AN ACTIVE SLIDER FOR PRACTICAL CONTACT RECORDING

We report here designs for and experimental results on sliders which achieve contact recording at full speed rotation on rigid disks. In our scheme the problem of wear is mitigated by integrating an active bender into the slider. The bender carries the recording element and can raise and lower it on demand (with an applied voltage) to contact or some desired value. This permits the slider, or “mother ship”, to be always flown at a safe distance from the disk. Magnetic and mechanical data will be shown demonstrating the use of this slider class as a magnetic recording device, as a potential surface analysis tool, and as a convenient test vehicle for heads. © 1990 IEEE