Magnetic heads and disk devices equipped with magnetic heads

Abstract

A magnetic head and disk drive device with improved reliability is provided. According to one embodiment, the magnetic head includes: a slider having an air-supporting surface, an inflow end, and an outflow end separated from the inflow end in a first direction; the air-supporting surface includes a plurality of uppermost surfaces that serve as pressure-generating surfaces and a plurality of other surfaces with heights different from the uppermost surfaces; and a head disposed at the outflow end of the slider. The air-supporting surface includes a guide pad having an uppermost surface disposed in a region between a central portion and the inflow end in the first direction; a trailing pad having an uppermost surface disposed adjacent to the outflow end in a region between the central portion and the outflow end; and other uppermost surfaces disposed in a region between a front portion of the trailing pad on the inflow end side and the central portion. The uppermost surface disposed in the region between the front portion of the trailing pad and the outflow end includes only the trailing pad.

Description

[0001] This application enjoys priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-083017 (filed on May 20, 2022). This application incorporates the entire contents of that basic application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to magnetic heads and disk devices equipped with magnetic heads. Background Technology

[0003] As a disk drive, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) has a disk that can be rotated freely and a read / write head for recording and reading data from the disk. The head has a slider (head slider) and a head disposed on the slider. The head is configured to include a playback element for reading and a recording element for writing. The slider has an opposing surface (air support surface: ABS) that faces the surface of the disk.

[0004] During HDD operation, the airflow generated between the rotating disk and the slider creates a force (positive pressure) on the ABS of the slider, causing it to float off the disk surface. By balancing this levitation force with the head load, the slider floats with a certain gap from the disk surface. This gap on the inflow side of the ABS is defined here as the levitation amount, but it is larger than the levitation amount on the outflow side of the ABS. That is, the gap between the ABS and the disk narrows from the inflow end towards the outflow end.

[0005] Additionally, the ABS of the slider has raised and recessed sections to adjust the gap between the head mounted on the outgoing end of the slider and the disk to the desired amount. The uppermost surface of the ABS, which is closest to the disk surface, is the surface that generates positive pressure to produce the buoyancy force. By reducing the distance between this uppermost surface and the disk surface, the generated pressure can be increased, and the gap between the read / write head and the disk surface can be stably maintained.

[0006] In recent years, with the increasing capacity of HDDs, the head lift (gap) has been set even smaller in order to improve recording density.

[0007] While HDDs maintain a high level of cleanliness internally, trace amounts of dust and other contaminants are present. If contaminants adhering to the disk surface penetrate into the gap between the disk surface and the ABS (absorbent polymer) slider, they may become trapped in this gap where the particle size is narrower than the contaminant itself, resulting in scratches on the disk surface. As mentioned above, in recent years, to increase recording density, the head lift has been set to be small. Therefore, even very small contaminants, such as those with a particle size of 60–100 nm, may become trapped in the aforementioned gap, and this possibility needs to be reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head that reduces obstacles caused by contaminants and improves reliability, and a disk drive device equipped with the magnetic head.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the magnetic head includes: a slider having an air-supporting surface, an inflow end, and an outflow end separated from the inflow end in a first direction; the air-supporting surface includes a plurality of uppermost surfaces that respectively constitute a pressure-generating surface and a plurality of other surfaces with heights different from the uppermost surfaces; and a head disposed at the outflow end of the slider for recording and reproducing data. The air-supporting surface includes a negative pressure generating groove formed in the central portion of the first direction and extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a guide pad disposed in the region between the central portion and the inflow end and having the uppermost surface; a trailing pad disposed adjacent to the outflow end in the region between the central portion and the outflow end and having the uppermost surface; and other uppermost surfaces disposed in the region between the front end portion of the trailing pad on the inflow end side and the central portion. The uppermost surface disposed in the region between the front end portion of the trailing pad and the outflow end includes only the trailing pad. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a top view illustrating the internal structure of a hard disk drive (HDD) according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a side view showing the HDD's disk, heads, and suspension in an enlarged manner.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the air support surface (ABS) side of the magnetic head.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a top view showing the air support surface (ABS) side of the magnetic head.

