Method and apparatus for active fly height control with heating and electrical charge
US7046473B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 14, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 16, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 14, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/6064
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for adjusting the flying height of a magnetic head above a magnetic storage medium, such as a disk, is disclosed. A charging surface of the slider, separate from the read/write head, allows a charging electrical interconnect to apply an electrical charge to the slider. By acting as a quasi-parallel capacitor, the amount of spacing in the head-disk interface may be increased or decreased based on the amount of voltage applied. The slider may be electrically isolated from the suspension. Simultaneously, a heating element deforms the slider to further adjust the spacing between the read/write head and the disk surface. A feedback control system may monitor and control the head-disk spacing by measuring a temperature or other environmental conditions surrounding the slider and disk.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.