Head assembly having a sensing element
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsJorge Vicente Hanchi, Dian Song, John Stuart Wright, Andrew D. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A head or slider having a sensor element to detect changes in head-media spacing is disclosed. In illustrated embodiments the sensor element includes a piezoelectric sensor layer or similar layer that provides acoustic emission or vibration responsive to changes in head-media spacing. In illustrated embodiments, the sensor element is located proximate to the close point of the head and slider. In embodiments described in the specification, output from the sensor element is utilized to energize a heating element or microactuator to control pole tip protrusion or actuation of transducer elements responsive to changes in head-media spacing.
Claims18
An assembly comprising:
- a slider body including a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- a write element including a pole tip proximate to the trailing edge of the slider body;
- a read element;
- a sensor element comprising a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer and an intermediate piezoelectric sensor layer between the first and second electrode layers and the sensor element configured to detect head-media spacing;
- and
- a microactuator element energizable to provide actuation of at least one of the read or write elements to adjust head-media spacing;
- detection circuitry configured to process input from the sensor element and provide output responsive to the input from the sensor element;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the microactuator element and configured to utilize the output from the detection circuitry to provide a control input to energize the microactuator element utilizing the output from the detection circuitry.
An assembly comprising:
- a slider body including a bearing surface and including a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- a write element and a read element along the bearing surface;
- a sensor element having a sensor layer along the bearing surface and the sensor element is configured to provide an output signal responsive to excitation of the sensor layer to sense head-media spacing and the sensor element being spaced further from the leading edge of the slider body than at least one of the read or write elements;
- a microactuator fabricated on the slider body, the microactuator energizable to adjust the head-media spacing;
- detection circuitry configured to process input from e sensor element and provide output responsive to the input from the sensor element and
- control circuitry coupled to the microactuator and configured to utilize the output from the detection circuitry and provide a control input to energize the microactuator utilizing the output from the detection circuitry.
An assembly comprising:
- a slider body including an air bearing surface and including a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- a write element including a pole tip proximate to the trailing edge of the slider body and including a heating element to induce a localized pole tip protrusion;
- a sensor element along the air bearing surface comprising a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer and an intermediate piezoelectric sensor layer between the first and second electrode layers along the air bearing surface configured to detect head-media spacing;
- and
- the heating element energizable to provide actuation of the write element to adjust the head-media spacing;
- detection circuitry configured to process input from the sensor element and provide output responsive to the input from the sensor element;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the heating element and configured to utilize the output from the detection circuitry to provide a control input to energize the heating element utilizing the output from the detection circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.