Universal magnetic recording head chip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9418682-B2
Application number	US-201514637335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head having, on one module thereof, an array of N first data transducers positioned towards a media facing surface of the module, and M second data transducers interleaved with the array of first transducers. Only some of the data transducers are coupled to pads. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a magnetic head having, on one module thereof, an array of data transducers positioned towards a media facing surface of the module, the data transducers including at least one of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof. A plurality of pads are on the module, but less than all of the first and/or second data transducers are coupled to pads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnetic head having multiple modules, wherein at least one module thereof includes a linear array of N first data transducers positioned towards a media facing surface of the module and M second data transducers interleaved with the array of first transducers along a longitudinal axis of the array, wherein only some of the data transducers along the longitudinal axis of the array between outermost data transducers in the array are coupled to pads.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein all of the first or second data transducers are coupled to the pads.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein less than all of the first and/or second data transducers are coupled to the pads.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein the pads are present in a single row.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , comprising leads extended from each of the first and second data transducers, wherein only a portion of the leads are in electrical communication with the pads.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of second pads, wherein the second pads are not coupled to any of the data transducers.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pads are arranged in a single row, and further comprising leads extending from each of the first and second data transducers, wherein leads extending from data readers of the first data transducers are present in a first level of thin films of the module, wherein leads extending from data writers of the first data transducers are present in a second level of thin films of the module, wherein leads extending from the second data transducers are present in a third level of thin films of the module, wherein leads from only two of the levels are coupled to the pads.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pads are arranged in first and second rows, and further comprising leads extending from each of the first and second data transducers, wherein the leads extending from the first data transducers are in electrical communication with the pads in the first row, wherein the leads extending from the second transducers are in electrical communication with the pads in the second row, wherein at least some of the leads extending from the second transducers are also in electrical communication with pads in the first row.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data transducers are piggyback data transducers.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second data transducers are single data transducers.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein less than all of the first and second data transducers positioned between outermost ones of the data transducers in the array are coupled to the pads, wherein the array further includes at least one servo reader.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data transducers are merged data transducers.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the second data transducers are single data transducers.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the head has, on a second module thereof, an array of N third data transducers positioned towards a media facing surface of the second module and M fourth data transducers interleaved with the array of third data transducers, wherein at least some of the data transducers are coupled to pads on the second module.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the magnetic head;
a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head; and
a cable providing at least a portion of a conductive path between the magnetic head and the controller, wherein all transducers are coupled to pads, wherein the cable is coupled to only some of the pads.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the magnetic head;
a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head; and
a cable providing at least a portion of a conductive path between the magnetic head and the controller, wherein not all transducers are coupled to pads, wherein the cable is coupled to all of the pads.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnetic head having multiple modules, wherein at least one module thereof includes a linear array of data transducers positioned towards a media facing surface of the module, the data transducers including at least one of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof; and
a plurality of pads on the module;
wherein less than all of the data transducers positioned along a longitudinal axis of the array between outermost data transducers in the array are coupled to pads.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 , wherein the data transducers are single data transducers.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 , wherein the pads are present in a single row.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19 , comprising leads extended from each of the data transducers, wherein only a portion of the leads are in electrical communication with the pads.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Biskeborn Robert G
• Lo Calvin S
• Luong Kevin T

Classifications

• G11B5/4976

  Disposition of heads, e.g. matrix arrangement · CPC title

• G11B5/00821

  using stationary heads · CPC title

• G11B5/49

  Fixed mounting {or arrangements, e.g. one head per track} · CPC title

• G11B5/4893 Primary

  relative to moving tape · CPC title

• G11B5/00826 Primary

  comprising a plurality of single poles or gaps or groups thereof operative at the same time · CPC title