Abstract:
Testing procedure (Integrated Head Spiral Testing) for disk media utilizes a single head with both write and read elements that are offset to allow spiral testing. The offset allows a write element to write one portion of a spiral track while a read element simultaneously reads a previously written portion of the spiral track.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Media certification testing is performed for all disk drive media and is used to screen the media for defects in the magnetic layers. These defects include scratches, voids from missing media material and other media defects. Testing is generally done on special testers that include a spindle for holding and spinning the disks, head positioners (or actuators) for precisely locating the test head on the disk surface, and computers, controllers and software controlling the tester and interpreting the test results. 
         [0002]    Generally, media certification testing is done by writing a track of bit signals with a write head or element and then reading back signal with a read head or element. If there are any defects on the disk the read back signal (output) will be compromised. In industry practice, the testing is done with one of two prior art methods. 
         [0003]    The first prior art test procedure is referred to as Spiral Testing. It is performed with two separate or discrete heads as shown in  FIG. 1 . Specifically, this form of Spiral Testing uses a separate write and a separate read head that are attached to a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The HGA is then connected to separate head positioners (or actuators). These head positioners are generally very accurate positioning devices with servo and/or encoded positioning feedback. However since there is a build up of tolerances associated with using two heads and positioners there is difficulty in maintaining write track to read track alignment. Misregistration of write to read is generally considered being off-track. The alignment or centering of the disk to the spindle also contributes to this off-track problem since if not perfectly centered, the track will be written in an elliptical pattern. The industry practice to eliminate the off-track alignment problems is for the write head to be very wide, for example, 25 microns to 75 microns or more. 
         [0004]    Spiral Testing has three primary limitations. First, the wide write test track is not feasible with perpendicular recording technology. The wide write width will not enable proper magnetization of the perpendicular media due to write saturation effects. There are also limitations with the wide write heads for longitudinal recording. Generally these limitations are due to the ability of longitudinal write head technology to properly achieve write saturation on the high coercivety media. If proper write saturation is not achieved the read back signal will be week and the ability to detect defects will be compromised. There are also limitations with the supply and availability of this older write head technology which makes them more scarce and costly. Secondly, Spiral Testing also has difficulties with testers maintaining write to read on track accuracies. If the read head is not properly aligned with the prewritten write track, the readback signal (output) will be compromised and the tester may consider this inaccuracy as a disk defect. Commonly, wide write tracks are used to overcome this difficulty. Thirdly, the tester requires two separate heads and head positioners for performing this test. The two heads are both expensive and lead to misregistration due to the requirement of aligning two separate heads. 
         [0005]    The second prior art test procedure is referred to as Step and Repeat Testing as shown in  FIG. 2 . Step and Repeat Testing employs a single head with integrated write and read elements. In Step and Repeat Testing each track  201  is tested by being written and read before moving the head to another track to test. The Step and Repeat Testing method has the advantage of eliminating the tolerance problem with two separate heads and head positioners and elliptical write track patterns. Furthermore, this testing method allows the write element structure to have a narrower write track to better enable proper write saturation. Lastly, there does not need to be two separate heads and scanners. This is because the same head writes and reads the test data and includes both a read and a write element. 
         [0006]    However, the Step and Repeat Testing method has a disadvantage versus Spiral Testing in testing time and throughput. Step and Repeat Testing requires time to write one track and then read that same track during the next revolution. After reading, the head positioner needs to move the head to another track, which requires additional time to move and settle. Then this write-read-move cycle is repeated. Thus, Step and Repeat Testing is between two to three times longer than Spiral Testing. This additional time has a big impact to media manufactures due to the additional testers and space required to overcome the slowness of the method. 
         [0007]    What is needed is an effective testing procedure that is both fast and efficient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Described is a procedure, Integrated Head Spiral Testing. Integrated Head Spiral Testing utilizes a single head with both a write and a read element that are offset. This head structure and the procedure allows for the benefits of both Spiral Testing and Step and Repeat Testing without many of the drawbacks. The procedure utilizes a single integrated head that includes a write element offset from a read element. The read and write elements can be offset by a predetermined amount that is also matched to the head positioner movement per revolution. One example of such a matching is the head positioner moving the head 15 microns for every disk revolution which would be equal to the offset of the write and read elements. The procedure includes the write element continuously writing while the scanner moves at a constant travel rate of 15 microns per revolution. The net result will be a write track written in a spiral. After one or more revolutions the read head will continuously read the prewritten track and will follow the write head in the same spiral pattern. This spiral track is written and read in a manner similar to a record needle following a grove in a record. 
