Abstract: Provided are a scanning probe microscope and a setting method thereof that contribute to a reduction in the time taken for measuring. The scanning probe microscope includes: a movement driving unit capable of moving a cantilever and a sample relatively in at least a z direction; and a control device operating an approach operation of making the cantilever and the sample approach to each other at a predetermined speed by controlling the movement driving unit, and stopping the approach operation when it is determined that the probe and the sample are in contact with each other, wherein the predetermined speed is set such that when the control for stopping the approach operation is performed, force applied to the sample due to contact between the probe and the sample does not exceed a preset first force.

Abstract: Provided are a scanning probe microscope and a setting method thereof that contribute to a reduction in the time taken for measuring. The scanning probe microscope includes: a movement driving unit capable of moving a cantilever and a sample relatively in at least a z direction; and a control device operating an approach operation of making the cantilever and the sample approach to each other at a predetermined speed by controlling the movement driving unit, and stopping the approach operation when it is determined that the probe and the sample are in contact with each other, wherein the predetermined speed is set such that when the control for stopping the approach operation is performed, force applied to the sample due to contact between the probe and the sample does not exceed a preset first force.

Abstract: An inspection device or inspection method for a magnetic head or magnetic disc which can form a servo pattern applicable to a write system, and a magnetic disc recording device or magnetic disc recording method. In inspection or recording of a magnetic disc, which rotates the magnetic disc, a servo pattern is written into a servo pattern region of the magnetic disc by a write-in element of a magnetic head, and is read by a read-in element of the magnetic head. Servo following of a position of the magnetic head on the magnetic disc is performed based on the servo pattern which comprises a plurality of patterns. The patterns are written-in with a first frequency for causing the patterns to be subjected to the servo following and, the patterns are overwritten with a second frequency different from the first frequency, except a servo following width used in the servo following.

Abstract: The present invention realizes reduction of position information demodulation errors caused by the eccentricity of the magnetic disk and improvement of position signal detection accuracy, as well as enabling quick eccentricity clock correction for arbitrary clock frequencies. An inspection device in accordance with the present invention comprises: a servo demodulation unit which demodulates servo information; a PLL clock generating unit which generates a reference clock and supplies the reference clock to the servo demodulation unit; and a tester control unit. The PLL clock generating unit includes an eccentricity correction circuit for correcting the frequency of the reference clock depending on the eccentricity of the magnetic disk. The tester control unit generates correction data for correcting the frequency of the reference clock, multiplies the correction data by the inverse of a transfer function of the PLL clock generating unit, and supplies the product to the eccentricity correction circuit.

Abstract: The present invention realizes reduction of position information demodulation errors caused by the eccentricity of the magnetic disk and improvement of position signal detection accuracy, as well as enabling quick eccentricity clock correction for arbitrary clock frequencies. An inspection device in accordance with the present invention comprises: a servo demodulation unit which demodulates servo information; a PLL clock generating unit which generates a reference clock and supplies the reference clock to the servo demodulation unit; and a tester control unit. The PLL clock generating unit includes an eccentricity correction circuit for correcting the frequency of the reference clock depending on the eccentricity of the magnetic disk. The tester control unit generates correction data for correcting the frequency of the reference clock, multiplies the correction data by the inverse of a transfer function of the PLL clock generating unit, and supplies the product to the eccentricity correction circuit.

Abstract: Drive waveforms with which extension and contraction characteristics of an actuator corresponding to a number of track eccentricity amounts are stored as data. By reading servo information written in a disk is obtained as a signal indicating a head displacement amount from a track. The head is moved in a direction in which the track is displaced by obtaining an amplitude corresponding to a slip amount of the head position and a rotation angle of maximum eccentricity, reading drive waveforms which is optimal in driving the actuator from the memory and driving the actuator with a drive waveform matched with the rotation angle at which the eccentricity is maximum.

Abstract: A patterned medium inspection method according to the present invention includes a timing computation process including a read process reading the reproduced signal of a patterned medium under inspection and a computation process computing the signal interval values from the patterned medium reproduced signal read in the read process, and a judgment process judging the quality of the patterned medium using the reproduced signal interval values computed in the computation process.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method for a magnetic head or a magnetic disk is conducted using a two-carriage method. In particular, the magnetic disk is rotated by a spindle, a test signal is written into the magnetic disk by one magnetic head mounted in one carriage which moves in the radius direction of the magnetic disk, and the test signal of the magnetic disk is read by the other magnetic head mounted in the other carriage which moves in the radius direction of the magnetic disk to inspect the performance of the magnetic head or the magnetic disk using the read signal. The sector pulses to determine servo timing at which servo burst signals preliminarily written into the disk are read are formed on the basis of a clock signal and an index signal generated along with the rotation of the spindle.

