Exemplary methods and apparatus are disclosed for a head assembly of a hard disk drive. In one example, a tilt-preventing standoff or datum is formed on a flexure cover layer of a head assembly of the hard disk drive to prevent tilting of a slider of the head assembly relative to the flexure cover layer during fabrication. The flexure cover layer may be, e.g., a laminate cover layer that covers and protects the flexure of the head assembly. In some examples, a primary standoff (or adhesive limitation) is formed on the flexure layer and shaped to limit the spread of an adhesive. The tilt-preventing standoff is a secondary standoff or datum that is sized and positioned to prevent tilting of the slider relative to the flexure cover layer during mounting of the slider to the flexure cover layer. The primary and secondary standoffs may be formed, for example, of polyamide.

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 flexure includes a metal base, a circuit member, and an actuator. The circuit member includes a base insulating layer, a conductor layer, and a cover insulating layer. The conductor layer includes a second pad, and a reference hole, which is an example of a portion to be protected, in a tongue portion. A second end portion of the actuator is fixed to the second pad via an adhesive. The circuit member includes a wall portion. The wall portion is formed between the second pad and the reference hole. A height of the wall portion is greater than a height of the second pad.

A flexure includes a metal base, a circuit member, and an actuator. The circuit member includes a base insulating layer, a conductor layer, and a cover insulating layer. The conductor layer includes a second pad, and a reference hole, which is an example of a portion to be protected, in a tongue portion. A second end portion of the actuator is fixed to the second pad via an adhesive. The circuit member includes a wall portion. The wall portion is formed between the second pad and the reference hole. A height of the wall portion is greater than a height of the second pad.

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.

An opposite-side dielectric ceramic layer is in contact with a first opposite-surface electrode layer and a second opposite-surface electrode layer. A mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer is in contact with a first mounting-surface electrode layer and a second mounting-surface electrode layer. A mounting-side inner electrode layer is separated from the first mounting-surface electrode layer and the second mounting-surface electrode layer by the mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer, disposed on the mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer, extending from a first side-surface electrode layer, and separated from a second side-surface electrode layer. In a cross-sectional view including a lamination direction and a length direction, a position in which the second mounting-surface electrode layer has a maximum thickness is shifted toward a second side surface in the length direction with respect to a position in which the second opposite-surface electrode layer has a maximum thickness.

An opposite-side dielectric ceramic layer is in contact with a first opposite-surface electrode layer and a second opposite-surface electrode layer. A mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer is in contact with a first mounting-surface electrode layer and a second mounting-surface electrode layer. A mounting-side inner electrode layer is separated from the first mounting-surface electrode layer and the second mounting-surface electrode layer by the mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer, disposed on the mounting-side dielectric ceramic layer, extending from a first side-surface electrode layer, and separated from a second side-surface electrode layer. In a cross-sectional view including a lamination direction and a length direction, a position in which the second mounting-surface electrode layer has a maximum thickness is shifted toward a second side surface in the length direction with respect to a position in which the second opposite-surface electrode layer has a maximum thickness.

A wiring circuit board includes a metal supporting substrate, an insulating layer, and a conductive layer in this order in a thickness direction. The conductive layer includes at least one terminal portion and a wiring portion extending from the terminal portion. The metal supporting substrate has an opening portion. The opening portion penetrates the metal supporting substrate in the thickness direction and faces the terminal portion through the insulating layer. The opening portion has a first opening peripheral edge on one side in the thickness direction and a second opening peripheral edge on the other side in the thickness direction. In a projected view in the thickness direction, the second opening peripheral edge is disposed outside the first opening peripheral edge and extends along the first opening peripheral edge.