Patent ID: 8385162
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A thermally-assisted magnetic recording disk drive comprising: a rotatable magnetic recording disk comprising a substrate and a magnetic recording layer on the substrate; a head carrier having a recording-layer-facing surface; a heat source on the head carrier for heating an area of the recording layer as the disk rotates; a write head on the head carrier, the write head generating a generally circular path of magnetic transitions in the heated recording layer as the disk rotates, the write head having a radial width less than the radial width of the heated area of the recording layer; and an actuator connected to the head carrier for moving the head carrier generally radially across the disk, the actuator being capable of moving the head in an increment less than the radial width of a path, whereby the write head generates partially overlapping generally circular paths of magnetic transitions, the non-overlapping portions of the circular paths representing data tracks, the data tracks being grouped on the recording layer in annular bands separated by annular gaps; a controller for selecting the data tracks where data is to be written by the write head; memory coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller includes logic for executing method acts comprising: