US2019189153A1PendingUtilityA1

Slider gas-bearing surface designs with leading-edge pockets

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Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECH INCPriority: Dec 18, 2017Filed: Dec 18, 2017Published: Jun 20, 2019
Est. expiryDec 18, 2037(~11.4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Yong HuWeidong Huang
G11B 5/6082G11B 33/148G11B 21/21G11B 5/1871
49
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Claims

Abstract

Disclosed herein are sliders that include at least one leading-edge pocket, data storage devices comprising such sliders, and methods of manufacturing such sliders. The at least one leading-edge pocket increases the amount of gas flowing into the leading edge area of the ABS, which can improve the performance of the slider in low-pressure environments, such as sealed helium data storage devices. The at least one leading-edge pocket can have a variety of shapes, sizes, and features to achieve the desired slider performance (e.g., fly height, stability, etc.) in low-pressure environments.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
We claim: 
     
         1 . A slider for a data storage device, the slider comprising:
 a first side-edge surface;   a second side-edge surface;   a leading-edge surface extending between a front edge of the first side-edge surface and a front edge of the second side-edge surface;   a back-edge surface;   an air-bearing surface (ABS) having at least a first level, a second level, and a third level, wherein, when the ABS is oriented upward, the first level is above the second level, and the second level is above the third level, and the third level is above the back-edge surface; and   at least one leading-edge pocket in the leading edge surface, the at least one leading-edge pocket not intersecting either the first side-edge surface or the second side-edge surface, wherein, when the ABS is oriented upward, a depth of the at least one leading-edge pocket is at or below the third level.   
     
     
         2 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first level and the third level is between approximately 0.35 μm and 5.2 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein a width of the at least one leading-edge pocket is between approximately 1 μm and 300 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the leading-edge surface and the trailing-edge surface and parallel to the first side-edge surface has at least one right angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         5 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the leading-edge surface and the trailing-edge surface and parallel to the first side-edge surface has a shape of an oblique angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         6 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the leading-edge surface and the trailing-edge surface and parallel to the first side-edge surface has a shape of an acute angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         7 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the leading-edge surface and the trailing-edge surface and parallel to the first side-edge surface has a shape of an arc where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         8 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the leading-edge surface and the trailing-edge surface and parallel to the first side-edge surface has an irregular shape where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         9 . The slider recited in  claim 8 , wherein the irregular shape includes at least one protrusion or at least one cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one leading-edge pocket comprises a first leading-edge pocket and a second leading-edge pocket, and wherein a midpoint of a width of the first leading-edge pocket is a first distance from the first side-edge surface, and a midpoint of a width of the second leading-edge pocket is a second distance from the second side-edge surface, wherein the first distance is substantially equal to the second distance. 
     
     
         11 . The slider recited in  claim 10 , wherein the width of the first leading-edge pocket is between approximately 1 μm and 300 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one leading-edge pocket comprises a first leading-edge pocket and a second leading-edge pocket, and wherein a width of the first leading-edge pocket is substantially equal to a width of the second leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The slider recited in  claim 12 , wherein the width of the first leading-edge pocket is between approximately 1 μm and 300 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface has a shape of a portion of a rectangle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         15 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface has a shape of a portion of a trapezoid where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         16 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface includes a right angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         17 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface includes an oblique angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         18 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface includes an acute angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         19 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface includes a protrusion where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         20 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross-section of the slider intersecting the at least one leading-edge pocket and taken between the first side-edge surface and the second side-edge surface and parallel to the leading-edge surface comprises an arc or a curve where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         21 . A method to fabricate the slider recited in  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 ion milling to create the at least one leading-edge pocket.   
     
     
         22 . A method to fabricate the slider recited in  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 using an additive manufacturing technique to create the at least one leading-edge pocket.   
     
     
         23 . A data storage device comprising the slider recited in  claim 1 .

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