Abstract: An inspection device or inspection method for a magnetic head or magnetic disc which can form a servo pattern applicable to a write system, and a magnetic disc recording device or magnetic disc recording method. In inspection or recording of a magnetic disc, which rotates the magnetic disc, a servo pattern is written into a servo pattern region of the magnetic disc by a write-in element of a magnetic head, and is read by a read-in element of the magnetic head. Servo following of a position of the magnetic head on the magnetic disc is performed based on the servo pattern which comprises a plurality of patterns. The patterns are written-in with a first frequency for causing the patterns to be subjected to the servo following and, the patterns are overwritten with a second frequency different from the first frequency, except a servo following width used in the servo following.

Abstract: A detecting circuit, which can detect plural types of servo signals, including a cosine/sine value detector for sampling a servo signal supplied from an inspected object and thereby obtaining a cosine value and a sine value, an amplitude/phase detector for obtaining at least amplitude information and phase information on the basis of the cosine value and the sine value obtained by the cosine/sine value detector, and a servo selector/position detector for selecting a servo scheme of the inspected object and detecting a position of the inspected object on the basis of the amplitude information and the phase information obtained by the amplitude/phase detector.

Abstract: At time to start learning feed-forward control and under the status that servo-drive is not put in execution, a positioning error of repeatable runout is detected by means of a positioning error of repeatable runout operation section and on the basis of a value of the positioning error of repeatable runout, a drive pattern and drive interval of idling are determined by means of a feed-forward data operation section. The drive pattern is stored in a feed-forward data memory and is outputted as feed-forward data in synchronism with the rotation of a spindle during drive interval, thus performing idling of a fine-movement actuator. After the idling has ended, control initiation sequence is resumed to carry out learning of feed-forward control.

Abstract: Drive waveforms with which extension and contraction characteristics of an actuator corresponding to a number of track eccentricity amounts are stored as data. By reading servo information written in a disk is obtained as a signal indicating a head displacement amount from a track. The head is moved in a direction in which the track is displaced by obtaining an amplitude corresponding to a slip amount of the head position and a rotation angle of maximum eccentricity, reading drive waveforms which is optimal in driving the actuator from the memory and driving the actuator with a drive waveform matched with the rotation angle at which the eccentricity is maximum.

Abstract: A mark information is recorded in an area which is on a circumference of a magnetic disk corresponding to a last track in which a servo information write is ended or a track, which is one or two in front of the last track in which servo information is not written and the mark information is detected by returning a magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk by a fine movement stage after the magnetic head is moved to a next aimed track by a coarse movement stage. The servo information write position is detected by the magnetic head and the servo information is written in a servo information write position of a next track by positioning the magnetic head therein by using the fine movement stage.

Abstract: A magnetic head position control method is provided to control a magnetic head to follow the track on a DTM (discrete-track magnetic) disk by accurately detecting the eccentricity compensation amount through a simple process. An angle detection unit detects ?1 at which the relative displacement between the magnetic head and the tracks on the DTM (discrete-track magnetic) disk has a peak with no vibration data added. A vibration data calculation unit calculates first vibration data with first vibration amplitude, so that the displacement has a peak at ?2 displaced from ?1 by a predetermined value. The angle detection unit detects ?3 at which the relative displacement has a peak with the first vibration data added. A compensation data calculation unit calculates compensation data for the eccentricity of the tracks, from the detected angles ?1, ?3, the first vibration amplitude, and ?2. The position of the magnetic head is compensated according to the correction data.

Abstract: A magnetic head position control method is provided to control a magnetic head to follow the track on a DTM disk by accurately detecting the eccentricity compensation amount through a simple process. An angle detection unit detects ?1 at which the relative displacement between the magnetic head and the tracks on the DTM disk has a peak with no vibration data added. A vibration data calculation unit calculates first vibration data with first vibration amplitude, so that the displacement has a peak at ?2 displaced from ?1 by a predetermined value. The angle detection unit detects ?3 at which the relative displacement has a peak with the first vibration data added. A compensation data calculation unit calculates compensation data for the eccentricity of the tracks, from the detected angles ?1, ?3, the first vibration amplitude, and ?2. The position of the magnetic head is compensated according to the correction data.

Abstract: A mark information is recorded in an area which is on a circumference of a magnetic disk corresponding to a last track in which a servo information write is ended or a track, which is one or two in front of the last track in which servo information is not written and the mark information is detected by returning a magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk by a fine movement stage after the magnetic head is moved to a next aimed track by a coarse movement stage. The servo information write position is detected by the magnetic head and the servo information is written in a servo information write position of a next track by positioning the magnetic head therein by using the fine movement stage.