Beam support for staggered modules of a tilted head in a storage system

A tape drive for data storage in data tracks on magnetic tape, comprising:

• a tape head having a first support member having a body portion wherein the body portion has a first end, a second end distal from the first end, a first length extending longitudinally from the first end to the second end, and a first width transverse to the longitudinal length, and a first wafer chiplet disposed on the support member and having transducers formed in the chiplet, wherein the first support member further has a first alignment leg portion projecting from the body portion so that the support member has a width at the first alignment leg portion exceeding the first width of the body portion, the first alignment leg portion having a bonding surface spaced from both the first and second ends of the support member;
• a tape actuator configured to move the magnetic tape in a linear direction past the tape head;
• a pivotal actuator configured to cause pivotal motion of the tape head to skew the tape head relative to data tracks of the magnetic tape;
• and
• a controller configured to control the actuators and transducers to at least one of read data from and write data to data tracks of magnetic tape moving past the transducers.

A method of fabricating a tape head for a tape drive for data storage on magnetic tape, comprising:

• securing a first wafer chiplet having a first chiplet footprint onto a first chiplet support surface of a first body portion of a first support member having a first end, and a second end distal from the first end;
• and
• wherein the first chiplet support surface has a length longer than the first wafer chiplet footprint and a width wider than the first wafer chiplet footprint so that first wafer chiplet is fully supported over its entire footprint by the first chiplet support surface of the first support member;
• and
• wherein the first wafer chiplet has transducers formed in the chiplet and adapted to at least one of read data from and write data to media moving past the transducers.