Apparatus and method for measuring flying height and a real index of refraction

A flying height tester that can measure a space between a slider and a disk, comprising:

• a transparent disk;
• a motor that rotates said transparent disk;
• a loader which can place the slider adjacent to said transparent disk so that the slider and said transparent disk are separated by a space;
• a light source that reflects a light beam from the slider and said transparent disk;
• a birefringent element that splits the reflected light beam into an ordinary beam and an extraordinary beam which have a phase relative to each other;
• a mechanism which can vary the phase between the ordinary and the extraordinary beams;
• a photodetector which detects an interference between the ordinary and extraordinary beams at a pixel location;
• a controller that is coupled to said photodetector and which can compute the space from a phase value that is determined from data collected when said mechanism varies the phase between the ordinary and extraordinary beams, and a ratio of a first modulation amplitude detected from light reflected from the slider and said transparent disk, and a second modulation amplitude detected from light reflected from said transparent disk when the slider is not adjacent to said transparent disk, the first modulation amplitude and the second modulation amplitude being detected at the pixel location.

A method for determining a space between a first surface and a second surface, comprising;

• a) reflecting a light beam from the first surface;
• b) detecting the reflected light beam at a pixel location;
• c) determining a first modulation amplitude from the reflected light beam;
• d) moving the second surface adjacent to the first surface;
• e) reflecting a light beam from the first and second surfaces;
• f) detecting the reflected light beam at the pixel location;
• g) determining a second modulation amplitude from the reflected light beam;
• h) computing a ratio of the first modulation amplitude and the second modulation amplitude;
• i) determining a phase value from the reflected light beam;
• and,
• j) computing the space from the ratio and the phase value.

An apparatus that can measure a real index of refraction between a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

• a loader that can move the second surface adjacent to the first surface;
• a light source that reflects a light beam from the first and second surfaces;
• a birefringent element that splits the reflected light beam into an ordinary beam and an extraordinary beam which have a phase relative to each other;
• a mechanism which can vary the phase between the ordinary and the extraordinary beams;
• a photodetector which detects an interference between the ordinary and extraordinary beams at a pixel location;
• a controller that is coupled to said photodetector and which can compute the real index of refraction from a phase value that is determined from data collected when said mechanism varies the phase between the ordinary and extraordinary beams, and a ratio between a first modulation amplitude detected from light reflected from the first and second surfaces and a second modulation amplitude detected from light reflected from the first surface when the second surface is not adjacent to the first surface, the first modulation amplitude and the second modulation amplitude beings detected at the pixel location.

A method for determining a space between a first surface and a second surface, comprising;

• a) reflecting a light beam from the first surface;
• b) detecting the reflected light beam at a pixel location;
• c) determining a first modulation amplitude from the reflected light beam;
• d) moving the second surface adjacent to the first surface;
• e) reflecting a light beam from the first and second surfaces;
• f) detecting the reflected light beam at the pixel location;
• g) determining a second modulation amplitude from the reflected light beam;
• h) computing a ratio of the first modulation amplitude and the second modulation amplitude;
• i) determining a phase value from the reflected light beam;
• and,
• j) computing the real index of refraction from the ratio and the phase value.