Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090061735 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IN-SITU RECORDING HEAD BURNISHING - Systems and methods are provided for burnishing a recording head in-situ in a magnetic recording disk drive. The burnishing process generates a tribocurrent, which is electricity generated by the rubbing of dissimilar materials. Different materials exhibit widely different tribocurrent characteristics while in sliding contact. The tribocurrent thus acts as an indicator of the particular materials of the recording head making contact with the magnetic recording media during different stages of the burnishing process. The tribocurrent is thus monitored to determine when it reaches a threshold value. The threshold value indicates that the burnishing has exposed a particular material of the recording head. Thus, the burnishing process may be stopped upon the tribocurrent reaching the threshold value so that the read sensor of the recording head is not burnished and inadvertently damaged. | 03-05-2009 |
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 |
20090130490 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR THE SELECTION OF PERPENDICULAR MEDIA SEGREGANT MATERIALS - A method for improving magnetic grain segregation in perpendicular recording media includes providing a substrate comprising a rigid support structure, depositing a soft underlayer on top of the substrate depositing an intermediate layer on top of the soft underlayer, providing a plurality of prospective segregants, determining the surface energies and the heat of formation of the prospective segregants and selecting the prospective segregant with a low surface energy and a high heat of formation. The method also includes providing at least one layer with surface energies progressively increasing to minimize the difference between the surface energy of a carbon overcoat and the segregant. | 05-21-2009 |
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 |
20090165539 | GLIDE TEST HEADS USING HEATING ELEMENTS TO FORM A PLANAR DETECTION SURFACE - Glide test systems and associated methods are described. A glide test system includes a glide test head that is flown over the surface of a recording disk to detect asperities on the recording disk. The glide test head includes a detection pad on the trailing end of the head. Heating elements are fabricated proximate to the detection pad. The heating elements are independently controllable to control the amount of protrusion of different regions of the detection pad. The heating elements thus provide a way to substantially flatten the detection surface of the detection pad, and compensate for an uneven topography on a detection surface. | 07-02-2009 |
20090244769 | Scheme to protect media and head against corrosion/oxidation in a hard disk drive - Oxygen scavenger for use in a hard disk drive. The oxygen scavenger removes oxygen from an interior of a hard disk drive to prevent corrosion of corrodible materials in magnetic media or magnetic heads. The oxygen scavenger is incorporated into a film so that it uses a limited physical space within an interior of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive is either permeable to the outside environment or sealed so that gases from the outside environment are unable to enter the interior of the hard disk drive. | 10-01-2009 |
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 |
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 |
20100103557 | Lubricant with non-terminal functional groups - Lubricant with non-terminal functional groups. The location of the functional groups minimizes free chain length and molecular weight of a lubricant while simultaneously maximizing evaporation temperature. The locations of the functional groups to the backbone of the molecule of the lubricant allows for shorter lengths of free backbone length between functional groups attached to a lubricated surface. The lubricant lubricates mechanical devices including hard disk drives. | 04-29-2010 |
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 |
20100233940 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR POLISHING A MAGNETIC DISK - A polishing system and associated methods are described for polishing a magnetic disk used in a disk drive system. The polishing system includes a polishing film that is used to polish the magnetic disk. The polishing system also includes an actuator operable to move the polishing film across a surface of the magnetic disk to polish the magnetic disk. The polishing system also includes a pad having at least one protrusion extending from a surface of the pad. The protrusion is configured to contact the polishing film and press the polishing film against the magnetic disk. The protrusion is operable to compress to about the surface of the pad when in contact with the polishing film. Once polishing is complete, the pad retracts from the polishing film and the protrusion extends from the pad, reducing the adhesion force between the pad and the polishing film. | 09-16-2010 |
20100266754 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING A MAGNETIC DISK - A system and associated methods are described for preparing a magnetic disk for installation within a disk drive system. For example, a polyfunctional lubricant may be mixed with a chemical agent to esterify the polyfunctional lubricant and cap hydroxyl groups of the polyfunctional lubricant. The magnetic disk may then be dip coated with the polyfunctional lubricant and chemical agent mixture. A polishing system then polishes the magnetic disk via an abrasive polishing tape after dip coating the magnetic disk. A portion of the chemical agent is then removed from the magnetic disk to bond a portion of the lubricant to the magnetic disk to prevent the lubricant from interfering with a read/write head when installed within a disk drive system. | 10-21-2010 |
