Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for dynamic fly height and roll adjustment of a physical asperity sensor (PAS) head. The PAS head is used to test disk asperity heights and mechanical interference (commonly known as glide height and take off height). The PAS may be adjusted through a pivoting device such as a joystick coupled through one or more actuators to the pivoting device by actuator arms. In one embodiment, the actuator is a piezoelectric motor. The PAS head may utilize a detector to indicate the distance of the disk asperity from the PAS head. The method comprises receiving the signal and in response, operating the actuators to adjust the position of the pivoting device to obtain a selected positioning of either the fly height or the roll of the PAS.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for dynamic fly height and roll adjustment of a physical asperity sensor (PAS) head. The PAS head is used to test disk asperity heights and mechanical interference (commonly known as glide height and take off height). The PAS may be adjusted through a pivoting device such as a joystick coupled through one or more actuators to the pivoting device by actuator arms. In one embodiment, the actuator is a piezoelectric motor. The PAS head may utilize a detector to indicate the distance of the disk asperity from the PAS head. The method comprises receiving the signal and in response, operating the actuators to adjust the position of the pivoting device to obtain a selected positioning of either the fly height or the roll of the PAS.

Abstract: A system for use in a memory disk test system is disclosed. The system comprises a fixture for holding a disk head and a moveable slide coupled to the fixture. The system includes a non-magnetic motor system engageably coupled to the slide for moving the test fixture. A system and method in accordance with the present invention offers an SDT system which utilizes piezoelectric motors resulting in higher throughput in producing memory disks. The system and method further achieves high performance, is lower cost in implementation, and is more compact than conventional SDT systems. The system and method, by removing time delay, offers the advantage of cycle time reduction over conventional SDT systems.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately equal power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. The power control optics block includes means for attenuating and measuring each of the two beams. A shuttling mirror directs these two beams alternately at a disk within each of the two disk handling stations.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately equal power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. A visible laser beam is also directed along this optical system to an inspection spot on each side of the disk, by which a central portion of each textured spots passes. A beam angle detector detects deflection of a reflection of the inspection beam from this spot in the direction of motion of the disk at this spot. This deflection provides a measure of the topography of the spot.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. Control of the tool is achieved using a right-side disk handling and processing controller, a right-side cassette handling controller, a left-side disk handling and processing controller, and a left side cassette handling controller. The two disk handling and processing controllers share hardware resources performing the texturing process.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. Texturing occurs as the annular portions are exposed to a train of pulses from a Q-switched laser. The Q-switch within the laser is driven by a radio-frequency signal form an oscillator, which is in turn driven by a signal from a pulse generator, which can be adjusted to leave the radio-frequency signal on for a variable time between pulses without changing pulse frequency. The laser may be equipped with a shutter and with an electronic gate selectively preventing the production of laser pulses.

Abstract: A disk texturing process uses a single pulsed laser to texture disks within a first group, which are carried through the texturing process on a first spindle assembly, and from a second group, which are carried through the texturing process on a second spindle assembly. Preferably, disks from the first group are textured alternately with disks in the second group. A first level of least one texturing parameter is stored for use only as the process is applied to disks from the first group, while a second level of the same texturing parameter is stored for use only as the process is applied to disks from the second group. These levels may be derived from measurements of textured spots made with interferometric devices forming portions of a texturing station.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a disk for a hard disk drive. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. The power level of each of these two beams is controlled by a program which operates in a teach mode to develop a look up table describing laser beam power as a function of a signal driving an attenuator, in a set point mode setting this drive signal to provide a certain laser beam power, in a run mode controlling this power through a feedback loop, and in a display mode showing laser beam power as a function of time.

Abstract: Inspection apparatus for determining the profile of textured spots extending in a pattern along a surface of a magnetic disk includes an interferometer which illuminates first and second, adjacently disposed test spots on the surface. The disk and the interferometer are moved, relative to one another, so that one of the test spots traverses the textured spots in the pattern while the other test spot is moved along a flat portion of the disk surface. In one embodiment, the inspection apparatus is built into the device forming the textured spots, providing feedback controlling the texturing process.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. In each disk-handling station, a lifter raises each individual disk from the cassette. The individual disk is then transferred to a pick-and-place mechanism, which moves it to a spindle. The spindle spins and translates the disk, so that both sides of the disk are exposed to beams derived from a pulsed laser. The pick-and-place mechanism then returns the disk to the lifter, which lowers it into the cassette pocket from which it was taken. The pick-and-place mechanism simultaneously moves one disk from the lifter to the spindle and another from the spindle to the lifter. While disks are moved by the pick-and-place mechanism of one disk-handling station, a disk in the spindle of the other disk-handling station is exposed to the laser beams.

Abstract: A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. In each disk-handling station, a lifter raises each individual disk from the cassette. The individual disk is then transferred to a pick-and-place mechanism, which moves it to a spindle. The spindle spins and translates the disk, so that both sides of the disk are exposed to beams derived from a pulsed laser. The pick-and-place mechanism then returns the disk to the lifter, which lowers it into the cassette pocket from which it was taken. The pick-and-place mechanism simultaneously moves one disk from the lifter to the spindle and another from the spindle to the lifter. While disks are moved by the pick-and-place mechanism of one disk-handling station, a disk in the spindle of the other disk-handling station is exposed to the laser beams.