Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7408737?dq=5787449
Timestamp: 2014-08-28 11:22:12
Document Index: 707981920

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 500', 'art 500', 'art 500', 'art 500', 'art 500', 'art 500']

Patent US7408737 - Apparatus of performing self-servo write using a helium environment - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsApparatuses and/or systems for performing self-servo write using a helium environment are provided. In one embodiment, an intake tube is coupled to an intake hole that is associated with an enclosure for enclosing a recording disk. A helium gas transport mechanism is coupled to the intake tube and the...http://www.google.com/patents/US7408737?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7408737 - Apparatus of performing self-servo write using a helium environmentAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7408737 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/928,084Publication dateAug 5, 2008Filing dateAug 27, 2004Priority dateAug 27, 2004Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20060044675Publication number10928084, 928084, US 7408737 B2, US 7408737B2, US-B2-7408737, US7408737 B2, US7408737B2InventorsCraig Fukushima, Toshiki HiranoOriginal AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Amsterdam B.V.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (21), Referenced by (4), Classifications (11), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetApparatus of performing self-servo write using a helium environmentUS 7408737 B2Abstract Apparatuses and/or systems for performing self-servo write using a helium environment are provided. In one embodiment, an intake tube is coupled to an intake hole that is associated with an enclosure for enclosing a recording disk. A helium gas transport mechanism is coupled to the intake tube and the helium gas transport mechanism causes substantially helium gas to be transported to the enclosure.
1. An apparatus for providing helium into a disk enclosure to enhance performance of self-servo write, comprising:
an intake tube configured to be coupled to an intake hole of an enclosure for enclosing a recording disk associated with a disk drive, wherein the enclosure is a disk drive case that the recording disk will be shipped in so that the recording disk is not required to be sealed in an interior environment of a servo track writer;
a helium gas transport mechanism coupled to the intake tube, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism is configured to cause helium gas to be transported to the enclosure when the intake tube is coupled to the intake hole to enable writing circular track positioning information on the recording disk using self-servo write without requiring disassembly of the enclosure and without requiring an additional enclosure; and
metalized tape for sealing the intake hole and an exhaust hole of the enclosure after the helium gas has been transported into the enclosure.
an exhaust tube configured to be coupled to the exhaust hole of the enclosure.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exhaust hole is a breather filter.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake hole is a particle count test comport.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism transports the helium gas that is pressurized.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism is a tank of pressurized helium gas.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least partially helium confining substance that is used to seal the intake hole and the exhaust hole.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a legacy disk drive case.
a helium gas transport mechanism, an intake tube, a disk drive that includes a recording disk, an enclosure for the disk drive, and an exhaust tube, wherein the enclosure is a disk drive case that the disk drive will be shipped in;
the helium gas transport mechanism is coupled to the intake tube;
the intake tube is coupled to the enclosure with an intake hole;
the exhaust tube is coupled to an exhaust hole of the enclosure, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism is configured to cause helium gas to be transported into the enclosure to enable writing circular track positioning information on the recording disk using self-servo write without requiring disassembly of the enclosure and without requiring an additional enclosure; and
metalized tape for sealing the intake hole and the exhaust hole of the enclosure after the helium gas has been transported into the enclosure.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the exhaust hole is a breather filter.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the intake hole is a particle count test comport.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism transports the helium gas that is pressurized.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the helium gas transport mechanism is a tank of pressurized helium gas.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises at least partially helium confining substance that is used to seal the intake hole and the exhaust hole.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein the enclosure is a legacy disk drive case. Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS This Application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/175,056 by Gregory Michael Frees, filed on Oct. 20, 1998 and entitled �Method for Writing Servo Information on a Recording disk�, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference as background material.
This Application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,435 by Timothy J. Chainer, Bucknell C. Webb, Mark D. Schultz, and Edward J. Yarmchuk, filed on Oct. 25, 1999 and entitled �Self-Servo-Writing Timing Pattern Generation with Non-Overlapping Read and Write Elements�, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference as background material.
TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relates to disk drives. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to performing self-servo write in a helium environment.
BACKGROUND ART The competition to sell disk drives at ever lower prices is intense. Manufacturers of disk drives are constantly developing new ways to cut the costs of manufacturing disk drives in order to sell their disk drives at competitive prices and to stay in business. FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a disk drive. Typically, data is read from and written to the recording disk 110 of a disk drive in circular tracks. Circular track positioning information 130 (CTPI) is typically written permanently to recording disks, such as recording disk 110, for example at the manufacturers, to facilitate reading data from and writing data to the recording disks 110. The CTPI 130 can include a pattern of radial positioning information A1, B1, A2. The radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 are commonly referred to as �servo bursts� and the pattern of the radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 is commonly referred to as a �servo pattern.� The CTPI 130 is used during operation of the disk drive to ensure that the head of the disk drive is centered over the desired track of data 160, 170. For example, the CTPI 130 is used to determine where to write data to and where to read data from.
The CTPI 130 is written to a recording disk 110 using a writing mechanism. For example, as the recording disk 110 spins around, the writing mechanism writes the CTPI 130 to the recording disk 110. The writing mechanism can include the write head of the disk drive, the suspension arm that the write head is attached to and what is commonly known as a �pusher� that mechanically pushes the suspension arm. The �pusher� mechanically pushes the suspension arm to position the write head to a desired location of the recording disk 110. In contrast the writing mechanism may not use a pusher. For example in this later case, the writing mechanism can include software that controls the suspension arm to position the write head over the desired location. The software programs can be executed on a general purpose computer or a special purpose microcontroller, among other things.
