Head, head suspension assembly, and disk device provided with the same

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a slider of a magnetic head is provided with a negative-pressure cavity formed in a facing surface, a leading step portion situated on the upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity, a pair of side portions opposed to each other, a trailing step portion situated on the outlet end side of the negative-pressure cavity, and a pair of embossed portions formed on the facing surface so as to project from the negative-pressure cavity and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to an airflow. The embossed portions individually extend along a second direction so as to be situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion and are formed so as to be lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with an outlet-side end surface of the slider.

1 . A head comprising:
 a slider comprising a facing surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium, an inlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface, and an outlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface and is caused to fly by an airflow produced between the recording medium surface and the facing surface as the recording medium rotates; and   a head portion provided on the slider and configured to record information to the recording medium and to reproduce the information from the recording medium,   the facing surface of the slider having a first direction along the airflow and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   the slider comprising a negative-pressure cavity defined by a recess formed in the facing surface and configured to produce a negative pressure, a leading step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity and situated on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, a pair of side portions individually formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, extending from the leading step portion toward the outlet end side of the slider in the first direction, and opposed to each other with a space between the pair in the second direction, a trailing step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, situated on an outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, and comprising a top surface opposed to the recording medium, and a pair of embossed portions formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, the embossed portions individually extending in the second direction and being situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion with respect to the second direction, the embossed portions being lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with the outlet-side end surface of the slider.   
   
   
       2 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein a width of each embossed portion is defined by an upstream end and the outlet-side end surface along the first direction. 
   
   
       3 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of embossed portions continuously extend together in the second direction. 
   
   
       4 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises a pair of skirt portions formed on the facing surface and extending individually from the side portions toward the embossed portions in the first direction. 
   
   
       5 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is a femto slider having a length of 0.85 mm in the first direction and a width of 0.7 mm in the second direction, a depth of the trailing step portion ranges from 50 nm to 250 nm, and a depth of each embossed portion ranges from 250 nm to 800 nm. 
   
   
       6 . A head suspension assembly used in a disk device comprising a disk recording medium and a drive section configured to support and rotate the recording medium, the head suspension assembly comprising:
 a head comprising a slider comprising a facing surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium, an inlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface, and an outlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface and is caused to fly by an airflow produced between the recording medium surface and the facing surface as the recording medium rotates, and a head portion, provided on the slider and configured to record information to the recording medium and reproduce the information from the recording medium; and   a head suspension configured to support the head for movement with respect to the recording medium and to apply a head load directed toward the surface of the recording medium to the head,   the facing surface of the slider having a first direction along the airflow and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   the slider comprising a negative-pressure cavity defined by a recess formed in the facing surface and configured to produce a negative pressure, a leading step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, and situated on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, a pair of side portions individually formed on the facing surface projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, extending from the leading step portion toward the outlet end side of the slider in the first direction, and opposed to each other with a space between the pair in the second direction, a trailing step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, situated on an outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, and comprising a top surface opposed to the recording medium, and a pair of embossed portions formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, the embossed portions individually extending in the second direction and being situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion with respect to the second direction, the embossed portions being lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with the outlet-side end surface of the slider.   
   
   
       7 . A disk device comprising:
 a disk recording medium;   a drive section configured to support and rotates the recording medium;   a head comprising a slider, comprising a facing surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium, an inlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface, and an outlet-side end surface extending across the facing surface and is caused to fly by an airflow produced between the recording medium surface and the facing surface as the recording medium rotates, and a head portion provided on the slider and configured to record information to the recording medium and reproduce the information from the recording medium; and   a head suspension configured to support the head for movement with respect to the recording medium and to apply a head load directed toward the surface of the recording medium to the head,   the facing surface of the slider having a first direction along the airflow and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   the slider comprising a negative-pressure cavity defined by a recess formed in the facing surface and configured to produce a negative pressure, a leading step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity and situated on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, a pair of side portions individually formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, extending from the leading step portion toward the outlet end side of the slider in the first direction, and opposed to each other with a space between the pair in the second direction, a trailing step portion formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, situated on an outlet side of the negative-pressure is cavity with respect to the airflow, and comprising a top surface opposed to the recording medium, and a pair of embossed portions which are formed on the facing surface, projecting from the negative-pressure cavity, and provided on the outlet side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, the embossed portions individually extending in the second direction and being situated individually on the opposite sides of the trailing step portion with respect to the second direction, the embossed portions being lower than the trailing step portion with respect to the negative-pressure cavity and flush with the outlet-side end surface of the slider.