Heater Design with Locally Decreased Resistance for Fly Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage device technologies face challenges in aligning localized heating with the centers of read and write elements due to the small size of transducer heads, limiting available heater placement options and connection points.
Innovation Solution
A transducer head design incorporating a heat element with conductive portions of varying resistance to direct thermally protruded points away from the midpoint between read/write elements, using metallic pushblocks for heat transfer and shaping the heat element to concentrate heat at the centers of the elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a heat element is placed centrally to heat read/write elements, then fly height control is achieved, but alignment with element centers becomes difficult due to small transducer head size
Solution Approach 1:
The heat element incorporates regions of varying resistance (high resistance regions near read/write elements, low resistance region at midpoint) to create non-uniform heating distribution. This local quality variation enables precise thermal targeting of individual elements despite the constrained transducer head geometry, resolving the alignment precision issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical resistance parameter of the heat element material or geometry to control heat distribution. By creating high resistance regions adjacent to read/write elements and a low resistance region at the midpoint, the system achieves precise fly height control without requiring large transducer head area.
2Volume of moving object
If heater placement options are limited due to small transducer head size, then device compactness is maintained, but alignment of localized heating with element centers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat element uses local quality variation through resistance modulation to achieve precise heating alignment. High resistance regions are positioned adjacent to read/write elements to concentrate heat where needed, while the low resistance region at the midpoint prevents excessive heating at the center, maintaining both compactness and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The varying resistance regions act as an intermediary mechanism between the heat element and read/write elements. This intermediary structure enables precise thermal coupling with individual elements without requiring direct physical alignment or large spacing, thus maintaining compact transducer head volume while achieving heating precision.
3Temperature
If heat is concentrated at the midpoint between read/write elements, then central heating is achieved, but proper alignment with element centers is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The heat element creates local quality differences through resistance variation: high resistance regions generate concentrated heat adjacent to each read/write element, while the low resistance region at the midpoint acts as a thermal buffer. This ensures temperature concentration occurs precisely at element locations rather than at the midpoint, achieving both thermal intensity and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the resistance parameter along the heat element length to control temperature distribution. By making resistance high near elements and low at the midpoint, the system achieves proper thermal alignment with element centers while maintaining appropriate heating temperature for fly height control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively thermally protrudes read/write elements towards the storage medium, improving alignment and reducing bit error rates by directing heat away from the midpoint, enhancing data access operations in tight proximity configurations.
Implementation Method 1
A transducer head design incorporating a heat element with conductive portions of varying resistance to direct thermally protruded points away from the midpoint between read/write elements
Implementation Method 2
locally heating a read or write element during use, causing the read or write element to protrude from an air bearing surface of a transducer head and toward an adjacent surface of a storage medium
Implementation Method 3
The heat element includes at least one conductive portion of locally decreased resistance proximal to and between the pair of read/write elements to direct the thermally protruded close point away from a midpoint between the read/write elements
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations described and claimed herein includes a storage device comprising a transducer head including at least one pair of read/write elements and a heat element to thermally protrude regions of the transducer head including the read/write elements. According to one implementation, the heat element includes at least one conductive portion of locally decreased resistance proximal to and between the pair of read/write elements to direct the thermally protruded close point away from a midpoint between the read/write elements.