# US 2014/0153130 A1 · Thermoelectric voltage-based differential contact sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153130 A1 - Document ID: US20140153130A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,492 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: HGST Netherlands B.V. - Applicants: Hgst Netherlands B.V. - Inventors: Samir Garzon; John Contreras; Lidu Huang; Gurinder Singh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153130A1 ## CPC - G11B 21/12: Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position {otherwise than during transducing operation} - G01B 21/16: for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects - G11B 5/607: {using thermal means} - G11B 5/6076: {Detecting head-disk contact} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) comprising a head slider comprising a thermoelectric embedded contact sensor. The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor may comprise a first and second conductive lead and a metallic component. The metallic component has a different Seebeck coefficient than the first and second conductive leads. A thermoelectric voltage across the metallic component is used to measure the distance between a head slider and a magnetic-recording disk without supplying an electrical current from a hard-disk drive to either of the first conductive lead or the second conductive lead. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hard-disk drive, comprising: a head slider comprising a thermoelectric embedded contact sensor; a magnetic-recording disk rotatably mounted on a spindle; and a voice coil motor configured to move the head slider to access portions of said magnetic-recording disk, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor comprises a first conductive lead, a second conductive lead, and a metallic component, wherein the metallic component has a different Seebeck coefficient than the first and second conductive leads, and wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor is configured to measure the distance between the head slider and the magnetic-recording disk without a supply of a electrical current from the hard-disk drive. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the first conductive lead and the second conductive lead are both at or near an air bearing surface of the head slider. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the first conductive lead is at or near an air bearing surface of the head slider, and wherein the second conductive lead is recessed away from the air bearing surface of the head slider. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein both the first conductive lead and the second conductive lead are positioned in the center of the head slider in the same axis as a writer element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the first conductive lead is positioned in the center of the head slider in the same axis as a writer element, and wherein the second conductive lead is positioned in a cross-track direction in relative to the first conductive lead. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor does not have an electrical connection to ground. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor is coupled to a high pass filter to measure variations in the average temperature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hard-disk drive of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor is coupled to a low pass filter to measure variations in temperature that correspond to changes up to 1 MHz. ### Claim 9 A thermoelectric embedded contact sensor for use within a hard-disk drive, comprising: a first conductive lead; a second conductive lead; and and a metallic component, wherein the metallic component has a different Seebeck coefficient than the first and second conductive leads, and wherein a thermoelectric voltage across the metallic component is used to measure the distance between a head slider and a magnetic-recording disk without a supply of a electrical current from a hard-disk drive to either of the first conductive lead or the second conductive lead. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the first conductive lead and the second conductive lead are both at or near an air bearing surface of the head slider. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the first conductive lead is at or near an air bearing surface of the head slider, and wherein the second conductive lead is recessed away from the air bearing surface of the head slider. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein both the first conductive lead and the second conductive lead are positioned in the center of the head slider in the same axis as a writer element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the first conductive lead is positioned in the center of the head slider in the same axis as a writer element, and wherein the second conductive lead is positioned in a cross-track direction relative to the first conductive lead. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor does not have an electrical connection to ground. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor is coupled to a high pass filter to measure variations in the average temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The thermoelectric embedded contact sensor of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric embedded contact sensor is coupled to a low pass filter to measure variations in temperature that correspond to changes up to 1 MHz.