[0014] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the magnetic head of the VV line.

[0015] Figure 6 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the magnetic head along line VI-VI.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a graph showing the relationship between the NG (not good) probability of the magnetic head and the NG (not good) probability of the HDD.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a graph showing the probability of particle intrusion at a position along the length of the ABS.

[0018] Figure 9It is a graph showing the relationship between particle size and the weight of scratches resulting in NG (no good) defects.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a graph showing the relationship between the ratio of region B to region A in the ABS and the probability of head defects.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a graph showing the relationship between the ratio of region B to region C in the ABS and the probability of head defects.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0022] 10…House, 12…Base, 16…Disk, 17…Head, 31…Slider, 33…Head, 40…Air Support Surface (ABS), 42a…Inflow End Face, 42b…Outflow End Face, 42c…Side, 50…Negative Pressure Generating Groove (Deep Groove), 52…Guide Step, 53…Guide Pad, 56…Intermediate Cross Rail, 58…Side Rail, 62…Following Step, 63…Following Pad, 63c…Central Pad, 68…Central Rail. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, the disk device of the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Furthermore, the disclosure is merely one example, and appropriate modifications that can be readily conceived by those skilled in the art to maintain the spirit of the invention are naturally included within the scope of this invention. Additionally, the accompanying drawings, in order to make the explanation clearer, sometimes schematically show the width, thickness, shape, etc., of various parts compared to the actual form, but this is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the invention. Furthermore, in this specification and the various drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as those described above with respect to previously presented figures, and detailed descriptions are sometimes appropriately omitted.

[0025] (Implementation Method)

[0026] As an example of a disk device, a hard disk drive (HDD) according to the embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 1 The internal structure of the HDD in the implementation method is shown.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the HDD includes a housing 10. The housing 10 has a rectangular box-shaped base 12 with an opening on its upper surface and a top cover (not shown) that closes the upper opening of the base 12. The base 12 has a rectangular bottom wall 12a and side walls 12b that rise along the periphery of the bottom wall 12a.

[0028] The housing 10 contains one or more magnetic disks 16 as recording media and a spindle motor 23 as a drive unit that supports and rotates the magnetic disks 16. The magnetic disks 16 are coaxially fitted into a hub (not shown) of the spindle motor 23 and are held in place by clamping springs 27. The magnetic disks 16 are rotated at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow A by the spindle motor 23.

[0029] The housing 10 contains multiple read / write heads 17 for writing / reading data from the disk 16, and a carriage assembly 22 that supports these heads 17 in a manner that allows them to move relative to the disk 16. The housing 10 also contains a voice coil motor (hereinafter referred to as VCM) 24 for rotating and positioning the carriage assembly 22, a ramp loading mechanism 25 for holding the heads 17 in an unloading position separated from the disk 16 when they move to the outermost periphery of the disk 16, a latching mechanism 26 for holding the carriage assembly 22 in a retracted position when subjected to impacts or the like, and a baseboard unit 21 with a conversion connector, etc.

[0030] A printed circuit board (not shown) is threaded onto the outer surface of the bottom wall 12a of the substrate 12. The printed circuit board controls the operation of the spindle motor 23 and controls the operation of the VCM 24 and the magnetic head 17 via the substrate unit 21.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic side view showing the read / write head and disk in a floating state. (Example) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the disk 16 has, for example, a substrate 101 made of a non-magnetic material, which is formed into a circular plate with a diameter of about 95 mm (3.5 inches). On both sides of the substrate 101, a soft magnetic layer 102 made of a material exhibiting soft magnetic properties is laminated as a base layer, a magnetic recording layer 103 is laminated on the upper part of the soft magnetic layer 102, and a protective film layer 104 is laminated on the upper part of the magnetic recording layer 103.

