second level decoder generates corrected syndrome values based on the soft information using the outer component code. The most likely trellis path that corresponds to the corrected syndrome values is then selected. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100233517 | METHOD FOR MAKING A MASTER DISK FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS AND MASTER DISK MADE BY THE METHOD - A method for making a master disk to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks uses sidewall lithography. In one implementation, the master disk substrate has a first pattern of concentric rings formed on it by sidewall lithography, followed by a second pattern of generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines, also formed by sidewall lithography, with the pairs of parallel lines intersecting the rings. An etching process is then performed, using the upper pattern as an etch mask, to remove unprotected portions of the underlying concentric rings. This leaves a pattern of pillars on the substrate, which then serve as an etch mask for an etching process that etches unprotected portions of the master disk substrate. The resulting master disk then has pillars of substrate material arranged in a pattern of concentric rings and generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100232060 | DISK STACK ASSEMBLY WITH SPINDLE MOTOR HUB HAVING IMPROVED DISK-SUPPORTING FLANGE - An improved disk stack assembly for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a generally cylindrical hub with flange having a downward sloping conical flange surface. The conical flange surface is defined between a radially inner circular ridge and a radially outer circular edge. The bottom disk in the stack is in contact with the flange inner circular ridge. The disk stack assembly also includes a disk clamp with a contact surface having a contact rim that is in contact with either the radially inner portion of the top disk in the stack or a spacer ring. The clamp contact rim is located at approximately the same radial distance from the hub's central cylindrical axis as the flange circular ridge so that the clamping force is applied to the disks close to the area where the disk stack is supported on the conical flange surface. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100232057 | Techniques For Storing Shingle Blocks in a Cache Memory Using a Data Storage Device - A data storage apparatus includes a data storage medium, a write element, a non-volatile cache memory circuit, and a controller circuit. The controller circuit is configured to record data on the data storage medium in groups of overlapping tracks using the write element. The controller circuit is configured to store a shingle block of data from a subset of the overlapping tracks in the non-volatile cache memory circuit, while at least a portion of the data in the shingle block of data is updated. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100221416 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMBINING THE PROCESSES OF LUBRICATION AND FINAL TAPE POLISH FOR MAGNETIC MEDIA - The manufacturing processes of lubrication and final tape polish (FTP) for magnetic media are combined into a single operation. A modified disk loading conveyor performs both lubricant dipping and FTP by immersing a cassette of disks in a lube bath. A single disk is lubed as it is unloaded. Upon unload, the lubed disk is put on an FTP spindle for polishing. After FTP, the disk is put in an empty cassette adjacent the lube bath. An automatic lift transports fill or empty cassettes into or out of the lube bath, respectively. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100214693 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM WITH MAGNETIC PRECESSION FOR FAST SWITCHING OF PERPENDICULAR WRITE POLE MAGNETIZATION - A perpendicular magnetic recording system has a write head with a main perpendicular write pole connected to a yoke with first and second electrical coils. The first coil is wrapped around the yoke on one side of the main pole, and the second coil is wrapped around the yoke on the other side of the main pole. The first end of each coil is connected to a respective terminal. The second ends of the two coils are connected together and connected to a common terminal. A lead-time circuit is connected between the common terminal and the first end of one of the coils. Immediately after the direction of write current is switched by the write driver, the lead-time circuit causes the current in one of the coils to lead the current in the other coil. The current displacement between the two coils creates a precession of the magnetic flux reversal, thereby reducing the switching time of the write head. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100205623 | Techniques For Emulating Sequential Device With Constrained Disk Drive - A disk drive apparatus includes at least one disk, a head-arm assembly, and a controller circuit. The head arm assembly includes at least one read/write head. The head-arm assembly is movable to enable the read/write head to access a writable surface of the disk. The controller circuit also causes the read/write head to record data on the writable surface of the disk in a write append format. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100187199 | SELF-ALIGNED COIL PROCESS IN MAGNETIC RECORDING HEADS - In one embodiment of the present invention, a write head includes a first pole P | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100178529 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH ULTRATHIN NUCLEATION FILM FOR IMPROVED CORROSION RESISTANCE AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE DISK - A perpendicular magnetic recording disk has a granular cobalt alloy recording layer (RL) containing an additive oxide or oxides, an intermediate layer (IL) as an exchange-break layer on the “soft” magnetic underlayer (SUL), and an ultrathin nucleation film (NF) between the IL and the RL. In the method of making the disk, the IL is deposited at a relatively low sputtering pressure, to thereby reduce the roughness of the RL and overcoat (OC), while the NF and RL are deposited at substantially higher sputtering pressures. The resulting disk has good recording properties and improved corrosion resistance over a comparable disk made with an IL deposited at high sputtering pressure and without the NF. The NF may be a discontinuous film with an average thickness of less than about 1 nm. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100165801 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL POLARIZATION ROTATION FOR HORIZONTAL CAVITY, SURFACE EMITTING LASER BEAM FOR THERMALLY ASSISTED RECORDING IN DISK DRIVE - A horizontal cavity, surface emitting laser (HCSEL) with internal polarization rotation is used in thermally assisted recording in hard disk drives. The desired polarization of the laser is accomplished with two beam reflections off of facets within the diode. The facets are formed in a single ion beam etching step. This device can be used in a thermally assisted recording head to produce polarization incident on the disk aligned with the direction of the tracks on the disk. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100165512 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MASTER PATTERN GENERATION, INCLUDING SERVO PATTERNS, FOR ULTRA-HIGH DENSITY DISCRETE TRACK MEDIA USING E-BEAM AND SELF-ASSEMBLY OF BLOCK COPOLYMER MICRODOMAINS - A system, method, and apparatus for forming a high quality master pattern for patterned media, including features to support servo patterns, is disclosed. Block copolymer self-assembly is used to facilitate the formation of a track pattern with narrower tracks. E-beam lithography forms a chemical contrast pattern of concentric rings, where the spacing of the rings is equal to an integral multiple of the target track pitch. The rings include regions within each servo sector header where the rings are offset radially by a fraction of a track pitch. Self-assembly is performed to form a new ring pattern at the target track pitch on top of the chemical contrast pattern, including the radial offsets in the servo sector headers. When this pattern is transferred to disks via nanoimprinting and etching, it creates tracks separated by nonmagnetic grooves, with the grooves and tracks including the radial offset regions. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100165496 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECTOR GRADING OF DEFECTIVE BIT PATTERNED MAGNETIC MEDIA IN HARD DISK DRIVES - A system for grading defective bit patterned magnetic media by disk sector in hard disk drives recovers a portion of any defective sectors at a lower areal density. The invention reduces the track pitch density for sectors containing amalgamated islands while leaving the remainder of the defect-free sectors in the zone optimized for linear bit density. This recovers a portion of the defective sector, approximately in proportion to the ratio of amalgamated islands over the original number of islands. A typical zone is first optimized for tracks per inch during formatting of the patterned media disk drive. The zone is then broken up into sectors that can each be optimized separately for linear bit density to ensure the maximum sustainable capacity for each sector. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100163521 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A C-APERTURE OR E-ANTENNA PLASMONIC NEAR FIELD SOURCE FOR THERMAL ASSISTED RECORDING APPLICATIONS - A method of fabricating a c-aperture or E-antenna plasmonic near field source for thermal assisted recording applications in hard disk drives is disclosed. A c-aperture or E-antenna is built for recording head applications. The technique employs e-beam lithography, partial reactive ion etching and metal refill to build the c-apertures. This process strategy has the advantage over other techniques in the self-alignment of the c-aperture notch to the c-aperture internal diameter, the small number of process steps required, and the precise and consistent shape of the c-aperture notch itself. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100147797 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PATTERNING A MASTER DISK FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS - A system and method for patterning a master disk or “stamper” to be used for nanoimprinting magnetic recording disks uses an air-bearing slider that supports an aperture structure within the optical near-field of a resist layer on a rotating master disk substrate. Laser pulses directed to the input side of the aperture are output to the resist layer. The aperture structure includes a metal film reflective to the laser radiation with the aperture formed in it. The aperture has a size less than the wavelength of the incident laser radiation and is maintained by the air-bearing slider near the resist layer to within the radiation wavelength. The timing of the laser pulses is controlled to form a pattern of exposed regions in the resist layer, with this pattern ultimately resulting in the desired pattern of data islands and nondata islands in the magnetic recording disks when they are nanoimprinted by the master disk. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100142344 | METHOD FOR DIRECT HEAD-DISK CLEARANCE MEASUREMENT BY SLIDER VIBRATION AND FLY HEIGHT CALIBRATION - A method models and calibrates the fly height of a slider above the disk for disk drives. The calibration scheme uses the Wallace spacing loss equation and laser doppler velocimetry to predict fly height and detect the actual fly height of the slider. The slider is vibrated at selected resonances, such as by capacitive coupling to the disk, and the fly height is gradually reduced. In one version, contact between the slider and disk may be detected using an arm electronics sensor. The amplitude of mean-to-peak, vibration detection is used as an indication of the actual fly height and to calibrate the modeled fly height. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100142085 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH ALTERNATING SINGLE-POLARITY POSITION ERROR SIGNAL (PES) BLOCKS FOR READ/WRITE HEAD POSITIONING - A magnetic recording disk drive has a position-error-signal (PES) servo pattern divided into at least two circumferentially adjacent fields that extend radially across the data tracks and include PES blocks that are DC magnetized in one direction, with each PES block having a magnetization opposite to the magnetization of its radially adjacent neighboring PES blocks. Each PES field is contiguous with and shifted radially relative to its circumferentially adjacent neighbor PES fields. Each PES block has a single DC magnetization, and the length of the magnetization is substantially longer than the length of the magnetizations in the other fields of the servo pattern. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100142076 | PATTERNED-MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY SCRAMBLED PATTERNS AND DISK DRIVE OPERABLE WITH THE DISK - Patterned-media magnetic recording disks are made from a master template that has nondata regions that contain a pattern of one or more discrete nondata islands and discrete gaps, with the pattern representing a scrambled number. All disks made from the master template, or from replica molds made from the master, will have the same patterns. When the disks are DC-magnetized so that all the nondata islands are magnetized in the same direction, these patterns will include one or more of discrete magnetized nondata islands and discrete nonmagnetic gaps that are scrambled in a pseudo-random manner. During operation of the disk drive the patterns are detected by the read head and interpreted within the disk drive using knowledge of the pseudo-random scrambling function, so that reading and writing of data can occur in the conventional manner. If the disks are copied in an attempt to replicate the master template, the resulting disks will be inoperable in a disk drive because of the scrambling. