Patent ID: 7492539
Filing Date: 2009-02-17
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A method for minimizing the cycle time of a burnish test cycle, comprising: prior to initialization, positioning a back portion of an air-bearing surface of a slider bearing a MR head to be co-planar with a recording surface; thereafter executing burnishing operations on the back portion of the air bearing surface to remove material from the back portion of the air-bearing surface; monitoring resistance measurements of the MR head representing interference between the air-bearing surface of the slider and the recording surface; determining whether the measured resistance of the MR head indicates the head has clearance between the air-bearing surface of the slider and the recording surface; and when clearance between the air-bearing surface of the slider and the recording surface is not detected based upon the monitoring of the resistance measurements of the MR head, lowering a fly-height between the back portion of the air-bearing surface of the MR head and the recording surface and executing burnishing operations on the back portion of the air bearing surface to remove material from the back portion of the air-bearing surface until the monitoring of the resistance measurements of the MR head indicates the air-bearing surface of the slider has clearance above the recording surface.