System and method for monitoring flying height using textured disks
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorMichael D. Schaff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spacing between a transducer head and disk surface in a disk drive's head-disk interface is monitored. The transducer head includes a magneto resistive element. The surface of the disk includes a region containing at least one asperity extending from the surface to have a height. The transducer head is placed over the region containing the at least one asperity, and the disk is rotated. A determination is then made as to whether the transducer head contacts the at least one asperity.
Claims22
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a recording disc having at least one asperity of a predetermined height nominally equal to a minimum acceptable flying height of a transducer head;
- and
- control circuitry operably coupled to the transducer head and configured to indicate whether the transducer has reached an unacceptably low flying height based on whether the transducer head contacts the at least one asperity.
An apparatus comprising:
- a recording disc having a region textured to provide asperities of a predetermined height nominally equal to a flying height of a transducer head that has reached an unacceptably low flying height;
- and
- means for determining contact of said transducer head with at least one of said asperities.
A method for monitoring a spacing between a transducer head in a disk drive and a surface of a disk in the disk drive, wherein the surface includes a region containing at least one asperity extending from the surface to have a controlled height equal to an unacceptably low spacing, and wherein said transducer head includes a magneto resistive element, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) placing the transducer head over the region;
- (b) determining whether the transducer head contacts the at least one asperity;
- and
- (c) providing an indication that the spacing is unacceptable, if in said determining step (b) a determination is made that said transducer head contacted said at least one asperity.
A method for monitoring a spacing between a transducer head in a disk drive and a surface of a disk in the disk drive, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) providing a region on the disk surface containing a set of asperities on the surface, each asperity in the set of asperities extending from the surface to have a height less than a predetermined value nominally equal to a minimum acceptable transducer head flying height;
- (b) placing the transducer head over the region containing the set of asperities;
- (c) rotating the disk;
- and
- (d) determining whether the spacing is at least equal to the minimum acceptable flying height by determining whether the transducer head has collided with any of the asperities in the set.
A disk drive comprising:
- an actuator arm;
- a transducer head coupled to said actuator arm, wherein said transducer head includes a magneto resistive element;
- and
- a disk including a surface, wherein said surface includes a region having a set of asperities extending from said surface wherein each asperity in said set extends from said surface to have a height nominally equal to a predetermined value nominally equal to an unacceptably low flying height of the head above the disk surface.
The disk drive of claim of 16 in which the region is annular.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.