Patent ID: 7715148
Filing Date: 2010-05-11
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A negative pressure utilization type of slider comprising: a head for recording onto a disk or reproducing from a disk; and an air bearing surface for facing such a disk, said air bearing surface comprising a plurality of substantially flat surfaces, said substantially flat surfaces differing in height from each other, for generating an air flow when such disk rotates, thereby causing the slider to float over such disk, the air bearing surface having three stages comprising an air inflow surface, a positive pressure generating surface and a negative pressure generating surface, respectively, in order, from an air flow incoming end to an air flow outgoing end of the slider, wherein the air inflow surface extends to the air flow incoming end, the air inflow surface has a groove extending between, and including, a disk inner peripheral end and a disk outer peripheral end of the air inflow surface, a bottom surface of the groove being lower in height than the air inflow surface relative to a surface opposite the disk-facing surface, the groove being parallel to and set back from the air flow incoming end, such that it does not contact an edge of the air flow incoming end, and the three stages of the air bearing surface differing in height, the three stages comprising an upper stage surface highest in height, a lower stage surface lowest in height and a middle surface lower than the upper stage surface and higher than the lower stage surface, the positive pressure generating surface, the air inflow surface and the negative pressure generating surface being formed on the upper stage surface, the middle surface and the lower stage surface, respectively.