A high density slider clamp fixture is disclosed for accurately positioning a large number of head sliders for metrology testing. The slider clamp fixture may include a single piece, monolithic structure comprising a large number of slider nests, aligned in rows and columns in the slider fixture. Each slider nest includes a reference datum surface machined to precisely align with all other reference datum surfaces in a row of the monolithic structure. Each slider nest further includes a flexure clamp for independent clamping of each slider in the row against the reference datum surfaces.

A method of forming a magnetic head includes forming a read sensor stripe, depositing an electronic lapping guide (ELG) layer over the substrate in an ELG region, forming a backside edge of a read sensor by patterning the read sensor stripe in a first patterning step, forming a backside insulator layer and a rear bias magnetic material portion over the backside edge of the read sensor, forming a backside edge of an ELG by patterning the ELG layer in the ELG region in a second patterning step, simultaneously forming a front side edge of the read sensor and a front side edge of the ELG, and lapping the read sensor and the ELG to provide an air bearing surface of a read sensor. The physical stripe height offset can be determined for each flash field by correlating device conductance and ELG conductance.

A method according to one embodiment includes forming a bearing surface slot in an end of a section of a thin film wafer at a location that defines a tape bearing surface extending between the bearing surface slot and portions of transducers exposed on the end. The section has a plurality of rows of transducers formed on a substrate. A row is sliced from the section, the row having the end and bearing surface slot.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a die comprising an array of transducers in a transducer region of the die, a first region extending from the transducer region to a first end of the die and a second region extending from the transducer region to a second end of the die, and a beam, wherein the transducer region of the die is fixedly attached to the beam.

A method according to one embodiment includes attaching a die to a beam, where the die includes an array of transducers in a transducer region of the die, a first region extending from the transducer region to a first end of the die and a second region extending from the transducer region to a second end of the die. The transducer region of the die is attached to the beam, and the first region and the second region are not attached to the beam.

The present disclosure discloses a magnetic head, a head gimbal assembly, a hard disk drive, and a method for processing a magnetic head. The method comprises irradiating at a fixed point proximal to the read/write part with a laser irradiation device until the read head and the write head are thermally expanded; orientating air bearing surfaces of a plurality of magnetic heads forming a magnetic strip toward a lapping surface of a lapping device after laser irradiation, holding the air bearing surfaces in place, lapping with the lapping device until the air bearing surfaces are coplanar; and disassembling the magnetic strip to obtain a lapped magnetic head. Through laser heating induced compensation, the heights of lapped read head and write head of the magnetic head meet their respective target values, ensuring the normal reading and writing of the storage medium of the magnetic disk.

A row bar for forming magnetic heads includes a row of magnetic head forming portions each having a magnetic head and a cutting portion adjacent to the magnetic heads. A row of bonding pads and a first ELG pad are provided at the magnetic head, a second ELG pad is provided at the cutting portion, both of the first and the second ELG pads are adapted for contacting with a probe during lapping process, and a conductive structure that is higher than surfaces of the first and the second ELG pads is formed at peripheries of the first and the second ELG pads respectively. Due to the conductive structures, a probe used in lapping process will be prevented from shifting from the ELG pads to ensure a stable contact, thereby obtaining efficient and accurate resistance measurement.

A method and system provide a storage device. A plurality of read sensor stacks for each reader of the storage device are provided. The read sensor stacks are distributed along a down track direction and offset in a cross-track direction. A plurality of electronic lapping guides (ELGs) are provided for the read sensor stacks. The read sensor stacks are lapped. Lapping is terminated based on signal(s) from the ELG(s).

A method of forming a read head. The method includes forming first and second read sensors that are substantially trapezoidal in shape. A first read measurement is performed on a storage medium using the first read sensor. A second read measurement is performed on the storage medium using the second read sensor. Based on a comparison of the first and second read measurements to a predetermined quantity, either the first read sensor or the second read sensor is selected to be operational in a data storage device.

A method of forming a read head. The method includes forming first and second read sensors. A first read measurement is performed on a storage medium using the first read sensor. A second read measurement is performed on the storage medium using the second read sensor. Based on a comparison of the first and second read measurements to a predetermined quantity, either the first read sensor or the second read sensor is selected to be operational in a data storage device.