TESTING APPARATUS WITH READ HEAD HOLDER HAVING A GAS JET

• US 20120146631A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microphysics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microphysics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lacey, Christopher Allen
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/1207 Testing individual magnetic storage devices, e.g. records carriers or digital storage elements functional testing G06F11/00, G06F11/28
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4555 by using a spin-stand, i.e. a spinning disc or simulator

Abstract

A test apparatus can test a read head and/or a disk. The test apparatus includes a rotatable spindle adapted to hold the disk, and a holder oriented to hold the read head with its air bearing surface adjacent the major surface of the disk during testing. The holder includes a channel with a first side wall. The channel defines a channel longitudinal axis parallel to the first side wall. The channel also defines a lateral direction that is normal to the first side wall. A first gas jet points into the channel and impinges upon a top face of the read head.

Claims

1. A test apparatus to test a read head, the read head defining a read head height between an air bearing surface and a read head top face, the read head also defining a read head width between a first read head side and a second read head side, the read head also defining a read head length between a read head trailing face and a read head leading face, the test apparatus comprising:

a rotatable spindle;

a disk attached to the rotatable spindle, the disk including a major surface; and

a holder oriented to hold the read head with its air bearing surface adjacent the major surface of the disk during testing, the holder comprising;

a channel including a first side wall and defining a channel longitudinal axis parallel to the first side wall, the channel defining a lateral direction that is normal to the first side wall;

a first gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the read head top face.

2. The test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channel has a first channel width measured in the lateral direction that is greater than the read head width.

3. The test apparatus of claim 2 wherein the holder further comprises a plurality of electrical probes that are laterally aligned within the first channel width and adapted to contact the read head trailing face.

4. The test apparatus of claim 3 wherein the plurality of electrical probes are mechanically compliant in a direction parallel to the channel longitudinal axis.

5. The test apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of electrical probes has a long slender “

L”

shape, with a bending resilience of the long slender “

L”

shape providing said mechanical compliance.

6. The test apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of electrical probes comprises beryllium copper and has a maximum cross-sectional thickness in the range 100 microns to 400 microns, and total length in the range 2 mm to 6 mm.

7. The test apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of electrical probes is a region of an elastomeric material having anisotropic conductivity, with a compressive resilience of the elastomeric material providing said mechanical compliance.

8. The test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first side wall comprises a piezoelectric material adapted to finely actuate the read head in the lateral direction by contact with the first read head side.

9. The test apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a stage capable of coarse translation in the lateral direction, and wherein the holder is attached to the stage.

10. The test apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the read head leading face.

11. The test apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a third gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the second read head side.

12. The test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the holder is oriented relative to the disk so that rotation of the disk laterally biases the read head against the first side wall.

13. The test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gas jet passes through a first gas jet nozzle, and wherein the first gas jet nozzle is coupled to a gas pressure source that can selectively provide super-ambient pressure to drive the first gas jet.

14. The test apparatus of claim 13 wherein the gas pressure source can selectively provide sub-ambient pressure.

15. The test apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first gas jet nozzle includes a hole within the channel, the hole having a hole diameter in the range 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

16. A test apparatus to test a read head and a disk, the read head defining a read head height between an air bearing surface and a read head top face, the read head also defining a read head width between a first read head side and a second read head side, the read head also defining a read head length between a read head trailing face and a read head leading face, the disk including a major surface, the test apparatus comprising:

a rotatable spindle adapted to hold the disk;

a holder oriented to hold the read head with its air bearing surface adjacent the major surface of the disk during testing, the holder comprising;

a channel including a first side wall and defining a channel longitudinal axis parallel to the first side wall, the channel defining a lateral direction that is normal to the first side wall;

a first gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the read head top face.

17. The test apparatus of claim 16 wherein the channel defines a first channel width measured in the lateral direction that is greater than the read head width, and wherein the holder further comprises a plurality of electrical probes that are laterally aligned within the first channel width and adapted to contact the read head trailing face.

18. The test apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a second gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the read head leading face.

19. The test apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a third gas jet pointing into the channel and impinging upon the second read head side.

20. The test apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel defines a second channel width measured in the lateral direction that is at least 5 microns greater than the first channel width.