[0032] The carriage assembly 22 has multiple arms 28 and head universal joint assemblies 30 extending from each arm 28. Each head universal joint assembly 30 has an elongated leaf spring-shaped suspension 34, a flexible member 41 as a wiring component disposed on the suspension 34, and a magnetic head 17. The magnetic head 17 is supported on the front end of the suspension 34 via the universal joint portion 36 of the flexible member 41.

[0033] like Figure 2As shown, the read / write head 17 is configured as a floating head, having a slider 31 formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and a head 33 formed at the end of the slider 31 on the outflow (following) side. The slider 31 has an air support surface (ABS) 40 opposite to the surface of the disk 16. The read / write head 17 is floated by an airflow B generated between the surface of the disk 16 and the ABS 40 of the slider 31 due to the rotation of the disk 16. The direction of the airflow B is consistent with the rotation direction A of the disk 16.

[0034] Next, the structure of the magnetic head 17 will be described in detail. Figure 3 This is a 3D view showing the slider of the magnetic head. Figure 4 This is a top view showing the ABS side of the slider.

[0035] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the slider 31 of the magnetic head 17 has an air bearing surface (disk-facing surface) 40, which is generally rectangular in shape and faces the surface of the disk 16; a rectangular back surface 42d facing the ABS 40; an inflow end face (guide side end face, inflow end) 42a extending orthogonally to the ABS 40; an outflow end face (following side end face, outflow end) 42b extending orthogonally to the ABS 40; and a pair of side surfaces 42c extending orthogonally to the ABS 40 between the inflow end face 42a and the outflow end face 42b. The back surface 42d of the slider 31, located on the side opposite to the ABS 40, is fixed to the universal joint portion of the flexible member 41.

[0036] The length direction of ABS40 is designated as the first direction X, and the width direction orthogonal to this is designated as the second direction Y. In one example, the length L of the slider 31 in the first direction X is formed to be 1.25 mm or less, for example 1.235 mm, the width W along the second direction Y is formed to be 1.0 mm or less, for example 0.7 mm, and the thickness T1 is formed to be 0.23 to 0.3 mm. The slider 31 is configured as a so-called Pemutto slider.

[0037] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A longitudinal section view of the slider of line VV. Figure 6 It is along Figure 3 The figure shows a cross-sectional view of the slider 31 along line VI-VI. As shown, the upper surface (ABS40) of the slider 31 is curved into an arc shape that convexes along the first direction X, forming a so-called crown. Additionally, the ABS40 is curved into an arc shape that convexes along the second direction Y, forming a so-called camber. In one example, the height T2 of the central portion of the crown and camber is approximately 15 nm.

[0038] like Figures 3-5 As shown, a strip-shaped deep groove (negative pressure generating groove) 50 is formed approximately at the center of the first direction X of the ABS40. The deep groove 50 extends along the entire length of the second direction Y of the slider 31 and opens on both sides 42c of the slider 31. When the thickness T1 of the slider 31 is set to, for example, 0.23 mm, the depth of the deep groove 50 is formed to be 1 to 5 μm, for example, 3 μm. By providing the deep groove 50, negative pressure can be generated on the guiding side of the deep groove 50 at the full yaw angle achieved by the HDD.

[0039] A roughly rectangular guide step 52 is formed at the guide side end of the ABS40. The guide step 52 is provided protruding relative to the bottom surface of the deep groove 50 and is located on the inflow side of the deep groove 50 relative to the airflow B.

[0040] To maintain the pitch angle of the magnetic head 17, a guide pad 53 is provided on the guide step 52 to support the slider 31 using an air film. The upper surface of the guide pad 53 forms the pressure generating surface on the inflow side, i.e., the uppermost surface. The guide pad 53 is formed in an M-shape with multiple openings towards the inflow side. A guide groove 55 is formed approximately at the center of the guide step 52 in the second direction Y. The guide groove 55 has, for example, a T-shape and is formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis D. In this embodiment, a pair of end pads 51 are also provided on the guide step 52. The pair of end pads 51 extend from the inflow end of the slider 31 toward the outflow side and toward the central axis D to the vicinity of the guide pad 53.

