Contact ABS Design Concepts

Abstract

The design of a head-disk interface for an ultra-low flying height was studied from the viewpoint of contact vibration. It is known that a super-smooth disk is necessary for a slider to fly at an ultra-low flying height; however, such a disk increases the friction force, which potentially increases the vibration of the slider. To solve this problem, the head-disk interface must be optimized to reduce this increased vibration. We found that the use of micro-texture on the air bearing surface can prevent contact vibration. Combining trimming with the use of a micro-texture was most effective in reducing contact vibration. A frequency-shift-damping slider was also found to damp vibration effectively.