a hard disk drive has a head with a read element adjacent to a write element , with the write element extending closer to the disk than the read element so that the write element is proximate to the disk for writing sharp patterns and the read element is removed from the disk to avoid wear and thermal asperities . the write element is encompassed with diamond - like carbon to allow at least occasional dynamic contact with the disk while the read element , which includes a magnetoresistive material , is disposed in a recessed area and may be covered with a thin coating of dlc to avert corrosion . the disk may have a multilayer granular media for low - noise , high - strength perpendicular data storage . perpendicular data storage may also be provided by keeping the write element in such close proximity to the media that perpendicular write fields predominate , while perpendicular signals from the media are favored by the read element .