[0041] The upper surfaces of the guide pad 53 and the end pad 51 are the uppermost surfaces of the slider 31, forming the main pressure (positive pressure) generating surface on the inflow side of the ABS40. Furthermore, in Figure 4 In the diagram, the top surface of ABS40 is marked with an additional point.

[0042] like Figures 3-5 As shown, a negative pressure cavity 54, consisting of recesses, is formed from approximately the center of the ABS40 in the first direction X to the outflow end face 42b. The negative pressure cavity 54 is located on the outflow end side of the deep groove 50 and opens towards the outflow end face 42b. The negative pressure cavity 54 is formed shallower than the deep groove 50, that is, it is formed at a position higher than the bottom surface of the deep groove 50. The depth of the negative pressure cavity 54 is formed to be 500–1500 nm, for example, 1000 nm. A pair of trailing grooves 59 are formed on the bottom surface of the negative pressure cavity 54. The pair of trailing grooves 59 are located on both sides of the central axis D and extend in the first direction X. The trailing grooves 59 are formed to the same depth as the deep groove 50. By providing the negative pressure cavity 54 and the trailing grooves 59, negative pressure can be generated at all deflection angles achieved by the HDD.

[0043] In the ABS40, a ribbed intermediate transverse rail 56, a pair of side rails 58, and a pair of central rails 68 are formed to surround the inflow side of the negative pressure chamber 54. The intermediate transverse rail 56 is located between the deep groove 50 and the negative pressure chamber 54, extending along the second direction Y between the two side edges of the ABS40. The intermediate transverse rail 56 is provided protruding relative to the bottom surface of the negative pressure chamber 54 and is located on the inflow side of the negative pressure chamber 54 relative to the airflow B.

[0044] A pair of side rails 58 are formed along the side edges of the ABS40, extending linearly from the central transverse rail 56 toward the outlet end of the ABS40. These side rails 58 protrude relative to the bottom surface of the negative pressure chamber 54. The upper surface of the central transverse rail 56 and the upper surface of the side rails 58 constitute the uppermost surface of the ABS40 (the main pressure generating surface).

[0045] A pair of skirts 60 are formed along each side edge (side 42c) of the ABS40, extending from the side rail 58 to near the outlet end face 42b of the ABS40 along the first direction X. Each skirt 60 is provided protruding relative to the bottom surface of the negative pressure chamber 54 and is formed lower than the side rail 58.

[0046] The intermediate transverse rail 56, a pair of side rails 58, and a pair of skirts 60 are integrally formed into a roughly U-shaped structure that is closed on the upstream side and open towards the downstream side. The negative pressure chamber 54 is defined by the intermediate transverse rail 56, the pair of side rails 58, and the pair of skirts 60.

[0047] like Figures 3-6 As shown, the slider 31 has a trailing step 62 formed on the outflow end side of the ABS40 relative to the direction of the airflow B. The trailing step 62 is formed protruding from the bottom surface of the negative pressure chamber 54, and its protrusion height is formed to be the same as that of the guide step 52. The trailing step 62 is located approximately at the center of the second direction Y of the ABS40. A trailing pad (pressure generating surface on the outflow side) 63 is provided protruding from the trailing step 62 to support the slider 31 using an air film.

[0048] The trailing pad 63 has a base 63a and a pair of side pads 63b and a central pad 63c extending from the base 63a. The base 63a extends in the second direction Y and is arranged such that it creates a gap from the outflow end face of the trailing step 62, which in this case is the outflow end face 42b of the slider 31, toward the inflow side. The pair of side pads 63b are elongated ribs that extend from both ends of the base 63a toward the guide side in the first direction X. The central pad 63c is an elongated rib located on the central axis D and extends from the base 63a toward the guide side in the first direction X. Figure 4 As shown, in one example, the length LC between the extended end of the central pad 63c and the outflow end face 42b is set to be less than 1 / 4 of the total length L of the slider 31 in the first direction X.

[0049] The trailing pad 63 is formed at the same height as the guide pad 53, the intermediate cross rail 56, and the side rail 58. The upper surface of the trailing pad 63 constitutes the uppermost surface (the main pressure generating surface) of the ABS40.

