Abstract: A glide head assembly associated with a mounting structure is adapted for use with a test system for testing a presence of asperities on a moving system and comprises an elongated flexure, a slider and a piezoelectric transducer. The flexure includes a first end portion attachable to the mounting structure and a second end portion opposite the first end portion which is adapted to be positioned in proximity to the moving surface when in an operative state. The slider is disposed on the second end portion and has a first surface facing the moving surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and a surrounding sidewall surface extending therebetween. The piezoelectric transducer is secured to the surrounding sidewall surface and projects outwardly therefrom. The transducer is responsive in the operative state to the presence of an asperity to vibrate, thereby to produce an electronic signal at a selected signal frequency.

Abstract: A slider for use during production of a rigid memory disk comprises a rigid body fabricated from a single phase material having a fracture toughness greater than 4 MPam0.5. A head gimbal assembly and a test device are also provided. The head gimbal assembly comprises a flexure and a slider secured to the flexure's distal end portion. The test device comprises a support structure, a rotary drive operative to rotate a disk thereon relative to the support structure, a head gimbal assembly, a piezoelectric transducer supported on the slider of the head gimbal assembly for producing an electronic signal in response to asperity detection, signal processing electronics for processing the electronic signal, and electrical Interconnects for establishing communication between the transducer and the signal processing electronics.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a slider out of a production piece slider blank so that the slider may be used in a glide head assembly that is operative with a test system to detect a presence of asperities on a moving surface. Broadly, this method comprises configuring an air bearing structure on the production piece slider blank to form a working production piece having an unpolished air bearing surface and an outer sidewall surface which intersects the unpolished air bearing surface at a pheripheral edge. The unpolished air bearing surface is lapped to form a polished air bearing surface which is microfinished to a selected ABS Ra value. A region of the outer sidewall surface adjacent to the pheripheral edge is also lapped to form a sidewall margin area that is microfinished to a selected sidewall Ra value that is within a range of about ten times the selected ABS Ra value, thereby forming a finished production piece.

Abstract: A glide head assembly is adapted for use with a test system to detect a presence of asperities on a moving surface and includes an elongated flexure having a first end portion attached to a mounting structure and an opposite second end portion positioned in proximity to the moving surface when in operation. A slider is disposed on the second end portion and has a first surface facing the moving surface when in operation, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a sidewall extending therebetween. A piezoelectric transducer is attached to the sidewall and projects outwardly therefrom to terminate in a free distal end. The piezoelectric transducer is adapted to vibrate when contacted by an asperity, thereby to produce an electronic signal at a selected signal frequency, and is preferably formed to include a pair of spaced apart legs.