Finite Element Simulation of the Mechanical and Thermal Behaviors of a Disk Drive Head Contacting a Disk Asperity

Abstract

Here we present results from finite element analysis mockups for the stresses, strains, and the frictional flash temperatures that occur when a recording head in a disk drive impacts an asperity bump on the rotating disk surface. These simulations also included the very thin carbon protective overcoats that are routinely used to protect the head and disk media surfaces during this impact, allowing us to predict more accurately the wear resistances for these surfaces during these types of impacts. Using these simulations, we are able to perform parametric studies of how the tribological performance of these interfaces is affected by amount of interference, asperity width, material properties, and frictional coefficients. Good agreement is found between these simulation results for flash temperatures from frictional heating and the measured values from a previous experimental study from our laboratory for the temperature rise at the embedded contact sensor within the recording head.