Patent ID: 8817406

Claim:
A magnetic-recording head with touch-down detector incorporating a carbon nano-tube, said magnetic-recording head comprising: a write element configured to write data to a magnetic-recording disk; a read element configured to read data from said magnetic-recording disk; an overcoat layer disposed on a disk-facing side of said magnetic-recording head, a disk-facing side of said overcoat layer defining a portion of an air-bearing surface, and said overcoat layer having an aperture through which a carbon-nano-tube portion is configured to extend towards a surface of a magnetic-recording disk, and a touch-down detector comprising: a thermal sensor configured to convert heat to a voltage signal; and said carbon-nano-tube portion configured to touch down on said magnetic-recording disk, said carbon-nano-tube portion coupled to said thermal sensor, and configured to transfer heat generated by contact between said carbon-nano-tube portion and said magnetic-recording disk to said thermal sensor.