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 |
20110157739 | NEGATIVE BIASING A SLIDER WITH RESPECT TO A DISK TO REDUCE SLIDER WEAR AND PROVIDE BURNISH RATE CONTROL - In a method for negatively biasing a slider with respect to a disk to reduce slider wear and provide burnish rate control a negative bias voltage is generated between the slider and the disk surface respectively, the negative bias voltage causing slider/disk contact wear to occur on the disk instead of on the slider. | 06-30-2011 |
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 |
20120222276 | METHOD FOR LUBED TAPE BURNISH FOR PRODUCING THIN LUBE MEDIA - A method of processing media comprises bonding a high molecular weight first lubricant to media; loading and rotating the media in a burnishing device; applying a tape to the rotating media while applying a second lubricant to the tape, such that at least some of the second lubricant is transferred from the tape to the media; and evaporating substantially all of the second lubricant from the polished media within 24 hours. The second lubricant may comprise a low molecular weight, non-functional, free lubricant that does not bond with the media. | 09-06-2012 |
20120282491 | FLUORINATED POLYTETRAMETHYLENE GLYCOL (PTMG) WITH DIEPOXIDE ENDGROUPS AS MAGNETIC LUBRICANTS - 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. | 11-08-2012 |
20130044387 | MEASURING VARIATIONS IN HEAD-DISK CLEARANCE IN A HARD DISK DRIVE - Methods and systems for measuring variations in head-disk clearance in a hard disk drive. User generated data is randomly selected at a controller of the hard disk drive wherein the user generated data is stored on a disk associated with the hard disk drive. A reference point associated with the user generated data is stored on a storage medium associated with the hard disk drive. The user generated data is read at the controller. The user generated data is analyzed with the reference point using more than two frequencies, at the controller, to obtain a variation in measurement of the head-disk clearance. | 02-21-2013 |
20130044393 | MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICE WITH DYNAMIC HUMIDITY CONTROL SYSTEM TO MITIGATE WATER VAPOR TRANSIENTS - Approaches for desiccant device within an enclosure protecting sensitive electronic equipment. Electronic equipment, such as a hard-disk drive (HDD), may comprise a desiccant device that possesses a water vapor permeability rate that matches or is substantially similar to the water vapor permeability rate of the enclosure. In this way, desiccant devices may prevent the desiccant material enclosed within from releasing large amounts of humidity into the interior of the electronic equipment. | 02-21-2013 |
20130078890 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED CLEANING AND POLISHING OF MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK - Cleaning or polishing magnetic recording media (MRM) may comprise mounting and rotating the MRM on a spindle; circulating a tape adjacent to a surface of the MRM; and applying an electrostatic (ES) voltage to the tape and attracting particles located on the MRM to the tape. The ES voltage may apply an ES load to the tape to force the tape into contact with the surface of the MRM. No mechanical load may be applied to the tape to force the tape into contact with the surface of the MRM. Additionally, a mechanical load may be applied to the tape to force the tape into contact with the surface of the MRM. | 03-28-2013 |
20130094109 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANTICORROSION OVERCOAT - A magnetic media disk has a substrate; a recording magnetic media on the substrate; and an overcoat on the recording magnetic media, the overcoat comprising a Si-based layer on the recording magnetic media, and a Ti-based layer on the Si-based layer. | 04-18-2013 |
20130146562 | DATA STORAGE MEDIUM SURFACE SMOOTHING METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS - A method for smoothing a medium includes depositing a magnetic layer onto a base, depositing an overcoat layer onto an outer surface of the magnetic layer, and burnishing an outer surface of the overcoat layer. Further, the method includes at least one of (i) directing a first ion beam comprised of first energetic ions toward the outer surface of the magnetic layer at a first shallow grazing angle and smoothing the outer surface of the magnetic layer via etching engagement between the first ion beam and the outer surface of the magnetic layer; and (ii) directing a second ion beam comprised of second energetic ions toward the outer surface of the overcoat layer at a second shallow grazing angle and smoothing the outer surface of the overcoat layer via etching engagement between the second angled ion beam and the outer surface of the overcoat layer. | 06-13-2013 |
20130149558 | MAGNETIC MEDIA HAVING ULTRA THIN BONDED LUBRICATION LAYER - A method for manufacturing a magnetic media having an extremely thin lubricant layer on a magnetic media. The thin lubricant layer decreases magnetic spacing to maximize magnetic performance of the magnetic data recording system. The lubricant layer is formed by first depositing a lubricant that includes two different lubricant materials, one bonded and the other non-bonded. After lubricant deposition a burnishing process can be performed, with the lubricant being thick enough for effective burnishing. Then, the disk is exposed to a solvent vapor, which removes most of the lubricant leaving only a very thin layer of the bonded lubricant material. | 06-13-2013 |
