Partially etched protective overcoat for a disk drive slider

摘要

For use in a disk drive, a head comprising a slider having a bottom air bearing surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge; a magnetic transducer mounted by the slider at the trailing edge of the slider; and a protective overcoat adhered to the air bearing surface of the slider and having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The trailing edge of the protective overcoat being spaced from the trailing edge of the slider such that the minimum distance from the slider to the surface of a disk in the disk drive is between the magnetic transducer and the disk surface. A method for manufacturing a slider with an overcoat spaced from the trailing edge of the slider includes applying a carbon overcoat to the entire bottom air bearing surface, masking, and oxygen plasma etching exposed portions of the overcoated.