Patent ID: 6404504
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
A method of in-situ monitoring of slider-lubricant-disk interaction a slider disk interface comprising the steps of:providing a beam of light; providing a slider disk interface comprising: a disk having a substantially transparent substrate and a thin film layer the thin film layer comprising a protective layer on one side of the substrate and a lubricant layer on the protective layer, the protective layer and the lubricant layer are of the same material composition as those of a real disk, the protective layer and the lubricant layer forming a slider-disk interface similar to the interface formed by a slider and a real magnetic disk, but the thickness of the protective layer is selected to be as thin as possible while providing enough bonding energy to the lubricant layer; a slider for carrying a read/write element, the slider having a reflective surface and an air bearing having a thickness for supporting the slider above the disk; directing the beam of light to the slider disk interface through the disk, the thin film layer, the air bearing and then to the reflective surface of the slider; and measuring one of the intensity and phase information of the light reflected from the slider disk interface to provide an indication of the thickness of at least one of the air bearing cushion and the thin film layer.