[0050] The head 33 of the magnetic head 17 has a recording element 65 and a playback element 66 for recording and reproducing information on the disk 16. These recording elements 65 and playback elements 66 are embedded in the outflow side end of the slider 31, which is in the following step 62, relative to the direction of the airflow B. The recording elements 65 and playback elements 66 are exposed on the uppermost surface of the ABS40 at the position of the following pad 63.

[0051] A pair of slender central rails 68 extend from the intermediate transverse rail 56 to the trailing step 62 along the first direction X. The pair of central rails 68 are located on either side of the central axis D of the slider 31, with a gap between them in the second direction Y. The central rails 68 are positioned in the region between the deep groove 50 and the trailing step 62, and in the central region between a pair of side edges of the slider 31 (the central portion in the second direction Y). One of the central rails 68 extends beyond the intermediate transverse rail 56 into the deep groove 50. The height of the central rail 68 from the bottom surface of the negative pressure chamber 54 is the same as the height of the intermediate transverse rail 56 and the trailing pad 63. The upper surface of the central rail 68 forms the uppermost surface of the slider 31.

[0052] A guide groove 76 is formed between a pair of central rails 68 to guide airflow toward the trailing step 62 and the trailing pad 63. The guide groove 76 is formed along the central axis D and extends further to the guide step 52 through the deep groove 50.

[0053] The uneven structure of the ABS40 as described above is obtained by milling a predetermined part of the upper surface (uppermost surface, ABS40) of the slider 31 to form grooves, cavities, and steps.

[0054] Next, the verification results will be explained regarding the damage caused by contaminants (particles) trapped in the gap between the read / write head and the disk.

[0055] By injecting contaminants with particle sizes of 60–100 nm into an HDD, the relationship between the nodule generation probability of the HDD and the nodule generation probability of the mounted magnetic head was verified, and the following findings were made: Figure 7 The relationship is shown. In Figure 7 In the graph, the horizontal axis represents the probability of head defects, and the vertical axis represents the HDD's survival rate (probability of defects). The HDD's survival rate indicates that no defective heads are generated out of all the heads installed. Furthermore, the experiment was conducted with a defect rate accelerated by approximately 200 times.

[0056] like Figure 7As shown, if the probability of a defect per head increases, the survival probability of the HDD decreases. Therefore, a floating surface (ABS) design that reduces the probability of a defect per head is required.

[0057] The gap between the uppermost surface of the ABS40 of slider 31 and the surface of the disk becomes less than 100 nm in region B between the central part of the ABS40 in the first direction X and the outflow end face. Therefore, in region B, it is easy to imagine contaminants with a particle size of 60 to 100 nm sandwiched between the uppermost surface and the disk surface.

[0058] Figure 8 The results show the probability (clamping probability: stacking rate) of contaminants being trapped in the gap between the uppermost surface and the disk surface, calculated based on the position of ABS40 in the first direction X. In the above probability calculation, it is assumed that ABS40 is formed of a flat surface without any irregularities. From the results, it can be seen that in the case of contaminants with a particle size of 60–100 nm, the probability of contaminant clogging is high in a portion of region A, particularly in region C (e.g., a range of 0.15–0.5 mm) between the central portion of region X and the outflow end, contributing to damage to the disk surface. Therefore, by reducing the area of ​​the uppermost surface in region C, the generation of disk damage can be reduced.

[0059] If the particle size of the contaminants increases, the impact of disk damage increases quadratically. This is because the width and depth of the scratches are related to the NG (notch quality) of the disk device. Figure 9 The relationship between contaminant particle size and the weighting of scratch NG generation is shown. The scratch generation rate of the disk can be calculated using (area of ​​the uppermost surface in region C of ABS40 × clamping probability × weighting of scratch NG generation). Here, region C represents the area between the center of the ABS40 in the first direction X and half of the position on the outflow end side.

[0060] In the HDD of this embodiment, the configuration and area of ​​the uppermost surface of ABS40 are set based on the above verification results.

