Self-Loading Slider Dynamics for Noncontact Start Stop Operation With Negative Pressure Air-Lubricated Slider Bearing in Magnetic Disk Storage

Abstract

This paper proposes self-loading flying head slider mechanisms to be used for information storage on magnetic disk media under noncontact start/stop mode conditions. The mechanisms consist of a zero-load negative pressure air-lubricated slider bearing, a slider suspension mechanism, and a twin-structure piezoelectric actuator as the head loading mechanism. Experimental research was carried out on fundamental flying characteristics for the slider. The dynamics of a self-loading/unloading negative pressure air-lubricated slider bearing were successfully studied in detail with a laser Doppler vibrometer. No intermittent contact between head and disk was observed in either the self-load or unload cases. A theoretical study on the self-loading phenomenon was carried out, and its conclusions were in good agreement with the experimental results. This suggests the feasibility of achieving a high head/disk interface reliability and, in particular, of overcoming problems regarding stiction and tribology between head and disk.