Flying height calibration with bump disk

Abstract

It is a big challenge to determine ultralow slider Flying Height (FH) accurately. The standard bump disk method is probably a reliable and acceptable method. The accuracy of the bump disk method on FH calibration depends on two key factors. One is the detection of the occurrence of slider?bump contact. The other is the understanding of the complicated slider?bump interaction process and the possible disturbance of the bumps on the slider flying performance. In this paper, the research work aiming to resolve these two key issues is reviewed. Key parameters that limit the accuracy of the bump disk method are discussed. Possible strategies to further improve the accuracy of the method are proposed.