Patent ID: 7190550

Claim:
An air bearing slider comprising: a slider body including a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed sides and including an elongate length between the leading and trailing edges having a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion and an intermediate portion proximate to a center axis of the slider body and a cross width between the opposed sides and the slider body including a center portion and opposed side portions; a raised bearing surface or surfaces including a center portion along the leading edge portion of the slider body having a gap in a cross width direction within the center portion of the slider body and a bearing surface or surfaces within the intermediate portion having an expanded cross width relative to the cross width of the center portion; and a stepped bearing surface or surfaces recessed from the raised bearing surface or surfaces and the stepped bearing surface or surfaces having a cross width profile that includes a narrowing cross width dimension that narrows in a direction towards the trailing edge of the slider body from the intermediate portion.