Disclosed herein are sliders that include at least one leading-edge pocket, data storage devices comprising such sliders, and methods of manufacturing such sliders. The at least one leading-edge pocket increases the amount of gas flowing into the leading edge area of the ABS, which can improve the performance of the slider in low-pressure environments, such as sealed helium data storage devices. The at least one leading-edge pocket can have a variety of shapes, sizes, and features to achieve the desired slider performance (e.g., fly height, stability, etc.) in low-pressure environments.

Disclosed herein are sliders that include at least one leading-edge pocket, data storage devices comprising such sliders, and methods of manufacturing such sliders. The at least one leading-edge pocket increases the amount of gas flowing into the leading edge area of the ABS, which can improve the performance of the slider in low-pressure environments, such as sealed helium data storage devices. The at least one leading-edge pocket can have a variety of shapes, sizes, and features to achieve the desired slider performance (e.g., fly height, stability, etc.) in low-pressure environments.

Described are magnetic recording heads that include an air-bearing surface and that are designed to be useful or potentially useful in two or more different types of fluid atmospheres; also described are related methods of testing the magnetic recording heads and installing the magnetic recording heads in a hard disk drive, as well as hard disk drives that contain a magnetic recording head as described.

Described are magnetic recording heads that include an air-bearing surface and that are designed to be useful or potentially useful in two or more different types of fluid atmospheres; also described are related methods of testing the magnetic recording heads and installing the magnetic recording heads in a hard disk drive, as well as hard disk drives that contain a magnetic recording head as described.

A slider design for a hard disk drive (HDD) features a shallow cavity adjacent to a leading edge that has patterns of sub-cavities of various shapes etched into its base to reduce its original surface area. The presence of these patterns of sub-cavities significantly reduces the probability that the slider will capture particles on the surface of a rotating disk and thereby reduces the corresponding probability of surface scratches that such captured particles inevitably produce.

A slider design for a hard disk drive (HDD) features a shallow cavity adjacent to a leading edge that has patterns of sub-cavities of various shapes etched into its base to reduce its original surface area. The presence of these patterns of sub-cavities significantly reduces the probability that the slider will capture particles on the surface of a rotating disk and thereby reduces the corresponding probability of surface scratches that such captured particles inevitably produce.

A data storage device may be configured with a transducing head mounted to a slider. The slider may be suspended above a magnetic data storage medium and have a variable depth region, central rail wall, first wall, and trailing edge wall. The variable depth region continuously contacting a central rail wall from a first wall to a trailing edge wall.

A data storage device may be configured with a transducing head mounted to a slider. The slider may be suspended above a magnetic data storage medium and have a variable depth region, central rail wall, first wall, and trailing edge wall. The variable depth region continuously contacting a central rail wall from a first wall to a trailing edge wall.

According to one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a suspension and a magnetic head supported by the suspension via a gimbal portion. The magnetic head includes a slider and a head portion provided in the slider. The slider includes an air bearing surface, a pair of side surfaces, a leading-side end surface, and a trailing-side end surface. The slider includes a deep groove which is formed between the leading-side step portion and the trailing-side step portion and is open to the air bearing surface and the pair of side surfaces, and a pair of partition walls which extends from the trailing-side step portion toward the leading-side step portion along the pair of side surfaces to close at least a portion of a side surface opening of the deep groove.

According to one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a suspension and a magnetic head supported by the suspension via a gimbal portion. The magnetic head includes a slider and a head portion provided in the slider. The slider includes an air bearing surface, a pair of side surfaces, a leading-side end surface, and a trailing-side end surface. The slider includes a deep groove which is formed between the leading-side step portion and the trailing-side step portion and is open to the air bearing surface and the pair of side surfaces, and a pair of partition walls which extends from the trailing-side step portion toward the leading-side step portion along the pair of side surfaces to close at least a portion of a side surface opening of the deep groove.