Flying height altitude simulator
AssigneePhase Metrics
InventorDavid Rose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flying height tester that can vary an air pressure and measure an air bearing height between a slider and a substrate. The substrate is located within a chamber that has an air pressure. The tester includes a loader which places a slider adjacent to the substrate. An optical system computes the air bearing height from a light beam that is directed through the substrate and reflected off of the slider. The chamber is coupled to a pressure control system that can vary the pressure of the air surrounding the slider. The pressure control system varies the pressure to simulate slider operation at various altitudes. The tester of the present invention can thus measure air bearing height while simulating various altitude conditions.
Claims18
A flying height tester that measures an air bearing height between a slider and a substrate, comprising:
- an enclosed chamber that is larger than the slider, said chamber having an inner pressure;
- a substrate located within said enclosed chamber;
- a loader which places the slider adjacent to said substrate;
- an optical system which reflects a light beam off of the slider to measure the air bearing height;
- and,
- a pressure control system which varies the inner pressure of said chamber.
A flying height tester that is coupled to a source of vacuum and a source of positive pressure, and which measures an air bearing height between a slider and a substrate, comprising:
- an enclosed chamber that is larger than the slider, said chamber having an air pressure;
- a substrate located within said chamber;
- a loader which places the slider adjacent to said substrate;
- an optical system which reflects a light beam off of the slider to measure the air bearing height;
- a first control valve that is coupled to the vacuum source to provide a pilot air pressure;
- a second control valve that is coupled to the positive pressure source to vary the pilot air pressure;
- a slave pressure regulator that is coupled to the vacuum source and the positive pressure source and which is controlled by the pilot air pressure to provide a flow of air between the vacuum source, the positive pressure source and said chamber;
- and,
- a controller that provides output signals to said first and second control valves to vary the pilot air pressure and the air pressure within said chamber.
A method for measuring an air bearing height between a slider and a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- a) placing the slider adjacent to a substrate that is located within an enclosed chamber, wherein said chamber is larger than the slider and has an inner pressure;
- b) varying the inner chamber pressure of said enclosed chamber;
- and,
- c) measuring the air bearing height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.