Feasibility study of thermal positioning control actuator for hard disk drives

• Published in: Microsystem technologies Vol. 18; no. 9-10; pp. 1383 - 1388
• Main Authors: Furukawa, Masaru, Xu, Junguo, Liu, Jin, Li, Jianhua, Nosaki, Shoya, Otsuki, Haruaki, Suzuki, Kenji, Ono, Kyosuke
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-09-2012; Springer
• Subjects: Display and recording equipment, oscilloscopes, tv cameras, etc; Electronics and Microelectronics; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Instrumentation; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Mechanical Engineering; Nanotechnology; Physics; Technical Paper; Transducers; Acoustic Emission; Hard Disk Drive; Groove Depth; Excitation Frequency; Acoustic Emission Signal; Actuators; Hard discs; Positioning; Driving device; Position control; Sliding contact; Feasibility studies; Bandwidth; Numerical method; Frequency response
• ISSN: 0946-7076; 1432-1858
• DOI: 10.1007/s00542-012-1546-5

We have developed an actuator with a heater embedded in the head slider. This actuator, called the thermal positioning control (TPC) actuator, is integrated next to the read write elements in the head slider. By applying electric power to the TPC actuator, the actuator causes thermal expansion and the read write elements then move in the positioning direction. We demonstrated its feasibility in terms of the stroke and frequency response. We designed and fabricated head sliders that integrated a TPC actuator and a read element. We also conducted an experimental evaluation at the spin-stand. The results of 5 nm stroke and a 5-kHz bandwidth were experimentally demonstrated. These results showed the feasibility of the TPC actuator for future 550 kilo track per inch class hard disk drives.