A method involves depositing a near-field transducer on a substrate of a slider. The near-field transducer comprises a plate-like enlarged portion and a peg portion. A first hard stop extending from the near field transducer and an air bearing surface is formed. A heat sink is formed on the enlarged portion and the first hard stop. A dielectric material is deposited over the near-field transducer and the heat sink. A second hard stop is deposited on the dielectric material away from the air bearing surface. The second hard stop comprises a recess corresponding in size and location to the heat sink. The method involves milling at an oblique angle to the substrate between the first hard stop and second hard stop to cut through the heat sink at the angle. The recess of the second hard stop increases a milling rate over the heat sink compared to a second milling rate of the dielectric away from the heat sink.

The magnetic tape container includes a core around which a magnetic tape is wound. The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support, and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder. A maximum value of a deviation of a center position of an average minimum region reference circle of a trajectory of one rotation drawn by the magnetic tape, in a case where the wound magnetic tape is drawn out from the core core is 100 μm or less for three points of the magnetic tape in a width direction.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head including a read head that reads data from the disk, a write head that writes data to the disk, and an assist element that generates energy to enhance write performance by the write head, and a controller that selects and performs a first recording mode and a second recording mode different from the first recording mode, and selects and performs one of the first recording mode and the second recording mode according to an assist effect of the assist element.

Described are magnetic recording heads that include an overcoat that includes a titanium oxynitride (TiON) layer.

A computer-implemented method to detect a damaged tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor includes applying current at at least two different current values to the TMR sensor and measuring a resistance, R.sub.TMR, at each current value. The method also includes measuring a slope in resistance vs. bias current, RD.sub.SLP, using the measured resistances R.sub.TMR and the at least two different current values. The method includes calculating a ΔRD.sub.SLP value as a difference between the RD.sub.SLP value and an expected value, RD.sub.SLP-expected, for the TMR sensor. The method includes determining whether the ΔRD.sub.SLP value is within a predefined range. In response to determining that the ΔRD.sub.SLP value is outside the predefined range, the method includes outputting an indication that the TMR sensor fails. In response to determining that the ΔRD.sub.SLP value is within the predefined range, the method includes outputting an indication that the TMR sensor passes.

An apparatus may comprise a circuit configured to receive first underlying data corresponding to a first signal and receive a second signal corresponding to second underlying data. The circuit may determine an interference component signal based on the first underlying data corresponding to the first signal and a first channel pulse response shape for the first signal, determine estimated decisions corresponding to the second signal based on the second signal, and determine an estimated signal based on the estimated decisions corresponding to the second signal and a second channel pulse response shape for the second signal. The circuit may then generate a remaining signal based on the estimated signal and the second signal, generate an error signal based on the interference component signal and the remaining signal, and adapt one or more parameters of the first channel pulse response shape based on the error signal.

An apparatus may comprise a circuit configured to receive first underlying data corresponding to a first signal and receive a second signal corresponding to second underlying data. The circuit may determine an interference component signal based on the first underlying data corresponding to the first signal and a first channel pulse response shape for the first signal, determine estimated decisions corresponding to the second signal based on the second signal, and determine an estimated signal based on the estimated decisions corresponding to the second signal and a second channel pulse response shape for the second signal. The circuit may then generate a remaining signal based on the estimated signal and the second signal, generate an error signal based on the interference component signal and the remaining signal, and adapt one or more parameters of the first channel pulse response shape based on the error signal.

A processor includes a transmitter to transmit, to a receiver, a differential pair of signals including a positive signal transmitted across a positive conductor and a negative signal transmitted across a negative conductor. A first programmable analog delay circuit is coupled to the positive conductor to provide a first delay to the positive signal and a second programmable analog delay circuit is coupled to the negative conductor to provide a second delay to the negative signal. A controller receives data based on a bit error rate (BER) of the differential pair of signals as measured by a bit error checker of the receiver. In response to determining the BER is less than a threshold BER, the controller stores a first delay value to program the first delay and store a second delay value to program the second delay.

Methods of forming a near field transducer (NFT), the methods including the steps of depositing plasmonic material on a substrate; laser annealing at least a portion of the deposited plasmonic material at a wavelength from 100 nm to 2.0 micrometers (μm) to induce liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) in the annealed deposited plasmonic material to form a epitaxially modified plasmonic material; and forming a NFT from at least a portion of the epitaxially modified plasmonic material are disclosed as well as other methods and devices such as those formed.

The present disclosure relates to a recording head that includes a write pole extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head; a near-field transducer extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head; a trailing return pole positioned between the write pole and the trailing edge; and a recessed portion that is recessed relative to the media-facing surface by a distance when no power is applied to the recording head. The trailing return pole is located in the recessed portion. The present disclosure also includes relates methods of making and detecting contact between a recording head and recording medium.