Slider gas-bearing surface designs with leading-edge pockets

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.

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, in an orientation in which 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, in an orientation in which the ABS is oriented upward, a depth of the at least one leading-edge pocket is at or below the third level,   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 obtuse angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket.   
     
     
         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 approximately 5.2 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first level and the third level is greater than about 2.5 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The slider recited in  claim 1 , wherein a width of the at least one leading-edge pocket is between approximately 1 μm and approximately 300 μm. 
     
     
         5 . 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. 
     
     
         6 . The slider recited in  claim 5 , wherein the first and second leading-edge pockets are substantially identical. 
     
     
         7 . 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. 
     
     
         8 . The slider recited in  claim 7 , wherein the width of the first leading-edge pocket is between approximately 1 μm and 300 μm. 
     
     
         9 . 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, wherein the first and second leading-edge pockets are substantially identical, and wherein a distance between the first level and the third level is greater than about 2.5 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The slider recited in  claim 9 , wherein a width of each of the first and second leading-edge pockets is between 100 μm and 300 μm. 
     
     
         11 . 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 or a portion of a trapezoid where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         12 . The slider recited in  claim 11 , wherein a distance between the first level and the third level is greater than about 2.5 μm. 
     
     
         13 . 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. 
     
     
         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 includes an obtuse angle or an acute angle where the cross-section intersects the at least one leading-edge pocket. 
     
     
         15 . A data storage device comprising the slider recited in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A slider for a data storage device, the slider comprising:
 an air-bearing surface (ABS);   a leading-edge surface; and   at least one leading-edge pocket in the leading-edge surface, wherein, in an orientation of the slider in which the ABS is oriented upward, the at least one leading-edge pocket has at least one surface that is neither horizontal nor vertical.   
     
     
         17 . The slider recited in  claim 16 , wherein the at least one surface that is neither horizontal nor vertical is a surface that, in operation, opposes a direction of a flow of gas. 
     
     
         18 . The slider recited in  claim 16 , wherein the at least one leading-edge pocket comprises a first pocket and a second pocket, and wherein the first and second pockets are substantially identical. 
     
     
         19 . The slider recited in  claim 16 , wherein a depth of the at least one leading-edge pocket relative to a highest level of the ABS is greater than about 2.5 μm. 
     
     
         20 . A data storage device comprising the slider recited in  claim 16 .