Air bearing area configuration for contaminating particle removal
View Patent ↗A disk drive for redirecting contaminating particulate matter away from an area bearing of a slider element. At least two etched channels are provided in the slider element of the disk drive. The at least two etched channels direct incoming air flow to a leading edge of the slider element from the leading edge towards respective sides of the slider element. Particulate matter that may be progressing towards the air bearing are redirected by virtue of the incoming air flow to the leading edge and expelled from the air bearing via the at least two etched channels.
1. A slider, comprising:
a leading edge and a trailing edge;
a transducer proximate to the trailing edge for performing read and write operations on a recording medium;
a leading area etched to a first depth and configured to direct incoming airflow into the leading edge towards the trailing edge;
a first channel; and
a second channel, wherein the first and second channels are connected to the leading area via respective inlets from the leading area;
wherein the first and second channels are etched to a second depth deeper than the first depth.
2. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the slider is one of a pemto type slider or a femto type slider.
3. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the first depth comprises a depth ranging from approximately 0.1-0.2 μm.
4. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the second depth comprises a depth ranging from approximately 0.4-1.0 μm.
5. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the first channel directs at least a first portion of the incoming airflow from the leading area to exit from an air bearing formed between the slider and the recording medium at an inner diameter radial area of the recording medium over which the slider is positioned.
6. The slider of claim 5 , wherein the second channel directs at least a second portion of the incoming airflow from the leading area to exit from an air bearing formed between the slider and the recording medium at an outer diameter radial area of the recording medium over which the slider is positioned.
7. The slider of claim 1 , wherein at least one respective portion of each of the first and second channels proximate to the respective inlets is angularly configured towards respective sides of the slider.
8. A disk drive, comprising:
rotatable recording medium;
a longitudinal slider having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a bottom surface of the longitudinal slider proximate to the rotatable recording medium defining an air bearing surface;
a transducer proximate to the trailing edge for performing read and write operations on the rotatable recording medium;
a fence proximate to and substantially parallel to the leading edge;
a first channel; and
a second channel, wherein the first and second channels are positioned on an outer edge of the fence proximate to the leading edge;
wherein the first and second channels are connected to a leading area etched to a first depth between the leading edge and the fence via respective inlets from the leading area;
wherein the first and second channels are etched to a second depth deeper than the first depth.
9. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the first depth comprises a depth ranging from approximately 0.1-0.2 μm.
10. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the second depth comprises a depth ranging from approximately 0.4-1.0 μm.
11. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the first channel directs at least a first portion of incoming airflow from the leading area to exit the air bearing surface at an inner diameter of the rotatable recording medium.
12. The disk drive of claim 11 , wherein the second channel directs at least a second portion of the incoming airflow from the leading area to exit the air bearing surface at an outer diameter of the rotatable recording medium.
13. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein at least one respective portion of each of the first and second channels proximate to the respective inlets is angularly configured towards respective sides of the longitudinal slider.
14. A disk drive, comprising:
a recording medium;
an actuator;
a suspension mounted to an arm of the actuator; and
a slider bonded to the suspension, the slider having a leading area etched to a first depth, wherein the slider carries a read/write head configured to radially fly over a surface of the recording medium and is configured with at least two particulate-channeling elements for directing air flow used to redirect particulate matter away from an air bearing surface defined by a bottom surface of the slider through the entire radius of the recording medium;
wherein the two particulate-channeling elements are etched to a second depth deeper than the first depth between the leading area proximate to a leading edge of the slider.
15. The disk drive of claim 14 , further comprising a fence positioned substantially parallel to the leading edge.