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Microactuator for read-head sliders
Main Results
The PARMA EU project aims the development of a microactuator for read head sliders for increased hard drive recording density. To accomplish this, a second-stage actuator allowing improving the track following by the head will be provided. This actuator consists, within this project, in a slider with an integrated microactuator (SLIM). The hard disk’s read/write head is mounted together with the integrated microactuator. The latter is capable to move the read/write element in three directions: two in-plane directions for second-stage track following, and one out-of-plane direction for head-to-disk distance adjustment.
INESC-MN’s contribution to this project is a static tester
which allows to test the actuators capabilities without the requirement of
mounting the actuator on a real hard drive system. In order to measure the
position of the slider, a sample featuring four spin-valve elements has been
microfabricated. It can sense the field created by a magnetic element (a
patterned permanent magnet thin film) deposited on the slider. The relative
positioning of the slider and the measurement spin-valve can be controlled by a
piezoelectric-actuated micropositioner. A testing experiment typically consists
in moving the slider across the measurement chip. The position of the slider is
then evaluated. Ultimately, this signal will be used by the electronics to
re-align and optimize the position of the slider.
Projects and Collaborations 2004 - present
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“Performance Advances in Recording through Micro Actuation”, (PARMA), FP6-IST-5- contract 034928, U.Hannover (coordinator), Technishe Univ. Berlin, Germany, INESC MN, Univ of Cambridge