Self-loading disc head slider having multiple steps approximating a leading taper

摘要

A self-loading disc head-slider has a slider body, with a leading slider edge and a trailing slider edge, and first and second raised rails. Each raised rail has a leading rail edge, inside and outside rail edges and a bearing surface. A cavity dam extends between the first and second raised rails. A subambient pressure cavity trails the cavity dam, between the first and second raised rails. A stepped leading taper extends from the leading slider edge to the bearing surfaces of the first and second raised rails. The stepped leading taper is formed of first and second steps. The first step is positioned along the leading slider edge. The second step wraps around the leading rail edges of the first and second raised rails and extends along a portion of the inside and outside rail edges of the first and second raised rails. The first and second steps have a step height of 0.05 to 1.5 microns.