Abstract

As the head/disk spacing continues to decrease, the demand for thin film disks with glide capability below 20 nm becomes more pressing. As a consequence, the design of such media requires an ever increasing control of the surface topography to a nanometer level. This paper is an attempt to analytically predict the intrinsic glide capability of a textured disk, given the knowledge of its peak height distribution, as measured by a surface profilometer. This model also takes into account the long wavelength component of the topography, or waviness, by treating it as an independent variable leading to a broadening of the peak height distribution. This analysis also predicts relationships between various roughness parameters. Experimental data obtained on a total of 27 media surfaces of various types compare favorably to the theoretical predictions.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Surface topography, Disks, Design, Pressing, Surface roughness, Thin films, Wavelength
1.
Alpha J. W., Morgan W. L., and Pinckney L. R., Corning Inc., 1990, “Magnetic Memory Storage Devices,” US Patent 4,971,932.
2.
ANSI Standard, 1994, “Surface Texture,” ASME B46.l.
3.
Bhushan
B.
,
1984
, “
Prediction of Surface Parameters in Magnetic Media
,”
Wear
, Vol.
95
, pp.
19
–
27
.
4.
Bhushan B., 1990, Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Devices, Springer-Verlag.
5.
Chen
G. L.
, and
Xuan
J.
,
1993
, “
The Effect of Lubricant-Roughness Ratio, Lambda, on Tribological Performance of Magnetic Thin Film Disks
,”
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
, Vol.
29
, pp.
3936
–
3938
.
6.
Clark
B. K.
,
1993
, “
The Effect of Slider Roughness on Asperity Testing of Thin-Film Media
,”
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
, Vol.
29
, pp.
234
–
240
.
7.
Gao
C.
,
Tian
X.
, and
Bhushan
B.
,
1995
, “
A Meniscus Model for Optimization of Texturing and Liquid Lubrication of Magnetic Thin-Film Rigid Disks
,”
Tribology Transactions
, Vol.
38
, pp.
201
–
212
.
8.
Gitis
N. V.
,
Volpe
L.
, and
Sonnenfeld
R.
,
1991
, “
Long Term Stiction at the Magnetic Thin-Film Disk-Slider Interface
,”
Advances in Information Storage Systems
, Vol.
3
, pp.
91
–
106
.
9.
Grochowski
E.
, and
Thompson
D.
,
1994
, “
Outlook for Maintaining Areal Density Growth in Magnetic Recording
,”
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
, Vol.
30
, pp.
3797
–
3800
.
10.
Gui J., and Marchon B., 1995, “A Stiction Model for a Head/Disc Interface of a Rigid Disc Drive,” Journal of Applied Physics, in press.
11.
Huang H., and Agarwal S., 1994, “Correlation Between Glide and Profilometric Measurements of Contact Recording Media,” ASME/STLE Tribology Conference, Kanapali, Hawaii.
12.
Ishihara
H.
,
Yamagami
H.
,
Sumiya
T.
,
Okudera
M.
,
Inada
A.
,
Terada
A.
, and
Nakamura
T.
,
1994
, “
Contact Start/Stop Characteristics on Photolithographic Magnetic Recording Media
,”
Wear
, Vol.
172
, pp.
6572
6572
.
13.
Kawai H., Kurikawa A., and Suzuki H., Hoya Corp., 1992, “Method of Manufacturing Magnetic Recording Medium Capable of Recording Information at a High Recording Density,” US Patent 5,087,482.
14.
Koka
R.
,
Viswanathan
K. V.
, and
Rothschild
W.
,
1991
, “
Influence of Roughness on Head/Disk Stiction Induced by a Mobile Lubricant Film
,”
Advances in Information Storage Systems
, Vol.
3
, pp.
117
–
126
.
15.
Kumaran A., 1989, “Head/Disk Spacing Budget Analysis, An Optimization Tool in Drive Design for Reliability,” Diskcon’89 Technical Conference, San Jose, California, IDEMA Proceedings.
16.
Li Y., and Talke F., 1990, “A Model for the Effect of Humidity on Stiction of the Head/Disk Interface,” Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Systems, Vol. VII, STLE Special Publication SP-29, pp. 79–84.
17.
Li
Y.
, and
Menon
A.
,
1995
, “
The Development and Implementation of Discrete Texture for the Improvement of Tribological Performance
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF TRIBOLOGY
, Vol.
117
, pp.
279
–
284
.
18.
Marchon B., Vierk S., Heiman N., Fisher R., and Khan M., 1989, “Significance of Surface Roughness Measurements. Application to the Tribology of the Head/Disc Interface,” Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Systems, Vol. VI, STLE Special Publication 26, pp. 71–80.
19.
Pressesky J., Lee S. Y., and Marchon B., 1992, “Design and Glide Testing of Rigid Disc Media for Ultra-Low Head-Medium Spacing Applications,” The Magnetic Recording Conference, Santa-Clara University (CA).
20.
Raman
V.
,
Tang
W. T.
,
Jen
D.
, and
Reith
T. R.
,
1991
, “
The Dependence of Stiction and Friction on Roughness in Thin-Film Magnetic Recording Disks
,”
Journal of Applied Physics
, Vol.
70
, pp.
1826
–
1836
.
21.
Ranjan
R.
,
Lambeth
D. N.
,
Tromel
M.
,
Goglia
P.
, and
Li
Y.
,
1991
, “
Laser Texturing for Low Flying Height Media
,”
Journal of Applied Physics
, Vol.
69
,
5745
–
5747
.
22.
Suk
M.
,
Bhushan
B.
, and
Bogy
D. B.
,
1990
, “
Role of Disk Surface Roughness on Slider Flying Height and Air-Bearing Frequency
,”
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
, Vol.
26
, pp.
2493
–
2495
.
23.
Tanaka
H.
,
Ishikawa
F.
,
Gomi
K.
,
Yamaguchi
N.
, and
Miyakee
Y.
,
1994
, “
Tribological Behavior of Thin Film Rigid Disks with Regular Dot Array Texture on Carbon Overcoat
,”
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
, Vol.
30
,
4113
–
4115
.
24.
Tian
H.
, and
Matsudaira
T.
,
1993
, “
The Role of Relative Humidity, Surface Roughness and Liquid Build-up on Static Friction Behavior of the Head/Disk Interface
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF TRIBOLOGY
, Vol.
115
, pp.
28
–
35
.
25.
Wilson C. J., Marshall P. A., and Pilkington P. L. C., 1993, “Glass Substrate for a Magnetic Disc and Manufacture thereof,” UK Patent 93–6469.
26.
Yanagisawa M., 1985, “Lubricants on Plated Magnetic Recording Disks,” Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Systems, Vol. II, STLE Special Publication SP-19, pp. 16–20.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1996
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.