Contact recording slider with active contact surfaces

摘要

A method and apparatus for transferring information to and from a rigid magnetic disk medium through a recording mechanism mounted within a magnetic contact slider. The slider is fashioned such that the trailing edge maintains contact with the magnetic recording medium while the leading edge of the slider is disposed slightly above the medium on an air bearing. An active contact surface (ACS) utilizes a contact blend such that the width of the ABS near a leading edge is greater than the width of the ABS near a trailing edge. The ACS contour allows air to bleed off air from the rear of the slider and causes the trailing edge of the slider to remain essentially in contact with the rigid recording medium surface. The ACS contour also provide a "transverse-free zone" for minizing asperity damage and other harmful effects of transverse air flow. The load point is located near the leading edge of the contact slider. Thus, damage to the medium which occurs during each stick/slip phase of lift off is minimized. The ACS is formed by asperity inlet angles blended to reduce the inertia forces exerted by the slider on asperities by providing a greater distance for an asperity with a transverse velocity component to travel as the asperity moves under the air bearing sruface and the ACS.