[0061] That is, such as Figure 4As shown, in the magnetic head 17 of this embodiment, when the entire region covering the first direction X of the ABS40 is designated as region C, the region between the central portion of the first direction X and the outflow end face 42b is designated as region A, and the region between the central portion of the first direction X and the front end of the central pad 63c is designated as region B, the area of ​​the uppermost surface (the surface at the same height as the main pressure generating surface) in region A is set to be small. On the other hand, the gap between the trailing pad 63, which mounts the head 33, and the surface of the disk is 60 nm or less, reducing the risk of scratches caused by contaminants. The trailing pad 63 is the uppermost surface that generates the highest positive pressure in the ABS40, and a certain area is required to stably ensure the gap between the head 33 and the disk. In addition, the uppermost surface in region A also contributes to the generation of negative pressure, so its area cannot be made zero. Therefore, the uppermost surface with a smaller area is the uppermost surface located in region B.

[0062] Figure 10 The relationship between the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B in ABS40 to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of region C and the probability of head NG generation is shown.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B is set to approximately 2-3%. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B is set to approximately 6%. Figure 10 It can be seen that in this embodiment, by setting the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface to a small value, the probability of head NG generation is significantly reduced compared with Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

[0064] Figure 11 The relationship between the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of ABS in region B to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of ABS in region A and the probability of head NG generation is shown.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B is set to 60% or less, for example, around 55%. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the ratio of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B is set to around 80%. Figure 11 It can be seen that if the area ratio is reduced, the probability of head NG generation decreases in a quadratic manner. It can be seen that in this embodiment, by making the area ratio of the uppermost surface in region B less than 60%, the probability of head NG generation is significantly reduced compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, the proportion of the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B provided on ABS40 is set to 3% or less relative to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of region C, and is set to 60% or less relative to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of region A.

[0067] In addition, part or all of the uppermost surface of ABS40 is slightly curved to match the crown and arched shape of slider 31, but these curved uppermost surfaces are also included in the uppermost surface at the same height as the pressure generating surface.

[0068] like Figure 4 As shown, the uppermost surface of region B includes the upper surfaces of the central transverse rail 56, a pair of side rails 58, and a pair of central rails 68. The widths of each of the central transverse rail 56, the pair of side rails 58, and the pair of central rails 68 are set to be less than 3% and less than 60% of the area of ​​the uppermost surface, respectively. Furthermore, to reduce the area of ​​the uppermost surface, each side rail 58 extends in a straight line in the first direction X without turning back midway. The length of the side rails 58 in the first direction X is set to be less than half the length of region B in the first direction X.

[0069] In region A, the area downstream of region B (outflow end side) is provided with only the trailing pad 63 as the uppermost surface, and no other uppermost surface (the surface at the same height as the pressure generating surface) is provided.

[0070] As described above, the HDD head according to this embodiment has a slider 31 with an air support surface (ABS40) opposite to the disk 16, an inflow end surface 42a, and an outflow end surface 42b. The ABS40 has a concave-convex structure with multiple surfaces of different heights. The multiple surfaces of the ABS40 include an uppermost surface that serves as the main pressure generating surface. In the region near the outflow end from the center of the ABS40 in the first direction X, a trailing pad 63 with an uppermost surface is provided near the outflow end. Other uppermost surfaces are provided in the region between the end of the trailing pad 63 on the inflow side and the aforementioned center. The region near the outflow end, i.e., the region between the front end of the trailing pad 63 on the inflow side and the outflow end surface 42b, does not have an uppermost surface (pressure generating surface) other than the trailing pad.

[0071] The area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B, located between the center of the ABS40 in the first direction X and the end of the trailing pad 63 on the inflow side, is set to be 3% or less relative to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of the entire region C, which covers the entire length of the ABS40 in the first direction X. Furthermore, the area of ​​the uppermost surface of region B is set to be 60% or less relative to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of region A, located between the center of the first direction X and the outflow end face 42b.

