Asperity and head-media contact detection using multi-stage temperature coefficient of resistance sensor
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsGary Joseph Kunkel, John L. Brand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-stage sensor is situated on the head transducer and configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. A first sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor has a temperature coefficient of resistance. A second sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor is coupled to the first sensor and has a temperature coefficient of resistance. The first sensor stage is configured to preferentially sense asperities of the media relative to the second sensor stage, and the second sensor stage configured to preferentially sense proximity to, and contact with, a surface of the media relative to the first sensor stage. The first and second sensor stages may be connected in series or in parallel.
Claims17
An apparatus, comprising:
- a slider supporting a read/write transducer configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, the slider comprising an airbearing surface;
- and
- a multi-element sensor situated on the transducer at or near the airbearing surface, the multi-element sensor comprising at least three sensor elements each having a temperature coefficient of resistance;
- wherein at least two of the at least three sensor elements are arranged in a co-parallel relationship on the transducer and configured to sense for asperities of the medium, contact between the slider and the medium, slider-medium spacing changes, or topographical surface features of the medium, and one of the at least three sensor elements is configured as a dual-stage sensor comprising a first sensor stage configured to sense asperities of the medium and a second sensor stage configured to sense for contact and spacing changes between the slider and the medium.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a slider supporting a read/write transducer configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, the slider comprising an airbearing surface;
- and
- a multi-element sensor situated on the transducer at or near the airbearing surface, the multi-element sensor comprising at least three sensor elements each having a temperature coefficient of resistance;
- wherein at least two of the at least three sensor elements are arranged in a co-parallel relationship on the transducer, and one of the at least three sensor elements is configured as a dual-stage sensor comprising a first sensor stage configured to sense asperities of the medium and a second sensor stage configured to sense for contact and spacing changes between the slider and the medium.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a slider supporting a read/write transducer configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, the slider comprising an airbearing surface;
- and
- a multi-element sensor situated on the transducer at or near the airbearing surface, the multi-element sensor comprising at least three sensor elements each having a temperature coefficient of resistance;
- wherein the at least three sensor elements are configured to sense for asperities of the medium, contact between the slider and the medium, slider-medium spacing changes, or topographical surface features of the medium, and one of the at least three sensor elements is configured as a dual-stage sensor comprising a first sensor stage configured to sense asperities of the medium and a second sensor stage configured to sense for contact and spacing changes between the slider and the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.