Described herein are sliders and data storage devices that promote particle mobility to improve particle robustness. In some embodiments, a data storage device includes a recording medium and a slider. A surface of the slider air-bearing surface near the leading edge includes at least one roughening feature that causes the surface to be rougher than other surfaces of the slider to promote particle mobility. The roughening feature may include a regular or irregular pattern, and it may be created using a photoresist mask during the manufacturing process so that the surface is deliberately made rougher (e.g., has a higher friction coefficient) than the surface of a leading pad of the slider.

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 magnetic disk device includes a plurality of magnetic disks, a plurality of sliders each including one or more resistive elements, each of which is arranged to face a recording surface of one of the plurality of magnetic disks, and is provided corresponding to the plurality of magnetic disks, and a processor configured to detect a change in a resistance value of one or more of the plurality resistive elements.

A magnetic disk device includes a plurality of magnetic disks, a plurality of sliders each including one or more resistive elements, each of which is arranged to face a recording surface of one of the plurality of magnetic disks, and is provided corresponding to the plurality of magnetic disks, and a processor configured to detect a change in a resistance value of one or more of the plurality resistive elements.

The present disclosure generally related to read heads having dual free layer (DFL) sensors. The read head has a sensor disposed between two shields. The sensor is a DFL sensor and has a surface at the media facing surface (MFS). Behind the DFL sensor, and away from the MFS, is a rear hard bias (RHB) structure. The RHB structure is disposed between the shields as well. In between the DFL sensor and the RHB structure is insulating material. The RHB is disposed on the insulating material. The RHB includes a RHB seed layer as well as a RHB bulk layer. The RHB seed layer has a thickness of between 26 Angstroms and 35 Angstroms. The RHB seed layer ensures the read head has a strong RHB magnetic field that can be uniformly applied.

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.

Disclosed herein are sliders having air-bearing surface (ABS) designs to mitigate the effects of smear on near-field transducers used in data storage devices, and data storage devices comprising such sliders. A slider comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, a NFT, and an ABS with features to increase oxygen concentration near the NFT. The ABS comprises a channel configured to direct gas in a direction from the leading edge toward the trailing edge and a funnel region connected to the channel, disposed between the channel and the NFT, and configured to receive gas from the channel. In an ABS view of the slider, a width of the funnel region along a longitudinal axis passing through the NFT monotonically increases with distance from the NFT.

Disclosed herein are sliders having air-bearing surface (ABS) designs to mitigate the effects of smear on near-field transducers used in data storage devices, and data storage devices comprising such sliders. A slider comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, a NFT, and an ABS with features to increase oxygen concentration near the NFT. The ABS comprises a channel configured to direct gas in a direction from the leading edge toward the trailing edge and a funnel region connected to the channel, disposed between the channel and the NFT, and configured to receive gas from the channel. In an ABS view of the slider, a width of the funnel region along a longitudinal axis passing through the NFT monotonically increases with distance from the NFT.

Active pressure in the air bearing surface of a slider in the region of the transducer is reduced by introducing two channels in the center pad of the advanced air bearing along each side of the centerline and spaced apart from the transducer. This configuration moves the high pressure region away from the transducer zone at the trailing edge of the slider.