Patent ID: 8611035

Claim:
A proximity sensor to determine a distance of a magnetic head with respect to a surface of a magnetic storage medium, the proximity sensor comprising: a capacitor formed by a first conductive element and a second conductive element; a capacitance formed by the capacitor when there is a voltage difference between the first conductive element and the second conductive element; and a fringing electric field formed beside and by the capacitor when there is the voltage difference between the first conductive element and the second conductive element; wherein the first conductive element and the second conductive element are situated: i.) adjacent to a facing surface of the magnetic storage medium, ii.) across an air bearing surface from the magnetic storage medium surface, and iii.) such that the fringing electrical field changes with a positioning change of the magnetic storage medium with respect to at least one of the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and the capacitance changes with the fringing electric field change.