Slider for a data storage device having improved stiction control with reduced interference with air bearing pressurization
View Patent ↗A slider for carrying transducers for a data storage device including a stiction control trench. The stiction control trench includes a boundary dimension to reduce creep or interference of the pressurized profile of the raised bearing surface to provide stiction control while limiting interference with the hydrodynamic bearing design.
1. A slider comprising:
a slider body including a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed sides;
a raised bearing surface elevated above a recessed bearing surface and the raised bearing surface having opposed boundary edges and including a pressure step between the raised bearing surface and the recessed bearing surface along the opposed boundary edges;
at least one trench on the raised bearing surface having a boundary width dimension along the opposed boundary edges of 4 microns or less and a length dimension extending generally transverse to a longitudinal length of the slider body between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the slider body.
2. The slider of claim 1 including a plurality of longitudinally spaced trenches having boundary width dimensions of approximately 1 micron or less.
3. The slider of claim 2 wherein the plurality of trenches are longitudinally spaced at least approximately a micron apart.
4. The slider of claim 1 wherein the at least one trench has a boundary portion and an intermediate portion having an intermediate width dimension larger than the boundary width dimension.
5. The slider of claim 1 wherein the at least one trench extends between the opposed sides of the slider body.
6. The slider of claim 5 wherein the at least one trench extends along the raised bearing surface and the recessed bearing surface between the opposed sides of the slider body.
7. The slider of claim 1 wherein the boundary width dimension is approximately 1 micron or less.
8. A slider comprising:
a slider body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and including a raised bearing surface and a recessed bearing surface and a portion of the raised bearing surface forming a slider-disc interface surface; and
at least one transverse trench on the slider-disc interface surface of the raised bearing surface of the slider body having a width dimension of 4 microns or less and a length dimension extending generally transverse to a longitudinal length of the slider body.
9. The slider of claim 8 wherein the at least one transverse trench is proximate to the trailing edge of the slider body.
10. The slider of claim 8 wherein the slider includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced trenches longitudinally spaced along the raised bearing surface of the slider proximate to the trailing edge of the slider.
11. The slider of claim 8 wherein the at least one transverse trench includes a boundary portion along a boundary of the raised bearing surface and the recessed bearing surface and an intermediate portion on the raised bearing surface having an intermediate width dimension larger than a boundary width dimension along the boundary portion.
12. The slider of claim 8 wherein the width dimension of the at least one trench is approximately 1 micron or less.
13. The slider of claim 8 wherein the at least one transverse trench extends between opposed sides of the slider body.
14. The slider of claim 13 wherein the at least one transverse trench extends along the raised bearing surface and the recessed bearing surface between the opposed sides of the slider body.
15. The slider of claim 8 wherein the slider does not include a projection or pad elevated or extending from the raised bearing surface.
16. A slider comprising:
a slider body including a leading end, a trailing end and a center portion and opposed side portions;
a raised center pad or raised center portion forming a raised bearing surface elevated above a recessed bearing surface on the slider body; and
at least one trench on the raised center pad or the raised center portion of the slider body having a length dimension extending generally transverse to a length of the slider body between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the slider body and the at least one trench having a width dimension along opposed side edges of the raised center pad or raised center portion of approximately 4 microns or less.
17. The slider of claim 16 including a plurality of spaced trenches on the raised center pad or the raised center portion.
18. The slider of claim 16 wherein the at least one trench is positioned proximate to the trailing end of the slider body.
19. The slider of claim 16 wherein the slider body includes at least one landing pad elevated from the raised bearing surface.
20. The slider of claim 16 wherein the width dimension is approximately 1 micron or less.