Apparatus for finishing a magnetic slider
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorZine-Eddine Boutaghou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for finishing a disc drive slider in which a pressure generator applies multiple pressures to the back surface of one slider while the front surface of the one slider contacts a lapping surface to form a finished front surface of the slider. The slider is part of a substrate having multiple unfinished sliders formed in it. An etch process is used to etch trenches in the substrate aligned between the sliders and to form webs joining the sliders together. After the sliders are finished by lapping, the webs are removed to separate the sliders. The multiple sliders are conveniently held together during the finishing process and the etching process avoids damage to the sliders.
Claims19
A process for finishing a disc drive slider, comprising:
- A. providing a substrate having multiple unfinished sliders formed therein, each slider having front and back surfaces;
- B. using a microstructure etch process to etch trenches in the substrate aligned between the sliders and to form webs joining the sliders together;
- C. applying multiple pressures from a multiple pressure generator to the back surface of one slider while the front surface of the one slider contacts a lapping surface to form a finished front surface;
- and
- D. removing the webs.
An apparatus for finishing a disc drive slider, comprising:
- a multiple pressure generator adapted to apply multiple pressures to the back surface of a first disc drive slider that is joined by webs to adjacent disc drive sliders in a disc drive slider substrate;
- a holding fixture for restraining the adjacent disc drive sliders;
- a lapping surface arranged to lap a front surface of the first disc drive slider;
- and
- a feedback circuit providing feedback from electrical lap guides (ELGs) in the first disc drive slider to the multiple pressure generator to control the approach of the front surface to the lapping surface.
An apparatus for finishing a disc drive slider, comprising:
- a holding fixture for holding a disc drive slider substrate including a first disc drive slider in contact with a lapping surface;
- and
- means for applying multiple pressures to the back side of the first disc drive slider during lapping, and for controlling the multiple pressures by feedback from electrical lap guides in the first disc drive slider.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.