Method of alternating track write for defect identification
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDean V. Dang, Kek Ming Chua, Philip Bernard Saram, William J. Seamon
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Abstract
Defects are identified in a disk drive by first writing a pattern of tracks to a disk surface in the disk drive, the pattern of tracks including written tracks alternating with unwritten tracks. The written tracks of the pattern of tracks are read, and a defect in a portion of a first written track is detected. An unread portion of a first unwritten track is then identified as comprising a defect based at least in part on the defect in the first written track, the first unwritten track located proximate the first written track.
Claims27
A method of identifying defects in a disk drive, the method comprising:
- writing a pattern of tracks to a disk surface in the disk drive, the pattern of tracks including written tracks alternating with unwritten tracks;
- reading the written tracks of the pattern of tracks;
- detecting a defect in a portion of a first written track;
- and
- identifying an unread portion of a first unwritten track as comprising a defect based at least in part on the defect in the first written track, the first unwritten track located proximate the first written track.
A disk drive comprising:
- a disk having a disk surface;
- a head actuatable over the disk surface, the head operable to write to and read from the disk surface;
- a controller operable to execute instructions;
- and
- a memory having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the controller in order to cause the controller to identify defects in the disk surface, by:
- writing a pattern of tracks to the disk surface, the pattern of tracks including written tracks alternating with unwritten tracks;
- reading the written tracks of the pattern of tracks;
- detecting a defect in a portion of a first written track;
- and
- identifying an unread portion of a first unwritten track as comprising a defect based at least in part on the defect in the first written track, the first unwritten track located proximate the first written track.
A disk drive comprising:
- means for writing a pattern of tracks to a disk surface in the disk drive, the pattern of tracks including written tracks alternating with unwritten tracks;
- means for reading the written tracks of the pattern of tracks;
- means for detecting a defect in a portion of a first written track;
- and
- means for identifying an unread portion of a first unwritten track as comprising a defect based at least in part on the defect in the first written track, the first unwritten track located proximate the first written track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.