20130161181 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK WITH IMPROVED YIELD - A method for manufacturing a magnetic media for magnetic data recording that greatly reduces the time required to manufacture the magnetic media. After constructing the magnetic disk with the desired magnetic media layer, a protective overcoat is deposited on the disk. The disk is then exposed to ozone in order to speed the rate of oxidation of the protective overcoat and thereby reduce the time needed to treat the overcoat. After exposing the overcoat to an ozone a lubrication layer can be applied. This process reduces the time necessary to cure the overcoat from a time of about 24 hours to a time range of 10 seconds to 30 minutes. | 06-27-2013 |
20130194693 | MAGNETIC MEDIA AND MAGNETIC RECORDING DEVICES USING FLUORINE COMPOUNDS - According to one embodiment, a lubricant includes a perfluoropolyether having a chemical structure of | 08-01-2013 |
20130237131 | System, Method and Apparatus for Polishing Workpieces - A method of polishing workpieces includes final tape polishing (FTP) a media disk by rotating the media disk; applying a liquid that is substantially pure to the media disk adjacent to an FTP tape; applying the FTP tape to the media disk at a pad load to polish the media disk, such that the liquid acts as a transient lubricant between the media disk and the FTP tape; and completing FTP. The FTP process is completely independent of the final disk lubricant, such that the final disk lubricant may be applied before or after FTP. | 09-12-2013 |
20130266822 | LUBRICANT WITH NON-TERMINAL FUNCTIONAL GROUPS - Lubricant with non-terminal functional groups. The location of the functional groups minimizes free chain length and molecular weight of a lubricant while simultaneously maximizing evaporation temperature. The locations of the functional groups to the backbone of the molecule of the lubricant allows for shorter lengths of free backbone length between functional groups attached to a lubricated surface. The lubricant lubricates mechanical devices including hard disk drives. The lubricant can also be added to media or other mechanical parts in conjunction with other lubricants. | 10-10-2013 |
20130293979 | 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. | 11-07-2013 |
20130301157 | CORROSION-RESISTANT BIT PATTERNED MEDIA (BPM) AND DISCRETE TRACK MEDIA (DTM) AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION THEREOF - In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer including a magnetic material characterized by having convex and concave portions, the convex portions acting as magnetic regions, a nonmagnetic material positioned within each concave portion of the magnetic material which act as nonmagnetic regions that separate the magnetic regions, an organic material layer which exhibits a corrosion-inhibiting characteristic with respect to cobalt or cobalt alloy positioned on a nonmagnetic region side of each concave portion, and an oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer positioned adjacent the organic material layer on a magnetic region side of each concave portion of the magnetic material. In another embodiment, the magnetic recording medium may be a patterned recording layer having a protective film, and the oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer may be positioned at least in defect portions of the protective film. | 11-14-2013 |
20130317257 | 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. | 11-28-2013 |
20140139945 | DYNAMIC FLY HEIGHT CONTROL THAT IS INSENSITIVE TO OFF-TRACK MOTION - A data storage device and method for enabling dynamic fly height control which is insensitive to off-track motions is described. In some embodiments, a hard disk drive acquires signal data from neighboring overlapping tracks which are unwritten, thermally erased, or AC demagnetized. Side-to-side (off-track) positional errors or oscillations of the read head do not affect the signal which arises solely from the magnetic domains on the disk. Thus, signal variations may only arise from changes in the fly height. In other embodiments, neighboring overlapping data tracks are prewritten with reference data. The width of the neighboring overlapping tracks exceeds any expected side-to-side positional errors of the read head, thus signal variations may only arise from changes in the fly height. For all embodiments, the noise or reference data signal may serve as a reliable dynamic measure of the fly height with no effects arising from off-track motions. | 05-22-2014 |
20140199501 | METHODS OF PRODUCTION FOR CORROSION-RESISTANT BIT PATTERNED MEDIA (BPM) AND DISCRETE TRACK MEDIA (DTM) - A method for producing a magnetic recording medium in one embodiment includes forming a magnetic material layer above a substrate, transferring an uneven pattern to the magnetic material layer to form concave portions and convex portions, the convex portions being magnetic regions, depositing a nonmagnetic material above the concave portions to form nonmagnetic regions, forming an oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer above the magnetic regions of the recording layer, and forming an organic material layer which exhibits a corrosion-inhibiting characteristic with respect to cobalt or cobalt alloy above the oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer. | 07-17-2014 |
20140231385 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MAGNETIC MEDIA HAVING ULTRA THIN BONDED LUBRICATION LAYER - A method for manufacturing a magnetic media having an extremely thin lubricant layer on a magnetic media. The thin lubricant layer decreases magnetic spacing to maximize magnetic performance of the magnetic data recording system. The lubricant layer is formed by first depositing a lubricant that includes two different lubricant materials, one bonded and the other non-bonded. After lubricant deposition a burnishing process can be performed, with the lubricant being thick enough for effective burnishing. Then, the disk is exposed to a solvent vapor, which removes most of the lubricant leaving only a very thin layer of the bonded lubricant material. | 08-21-2014 |