Altitude sensing systems for flying height adjustment

An altitude sensor for use in a disk drive device, comprising:

• a support frame having an upper shield and a lower shield opposite the upper shield;
• a sensor unit mounted in the support frame, the sensor unit comprising:
• a beam cantilevered horizontally in the support frame;
• a damper attached to a free end of the beam and configured to move up and down in response to an air flow generated by a rotating disk, which drives the beam to move up and down accordingly;
• at least one PZT layer formed on a surface of the beam, the at least one PZT layer being configured to generate a voltage corresponding to a movement of the beam;
• and
• at least one connection pad operably coupled to the at least one PZT layer, the at least one connection pad being suitable for outputting the voltage;
• wherein distances from the damper to the upper shield and the lower shield are less than those from the beam to the upper shield and the lower shield, respectively.

A disk drive device, comprising:

• a head gimbal assembly, the head gimbal assembly including a slider formed thereon;
• a drive arm connected to the head gimbal assembly;
• a disk, the disk causing an air flow when spun;
• a spindle motor operable to spin the disk;
• and,
• an altitude sensor for adjusting flying height of the slider, the altitude sensor including:
• a support frame having an upper shield and a lower shield opposite the upper shield;
• a sensor unit mounted in the support frame, the sensor unit comprising:
• a beam cantilevered horizontally in the support frame;
• a damper attached to a free end of the beam and configured to move up and down in response to the air flow, which drives the beam to move up and down accordingly;
• at least one PZT layer formed on a surface of the beam, the at least one PZT layer being configured to generate a voltage corresponding to a movement of the beam;
• and
• at least one connection pad operably coupled to the at least one PZT layer, the at least one connection pad being suitable for outputting the voltage;
• wherein distances from the damper to the upper shield and the lower shield are less than those from the beam to the upper shield and the lower shield, respectively.