Glide head with active device
A glide head having a portion thereof that is selectively extendable toward the rotating disk by the application of an electrical signal thereto. The extendable portion may be located on a side wing extending from a slider main body. The side wing may include a piezoelectric transducer with a relatively durable contact layer provided on the bottom portion thereof. The slider can be flown relatively close to the rotating media and the transducer can be activated to actuate the contact layer into a closer position relative to the rotating disk. The distance at which physical contact occurs may be measured.
1. A glide head configured to be supported over a surface of a disk by a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam, for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, said glide head comprising:
a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk;
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk; and
wherein the selectable extendable portion is located on a side wing.
2. A glide head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the side wing comprises a body attached to a side of the main body.
3. A glide head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a piezoelectric transducer.
4. A glide head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the main body is an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of layers and components.
5. A glide head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the material used in the main body is the same as that used in the contact surface.
6. A method of characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, comprising:
providing a glide head configured to be supported over a surface of a disk by a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam;
extending a relatively small portion of the glide head toward the disk while maintaining a separate main body of the glide head at a relatively constant distance away from the disk; and
rotating the disk to detect portions of the disk at which the relatively small portion of the glide head makes physical contact with the disk;
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal.
7. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the selectably extendable portion is located on a side wing of the glide head.
8. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
9. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a piezoelectric transducer.
10. A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
11. A glide head configured to be supported over a surface of a disk by a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam, for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, said glide head comprising:
a main body; and
a side wing extending away from the main body, the side wing having a bottom surface that is separate from and significantly smaller than the bottom surface of the main body, the side wing having a transducer thereon to selectably displace at least a portion of the bottom surface of the side wing toward the adjacent disk;
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal.
12. A glide head as defined in claim 11 , wherein the bottom surface of the side wing includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
13. A glide head as defined in claim 11 , wherein the transducer is a piezoelectric transducer.
14. A glide head as defined in claim 13 , wherein the bottom surface of the side wing includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
15. A system for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, comprising:
a spindle that rotates the disk to be characterized;
a glide head; and
a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam that positions the glide head in close proximity to the disk;
wherein the glide head has a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk, wherein the portion may be extended until it comes into physical contact with the disk; and
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
said system further including a sensor associated with the suspension, the sensor sensing mechanical vibrations in the suspension indicative of physical contact between the glide head and the disk; and
wherein the selectable extendable portion is located on a side wing.
16. A glide head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a piezoelectric transducer.
17. A glide head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
18. A glide head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.
19. A glide head configured to be supported over a surface of a disk by a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam, for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, said glide head comprising:
a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk;
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk; and
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a piezoelectric transducer.
20. A glide head configured to be supported over a surface of a disk by a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam, for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, said glide head comprising:
a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk;
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk; and
wherein the main body is an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of layers and components.
21. A system for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, comprising:
a spindle that rotates the disk to be characterized;
a glide head; and
a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam that positions the glide head in close proximity to the disk;
wherein the glide head has a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk, wherein the portion may be extended until it comes into physical contact with the disk; and
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
said system further including a sensor associated with the suspension, the sensor sensing mechanical vibrations in the suspension indicative of physical contact between the glide head and the disk; and
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a piezoelectric transducer.
22. A system for characterizing a disk to be used in a disk drive system, comprising:
a spindle that rotates the disk to be characterized;
a glide head; and
a suspension assembly having a load beam, and a flexure tongue or gimbal on the load beam that positions the glide head in close proximity to the disk;
wherein the glide head has a main body and a portion separate from the main body that is selectably extendable toward the adjacent disk, wherein the portion may be extended until it comes into physical contact with the disk; and
wherein the main body is configured to be mounted on the load beam by the flexure tongue or the gimbal;
said system further including a sensor associated with the suspension, the sensor sensing mechanical vibrations in the suspension indicative of physical contact between the glide head and the disk; and
wherein the selectably extendable portion includes a contact surface that is adapted for physically contacting the disk.