We have developed a novel instrument combining a glide tester with anAtomic ForceMicroscope (AFM) for hard disk drive (HDD)\r\nmedia defect test and analysis. The sample stays on the same test spindle during both glide test and AFM imaging without losing\r\nthe relevant coordinates. This enables an in situ evaluation with the high-resolution AFM of the defects detected by the glide test.\r\nThe ability for the immediate follow-on AFM analysis solves the problem of relocating the defects quickly and accurately in the\r\ncurrent workflow. The tool is furnished with other functions such as scribing, optical imaging, and head burnishing. Typical data\r\ngenerated from the tool are shown at the end of the paper. It is further demonstrated that novel experiments can be carried out on\r\nthe platform by taking advantage of the correlative capabilities of the tool.
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