[0072] According to the above-described structure of the magnetic head and HDD, it is possible to ensure the area of ​​the trailing pad housing the head 33 while reducing the area of ​​the uppermost surface in region B between the central portion of the ABS 40 and the front end of the trailing pad. This reduces the trapping of contaminants into the gap between the ABS of the slider and the disk surface, thus reducing head and disk obstruction and performance degradation caused by contaminants. In summary, according to this embodiment, a magnetic head and HDD with improved reliability can be obtained.

[0073] Furthermore, the above embodiments are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Novel embodiments can be implemented in a wide variety of other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0074] For example, the head slider is not limited to a Pemto slider; it can also be applied to Pico, Femto, or larger sliders. The shape and size of the trailing step, trailing pad, and other parts of the slider can be changed as needed. In the disk drive, the disk is not limited to 3.5 inches; other sizes can be used. The number of disks is not limited to two; one or more can be used, and the number of heads can be increased or decreased depending on the number of disks.

Claims

1. A magnetic head, comprising: A slider having an air-supporting surface, an inlet end, and an outlet end separated from the inlet end in a first direction, the air-supporting surface including a plurality of uppermost surfaces respectively constituting a pressure-generating surface and a plurality of other surfaces with heights different from the uppermost surfaces; and The head, located at the outlet end of the slider, records and reproduces data. The air support surface includes a negative pressure generating groove formed in the central portion of the first direction and extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a guide pad disposed in the region between the central portion and the inflow end and having the uppermost surface; a trailing pad disposed adjacent to the outflow end in the region between the central portion and the outflow end and having the uppermost surface; and other uppermost surfaces disposed in the region between the front end portion of the trailing pad on the inflow end side and the central portion. The uppermost surface of the region between the front end and the outflow end of the trailing pad comprises only the trailing pad. The area of ​​the uppermost surface of the region between the central portion of the air support surface and the end of the inflow side of the trailing pad is less than 3% of the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of the entire region extending along the first direction of the air support surface.

2. A magnetic head, comprising: A slider having an air-supporting surface, an inlet end, and an outlet end separated from the inlet end in a first direction, the air-supporting surface including a plurality of uppermost surfaces respectively constituting a pressure-generating surface and a plurality of other surfaces with heights different from the uppermost surfaces; and The head, located at the outlet end of the slider, records and reproduces data. The air support surface includes a negative pressure generating groove formed in the central portion of the first direction and extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a guide pad disposed in the region between the central portion and the inflow end and having the uppermost surface; a trailing pad disposed adjacent to the outflow end in the region between the central portion and the outflow end and having the uppermost surface; and other uppermost surfaces disposed in the region between the front end portion of the trailing pad on the inflow end side and the central portion. The uppermost surface of the region between the front end and the outflow end of the trailing pad comprises only the trailing pad. The area of ​​the uppermost surface of the region between the central portion of the air support surface and the end of the inflow side of the trailing pad is 60% or less relative to the total area of ​​the uppermost surface of the region between the central portion of the air support surface and the outflow end.

3. The magnetic head according to claim 2, The slider has a horizontal rail extending along the negative pressure generating groove in the second direction in the region between the central part of the air support surface and the end of the trailing pad on the inflow side, a pair of side rails extending linearly from the horizontal rail to the outflow end side, and a pair of central rails disposed between the horizontal rail and the trailing pad, the uppermost surface including the upper surface of the horizontal rail, the upper surface of the side rail and the upper surface of the central rail.

4. The magnetic head according to claim 3, The trailing pad has a base adjacent to the outflow end, a pair of side pads extending from the base toward the inflow end and connected to the central rail, and a central pad extending from the base toward the inflow end and located between the pair of side pads, the extended end of the central pad constituting the inflow end of the trailing pad.

5. The magnetic head according to claim 4, The length from the outlet end to the extension end of the central pad in the first direction is formed to be 1 / 5 to 1 / 4 of the length from the inflow end to the outlet end of the slider in the first direction.

6. A disk drive, comprising: A disc-shaped recording medium that can be rotated freely; and The magnetic head according to claim 1 or 2 processes information on the recording medium.

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