Patent ID: 6349018
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A negative pressure air bearing slider comprising:a first air bearing surface formed on a bottom of a slider body near an upstream end thereof, said first air bearing surface extending in a lateral direction of the slider body; a pair of second air bearing surfaces formed on the bottom of the slider body near a downstream end thereof, said pair of second air bearing surfaces being separated from the first air bearing surface, and said pair of second air bearing surfaces being spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction so as to define an air stream passage therebetween, wherein one of said second air bearing surfaces has a transducer element embedded therein, and said second air bearing surface with said transducer element has a surface area smaller than that of the other second air bearing surface; and said second air bearing surface with said transducer element has an upstream end of a first width in the lateral direction that is substantially parallel to said downstream end of said slider body, and a downstream end of a second width in the lateral direction that is larger than said first width.