David Paul Danson

US Patent:

55262040, Jun 11, 1996

Filed:

Feb 28, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/396273

Inventors:

William French - Cardiff CA
James U. Lemke - San Diego CA
Turguy Goker - Solano Beach CA
Walter Wong - Boulder CO
William Repphun - Boulder CO
David P. Danson - Niwot CO

Assignee:

Conner Peripherals, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G11B 560

US Classification:

360 9702

Abstract:

A read/write head for an information recording apparatus having a liquid bearing lubricant between a rotating storage medium and the read/write head is disclosed. The head is provided an actuator to position the read/write head over the rotating storage medium. The head includes a slider body having at least a first and second regions; and an interface element comprising a transducer interacting with the storage medium and mounted on the first region of the slider body. A relative motion exists between the head and the rotating storage medium and the slider body is supported by the liquid bearing lubricant during such motion, such that the first region of the slider body is supported at a first distance above the storage medium, and the second region of the slider body is supported at a second distance above the storage medium, whereby the first region of the slider body has a substantially higher drag than the second region when the head moves relative to the storage medium.

US Patent:

54734312, Dec 5, 1995

Filed:

Apr 29, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/057054

Inventors:

Dennis R. Hollars - Los Gatos CA
David P. Danson - Niwot CO

Assignee:

Conner Peripherals, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G01B 902

US Classification:

356355

Abstract:

A device for accurately measuring flying heights of a read/write head in a disk drive down to zero microinches using interferometry, wherein the flying height of the head above the disk surface is calculated by directing white light to the under side of a rotating disk. An interference pattern is obtained by reflecting a first portion of the light off of the top surface of the disk and reflecting a second portion of the light off of the underside of the read/write head, and then recombining the first and second portions of light. The interference pattern is then input to a spectrophotometer, which creates an intensity profile from which the flying height of the read/write head above the disk may be calculated. A spacer layer is provided on the upper surface of the disk to increase the phase difference of the first and second portions of light, thereby allowing clear interpretation of the interference pattern at extremely low flying heights.