Study of adhered particle’s secondary migration on the slider air bearing surface

Abstract

An entrapped particle on the slider’s air bearing damages the surface of the slider or the disk. The study of particle movement on and the particle adhesion mechanism onto the slider surface is critical to reduce entrapped particle-induced damage. In this paper, we proposed a dynamical model of the adhesive particle’s secondary migration on the slider surface. The model predicts whether the adhered particle will remain static by the action of the aerodynamic and adhesion forces. There are three migration movement styles which are rolling, sliding and lifting away from the original adhered location. Further, particle rolling migration behaviors on the slider air bearing surface (ABS) are analyzed considering the effects of flow shear rate, particle diameter and properties. Finally, the particle migration trajectory and velocity with time on the investigated slider are presented. It was found that most particles that adhere to the slider surface remain static for the investigated slider; pure rolling motion on the slider ABS is the main migration styles. The particle with a larger diameter and air shear rate speeds up to a higher velocity, and it takes more time to speed up to the constant velocity. A particle’s secondary migration motion can be observed for the particle that adheres to the slider recession region and trailing pad. Then the particle enters airflow blowing out of or rolls away from the head-disk interface.