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100128391 | Perpendicular Recording Media Having an Exchange-Spring Structure - A recording medium providing improved writeability in perpendicular recording applications includes a magnetic recording layer having an axis of magnetic anisotropy substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof, an exchange-spring layer ferromagnetically exchange coupled to the magnetic recording layer and having a coercivity less than the magnetic recording layer coercivity, and a coupling layer between the magnetic recording layer and the exchange-spring layer. The coupling layer regulates the ferromagnetic exchange coupling between the magnetic recording layer and the exchange-spring layer. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100118585 | HIGH DENSITY SPIN TORQUE THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) MEMORY ARRAYS ADDRESSED WITH MICROWAVE CURRENT - One embodiment of the present invention includes a three dimensional memory array having a plurality of memory elements coupled to form the array through a single top lead and a single bottom lead, each memory element including a magnetic free layer in which non-volatile data can be stored, wherein each memory element possesses unique resonant frequencies associated with each digital memory state, thereby enabling frequency addressing during parallel write and read operations, each memory element further including a fixed layer and a spacer formed between the free layer and the fixed layer. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100110581 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH PATTERNED DISK HAVING CAPPING LAYER FOR SUPPRESSION OF SURFACE DIFFUSION OF TRENCH MATERIAL - A magnetic recording disk drive has a patterned perpendicular magnetic recording disk of the type that has spaced-apart pillars with magnetic material on their ends and with trenches between the pillars that are nonmagnetic regions. A nonmagnetic capping layer is located in the trenches above the nonmagnetic regions. The substrate has diffusion material in the trenches that when heated will diffuse into the magnetic recording layer material and chemically react with it. The pillars are formed of material that will not diffuse into the recording layer. The recording layer is formed over the entire substrate and a nonmagnetic capping layer that is not chemically reactive with the diffusion material is formed over the recording layer in the trenches. The substrate is annealed to cause the recording layer material in the trenches and the material in the substrate to diffuse into one another and chemically react to render the trenches nonmagnetic. The capping layer suppresses the diffusion of material from the substrate to the surface in the trenches and thus prevents migration of diffusion material to the recording layer material on the ends of the pillars. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100104742 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A NEAT STATE LUBRICANT BLEND HAVING IMPROVED PROCESSIBILITY WITHOUT DIMINISHING PERFORMANCE OF MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA - A neat lubricant blend for magnetic media improves lubricant processibility without negatively impacting media performance. The lubricant blend combines, in their neat states, a high bonding lubricant having a molecular weight of about 2000, and a low bonding lubricant with a molecular weight below 1000. The low molecular weight lubricant evaporates after lubrication, leaving only the high molecular weight lubricant behind. Media performance such as lubricant pickup is not adversely affected. Mixing the two types of lubricants in their neat states improves solubility in the less expensive solvents. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100091618 | PATTERNED-MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH OPTICAL CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT AND DISK DRIVE USING OPTICAL CONTRAST FOR WRITE SYNCHRONIZATION - A patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive uses an optical system for clocking the write data and a patterned-media disk that has discrete magnetizable data islands with nonmagnetic spaces between the islands, wherein the nonmagnetic spaces contain optical contrast material. The optical contrast material may be optically absorptive material, fluorescent material, or a metal layer that generates surface plasmons when excited by radiation of a specific wavelength. Radiation from a primary radiation source is directed to a near-field transducer maintained near the disk surface and a radiation detector detects radiation reflected back from the transducer. If the disk has fluorescent material or a metal layer in the nonmagnetic spaces, then a secondary radiation source irradiates the fluorescent material or metal layer with radiation of a specific wavelength to cause the fluorescent material to emit radiation or the metal layer to generate surface plasmons. As the disk rotates, reflected optical power from the transducer varies depending on whether an island or space is under the transducer. The output signal from the radiation detector output controls the write clock. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100067357 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH ROTATIONAL VIBRATION COMPENSATION HAVING ADAPTIVE OPTIMIZATION OF VIBRATION SENSOR GAINS - A disk drive and a method for operating the disk drive compensates for rotational vibration (RV) by adaptively modifying the gains of two separate linear vibration sensors so the sensor gains are optimal under any given condition. The two sensors provide two signals S | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100067149 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ONSET MAGNETIC OXIDE LAYER FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA - Perpendicular magnetic recording media has been enhanced by controlling the initial growth of magnetic oxide layers and increased magnetic isolation between the grains in the initial magnetic layer. An onset magnetic oxide layer is sputter deposited in an argon-oxygen gas mixture between the main CoPtCr-oxide magnetic layers and the underlying Ru layer. The insertion of the onset magnetic oxide layer enhances the coercivity of the oxide magnetic layers and also improves the nucleation field. The media signal-to-noise ratio and bit error rate also are significantly improved due to the improvement of the initial segregation of Co magnetic grains in the magnetic oxide layers. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100061018 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH PATTERNED MEDIA AND OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR CLOCKING WRITE DATA - A patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive uses an optical system for accurately clocking the write data. The disk has concentric data tracks patterned into discrete magnetizable data islands with nonmagnetic spaces between the islands. As the disk rotates, a radiation source directs near-field radiation to the islands and spaces, and a radiation detector receives reflected radiation. The radiation is directed from the source through an optical channel or waveguide on the air-bearing slider that supports the read and write heads. The optical channel or waveguide has a near-field transducer at the disk-facing surface of the slider where the near-field radiation exits and reflected radiation returns. The reflected optical power varies depending on whether the near-field transducer couples to an island or a space, so the radiation detector output signal represents the frequency and phase of the islands as the disk rotates. The write clock that controls write pulses to the write head is responsive to the radiation detector output signal, so the frequency and phase of the write clock signal can be matched to the frequency and phase of the islands as the disk rotates. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100034966 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLANARIZING MEDIA TOPOGRAPHY VIA SOAKING IN DILUTE NON-FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMER SOLUTION - A method for planarizing media disk surfaces with a polymer solution is disclosed. A non-functionalized lubricant is used to coat the disk surfaces without dewetting issues. The polymer is applied via soaking in a diluted solution for several minutes. The interaction of the polymer with the disk surface leads to preferential adsorption of lubricant into the valleys of the topography on the disk surface. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100033881 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING SYSTEM USING SPIN-TORQUE DIODE EFFECT - A magnetic field sensing system with a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) sensor, like that used for giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) spin-valve (SV) sensors, operates in a mode different from conventional GMR-SV and TMR-SV systems. An alternating-current (AC) source operates at a fixed selected frequency and directs AC perpendicularly through the layers of the CPP sensor, with the AC amplitude being high enough to deliberately induce a spin-torque in the CPP sensor's free layer. The AC-induced spin-torque at the selected frequency causes oscillations in the magnetization of the free layer that give rise to a DC voltage signal V | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100030958 | Random Number Generation For a Host System Using a Hard Disk Drive - A hard disk drive is provided for enhancing random number generation. In particular embodiments, the hard disk drive includes a storage subsystem and a controller. The controller generates a random number based on information associated with the storage subsystem. The controller transmits the random number to a host system. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100027152 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIRECT HEAD-DISK CLEARANCE MEASUREMENT BY SLIDER VIBRATION AND FLY HEIGHT CALIBRATION - A method models and calibrates the fly height of a slider above the disk for disk drives. The calibration scheme uses the Wallace spacing loss equation and laser doppler velocimetry to predict fly height and detect the actual fly height of the slider. The slider is vibrated at selected resonances, such as by capacitive coupling to the disk, and the fly height is gradually reduced. In one version, contact between the slider and disk may be detected using an arm electronics sensor. The amplitude of mean-to-peak, vibration detection is used as an indication of the actual fly height and to calibrate the modeled fly height. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100018945 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BATCH VAPOR DEPOSITION OF ADHESION PROMOTER FOR MANUFACTURING DISCRETE TRACK MEDIA AND BIT-PATTERNED MEDIA, AND MONO-MOLECULAR LAYER LUBRICANT ON MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA - A batch vapor deposition process for applying adhesion promoter during manufacturing of nanoimprinted discrete track media and bit-patterned media, and mono-molecular layer lubricant on magnetic recording media are disclosed. The adhesion promoter is simultaneously coated on both sides of numerous disk substrates, and minimal solution is wasted. In another step, the lubricant is applied at a uniform thickness that is on the order of a single molecular layer. The lubricant is also applied on the entire disk surfaces while processing multiple disks at a time. Batch processing increases throughput, and vapor lubricant reduces costs compared to conventional techniques. Limited air exposure controls bonding and monolayer adsorption guarantees uniformity. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100011149 | Data Storage Devices Accepting Queued Commands Having Deadlines - A data storage device accepts queued read and write commands that have deadlines. The queued read and write commands are requests to access the data storage device. The deadlines of the queued read and write commands can be advisory deadlines or mandatory deadlines. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100007993 | INTEGRATED LEAD SUSPENSION WITH MULTIPLE CROSSOVER COPLANAR CONNECTION OF THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TRACES - An integrated lead suspension (ILS) or flexure has a connection scheme that allows for coplanar and interleaved conductive traces between read/write circuitry and a read/write head in a magnetic recording disk drive. The flexure has an electrically conductive substrate and insulator layer with the traces formed on the insulator layer. At each end of the flexure there is an island of substrate material with vias in the insulator layer that permit electrical connection to the islands. The conductive traces are grouped into two sets and extend generally parallel along the length of the flexure, with the traces from one set being interleaved with traces from the other set and each set carrying one of the positive or negative signals. At one of the ends, all of the traces from one set are connected through the vias to the island at that end, and at the other end all of the traces from the other set are connected through the vias to the island at that end. Each signal is distributed among the multiple traces of a set by means of connection through the vias to the island. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20090311363 | METHOD USING BLOCK COPOLYMERS FOR MAKING A MASTER MOLD WITH HIGH BIT-ASPECT-RATIO FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS - A method for making a master mold that is used in the nanoimprinting process to make patterned-media disks with patterned data islands uses guided self-assembly of a block copolymer into its components. Conventional or e-beam lithography is used to first form a pattern of generally radial stripes on a substrate, with the stripes being grouped into annular zones or bands. A block copolymer material is then deposited on the pattern, resulting in guided self-assembly of the block copolymer into its components to multiply the generally radial stripes into generally radial lines. Various methods, including conventional lithography, guided self-assembly of a second block copolymer, and e-beam lithography, are then used to form concentric rings over the generally radial lines. After etching and resist removal, the master mold has a pattern of either pillars or holes, depending on the method used. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090310256 | METHOD FOR MAKING A MASTER MOLD WITH HIGH BIT-ASPECT-RATIO FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS, MASTER MOLD MADE BY THE METHOD, AND DISK IMPRINTED BY THE MASTER MOLD - A method for making a master mold to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks results in a master mold having topographic pillars arranged in a pattern of annular bands of concentric rings. The ratio of circumferential density of the pillars to the radial density of the concentric rings in a band is greater than 1. The method uses sidewall lithography to first form a pattern of generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines on the master mold substrate, with the lines being grouped into annular zones or bands. The sidewall lithography process can be repeated, resulting in a doubling of the number of lines each time the process is repeated. Conventional lithography is used to form concentric rings over the radially-directed pairs of parallel lines. After etching and resist removal, the master mold has pillars arranged in circular rings, with the rings grouped into annular bands. The master mold may be used to nanoimprint the disks, resulting in disks having a BAR greater than 1, wherein BAR is the ratio of data track spacing in the radial direction to the data island spacing in the circumferential direction. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090310250 | Magnetic Disk Drive Having Dual Actuator - In a dual-stage actuator magnetic drive having a coarse actuator and a fine actuator, an amplitude level of a command signal for the fine actuator during a decoupling-path control depends on a gain of an applied fine actuator model. The fine actuator model gain depends on the amplitude level of the fine actuator command signal and needs to be calibrated to avoid performance degradation. The gain is calibrated by determining a deviation of the fine actuator model gain from the fine actuator gain during decoupling-path control. This deviation is obtained by comparing gain values of the open-loop transfer functions measured for the decoupling-path control case and the single coarse actuator control case with respect to the feedback loop of the coarse actuator at an excitation signal frequency, when the excitation signal is added to the coarse actuator. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090308837 | METHOD USING BLOCK COPOLYMERS FOR MAKING A MASTER MOLD WITH HIGH BIT-ASPECT-RATIO FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS - The invention is a method for making a master mold to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks. The method uses conventional optical or e-beam lithography to form a pattern of generally radial stripes on a substrate, with the stripes being grouped into annular zones or bands. A block copolymer material is deposited on the pattern, resulting in guided self-assembly of the block copolymer into its components to multiply the generally radial stripes into generally radial lines of alternating block copolymer components. The radial lines of one of the components are removed and the radial lines of the remaining component are used as an etch mask to etch the substrate. Conventional lithography is used to form concentric rings over the generally radial lines. After etching and resist removal, the master mold has pillars arranged in circular rings, with the rings grouped into annular bands. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090305081 | METHOD FOR PLANARIZING A MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK HAVING PRE-PATTERNED SURFACE FEATURES AND DISK WITH PLANARIZED SURFACE - A method for planarizing a magnetic recording disk that has surface features of elevated lands and recessed grooves includes forming two coatings of cured perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) polymers over the surface features. The disk may have a protective carbon overcoat with a surface that replicates the topography of lands and grooves. A liquid functionalized-PFPE is applied over the disk surface and then cured to form a first coating with the functionalized end groups bonding to the carbon overcoat. A liquid non-functionalized-PFPE polymer is then applied over the functionalized-PFPE coating and cured to form a second coating. The combined coatings substantially planarize the disk surface so that there is minimal recession between the top of the coating over the lands and the top of the coating over the grooves. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090300907 | Method for manufacturing magnetic disk unit - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for manufacturing a magnetic disk unit, the method permitting easy and efficient introduction of a low-density gas into the enclosure. According to one embodiment, an enclosure of the magnetic disk unit has a gas inlet and a gas outlet, each of which is provided with a filter. When the enclosure is filled with helium, the mass flow rate of helium being supplied to the gas inlet is detected and the mass flow rate of helium being supplied to the gas inlet is controlled according to the thus detected mass flow rate of helium. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090297700 | METHOD FOR MAKING A CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE (CPP-GMR) SENSOR WITH A CONFINED-CURRENT-PATH (CCP) - A method of making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) sensor with a confined-current-path (CCP) layer uses an array of self-assembled ferritin protein molecules with inorganic cores to make the CCP layer in the sensor stack. In one embodiment, the ferritin molecules with cores of insulating oxide particles are deposited on an electrically conductive support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of insulating oxide particles. An electrically conducting layer is deposited over the oxide particles and into the regions between the oxide particles to form the CCP layer. In another embodiment, the ferritin molecules with inorganic particles in their cores are deposited on an electrically insulating support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of inorganic particles that function as an etch mask. The insulating support layer is then etched through the mask to form vias down to the underlying layer on which the support layer is formed. An electrically conducting layer is then deposited to form the CCP layer. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090296260 | Device and method for specifying control value for controlling clearance between head and disk, and magnetic disk drive device - Embodiments of the present invention help to detect contact between a head and a magnetic disk more accurately in specifying a heater power value for adjusting a clearance between a head element portion and the disk. According to one embodiment, a hard disk controller/multiprocessing unit (HDC/MPU) measures amplitudes of read signals in a user data field DATA. A hard disk drive (HDD) fills a gap between servo data with single data sector. The HDC/MPU measures the amplitudes of read signals in each data sector at different heater power values. It determines the heater power value at which contact occurs from the measured values. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090290256 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING EXCHANGE-SPRING TYPE MEDIUM WITH A LATERAL COUPLING LAYER FOR INCREASING INTERGRANULAR EXCHANGE COUPLING IN THE LOWER MAGNETIC LAYER - A perpendicular magnetic recording system and medium has a multilayered recording layer that includes an exchange-spring structure and a ferromagnetic lateral coupling layer (LCL). The exchange-spring structure is made up of two ferromagnetically exchange-coupled magnetic layers (MAG | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090279203 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATED BYPASS CHANNEL AND DIVERTER FOR HARD DISK DRIVES - An integrated bypass channel and diverter assembly for hard disk drives having small form factors is disclosed. A bypass channel is formed directly in the base plate to allow a partial bypass to exist with or without a diverter feature. The design addresses the issue of proper disk shrouding at the same time as providing the desired features for small form factor drives. The invention includes three datum planes for aligning the machined features of the bypass channel with the drive during assembly. The machined bypass channel and the upstream diverter may be combined to form the integrated assembly. The primary air flow direction from the disk stack is through the integrated partial bypass in the enclosure body and around the diverter into the main bypass channel. The invention provides a drop-in position for the diverter that has minimal encroachment into the VCM area of the drive. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090274847 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF LUBRICANT LINES ON MAGNETIC MEDIA - A system for preventing the accumulation of excess lubrication in the form of lubricant lines on magnetic media disks for hard disk drives uses a mandrel design that produces negligible surface waves when the disks are dipped in lubricant baths. The mandrel has inverted tear drop shaped supports for the disks. The supports are smaller in overall size than an inner diameter hole formed in the disks and diminish the formation of waves in the lubricant bath. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090258253 | Magnetic recording medium for high density recording and magnetic storage device using same - In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium comprises an underlying film, a magnetic film and a protective film formed in this order on a substrate. The magnetic film is a cobalt-base alloy film containing chromium and has a plurality of magnetic layers stacked without interposition of any non-magnetic layer. The plural magnetic layers comprise first, second and third magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer is disposed between the underlying film and the second magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer is disposed between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer. The third magnetic layer is disposed between the second magnetic layer and the protective film. The concentration of chromium contained in the first magnetic layer is lower than that of chromium contained in the second magnetic layer. The thickness of the first magnetic layer is smaller than that of the second magnetic layer. The magnetic layers which overlie the first magnetic layer further contain platinum and boron. The concentration of chromium contained in the third magnetic layer is lower than that of chromium contained in the second magnetic layer. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090257154 | SCISSORING-TYPE CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE (CPP-GMR) SENSORS WITH DAMPED FREE LAYER STRUCTURES - A “scissoring-type” current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) sensor has magnetically damped free layers. In one embodiment each of the two free layers is in contact with a damping layer that comprises Pt or Pd, or a lanthanoid (an element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Th, Yb, and Lu). Each of the two free layers has one of its surfaces in contact with the sensor's electrically conducting nonmagnetic spacer layer and its other surface in contact with its associated damping layer. A nonmagnetic film may be located between each free layer and its associated damping layer. In another embodiment the damping element is present as a dopant or impurity in each of the two free layers. In another embodiment a nanolayer of the damping element is located within each of the two free layers. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090257144 | Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage device using the same - Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that reduces the noise of granular recording layers, obtains sufficient overwrite characteristic that suppresses an increase in the magnetic cluster size, and allows high-density recording. According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising substrate having thereon at least soft magnetic layer, nonmagnetic intermediate layer, a perpendicular recording layer and protective layer formed in that order. The perpendicular recording layer consists of three or more layers of first recording layer, a second recording layer, and a third recording layer from the side nearer to the substrate. The first recording layer and the second recording layer have a granular structure comprising a grain boundary of an oxide surrounding ferromagnetic crystal grains containing Co and Pt, and the third recording layer has a non-granular structure mainly comprising Co and not containing an oxide. The grain boundary of the first recording layer contains Si, Cr and oxygen, and at least one element selected from Ti, Ta and Nb, and the grain boundary of the second recording layer contains Cr and oxygen, or contains Cr and oxygen and at least one element selected from Si, W and V. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090254796 | Techniques for correcting errors and erasures using a single-shot generalized minimum distance key equation solver - A system corrects errors in a codeword. The system includes a channel that sorts reliability numbers of symbols in the codeword to create an ordered list of candidate erasure locations. The system also includes a generalized minimum distance decoder that iteratively processes the ordered list of candidate erasure locations and at least two syndromes of the codeword using a single-shot key equation solver to generate an error locator polynomial and an error evaluator polynomial. The generalized minimum distance decoder processes the least reliable candidate erasure locations first within the ordered list of candidate erasure locations. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090251825 | Micro electro mechanical system and head gimbal assembly - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent dropout of a head slider from an micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) and damage of the MEMS. In an embodiment of the present invention, a suspension for a slider dynamic electric test (DET) comprises an MEMS for supporting a head slider. The MEMS has a clamper for holding a head slider and the clamper moved by an external force can attach or detach a head slider. The suspension comprises limiters for limiting the clamper's lateral movement. The limiters limit the clamper's undesirable movement, which prevents the clamper's lateral movement in attaching a head slider, a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage caused by a contact with a magnetic disk, or a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage in handling. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090213484 | Techniques For Providing DC-free Detection of DC Equalization Target - A data storage device includes a first filter that generates a short DC equalization target in response to a read back signal generated from magnetic patterns that are recorded on a storage medium using perpendicular recording. The data storage device also includes a first detector that generates an output sequence in response to the short DC equalization target. The data storage device also includes a high pass filter that attenuates DC components of the short DC equalization target and that passes low frequency components of the short DC equalization target above a cutoff frequency to generate a filtered signal. The data storage device also includes a second detector that processes the output sequence in response to the filtered signal. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090204356 | Testing/adjusting method and test control apparatus for rotating disk storage devices - Embodiments of the invention provide a method of testing/adjusting magnetic disk devices, in which the method allows the tests/adjustments to be conducted by solving problems due to the data sizes and characteristics of test/adjustment programs. After assembly of a magnetic disk device, setup of various parameters, magnetic disk defect registration, and other test/adjustment steps are executed. Execution of the test/adjustment programs does not require a special test apparatus since they are executed in the magnetic disk device to be tested. In addition, the test/adjustment programs are formed up of multiple phases, and each phase is sequentially executed. Adoption of this program structure keeps the tests/adjustments clear from restrictions due to the data sizes and characteristics of the test/adjustment programs. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090162573 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FABRICATE SOFT MAGNETIC FILM WITH PREFERRED UNIAXIAL ANISOTROPY FOR PERPENDICULAR RECORDING - Soft magnetic film fabricated with preferred uniaxial anisotropy for perpendicular recording. One type of cathode design has a field direction that is parallel to the direction of the Hex of the second SUL with a magnetically-pinned first SUL. In addition, SUL structures having low AP exchange energy also are disclosed. The SUL structure combines the cathode field direction of the SUL | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090161246 | Random Number Generation Using Hard Disk Drive Information - A hard disk drive enhances random number generation. In particular embodiments, the hard disk drive includes a controller, a hard disk, and a head. The head includes a read sensor for reading patterns on the hard disk. The controller generates a random number based on information associated with the position of the head relative to at least one track of the hard disk. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090157942 | Techniques For Data Storage Device Virtualization - A data storage device comprises virtual storage devices that are each assigned to a subset of data sectors in a non-volatile memory of the data storage device. The data storage device receives configuration metadata for configuring each of the virtual storage devices from a host operating system. The configuration metadata is received in a standard format that is file system independent. The configuration metadata comprises a range of logical block addresses and a virtual storage device number assigned to each of the virtual storage devices. Each of the virtual storage device numbers is a unique identifier used by the data storage device to differentiate between the virtual storage devices. The data storage device uses the virtual storage device numbers and logical block addresses to identify data sectors in the virtual storage devices that are accessible by virtual machine operating systems. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090157940 | Techniques For Storing Data In Multiple Different Data Storage Media - A data storage system comprises a first data storage medium and a second data storage medium. The first and the second data storage media are different types of data storage media. The data storage system assigns a first range of logical block addresses to physical addresses in the first data storage medium. The data storage system is configured to dynamically reassign the first range of logical block addresses to physical addresses in the second data storage medium. Alternatively, the data storage system can assign a first range of logical block addresses to physical addresses in the first data storage medium and to physical addresses in the second data storage medium. The data storage system stores data associated with the first range of logical block addresses in both of the first and the second data storage media. One of the data storage media can be NAND Flash memory. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090157756 | File System For Storing Files In Multiple Different Data Storage Media - A host system includes a file system and a processor for executing the file system. The file system stores a first portion of a file in a first data storage medium and a second portion of the file in a second data storage medium based on an intrinsic value of at least a part of the file. In other embodiments, the file system stores a first file in a first data storage medium based on an intrinsic value of the first file and a second file in a second data storage medium based on an intrinsic value of the second file. The file system dynamically moves the second file from the second data storage medium to the first data storage medium in response to a change in the intrinsic value of the second file. The first and the second data storage media are different types of data storage media. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090155627 | DISCRETE TRACK MEDIA WITH A CAPPED MEDIA STRUCTURE HAVING HIGH MOMENT AND EXCHANGE - A media architecture is optimized for discrete track recording. A capped or exchange-spring media uses a thin media structure and incorporates higher moment density magnetic layers. A thin exchange coupling layer is used in conjunction with a cap layer to control the reversal mechanism and exchange. Thus, the exchange coupling layer mediates the interaction between the two outer magnetic layers. The thickness of the exchange coupling layer is tuned by monitoring the media signal-to-noise ratio, track width and bit error rate. The recording performance is enhanced by tuning the intergranular exchange in the system through the use of the high-moment cap as writeability, resolution and noise are improved. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090154025 | SCISSORING-TYPE CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH FREE LAYERS HAVING ETCH-INDUCED UNIAXIAL MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY - A “scissoring-type” current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor with dual ferromagnetic sensing or free layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer has improved stability as a result of etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in each of the free layers. Each of the two ferromagnetic free layers has an etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and an in-plane magnetic moment substantially parallel to its uniaxial anisotropy in the quiescent state, i.e., the absence of an applied magnetic field. The etch-induced uniaxial anisotropy of each of the free layers is achieved either by direct ion etching of each of the free layers, and/or by ion etching of the layer on which each of the free layers is deposited. A strong magnetic anisotropy is induced in the free layers by the etching, which favors generally orthogonal orientation of the two free layers in the quiescent state. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090154019 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH SLANTED MAGNETIC WRITE POLE - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head is formed on the trailing surface of a head carrier or slider that has an air-bearing surface (ABS) oriented generally parallel to the surface of the disk during operation of the disk drive. The write head has a slanted ferromagnetic write pole (WP) that forms an angle between about 5 and 20 degrees from a normal to the ABS. The slanted WP is formed over the generally planar surface of the ferromagnetic main pole and the slanted surface of a support layer located between the ABS and the recessed end of the main pole. A trailing shield (TS) has a slanted face that is generally parallel to and spaced from the slanted WP, with a nonmagnetic gap layer located between the slanted face of the TS and the slanted WP. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090154017 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PATTERNED MEDIA WITH REDUCED MAGNETIC TRENCH MATERIAL - A bit patterned magnetic media design for reducing the amount of magnetic material located in the trenches between topographic features is disclosed. An intermediate non-magnetic layer is deposited on the topography prior to depositing the functional magnetic layer on the topographic substrate features. The non-magnetic layer increases the width of the land regions that will ultimately support the functional magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer also reduces the amount of trench deposition that can occur in the subsequent deposition of the magnetic recording layer. By eliminating most of the magnetic trench material, the amount of magnetic flux and readback interference produced by the trench material is reduced to an acceptable level. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090148626 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILAMENT AND SUPPORT USED IN PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION FOR REDUCING CARBON VOIDS ON MEDIA DISKS IN DISK DRIVES - A filament post used in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition has an outer shell and an inner post. An electrical potential is applied only to the inner post to ensure that there is no impact on the plasma density and the carbon film properties. The inner post and the outer shell are electrically insulated by ceramic insulators, such that no electrical potential is applied to outer shell. The stress generated in the carbon film is directly related to the electrical potential of the surface to which the film is deposited. The carbon film deposited on the outer shell of the post is not highly stressed, which significantly reduces film delamination from the filament post surfaces. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090147410 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH MAGNETIC SHIELDS SEPARATED BY NONMAGNETIC LAYERS - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head that may be used in magnetic recording disk drives has a magnetic write pole (WP) with an end that is generally the same width as the width of the data tracks on the disk. A trailing shield (TS) is spaced from the WP in the along-the-track direction, a pair of side shields are located on opposite sides of the WP in the cross-track direction, and an optional leading shield (LS) is located on the opposite side of the WP from the TS in the along-the-track direction. The TS, side shields and LS are formed of magnetically permeable soft ferromagnetic material and are separated from each other by nonmagnetic separation layers. The TS, side shields and LS each has a throat height (TH) thickness in its region facing the WP. The throat heights for the shields may be different. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090139652 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRAVIOLET CURING OF ADHESIVES WITH LIGHT BEAM SHAPING IN DISK DRIVE MANUFACTURING - UV curing of adhesives with light beam shaping utilizes a spot curing process that focuses a limited amount of UV light onto a target area, such as glue dots. A focusing lens may be used to direct the UV light beam to the target area. The target areas have different geometrical shapes, and the UV light is advantageously concentrated in a more efficient manner. Beam-shaping optics or lenses are used to facilitate re-shaping and re-defining the UV-light beam. The UV beam may be defined and limited to a rectangular spot to improve the spot process quality and efficiency. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090139314 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING TRUE ROUGHNESS OF GRANULAR MEDIA - The true roughness of highly granular perpendicular media is measured by forming an inverse replica of the surface of the media. The invention enables AFM measurements of granular media valley depth to more consistently predict the corrosion performance of the media. A liquid resist is used to first replicate the media topography and form the inverse replica. The narrow valleys in the original media are precisely modeled as sharp peaks on the replica. The height of the peaks are readily measured with an AFM tip. The resulting image is a negative of the original surface. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090138727 | Challenge And Response Access Control Providing Data Security In Data Storage Devices - Techniques for securing data stored on a data storage device are provided. The data storage device encrypts the data using a bulk encryption key and stores the bulk encryption key in non-volatile memory in an encrypted format. The data storage device generates a challenge and response pair, wraps a secret key with the response to generate a wrapped secret key, and stores the challenge and the wrapped secret key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device authenticates a host by reading the challenge and the wrapped secret key from the non-volatile memory, erasing the challenge and the wrapped secret key from the non-volatile memory, sending the challenge to the host, receiving the response from the host, and unwrapping the wrapped secret key using the response from the host to regenerate the secret key. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090136873 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PATTERN CLEAN-UP DURING FABRICATION OF PATTERNED MEDIA USING FORCED ASSEMBLY OF MOLECULES - A pattern clean-up for fabrication of patterned media using a forced assembly of molecules is disclosed. E-beam lithography is initially used to write the initial patterned bit media structures, which have size and positioning errors. Nano-sized protein molecules are then forced to assemble of on top of the bits. The protein molecules have a very uniform size distribution and assemble into a lattice structure above the e-beam patterned areas. The protein molecules reduce the size and position errors in e-beam patterned structures. This process cleans the signal from the e-beam lithography and lowers the noise in the magnetic reading and writing. This process may be used to fabricate patterned bit media directly on hard disk, or to create a nano-imprint master for mass production of patterned bit media disks. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090135523 | MICROACTUATOR, HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY, AND DISK DRIVE DEVICE - Embodiments of the present invention relate to approaches to effectively let noise on a head slider bonded to a silicon substrate of a microactuator, escape to the ground. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a microactuator bonded to a gimbal tongue. The microactuator comprises a piezoelectric element and a movable part for moving in response to expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric element. The motion of the movable part causes a head slider to slightly move. The microactuator further comprises a conductive path including an impurity-containing silicon layer formed on the silicon substrate. The conductive path transmits electric charge of the head slider to a suspension. The conductivity of the impurity-containing silicon layer is lower than the one of the silicon substrate so that the noise charge of the head slider may escape to the suspension. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090130957 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LAPPING WORKPIECES WITH SOLUBLE ABRASIVES - A soluble abrasive is used to lap workpieces to overcome the problem of embedding and retaining abrasive particles in the workpieces. The soluble abrasives are dissolved from the workpiece even if they become embedded in the workpiece. For example, the abrasives may be dissolved with water and comprise ionic salts. The soluble abrasive has a hardness that is equal to or slightly greater than the hardness of the metal being lapped. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090122445 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH FLUX SHAPING LAYERS ON THE WRITE POLE AND MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM INCORPORATING THE WRITE HEAD - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has at least one flux shaping layer located on the write pole. The write pole has an end located substantially at the surface of the head carrier that faces the recording medium. The write head includes a main pole, on which the write pole is formed, that has an end recessed from the write pole end, and at least one flux return pole. In one implementation a first flux shaping layer is located between the main pole and the write pole and has an end recessed from the write pole end. A second flux shaping layer, also with its end recessed form the write pole end, may be located on the write pole. The second flux shaping layer may also cover the sides of the write pole in the cross-track direction so that together with the first flux shaping layer, the write pole is substantially surrounded by flux shaping material. The ends of the flux shaping layers may be tapered in the direction of the recording medium to enhance directing and shaping the flux to the write pole end. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090118856 | Status indication method and status indication system - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for solving a location designation problem to give specific instructions to workers as to where the device that has completed processing is in the production site, and a setup starting time designation problem to give instructions to workers as to when the setup for operation after a test is completed is conducted. One embodiment includes a means for recognizing the processing progress statuses of the devices in the production site, means for indicating the processing progress statuses of the devices, means for predicting the processing completion times of the devices, and means for indicating when a preparation (setup operation) is started for a particular device. A worker receives the processing progress statuses of the respective devices of the respective units from the means for indicating the processing progress statuses of the devices, and records the time to carry in the works to be placed in the devices to the devices and start placement from the means for indicating when a setup operation is started for a particular device. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090116310 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRITE ENABLE AND INHIBIT FOR HIGH DENSITY SPIN TORQUE THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) MEMORY ARRAYS - A method and apparatus for write enable and write inhibit for high density spin torque three dimensional ( | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090116141 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM ,AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OUT-GASSING AND HUMIDITY IN A CLOSED SPACE-CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT - An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for controlling out-gassing and humidity in a closed space-constrained environment. In particular, an environment control device is disclosed which is made using thermoforming techniques such that the walls of the device are much thinner than other conventional devices. This allows for the device to be used in space-constrained environment while still providing a sufficient amount of absorber material such as a desiccant. The apparatus includes a base made up of a thin flexible plastic film thermoformed to create a cavity having at least one wall, the cavity having an opening on one side. An absorber material, such as a desiccant, is placed inside the cavity, and a cover made up of a permeable layer sealed to the base opening to complete an enclosure for holding the absorber material. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090110962 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING ADHESION LAYERS BETWEEN SUBSTRATES AND SOFT UNDERLAYERS IN PERPENDICULAR MEDIA - A perpendicular media is formed without an adhesion layer between the substrate and soft underlayer (SUL) to reduce the cost of fabrication. The thickness of the SUL is reduced to less than 50 nm to increase the film adhesion strength between the substrate and SUL. The perpendicular media comprises only a substrate, the SUL, an exchange break layer, a recording layer, and a protective overcoat. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090110191 | Techniques For Encrypting Data On Storage Devices Using An Intermediate Key - A data storage device encrypts data stored in non-volatile memory using a bulk encryption key. The data storage device uses a key derivation function to generate an initial encryption key. The data storage device then wraps an intermediate encryption key with the initial encryption key and stores the wrapped intermediate key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device wraps the bulk encryption key with the intermediate encryption key and stores the wrapped bulk encryption key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device can unwrap the wrapped intermediate key to generate the intermediate encryption key using the initial encryption key. The data storage device can unwrap the wrapped bulk encryption key to generate the bulk encryption key using the intermediate encryption key. The data storage device decrypts data stored in the non-volatile memory using the bulk encryption key. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090109569 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR GUIDED GROWTH OF PATTERNED MEDIA USING MONODISPERSE NANOSPHERES - An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for guided growth of patterned media using monodisperse nanospheres. The apparatus includes nanoscale features extending from a substrate. The nanoscale features may be formed using electron-beam lithography and have a non-uniform cap. A spherical cap is formed on the non-uniform cap by hydrolysis and precipitation of monodisperse nanospheres on an immobilized nucleation site, the immobilized nucleation site attached with one end of the nanoscale feature. The system includes the apparatus and further includes monodisperse nanospheres formed of silicon dioxide spheres. The method includes providing a substrate, etching at least one nanoscale feature extending from the substrate, the feature formed using electron-beam lithography and having a non-uniform cap, forming an immobilized nucleation site, and forming a spherical cap by hydrolysis and precipitation of monodisperse nanospheres on the immobilized nucleation site, the immobilized nucleation site attached with one end of the nanoscale feature. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090107697 | CARD INSULATOR WITH PROVISION FOR CONFORMANCE TO COMPONENT HEIGHT CHANGES - A card insulator is formed with slits that conform to height changes required by the components mounted to a card. The insulative sheet has simple linear slits that extend completely through the sheet and allow the insulator to deform with simple linear bends when contacted by the tall components mounted to the card. The linear bends allow the surface of the deformed insulator to be flexible without budding the insulator and without bowing the card. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090103206 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WALL SLOT IN DISK DRIVE BYPASS CHANNEL FOR ENHANCED VOICE COIL MOTOR COOLING - A hard disk drive bypass channel architecture incorporates enhanced cooling for voice coil motors. A cooling slot formed in a bypass channel component that is adjacent to the VCM alleviates VCM overheating problems. The slot compromises airflow from the bypass channel to provide sufficient secondary flow to cool the VCM and actuator coil area. The slot may be formed in the integrated wall of the spoiler or diverter. The spoiler has an extension in which the cooling slot is formed. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090097160 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH AMPLITUDE-TYPE SERVO FIELDS HAVING PATTERNED SERVO ISLANDS FOR READ/WRITE HEAD POSITIONING - A magnetic recording disk drive has a disk with pre-patterned nondata servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks. The disk may be a patterned-media disk with both pre-patterned data islands and pre-patterned nondata servo sectors. The servo sectors include a synchronization pattern of generally radially directed discrete magnetized marks, and first and second position error signal (PES) fields of generally radially directed discrete magnetized stripes. Each stripe in each of the two fields comprises a plurality of radially spaced discrete servo islands, each island having a radial height of approximately Tp, where Tp is the radial spacing of the track centerlines. In each field, the servo islands in alternating stripes in the along-the-track direction are shifted radially by approximately Tp. In the first PES field, the islands are centered at the midline between two adjacent track centerlines, and in the second PES field the islands are centered at a track centerline. All of the servo islands in the two PES fields have the same magnetization direction. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090097156 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH PATTERNED PHASE-TYPE SERVO FIELDS FOR READ/WRITE HEAD POSITIONING - A magnetic recording disk drive uses a disk having pre-patterned servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks. The servo sectors include at least two position error signal (PES) bursts or fields. The phases of the PES fields in the servo readback signal are demodulated to generate a PES to control the disk drive actuator for positioning the read/write heads. Each field contains generally radially directed magnetized stripes, with each stripe comprising a plurality of discrete radially-spaced generally parallelogram-shaped islands, each island having its length oriented at an acute angle relative to a track centerline. The stripes have alternating polarity of magnetizations in the along-the-track direction. In one implementation there are four fields: a first pair of fields A and B wherein the pattern of the radial stripes in field A is the mirror image about a radial line of the pattern of the radial stripes in field B, and a second like pair of fields C and D, but wherein the radial stripes in fields C and D are shifted radially from the radial stripes in fields A and B. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090095707 | Method And Apparatus For Processing Sub-Micron Write Head Flare Definition - A method and apparatus for processing sub-micron write head flare definition is provided. The method for processing a perpendicular magnetic head forms a portion of a perpendicular write head, where the portion of the write head includes a first pole layer, a coil layer, a second pole layer and a write pole, the method forms a portion of a magnetic read head adjacent to the portion of the perpendicular write head, where the portion of the read head includes a shield layer and a sensor, the method also laps the write pole concurrently with the sensor to define a flare position of the pole tip and to define a sensor height, where the flare position of the pole tip is defined in the same photo-lithography step as the back edge of the sensor. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090091864 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH ANTIPARALLEL-PINNED LAYER CONTAINING SILICON - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) spin-valve (SV) magnetoresistive sensor uses an antiparallel (AP) pinned structure and has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Si in the reference layer of the AP-pinned structure and optionally in the CPP-SV sensor's free layer. The reference layer or AP2 layer is a multilayer of a first AP2-1 sublayer that contains no Si and is in contact with the AP-pinned structure's antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, and a second AP2-2 sublayer that contains Si and is in contact with the CPP-SV sensor's spacer layer. The Si-containing alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Si according to the formula (Co | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090086362 | Recording disk and disk drive - Embodiments of the present invention provide a recording disk capable of curtailing the amount of servo data to be stored thereon, and a disk drive. According to one embodiment, servo data area sets each of a first servo data area and plural second servo data areas arranged in that order in a read direction HR are arranged successively on each of tracks of a magnetic disk. Stored in a second sector data section included in the second servo data area is data representing a distance in the read direction HR from the position of the first servo data area to that of the same second servo data area. The amount of data stored in the second sector data section is less than that of data stored in a first sector data section included in the first servo data area. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090077792 | Method for manufacturing head gimbal assembly and apparatus for detaching head slider joined to mounting plate of suspension - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent deformation of a gimbal in detaching a head slider from a suspension. In an embodiment of the present invention, after a head slider has been mounted on a suspension, a test on the assembly is conducted. If a defect head slider is found in the test, the head slider is detached from the suspension. The head slider is discarded but the suspension is reused and a new head slider is mounted on the suspension. In detaching the head slider, a pin inserted in a through-hole on the center line of a gimbal tongue latches the gimbal tongue. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090073599 | Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus using the same - Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium suitable for high density recording. According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording layer comprises four layers in which a first magnetic layer, a magnetic coupling layer, a second magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer are formed above a substrate. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are perpendicular magnetization films containing an oxide, and ferromagnetically coupled with each other by way of the magnetic coupling layer, and they are, more preferably, a Co alloy layer containing an oxide. The third magnetic layer is ferromagnetically coupled with the second magnetic layer. The concentration of the oxide contained in the third magnetic layer is lower than the concentration of the oxide in the second recording layer, or the third magnetic layer does not contain the oxide. In this case, magnetic property is set for the anisotropic magnetic field Hk1 of the first magnetic layer and the anisotropic magnetic field Hk2 of the second magnetic layer, so as to satisfy: Hk1>Hk2. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090067082 | PATTERNED-MEDIA MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH DATA ZONES HAVING NONDATA REGIONS NEAR THE ZONE BOUNDARIES - A patterned-media magnetic recording disk has data islands arranged into concentric data tracks and the data tracks arranged into radially-spaced annular zones, with each zone having an inside-diameter (ID) perimeter and an outside-diameter (OD) perimeter and at least one annular nondata region near one of its perimeters. Each zone includes generally radially-directed synchronization (sync) marks that extend from the zone ID perimeter to the zone OD perimeter so as to extend into the annular nondata region or regions of the zone. In the disk drive that uses the patterned-media disks the read head and write head have an effective radial offset relative to one another, so the write head may be on a data track near a zone perimeter when the read head is located in a nondata region. The read head detects the sync marks that extend into the nondata region so that the write head can be synchronized with the data islands in the data track. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090063938 | Decoding Error Correction Codes Using A Modular Single Recursion Implementation - Systems and methods are provided for performing error correction decoding. The coefficients of the error locator polynomial are iteratively determined for each codeword using a modular implementation of a single recursion key-equation solver algorithm. According to this implementation, modules are used to calculate the current and previous coefficients of the error locator polynomial. One module is used for each correctable error. The modular single recursion implementation is programmable, because the number of modules can be easily changed to correct any number of correctable errors. Galois field tower arithmetic can be used to calculate the inverse of an error term. Galois field tower arithmetic greatly reduces the size of the inversion unit. The latency time can be reduced by placing the computations of the inverse error term outside the critical path of the error locator polynomial algorithm. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090063788 | Techniques For Storing System Images In Slices On Data Storage Devices - A data storage device has a data storage medium. A data storage capacity of the data storage device is divided into slices. Each slice has a set of sectors. Data storage device firmware is configured to store copies of a system image in the slices on the data storage device. Each of the slices stores a different copy of the system image. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090052311 | Data Storage Systems That Implement Sector Sets - A data storage device has a data storage medium configured to store a first version of data in parent sectors. The data storage device is configured to store a second version of the data in child sectors. The child sectors have the same logical block addresses as the parent sectors. A host operating system can read data from or write data to the child sectors by sending logical block addresses and a sector set number to the data storage device. The logical block addresses and the sector set number identify the child sectors. In response to receiving a request to access the child sectors, the data storage firmware identifies physical addresses that correspond to the logical block addresses and the sector set number. The data storage device uses the physical addresses to identify the location of the child sectors. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090052079 | Magnetic head slider fabrication method, preamplifier and magnetic disk drive - Embodiments of the present invention set the resistance value and resistance change of a magnetoresistive element as the comparison criteria of a tester without use of an actual magnetic head slider in an inspection process during fabrication of magnetic head sliders. According to one embodiment, at the time of default setting of a tester, an emulator is connected to a preamplifier of a magnetic characteristic measurement device. Signals which are obtained by emulating the resistance value and resistance change of the magnetoresistive element are inputted to the preamplifier from the emulator. The resistance value and resistance change serve as references. The output of the preamplifier is A/D converted to be inputted to the MPU. In the MPU, the A/D converted output is converted into a resistance value to be stored in the ROM. The tester uses the resistance value stored in the ROM as a reference to compare the measured resistance value of the magnetoresistive element therewith. Since the set reference value changes with time, the emulator is connected to the tester regularly for checking and adjusting the reference value. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090052074 | Perpendicular magnetic recording media and magnetic storage apparatus using the same - Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording media having excellent resolution, signal to noise ratio (S/N), and a small adjacent track erasure. According to one embodiment, underlayers for controlling the orientation and segregation of a magnetic layer, a magnetic layer including an oxide and an alloy of magnetic materials mainly composed of Co, Cr, and Pt, and a ferromagnetic-metal layer which does not contain oxygen, are formed over a substrate. The magnetic layer has at least two layers including ferromagnetic grains and oxides, a first magnetic layer, which is the part of the magnetic layer closer to the substrate, has grain boundaries mainly composed of Cr oxide and at least one oxide selected from Si, Ti, Nb, and Ta, and grain boundaries of a second magnetic layer at the ferromagnetic-metal layer side includes at least one oxide selected from Si, Ti, Nb, and Ta in which Cr oxide is less than the first magnetic layer. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090046394 | Sensor shape and etching process of CPP magnetic head for reduce property degradation - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent a head characteristic from being deteriorated by re-deposition or damage which occurs when a sensor film is etched, a track width is narrowed, and the head characteristic is stabilized. According to one embodiment, when it is assumed that the thickness of the sensor film on an air bearing surface is T, and a distance between an end of a medium layer that is interposed between a free layer and a pinned layer which comprise the sensor film and an end of the sensor film lowest portion, a relationship of 1.2×T≦x≦2.5×T is satisfied, and the ends of a pair of magnetic films which are in contact with both sides in the track-width direction through an insulator do not exist in the track central portion from the free layer end. The sensor film is etched while an incident angle of an etching beam is changed over, and when it is assumed that a direction normal to the sensor film surface is the incident angle of 0, etching is conducted under the condition where the incident angle of the etching beam becomes smaller with time. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090046385 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH AMPLITUDE-TYPE SERVO FIELDS HAVING PATTERNED ALTERNATING-POLARITY SERVO ISLANDS FOR READ/WRITE HEAD POSITIONING - A magnetic recording disk drive has a disk with pre-patterned nondata servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks for use in positioning the read/write heads on the data tracks. The servo sectors include a synchronization pattern of generally radially directed magnetized marks, a first field of generally radially directed magnetized stripes, and a second field of generally radially directed magnetized stripes. Each stripe in each of the two fields comprises a plurality of radially spaced discrete islands, each island having a radial height of approximately Tp, where Tp is the spacing of the track centerlines in the radial direction. In the first field, the islands are centered at a track centerline, and in the second field the islands are centered at the midline between two adjacent track centerlines. The marks and islands are discrete magnetized regions separated by nonmagnetic spaces. The marks in the synchronization pattern and the stripes in the two fields have alternating polarity of magnetizations in the along-the-track direction. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090045534 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR MEMBRANE, PAD, AND STAMPER ARCHITECTURE FOR UNIFORM BASE LAYER AND NANOIMPRINTING PRESSURE - A nanoimprinting system incorporates a patterned media contact architecture to provide a uniform imprinting pressure across the target imprinting area on a disk substrate. The system leverages the unique disk substrate characteristic of an inner diameter hole by incorporating a membrane suspension, gel-pad buffering, and air cushion loading that exploits the inner diameter hole characteristics of the disk substrate. This design dramatically increases the uniformity of the pressing pressure across the target imprinting area. As a result, a simple and effective improvement of the quality of the patterns imprinted on the recording disk substrate is realized. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090040659 | Disk drive device and method for removing adhesion on a head - Embodiments of the present invention help to effectively remove adhesion on a head slider. In an embodiment of the present invention, a hard disk controller/multiprocessing unit (HDC/MPU) raises the temperature on the surface of a head slider with a heating element on the head slider to remove adhesion on the head slider while an actuator stays on a ramp. The HDC/MPU varies the amount of heat in accordance with the temperature sensed by a temperature sensor. This achieves removal of the adhesion on the head slider, maintaining reliability. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090040652 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK AND DISK DRIVE WITH PATTERNED PHASE-TYPE SERVO FIELDS FOR READ/WRITE HEAD POSITIONING - A magnetic recording disk drive uses a disk having pre-patterned servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks. The servo sectors include at least two position error signal (PES) bursts or fields. The phases of the PES fields in the servo readback signal are demodulated to generate a PES to control the disk drive actuator for positioning the read/write heads. Each field contains generally radially directed magnetized stripes, with each stripe comprising a plurality of islands forming a zigzag pattern. The stripes have alternating polarity of magnetizations in the along-the-track direction. In one implementation there are four fields: a first pair of fields A and B wherein the zigzag pattern of the radial stripes in field A is the mirror image about a radial line of the zigzag pattern of the radial stripes in field B, and a second like pair of fields C and D, but wherein the radial stripes in fields C and D are shifted radially by one-half the island radial height from the radial stripes in fields A and B. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090040646 | Thermally assisted recording system - A thermally assisted magnetic recording system is provided to achieve excellent thermal resistance and low noise. In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium is used, in which the magnetic intergrain exchange coupling is large to let the magnetization be thermally stable by coupling the magnetic grains constituting the recording layer at room temperature (the temperature maintaining the magnetization) and reduced by heating during recording to let the recording magnetization transition slope become steep. Parameter A normalizing the slope around the coercivity of the MH-loop of the medium is 1.5≦A<6.0 at room temperature, and it becomes approximately 1.0 with heating. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090029191 | METHOD FOR MAKING A MASTER DISK FOR NANOIMPRINTING PATTERNED MAGNETIC RECORDING DISKS, MASTER DISK MADE BY THE METHOD, AND DISK IMPRINTED BY THE MASTER DISK - A method for making a master disk to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks uses sidewall lithography. In one implementation, the master disk substrate has a first pattern of concentric rings formed on it by sidewall lithography, followed by a second pattern of generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines, also formed by sidewall lithography, with the pairs of parallel lines intersecting the rings. An etching process is then performed, using the upper pattern as an etch mask, to remove unprotected portions of the underlying concentric rings. This leaves a pattern of pillars on the substrate, which then serve as an etch mask for an etching process that etches unprotected portions of the master disk substrate. The resulting master disk then has pillars of substrate material arranged in a pattern of concentric rings and generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090027813 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH CoFeGe FERROMAGNETIC LAYERS - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Ge in the sensor's free layer and/or pinned layer. The sensor may be a simple pinned structure, in which case the pinned layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. Alternatively, the sensor may have an AP-pinned layer structure, in which case the AP2 layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. The Ge-containing alloy comprises Co, Fe and Ge, wherein Ge is present in the alloy in an amount between about 20 and 40 atomic percent, and wherein the ratio of Co to Fe in the alloy is between about 0.8 and 1.2. More particularly, the CoFeGe alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Ge according to the formula (Co | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090021863 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH TRAILING SHIELD HAVING THROAT HEIGHT DEFINED BY ELECTROPLATED NONMAGNETIC PAD LAYER AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE HEAD - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a magnetic write pole (WP) and a trailing shield (TS). The TS has a height (TS-HT) and a throat height (TS-TH) in a direction perpendicular to the ABS, with TS-TH being less than TS-HT. Nonmagnetic material is located between the TS and the WP and separates the TS from the WP. The nonmagnetic material includes a gap layer and a nonmagnetic electroplated “bump” or pad between the WP and the TS. The pad has a front edge generally parallel to and recessed from the ABS so that the TS-TH is generally equal to the distance from the ABS to the pad's front edge. An electrical lapping guide (ELG) is formed adjacent to the write head, with the back edge of the ELG being defined in the same process step that defines the location of the recessed front edge of the electroplated pad. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090019208 | Techniques For Implementing Virtual Storage Devices - Some embodiments include a storage device with a storage medium having a memory capacity. The storage device also includes virtual storage device firmware that is configured to directly respond to commands from a guest operating system in a virtual machine for accesses to a subset of the memory capacity of the storage medium when a virtual storage device is enabled. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090015960 | Magnetic disk drive and magnetic disk medium - Embodiments of the invention increase the convenience of a magnetic disk drive for portable use by shortening a period of time required to record a large amount of data, and by increasing the reproduction time, in the magnetic disk drive. In one embodiment, an area between servo data parts is interpolated by servo data parts, each of which stores a burst signal, so that the allocation density of a burst signal is made k times. At the time of write operation in which data is written, only the servo data parts are made use of to perform the servo control while a disk is driven at high rotational speed so as to reduce the recording time. At the time of read operation in which data is reproduced, the servo data parts are made use of to ensure the required precision of the servo control at low rotational speed that is 1/k of the rotational speed at the time of write operation. The reproduction at low rotational speed enables the reduction in power consumption. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090006931 | Techniques For Generating Bit Reliability Information In A Post-Processor Using An Error Correction Constraint - Techniques are provided that generate bit reliabilities for a detected sequence. A detector generates the detected sequence. According to one embodiment, a post-processor finds a first set of combinations of one or more error events in the detected sequence satisfying a complete set or a subset of error correction constraints corresponding to the first bit value, finds a second set of combinations of one or more error events in the detected sequence satisfying a complete set or a subset of error correction constraints corresponding to the second bit value, selects a first most likely combination of one or more events of the first set and a second most likely combination of one or more events of the second set, and generates a bit reliability based on the first and the second most likely values. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090006930 | Techniques For Generating Bit Reliability Information In The Post Processor - A detector generates a detected sequence, and a post processor generates probability values that indicate the likelihood of a plurality of error events in the detected sequence. The post processor partitions the values into first and second subsets. The post processor selects a first most likely value from the first subset of the values and a second most likely value from the second subset of the values. The post processor generates a bit reliability based on the first and the second most likely values. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20080316638 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH HEAD POSITIONING SERVO CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISK SURFACES WITH IDENTICAL SERVO PATTERNS - A magnetic recording disk drive has disks with identical pre-patterned servo patterns on their front and back surfaces and a servo control system for positioning the read/write heads using the servo signals from the identical servo patterns. The servo sectors on the two disk surfaces form identical patterns of angularly spaced arcuate-shaped lines that extend generally radially across the data tracks. The arcuate-shaped lines on one surface, the front surface, generally replicate the path of the recording head as it is moved across the data tracks by a rotary actuator, so that there is a constant sampling rate of the servo sectors on the front surface regardless of radial position of the head. However, the arcuate-shaped lines on the other surface, the back surface, do not replicate the path of the recording head so the servo sampling rate is not constant but varies with radial position of the head. The disk drive servo control system implements a method to enable track seeking from one data track to another data track, regardless of whether the initial disk surface and the destination disk surface are front or back surfaces. