Active compensation of flying height in magnetic disk drives

1. A magnetic disk drive operable to perform active flying height compensation, the magnetic disk drive comprising:

a magnetic disk;

a slider having an air bearing surface that faces a surface of the magnetic disk;

at least one heating element fabricated in the slider; and

a control system operable to detect a reduction in flying height of the slider, to calculate a compensation heating power to apply to the at least one heating element in the slider to compensate for the reduction in flying height, and to apply the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element in the slider to alter the air bearing surface and increase the flying height of the slider.

2. The magnetic disk drive of claim 1 wherein:

the control system is further operable to detect the reduction in flying height of the slider upon power up of the magnetic disk drive.

3. The magnetic disk drive of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider comprises a Thermal Flying-height control heating element; and

the control system is further operable to apply the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion of a read/write head in the slider.

4. The magnetic disk drive of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider is fabricated proximate to a center region of the slider; and

the control system is further operable to apply the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the center of the air bearing surface of the slider.

5. The magnetic disk drive of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider is fabricated proximate to a sub-ambient pressure pocket on the air bearing surface of the slider; and

the control system is further operable to apply the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface.

6. The magnetic disk drive of claim 5 wherein:

the control system is further operable to move the slider proximate to a ramp assembly in the magnetic disk drive, to apply an unload heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface, to detect whether a front edge of the ramp assembly is reached by the slider, to remove the unload heating power if the front edge of the ramp assembly is reached, and to unload the slider from the magnetic disk onto the ramp assembly.

7. The magnetic disk drive of claim 5 wherein:

the control system is further operable to move the slider proximate to a front edge of a ramp assembly in the magnetic disk drive, to apply a load heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface, to load the slider from the ramp assembly onto the magnetic disk, and to remove the load heating power.

8. The magnetic disk drive of claim 1 wherein the at least one heating element in the slider comprises:

an outer diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an outer diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider; and

an inner diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an inner diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider.

9. The magnetic disk drive of claim 8 wherein:

the control system is further operable to detect a roll of the slider, to calculate a roll heating power to apply to the outer diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the outer diameter of the magnetic disk, to apply the roll heating power to the outer diameter heating element, to calculate the roll heating power to apply to the inner diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the inner diameter of the magnetic disk, and to apply the roll heating power to the inner diameter heating element.

10. A method of performing an active flying height compensation process for a magnetic disk drive, the method comprising:

detecting a reduction in flying height of a slider in the magnetic disk drive when the magnetic disk drive is in operation;

calculating a compensation heating power to apply to at least one heating element in the slider to compensate for the reduction in flying height; and

applying the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element in the slider to alter the air bearing surface and increase the flying height of the slider.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the flying height compensation process is performed upon power up of the magnetic disk drive.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider comprises a Thermal Flying-height control heating element; and

applying the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element generates a protrusion of a read/write head in the slider.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider is fabricated proximate to a center region of the slider; and

applying the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element generates a protrusion substantially in the center of the air bearing surface of the slider.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider is fabricated proximate to a sub-ambient pressure pocket on the air bearing surface of the slider; and

applying the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element generates a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

moving the slider proximate to a ramp assembly in the magnetic disk drive;

applying an unload heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface;

detecting whether a front edge of the ramp assembly is reached by the slider;

removing the unload heating power if the front edge of the ramp assembly is reached; and

unloading the slider from the magnetic disk onto the ramp assembly.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

moving the slider proximate to a front edge of a ramp assembly in the magnetic disk drive;

applying a load heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface;

loading the slider from the ramp assembly onto the magnetic disk; and

removing the load heating power.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one heating element in the slider comprises:

an outer diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an outer diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider; and

an inner diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an inner diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

detecting a roll of the slider;

calculating a roll heating power to apply to the outer diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the outer diameter of the magnetic disk;

applying the roll heating power to the outer diameter heating element;

calculating the roll heating power to apply to the inner diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the inner diameter of the magnetic disk; and

applying the roll heating power to the inner diameter heating element.

19. A control system of a magnetic disk drive that is operable to perform active flying height compensation for a slider, the control system comprising:

a flying height compensation system operable to identify an expected flying height of a slider in the magnetic disk drive, to determine an actual flying height of the slider in operation, and to compare the actual flying height of the slider to the expected flying height to detect a reduction in flying height of the slider;

the flying height compensation system further operable to calculate a compensation heating power to apply to at least one heating element in the slider to compensate for the reduction in flying height; and

the flying height compensation system further operable to apply the compensation heating power to the at least one heating element in the slider to generate at least one protrusion in the air bearing surface and increase the flying height of the slider.

20. The control system of claim 19 wherein:

the flying height compensation system is further operable to detect the reduction in flying height of the slider upon power up of the magnetic disk drive.

21. The control system of claim 19 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider comprises a Thermal Flying-height control heating element; and

the flying height compensation system is further operable to apply the heating power to the at least one heating element to generate the at least one protrusion of a read/write head in the slider.

22. The control system of claim 19 wherein:

the at least one heating element in the slider is fabricated proximate to a sub-ambient pressure pocket on the air bearing surface of the slider; and

the flying height compensation system is further operable to apply the heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface.

23. The control system of claim 19 wherein the at least one heating element in the slider comprises:

an outer diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an outer diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider; and

an inner diameter heating element fabricated in the slider to generate a protrusion in an inner diameter side rail of the air bearing surface of the slider.

24. The control system of claim 23 wherein:

the flying height compensation system is further operable to detect a roll of the slider, to calculate a roll heating power to apply to the outer diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the outer diameter of the magnetic disk, to apply the roll heating power to the outer diameter heating element, to calculate the roll heating power to apply to the inner diameter heating element in response to detecting a roll toward the inner diameter of the magnetic disk, and to apply the roll heating power to the inner diameter heating element.

25. A magnetic disk drive, comprising:

a magnetic disk;

a slider having an air bearing surface that faces a surface of the magnetic disk;

at least one heating element fabricated in the slider proximate to a sub-ambient pressure pocket on the air bearing surface of the slider;

a ramp assembly; and

a control system operable to move the slider proximate to the ramp assembly, to apply an unload heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface, to detect whether a front edge of the ramp assembly is reached by the slider, to remove the unload heating power if the front edge of the ramp assembly is reached, and to unload the slider from the magnetic disk onto the ramp assembly;

the control system is further operable to move the slider proximate to the front edge of the ramp assembly, to apply a load heating power to the at least one heating element to generate a protrusion substantially in the sub-ambient pressure pocket of the air bearing surface, to load the slider from the ramp assembly onto the magnetic disk, and to remove the load heating power.