Damping of vertical and offtrack dynamic modes gain at the slider in a disc drive

1. An apparatus for passive damping of slider modes in a storage device, comprising:

a cradle for supporting a slider and comprising two side members and a center member where each of the side members are disposed at opposite ends of the center member; and

a viscoelastic layer lining the two side members and the center member of the cradle, wherein the side members are coupled to the center member, wherein the side members are positioned outside a periphery of the slider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the side members are decoupled from the center member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic layer comprises a single rectangular strip.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slider is supported byte viscoelastie material by at least one of(i) applying the viscoelastic layer to the cradle and placing the slider into the cradle with the applied viscoelastic layer and (ii) applying the viscoelastic layer to the slider and placing the slider with the viscoelastic layer into the cradle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the side members are positioned outside apposite peripheral sidewalls of the slider.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the center member damps offtracic modes of the slider.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the two side members damps vertical modes of the slider.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the center member of the cradle is attached to a flexure for further supporting the slider.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preload is applied to the center member of the cradle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a preload is applied to the center member of the cradle by a dimple on the load beam, wherein the dimple on the load beam defines a pivot for pitch and roll movement of the slider.

11. An apparatus for passive damping of slider modes in a storage device, comprising:

a cradle for supporting a slider and comprising two side members and a center member where each of the side members are disposed at opposite ends of the center member; and

a viscoelastic layer lining the two side members and the center member of the cradle,

wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the center member damps attack modes of the slider, wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the two side members damps vertical modes of the slider, wherein the separate damping modes are only coupled through the viscoelastic layer.

12. A method for passive damping of slider modes in a storage device, comprising:

providing a cradle comprising two side members and a center member where each of the side members are disposed at opposite ends of the center member;

providing a viscoelastic layer; and

supporting the slider in the cradle on the viscoelastic layer lining the two side members and the center member of the cradles,

wherein a portion of the viscoelastic layer lining each side member has at least one of(i) a different length and (ii) a different width, than a portion of the viscoelastic layer lining the center member, each side member being separate from the center member.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the side members are decoupled from the center member.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the side members are decoupled from the center member.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the viscoelastic layer comprises a single rectangular strip.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of supporting the slider comprises:

applying the viscoelastic layer to the cradle; and

placing the slider into the cradle with the applied viscoelastic layer.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of supporting the slider comprises:

applying the viscoelastic layer to the slider; and

placing the slider with the viscoelastic layer into the cradle.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the center member damps offtrack modes of the slider.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the viscoelastic layer lining the two side members damps vertical modes of the slider.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the center member of The cradle is attached to a flexure for further supporting The slider.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the preload is applied to the center member of the cradle.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein a preload is applied to the center member of The cradle by a dimple on the load beam, wherein the dimple on the load bean, defines a pivot for pitch and roll movement of the slider.