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20080304308 | UNIPOLAR RESISTANCE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RRAM) DEVICE AND VERTICALLY STACKED ARCHITECTURE - One embodiment of the present invention includes a low-cost unipolar rewritable variable-resistance memory device, made of cross-point arrays of memory cells, vertically stacked on top of one another and compatible with a polycrystalline silicon diode. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20080304173 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH PATTERNED MEDIA AND SYSTEM FOR CLOCKING WRITE DATA - A system and method accurately clocks write data to the discrete data blocks in a patterned media disk drive. The precise time intervals between successive timing marks in the data tracks are measured by a timing mark detector that counts the integer number of write clock cycles between successive timing marks and the fractional part of a write clock cycle by detecting the phase difference between a timing mark and a reference signal. The resulting timing error is output to a write clock compensator. The write clock is capable of generating equally spaced primary phases and phases intermediate the primary phases. The compensator includes a phase rotator that controls which write clock phase is selected for output. The value in a phase register of the compensator is used to control the phase rotator to advance or retard the write clock phase, and thus to adjust its frequency and phase so as to be synchronized for writing to the data blocks. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20080297942 | Drive unit - Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a drive unit that is capable of satisfactorily performing the positioning control with disturbance components included in a position error signal being effectively controlled. According to one embodiment, an error signal generator of a drive unit generates a position error signal (PES) on the basis of servo data read out from a magnetic disk. On the assumption that a frequency of a periodic variation component included in the PES is a target frequency, if a target frequency deviates from an effective frequency range of a digital filter, a downsampler down-samples the PES, and then supplies the PES to the digital filter so that the effective frequency range is shifted. As a result, within the shifted effective frequency range, a setting changing unit can control a setting frequency of the digital filter so that the setting frequency follows the target frequency. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce a signal component of the target frequency (a periodic variation component included in the PES). | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080292907 | PATTERNED PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM WITH EXCHANGE COUPLED RECORDING LAYER STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM USING THE MEDIUM - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium has discrete magnetic islands, each of which has a recording layer (RL) structure that comprises two exchange-coupled ferromagnetic layers. The RL structure may be an “exchange-spring” RL structure with an upper ferromagnetic layer (MAG | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080278855 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH TRAILING SHIELD HAVING NOTCH AND THROAT HEIGHT DEFINED BY NONMAGNETIC PAD LAYER - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head supported on an air-bearing slider has a magnetic write pole (WP) with a WP end at the air-bearing surface (ABS) having a width generally equal to the data track width and a trailing shield (TS) with a TS end generally coplanar with the WP end. The TS has a first portion with a width at the TS end substantially wider than the width of the WP end and a TS notch (TSN) portion with a width at the TS end generally equal to the width of the WP end. The TS first portion has a height in a direction perpendicular to the ABS, and the TSN portion has a throat height (TH) in a direction perpendicular to the ABS that is less than the height of the TS first portion. A nonmagnetic gap layer separates the WP from the TSN portion and a nonmagnetic pad layer separates the WP from the TS first portion. The pad layer has a front edge generally parallel to and recessed from the ABS that defines the TH of the TSN portion, and a thickness that defines the length of the TSN portion in the along-the-track direction. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080276448 | METHOD FOR DEFINING THE TRAILING SHIELD THROAT HEIGHT IN A PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD - A method of forming a perpendicular magnetic recording write head having a trailing shield (TS) with a precisely defined throat height (TH) on an air-bearing slider includes depositing an electrical lapping guide (ELG) layer on the substrate adjacent to and spaced from the write pole (WP) layer. A nonmagnetic TS pad layer is deposited on both the gap layer and the ELG layer, with the TS pad layer patterned to have a front edge extending across the both the ELG layer and the gap layer and recessed from the line where the substrate will be later cut to form the slider. An ELG protection layer is patterned on the ELG layer, the TS pad layer material is removed from the ELG layer in the region recessed from the TS pad layer front edge, and the ELG layer is removed in regions not covered by the ELG protection layer. The ELG protection layer is then removed, leaving the ELG layer having a back edge collinear with the TS pad layer front edge so that the TS TH is precisely defined during subsequent lapping of the slider. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080274381 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM WITH PATTERNED MAGNETIC ISLANDS AND NONMAGNETIC TRENCHES AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SUPPRESSING SURFACE DIFFUSION OF TRENCH MATERIAL - A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium of the type that has spaced-apart pillars with magnetic material on their ends and with trenches between the pillars that are nonmagnetic regions is made with a method that allows use of a pre-etched substrate. A nonmagnetic capping layer is located in the trenches above the nonmagnetic regions. The substrate has diffusion material in the trenches that when heated will diffuse into the magnetic recording layer material and chemically react with it. The pillars are formed of material that will not diffuse into the recording layer. The recording layer is formed over the entire substrate and a nonmagnetic capping layer that is not chemically reactive with the diffusion material is formed over the recording layer in the trenches. The substrate is annealed to cause the recording layer material in the trenches and the material in the substrate to diffuse into one another and chemically react to render the trenches nonmagnetic. The capping layer suppresses the diffusion of material from the substrate to the surface in the trenches and thus prevents migration of diffusion material to the recording layer material on the ends of the pillars. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080273268 | PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING WRITE HEAD WITH COPLANAR MAIN POLE AND RETURN POLES AND MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM - A perpendicular magnetic recording write head has a main pole and return poles that are substantially coplanar. The write head includes a main pole, two return poles and a connecting stud that are all formed as a single layer in a single deposition and patterning step. The coplanar main and return poles lie in a plane parallel to the cross-track direction. The two return poles are thus spaced from the main pole in the cross-track direction. The main pole includes a write pole connected to it but lying in a plane spaced in the along-the-track direction from the plane of the main pole. The write head includes a helical coil wrapped around the main pole. The magnetic flux path is from the write pole to the disk recording layer in a data track aligned with the write pole, to the disk underlayer beneath the recording layer, through the underlayer to data tracks spaced cross-track from the data track aligned with the write pole, and back through the return poles. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080266701 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH IDENTICAL SERVO PATTERNS FORMED ON EACH DISK SURFACE BY SINGLE MASTER TEMPLATE AND DISK DRIVE USING THE DISK - A magnetic recording disk in a disk drive has identical pre-patterned servo patterns on its front and back surfaces. The servo patterns on each disk surface are pre-patterned with a single master template, resulting in the identical pattern on each disk surface. The servo sectors on the two disk surfaces can form identical patterns of angularly spaced arcuate-shaped lines or straight lines that extend radially across the data tracks. However, because the lines on at least one of the disk surfaces do not replicate the path of the recording head, the sampling rate of the servo sectors on that surface is not constant but varies with radial position of the head. To accommodate this, the disk drive's servo control system calculates a timing adjustment from an estimate of the radial position of the head and uses this timing adjustment to adjust the time to open a time window to allow detection of the servo sectors. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080259487 | Media drive, processing method for recording data onto a medium, processing method for data read from a medium, and method for controlling a process for reading data from a medium - Embodiments of the invention control a recovery procedure effectively in accordance with write conditions. In one embodiment, the data to be written into a sector includes not only user data but also recording condition data, which indicates the temperature prevalent during a write. If a data read is not accurately performed, a recovery procedure is executed. If a data read is accomplished by a retry and the temperature prevalent during a write is lower than predetermined, it is concluded that the employed medium is nondefective. Thus, the read data is rewritten into the same sector without being stored in a spare area. This prevents the spare area from being unnecessarily consumed. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080247079 | Disk drive and control method thereof - Embodiments in accordance with the present invention reduce the number of errors caused by the aged deterioration of a heater for adjusting the clearance between a head and a disk. According to one embodiment, a thermal fly height control (TFC) controller executes the measurement of a resistance value of a heater in a predetermined timing. The TFC controller judges whether or not the measured resistance value falls within a predetermined reference range. If the measured resistance value falls within the reference range, the processing ends without performing any other processing. If the measured resistance value goes out of the reference range, the TFC controller executes error handling processing in response to a resistance failure. As one of the error handling processing, the TFC controller notifies the host that the abnormality (resistance failure) has been detected in the resistance value of the TFC heater. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080239585 | CPP-type magnetoresistive effect head and method of manufacturing the same - Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent a reduction in the bias magnetic field of a current perpendicular to the plane-type (CPP-type) magnetoresistive effect head, thus suppressing a reduction in read output. According to one embodiment, a CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film is formed on top of a lower magnetic shield. A refill insulation film and a magnetic domain control layer are formed on both sides of an intermediate layer and a free layer of the CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film. A side wall protection film is formed on a side wall of the refill insulation film and on top of the free layer so as to define the height of the magnetic domain control layer. To increase the film thickness of the magnetic domain control layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film are higher than the top surface of the free layer. A magnetic shield underlayer film is formed on the top surfaces of the free layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film and an upper magnetic shield layer is formed on the magnetic shield underlayer film. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080239578 | Magnetic disk drive, wiring connection structure and terminal structure
- Terminals of a flexible printed circuit board and terminals of a wiring trace in a head suspension assembly are to be connected with each other by soldering without causing a soldering defect. In an embodiment, a terminal structure of a multi-connector in a wiring trace which includes an insulating layer and a conductor pattern portion formed on a surface of the insulating layer is provided with exposed portions of terminals exposed from apertures formed in part of the insulating layer and is also provided with lining portions adjacent to the exposed portions in a longitudinal direction of the conductor pattern portion and bonded to the insulating layer. Even if terminals of the multi-connector are cracked when soldered, not only conductivity is ensured, but also it is possible to strengthen the terminals, because the lining portions of the terminals are bonded to the insulating layer. | 10-02-2008 |
