摘要 |
<p>An improved head assembly having a staggered leading edge step scheme for tuned air entrainment for improved head performance in higher capacity disk drives. The head assembly having a staggered leading edge step scheme improves the performance of the heads by controlling an entrainment of air thereby forming a desired air bearing between a disk surface and the longitudinal rails of each slider of the head assembly thereby forcing the storage media to comply in an advantageous way (e.g., conform) to cause intimacy at the sensor. The improved head assembly having a staggered leading edge step scheme allows the flying characteristics of the head to be controlled by providing a first rail including a sensor for interfacing with the disk media and having a relatively long leading edge step that does not entrain air well and a second rail not having a sensor and having a relatively short leading edge step that entrains air better than the long leading edge step of the first rail. The first rail having a relatively poor leading edge step for entraining air as compared to the second rail allows the sensor to interface (e.g., contact) with the disk media, while the second rail having a relatively good leading edge for the entrainment of air allows the second rail and the balance of the slider to fly over the surface of the disk. This helps to improve the performance of the head assembly for higher capacity disk drives. In addition, the present invention provides for forming one leading edge step differently from the other and for varying the dimensions of the staggered leading edge steps to further control the flying characteristics of the head assemblies. <IMAGE></p> |