Patent ID: 7978435

Claim:
A head comprising: a slider which has a facing surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium and is flown by an airflow which is generated between the recording medium surface and the facing surface as the recording medium rotates; and a head portion on the slider and records, configured to record and reproduce information to and from the recording medium, the facing surface of the slider having a first direction extending in a direction of the airflow and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the slider comprising: a negative-pressure cavity which is defined by a recess formed in the facing surface and generates a negative pressure, a leading step portion which protrudes from the facing surface, is situated on an upstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, and faces the recording medium, a leading pad which protrudes from the leading step portion, a recess which is formed in that part of the leading step portion which is situated on the upstream side of the leading pad with respect to the airflow and defines a first step portion and a second step portion which individually extend in a direction across the first direction and are spaced in the first direction, the recess having an area smaller than that of the leading step portion and defining another step portion extending in the first direction, a trailing step portion which protrudes from the facing surface, is situated on a downstream side of the negative-pressure cavity with respect to the airflow, and faces the recording medium, and a trailing pad which protrudes from the trailing step portion.