Capacitance sensor for determining a distance between a head and a magnetic storage medium

A method of determining a distance of a magnetic head with respect to a surface of a magnetic storage medium, the method comprising:

• forming a capacitor utilizing a first conductive element and a second conductive element, wherein the first conductive element and the second conductive element are situated:
• i.) adjacent to a facing surface of the magnetic storage medium, and ii.) across an air bearing surface from the magnetic storage medium surface;
• forming a fringing electric field beside and by the capacitor, wherein the first conductive element and the second conductive element are situated such that the fringing electrical field changes with a positioning change of the magnetic storage medium with respect to the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and wherein a capacitance of the capacitor changes with the fringing electric field change;
• and
• sensing the capacitance to determine the distance of the magnetic bead with respect to the magnetic storage medium surface.

A proximity sensor comprising:

• a capacitor formed by a first conductive element and a second conductive element wherein:
• i.) the first conductive element is situated at a magnetic head, a slider that connects to the magnetic head, a reader of the magnetic head, a writer of the magnetic head, a reader shield of the magnetic head, or a writer shield of the magnetic head, and ii.) the second conductive element is situated at the magnetic head, the slider that connects to the magnetic head, the reader of the magnetic head, the writer of the magnetic head, the reader shield of the magnetic head, or the writer shield of the magnetic head, wherein:
• i.) a capacitance and a fringing electric field are formed by the capacitor when there is a voltage difference between the first conductive element and the second conductive element;
• and
• ii.) the capacitor is situated such that:
• a.) the fringing electric field, changes with a positioning change of a magnetic storage medium with respect to at least one of the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and b.) the capacitance changes with the fringing electric field change.