Non-contact tape head
The present disclosure generally relate to a tape drive including a tape head assembly comprising a tape head. The tape head assembly further comprises a substrate having a leading edge (LE), a trailing edge (TE), and a first media facing surface (MFS) disposed between the leading and trailing edges, and a recession disposed in the substrate, the recession being recessed from the first MFS. The tape head is disposed in the recession. The tape head has a second MFS that extends above the first MFS by a distance of about 20 nm to about 200 nm. The LE comprising a first step and a second step. The first and second steps, the recession, and the extended tape head enable a tape of the tape drive to be spaced from the substrate and tape head as the tape moves over the tape head assembly during operation.
1 . A tape head assembly, comprising:
a substrate, the substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a first media facing surface (MFS) disposed between the leading edge and the trailing edge;
a recession disposed in the substrate, the recession being recessed from the first MFS;
a tape head disposed in the recession, the tape head comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein a second MFS of the tape head extends above the first MFS a distance of about 20 nm to about 200 nm; and
a first step disposed in the leading edge.
2 . The tape head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the recession is recessed a distance of about 10 nm to about 100 nm from the first MFS.
3 . The tape head assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second step disposed adjacent to the first step in the leading edge, wherein the first step comprises a first surface extending in a first direction perpendicular to the first MFS, a second surface extending in a second direction parallel to the first MFS, and a third surface extending in the first direction, and wherein the second step comprises the third surface, a fourth surface extending in the second direction, and a fifth surface extending in the first direction, wherein the fifth surface extends to the first MFS.
4 . The tape head assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first surface has a height of about 1 mm, the second surface has a width of about 25 μm to about 100 μm, and the third surface has a height of about 100 nm to about 1000 nm, and wherein the fourth surface has a width of about 25 μm to about 100 μm, and the fifth surface has a height of about 100 nm to about 2000 nm.
5 . The tape head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first step has a width to depth ratio of about 80.
6 . The tape head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the recession has a width in a second direction parallel to the first MFS of about 30 μm to about 40 μm.
7 . The tape head assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second step disposed adjacent to the first step in the leading edge, wherein the second step has a width to depth ratio of about 40.
8 . A tape drive, comprising:
the tape head assembly of claim 1 ;
a tape; and
means for moving the tape over the tape head assembly.
9 . The tape drive of claim 8 , wherein the tape is spaced from the first MFS and the second MFS as the tape is moved over the tape head assembly.
10 . The tape drive of claim 9 , wherein the tape is spaced a distance of about 10 nm to about 30 nm from the second MFS, and wherein the tape is spaced a distance of about 50 nm to about 250 nm from the first MFS.
11 . A tape head assembly, comprising:
a substrate, the substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a first media facing surface (MFS) disposed between the leading edge and the trailing edge;
a first recession disposed in the substrate, the first recession being recessed a distance of about 10 nm to about 100 nm from the first MFS;
a first tape head disposed in the first recession, the first tape head comprising a first plurality of data elements, wherein a second MFS of the first tape head extends above the first MFS a distance of about 20 nm to about 200 nm;
a first step disposed in the leading edge, the first step comprising a first surface extending in a first direction perpendicular to the first MFS, a second surface extending in a second direction parallel to the first MFS, and a third surface extending in the first direction; and
a second step disposed adjacent to the first step in the leading edge, the second step comprising the third surface, a fourth surface extending in the second direction, and a fifth surface extending in the first direction, wherein the fifth surface extends to the first MFS.
12 . The tape head assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second recession disposed in the substrate spaced from the first recession, the second recession being recessed a distance of about 10 nm to about 100 nm from the first MFS; and
a second tape head disposed in the second recession, the second tape head comprising a second plurality of data elements, wherein a third MFS of the second tape head extends above the first MFS a distance of about 20 nm to about 200 nm.
13 . The tape head assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third step disposed on the trailing edge, the third step comprising a sixth surface extending in the first direction, a seventh surface extending in the second direction, and an eighth surface extending in the first direction; and
a fourth step disposed adjacent to the third step on the trailing edge, the fourth step comprising the eighth surface, a ninth surface extending in the second direction, and a tenth surface extending in the first direction, wherein the tenth surface extends to the first MFS.
14 . The tape head assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first and sixth surfaces each has a height of about 1 mm, the second and seventh surfaces each has a width of about 25 μm to about 100 μm, and the third and eighth surfaces each has a height of about 100 nm to about 1000 nm.
15 . The tape head assembly of claim 13 , wherein the fourth and ninth surfaces each has a width of about 25 μm to about 100 μm, and the fifth and tenth surfaces each has a height of about 100 nm to about 2000 nm.
16 . A tape drive, comprising:
the tape head assembly of claim 11 ;
a tape; and
means for moving the tape over the tape head assembly.
17 . The tape drive of claim 16 , wherein the tape is spaced from the first MFS a distance of about 50 nm to about 250 nm as the tape is moved over the tape head assembly, and wherein the tape is spaced from the second MFS a distance of about 10 nm to about 30 nm.
18 . A tape drive, comprising:
a tape;
a tape head assembly, the tape head assembly comprising:
a substrate, the substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a first media facing surface (MFS) disposed between the leading edge and the trailing edge;
a recession disposed in the substrate, the recession being recessed from the first MFS, the recession being recessed a distance of about 10 nm to about 100 nm from the first MFS;
a tape head disposed in the recession, the tape head comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein a second MFS of the tape head extends above the first MFS a distance of about 20 nm to about 200 nm;
a first step disposed in the leading edge, the first step having a width to depth ratio of about 80; and
a second step disposed adjacent to the first step in the leading edge, the second step having a width to depth ratio of about 40; and
a controller configured to move the tape over the tape head and to control the plurality of data elements to write data to and read data from the tape, wherein the tape is spaced from the first MFS a distance of about 50 nm to about 250 nm as the tape is moved over the tape head assembly, and wherein the tape is spaced from the second MFS a distance of about 10 nm to about 30 nm.
19 . The tape drive of claim 18 , wherein a width of the recession is greater, equal or smaller than a width of the tape head.
20 . The tape drive of claim 18 , further comprising:
a third step disposed on the trailing edge; and
a fourth step disposed adjacent to the third step on the trailing edge.
21 . The tape drive of claim 20 , wherein the third step has a depth to width ratio of about 80, and wherein the fourth step has a depth to width ratio of about 40.