Tape drive with metal oxide interface between tape and tape head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10056097-B2
Application number	US-201715584268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A tape head is provided for use with a tape drive that is configured to receive a length of tape. The tape head includes a head body including at least one head element for performing read and/or write operations on the tape, and a protective layer extending over at least a portion of the head body for inhibiting wear of the head body when the tape is moved with respect to the head body. Furthermore, the protective layer is made of titanium oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, or zinc oxide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape head for a tape drive receiving a tape, the tape head comprising:
a head element for performing read and/or write operations on the tape;
a tape-head interface for coupling the head element with the tape; and
a metal oxide layer over the tape-head interface and configured to be in contact with both the tape-head interface and the tape when the tape is moved with respect to the head element.

2. The tape head of claim 1 wherein the metal oxide layer comprises titanium oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, or zinc oxide substantially through an entire thickness of the metal oxide layer.

3. The tape head of claim 1 wherein the metal oxide layer substantially comprises an electrically non-conductive metal oxide.

4. The tape head of claim 1 wherein the metal oxide layer is directly in contact with the tape-head interface without any intervening isolation layer between the metal oxide layer and the tape-head interface.

5. The tape head of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer ranges from 4 nanometers to 25 nanometers.

6. The tape head of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 20 nanometers.

7. The tape head of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 15 nanometers.

8. The tape head of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 10 nanometers.

9. A tape drive to perform read and/or write operations on a tape, the tape drive comprising:
a tape head;
wherein the tape head comprises:
a head element for performing read and/or write operations on the tape;
a tape-head interface for coupling the head element with the tape; and
a metal oxide layer over the tape-head interface and configured to be in contact with both the tape-head interface and the tape when the tape is moved with respect to the head element.

10. The tape drive of claim 9 wherein the metal oxide layer comprises titanium oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, or zinc oxide substantially through an entire thickness of the metal oxide layer.

11. The tape drive of claim 9 wherein the metal oxide layer substantially comprises an electrically non-conductive metal oxide.

12. The tape drive of claim 9 wherein the metal oxide layer is directly in contact with the tape-head interface without any intervening isolation layer between the metal oxide layer and the tape-head interface.

13. The tape drive of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer ranges from 4 nanometers to 25 nanometers.

14. The tape drive of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 20 nanometers.

15. The tape drive of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 15 nanometers.

16. The tape drive of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is less than 10 nanometers.

17. A tape head for a tape drive comprising:
a head body including at least one head element for performing read and/or write operations on a tape; and
a protective layer disposed directly on an exposed portion of the head body to inhibit wear of the head body when the tape is moved with respect to the head body, wherein the protective layer consists of metal oxide substantially throughout a thickness of the protective layer.

18. The tape head of claim 17 wherein the protective layer comprises a thickness substantially consisting of titanium oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, or zinc oxide.

19. The tape head of claim 17 wherein the protective layer comprises a substantially electrically non-conductive metal oxide.

20. The tape head of claim 17 wherein the thickness of the protective layer ranges from 4 nanometers to 25 nanometers.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Li Jianhua
• Link Michael J

Classifications

• G11B5/00813 Primary

  magnetic tapes · CPC title

• G11B15/00

  Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function (driving or guiding heads G11B3/00 - G11B7/00, G11B21/00) · CPC title

• G11B15/67

  by extracting end of record carrier from container or spool · CPC title

• G11B5/40

  Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature  (G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255  {; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106}) · CPC title

• G11B5/3106

  where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination (G11B5/3133 takes precedence) · CPC title