Patent ID: 6873496

Claim:
A system for reading and recording data, the system comprising: an enclosure; a magnetic disk rotationally mounted within said enclosure; an actuator pivotally mounted within said enclosure and having a distal end adjacent a surface of said magnetic disk; a slider connected with said distal end of said actuator in close proximity to said surface of said magnetic disk, said slider having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite said leading edge, and first and second opposing sides, the slider having a generally longitudinal roll axis about which roll rotation of the slider may occur; a base surface on said slider at a first elevation, said base surface extending to a corner defined by the intersection of said trailing edge and said second side; a first rail defined by a raised surface extending from said base surface to a first raised elevation and extending generally lengthwise adjacent said first side of said slider from a location proximal to said leading edge; a second rail defined by a raised surface extending from said base surface to said first raised elevation and extending generally lengthwise adjacent said second side of said slider from a location proximal said leading edge; a pad extending from said base surface at a corner defined by the intersection of said trailing edge and said first side; an intermediate surface formed at an elevation between said base surface and said raised elevations of said first and second rails, said intermediate surface extending between said rails and said leading edge and extending between a portion of said first and second rails; a magneto-resistive read element disposed within said slider at the location of said pad; and a magneto-resistive write element disposed within said slider, adjacent said read element at the location of said pad; whereby the roll axis is situated toward the pad.