Patent ID: 6104562
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A rotating disk data storage device, comprising:a disk drive base;at least one rotatable mounted disk for recording data in a plurality of tracks recorded on a surface of said at least one rotatable mounted disk, said at least one rotatably mounted disk having recorded thereon a plurality of annularly spaced embedded servo patterns for identifying the locations of said plurality of tracks;a movable actuator supporting at least one transducer head, said transducer head comprising:(a) a first magnetoresistive read element for reading servo information on said disk, said first magnetoresistive read element having a first width in a dimension parallel to said disk surface and substantially perpendicular to said tracks,(b) a second magnetoresistive read element for reading data recorded on said disk, said second magnetoresistive read element having a second width in said dimension parallel to said disk surface and substantially perpendicular to said tracks, said second width being less than said first width,(c) at least one electrically insulating layer between said first magnetoresistive read element and said second magnetoresistive read element, and(d) a thin-film inductive write apparatus, wherein said thin-film inductive write apparatus has a third width in said dimension parallel to said disk surface and substantially perpendicular to said tracks, said third width being less than said first width and greater than said second width; andsignal sensing apparatus electrically coupled to said first magnetoresistive read element and said second magnetoresistive read element, said signal sensing apparatus selectively sensing said first magnetoresistive read element to generate a position error signal from said angularly spaced embedded servo patterns, and selectively sensing said second magnetoresistive read element to read data recorded on said tracks.