         [0009]    The method eliminates the tolerance problems of using two separate heads and scanners. Further, the write element can be made small enough to overcome the write saturation problems. In addition, Integrated Head Spiral Testing drastically improves throughput over the Step and Repeat method. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a figure describing (prior art) Spiral Testing. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a figure describing (prior art) Step and Repeat Testing. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   a  is a figure of a head to be used with prior art methods. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   b  is a figure of a head to be used with Integrated Head Spiral Testing. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4   a  is a figure demonstrating Integrated Head Spiral Testing. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4   b  is a second figure demonstrating Integrated Head Spiral Testing. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4   c  is a third figure demonstrating Integrated Head Spiral Testing with a portion of the spiral track between the portion of the spiral track being written and the portion of the spiral track being read. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart for Integrated Head Spiral Testing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The following description is of the best embodiments presently contemplated for carrying out this invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of this invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts claimed herein. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3   a  shows a head  301  consistent with the prior art. The head includes a write element  302  and a read element  303 . The write element  302  writes a write track  304 . The read element  303  reads a read track  305 . As can be seen from  FIG. 3   a , read track  305  is encompassed by write track  304  due to the positioning and size of read element  303  and write element  302 . Further, both write element  302  and read element  303  generally have the same track center line. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3   b  shows an Integrated Head Spiral Testing head  306  including a write element  307  which is offset from a read element  308  to be used with Integrated Head Spiral Testing. The write and read elements read offset write track  309  and read track  310  respectively. The offset between the write track  309  and the read track  310  is the write to read offset  311 . The write to read offset may determine the spiral scan/positioner scan rate of the Integrated Head Spiral Testing method described below. The offset is generally a predetermined amount, such as 15 microns. The offset can be by the same distance as determined by the spiral scan rate (microns per revolution) divided by an integer. The write and read element offset can be arranged using common head fabrication process using photolithography masks to offset the alignments between the write and read element structures. 
         [0021]    The integrated head  306  is mounted on a head gimbal assembly to suspend and electrically connect the head to tester mounting surfaces and electronics. An Integrated Head Spiral Testing method, as shown in  FIG. 5 , to test a disk media is described below. The test can be implemented with head  306 . The Integrated Head Spiral Testing head  306  is loaded on the tester head positioner  501 . A disk is loaded on the tester spindle and the tester spindle spins up to testing velocity  502 . The head  306  is then loaded over a disk surface and positioned over the starting point of the disk  503 . A write function is enabled and the head positioner moves laterally at a constant rate  504 . The write function is enabled to write test data on a continuous spiral track, for example, from the OD of the disk to the ID of the disk. This spiral track pitch is created by the continuous lateral movement of the head positioner (for example 15 microns lateral movement per disk revolution). This head positioning movement in relationship to the disk rotation velocity will be controlled by the tester controller and software. The spiral write track is written so that the head is capable of writing a part of the track at the same time it reads earlier portion of the track. 
         [0022]    A read function is then enabled and reads back a prior written portion of the spiral track after at least one revolution  505 . Writing and reading to and from the disk by the head  306  continues simultaneously until the testing of the disk is complete  506 . Tester software then determines if the readback signal has shown a suspected defect  507  by looking to see if the data written to the disk matched the corresponding data read from the disk or if the readback signal is diminished. If a suspected defect has been identified, the testing cycle can be interrupted and the defect site can be retested to validate that a defect has been found  508 . Otherwise the disk passes the test. Once the testing is complete, tests may be performed on additional disks  509 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4   a  demonstrates pictorially a portion of a method described herein. The head  306  with write element  307  and read element  308  is positioned so that it can write the portion of the spiral track  312  while simultaneously reading an earlier written portion of the spiral track  313 . Portion of spiral track  312  is offset from portion of spiral track  313  by the write read offset  311 . Further, the method can be implemented to have any number of portions of the spiral track between portions of the spiral track  312  and  313  so long as the write and read elements  307  and  308  are positioned over the portions  312  and  313 .  FIG. 4   b  is a full disk view of the method described herein.  FIG. 4   c  is a second full disk view of the method described herein. This figure has a portion of the spiral track  314  between the currently written portion of the spiral track  312  and the currently read portion of the spiral track  313 . The lateral movement of the head positioner in the case of  FIG. 4   c  would be one half the read write offset per disk revolution. 
         [0024]    Testers that have already been equipped with two positioners as stated in the first prior art descriptions can be retrofitted with two Integrated Head Spiral Testing heads on each positioner. Each head can be assigned to different radii on the disk to test. This essentially doubles the throughput of a Spiral Testing tester. In addition each of the Integrated Head Spiral Testing can write an interleaved and non-intersecting spiral on the disk. 
         [0025]    While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Other embodiments falling within the scope of the invention may also become apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.