Optical equipment assemblies and techniques

1. An apparatus for detecting a topographic pattern on a media, comprising:

a rotatable stage;

a support post configured to receive the media;

an atomic force microscope coupled to the rotatable stage for movement with the rotatable stage; and

a detector configured to detect scattered optical energy, the detector positioned between the atomic force microscope and the media to detect scattered optical energy from a surface of the media, the detector coupled to the atomic force microscope to allow optical energy to pass from the atomic force microscope to the surface of the media the pattern is a topographic servo pattern and comprises servo one or more spokes detectable by the detector the atomic force microscope and detector in combination being movable to position error signal marks embedded in a spoke of the one or more spokes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the media is formed on a glass substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pattern comprises spokes, the spokes corresponding to topographic features of a disc media.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the atomic force microscope and the detector in combination have a lateral resolution of approximately 2 to 3 microns.

5. A method for automatically detecting position, comprising:

providing a scatterometer coupled to an atomic force microscope;

locating a topographic feature of a substrate assembly using the scatterometer and the atomic force microscope, the topographic feature having a feature size of approximately equal to or less than 500 nm; and

automatically positioning the atomic force microscope to the topographic feature in response to locating the topographic feature and scanning a region with the atomic force microscope, with the atomic force microscope initially positioned to the topographic feature.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the atomic force microscope is initially positioned to a spoke edge of a servo pattern on a disc media.

7. A method for topographic alignment for scanning a surface, comprising:

providing a scatterometer-microscope comprising a scatterometer coupled to an atomic force microscope objective lens;

providing optical energy to the surface;

detecting scattering of the optical energy from the surface with the scatterometer-microscope;

identifying a topographically determined feature in response to scattered optical energy detected; and

aligning the scatterometer-microscope in response to the topographical feature identified wherein the surface is a disc media surface comprising the topographical feature.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising scanning the surface with the scatterometer-microscope in response to alignment to the feature.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of aligning comprises moving the scatterometer-microscope.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of aligning comprises moving a disc media.

11. An apparatus for detecting a topographic pattern on a media, comprising:

a spindle assembly configured to receive the media and to rotate the media;

a linear actuator configured to provided linear movement radially inward to and away from the spindle assembly is provided;

an atomic force microscope is coupled to the linear actuator and positioned proximally to the spindle assembly for scanning the media; and

a detector configured to detect scattered optical energy is located between the atomic force microscope and the media to detect scattered optical energy from a surface of the media, the detector coupled to the atomic force microscope to allow optical source energy to pass from the atomic force microscope to the surface of the media, wherein the pattern is a topographic servo pattern comprising servo spokes detectable by the detector, and the atomic force microscope and detector in combination is movable to position error signal marks embedded in a spoke of the spokes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the atomic force microscope and the detector in combination have a lateral resolution of approximately 2 to 3 microns.

13. An apparatus for detecting a topographic pattern on a media, comprising:

atomic force microscope and detector means for detecting scattered optical energy from a surface of the media for detecting the topographic pattern thereon;

movement means coupled to the atomic force microscope for controllably moving the media and the atomic force microscope, including means for scanning a region with the atomic force microscope with the atomic force microscope initially positioned to the topographic feature.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the topographic pattern comprises servo spoke means detectable by the detector.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the topographic pattern is a topographic servo pattern.