Deviation of a track of data 210, 220 from a perfect circle or off center 180 can cause a track of data 210, 220 to come close to an adjacent track of data 210, 220 resulting in a loss of data during a write process. For example, assume that tracks of data 210 and 220 are adjacent to each other on the recording disk 110 and data has already been written to track of data 210. At a particular point, while writing data to track of data 220, the data on track of data 210 may be overwrite when the data for track 220 is written at a particular point, referred to as a �squeeze point 230,� where the two adjacent tracks of data 210, 220 are close together.
One method of reducing the imperfections of the CTPI 130 involves reducing the speed at which the recording disk 110 spins as the CTPI 130 is written to the recording disk 110. Typically, the CTPI 130 is written at half the speed that a disk drive is capable of spinning its recording disk 110. However, this greatly increases the length of time it takes to write the CTPI 130 to recording disks 110, thus, increasing the cost of manufacturing disk drives. �A disk drive can spin as fast as the design of the disk drive allows it to spin at. This speed shall be referred to hereinafter as �Design revolutions per minute (RPM)�
For these and other reasons, an apparatus and system that reduces the imperfections when writing circular track positioning information to a recording disk would be valuable.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention pertain to apparatuses and/or systems for performing self-servo write using a helium environment. In one embodiment, an intake tube is coupled to an intake hole that is associated with an enclosure for enclosing a recording disk. A helium gas transport mechanism is coupled to the intake tube and the helium gas transport mechanism causes substantially helium gas to be transported to the enclosure.
Once the disk drive case 320 is filled with helium gas at the desired concentration, self-servo write is performed on the recording disk, according to one embodiment. For a description of �self-servo write� refer to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,435, by Chainer et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein.
According to another embodiment, self-servo write can be performed while the helium is coming into the intake hole 350 and exhausting out the exhaust hole 380.
According to one embodiment, the intake hole 350 and/or the exhaust hole 370 can be sealed with a partially confining substance to contain the helium in the disk drive case 320 during self-servo write. According to yet another embodiment, the partially helium confining substance is a metalized tape.
Since the density of helium is less than that of air, self-servo write can be performed on the recording disk at least designt RPMs that the disk drive 330 is capable of, according to yet another embodiment, while maintaining at least acceptable levels of quality. Writing the CTPI 130 to the recording disk (using self-servo write) at at least design RPMs greatly increases the level of productivity in manufacturing disk drives, such as disk drive 330.
Quality Issues As already stated, a method, an apparatus, and/or a system that reduces the imperfections when writing CTPI 130 to a recording disk is valuable. By writing CTPI 130 to a recording disk in a helium environment, the CTPI 130 can be written at approximately design RPMs that the disk drive 330 is capable of while maintaining at least acceptable levels of quality, according to one embodiment. An acceptable level of quality can involve eliminating squeeze points 230 so that there would not be a loss of data, according to another embodiment.
A CTPI writing mechanism can use previously written radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 (FIG. 2) to determine the location for writing subsequent radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 to a recording disk, according to one embodiment. For example, a writing mechanism can refer to radial positioning information A1, for example, when determining where to write radial positioning information B1 and can refer to radial positioning information B1 when determining where to write radial positioning information A2 until a complete CTPI 130 has been written to the recording disk from OD to ID 150. The vibrations of the writing mechanism can cause radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 to be slightly misplaced. Since the writing mechanism relies on the positioning of previously written radial positioning information, such as A1, when determining where to write subsequent radial positioning information, such as B1, the position of the radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 can deviate more and more from desired positions as the radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 are written from OD to ID 150.
For example, radial positioning information A1 can deviate slightly from the desired position due to vibrations of the writing mechanism. Since the position of radial positioning information B1 relies on the position of A1, radial positioning information B1 can deviate even more from the desired position. This increase in deviation of radial positioning information A1, B1, A2 from desired positions is commonly referred to as non-repeatable runout (NRRO). By writing CTPI 130 to a recording disk in a helium environment, the CTPI 130 can be written at approximately design RPMs that the disk drive 330 is capable of while maintaining the amount of NRRO within acceptable levels of quality, according to one embodiment.
Today, the number of tracks of data 210, 220 written to a recording disk is approaching 150,000 per linear inch. Approximately 4-5 years ago, the number of tracks of data 210, 220 written to a recording disk was approximately 20,000 per linear inch. As more and more tracks of data 210, 220 per linear inch are written to recording disks, the placement of the CTPI 130 is becoming more and more critical. Therefore, by providing a helium environment while performing self-servo write. The present embodiment allows manufacturing to write a CTPI 130 to a recording disk at approximately design RPMs of the disk drive 330.
Operational Example of a Method for Performing Self-Servo Write in a Helium Environment FIG. 5 depicts flowchart 500 for performing self-servo write in a helium environment, according to embodiments of the present invention. Although specific steps are disclosed in flowchart 500, such steps are exemplary. That is, embodiments of the present invention are well suited to performing various other steps or variations of the steps recited in flowchart 500. It is appreciated that the steps in flowchart 500 may be performed in an order different than presented, and that not all of the steps in flowchart 500 may be performed. All of, or a portion of, the embodiments described by flowchart 500 can be implemented using computer-readable and computer-executable instructions which reside, for example, in computer-usable media of a computer system or like device.
In step 515, circular track positioning information is written to the recording disk using self-servo write, according to yet another embodiment. For example, a computer with software may be used to direct the write head of the disk drive 330 (FIG. 3) to perform self-servo write on the recording disk enclosed in the disk drive case 320 (FIG. 3). The self-servo write is performed at at least design RPM, according to one embodiment.
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