Tracking Dynamics of Read/Write Head Suspensions in High-Performance Small Form Factor Rigid Disk Drives

Recording density of rigid disk drives is related to both linear and track density. High linear density requires submicron recording spacing which is made possible by using a gas-lubricated slider bearing to support the read/write transducer. This critical component has inspired much reseach effort in the past, both in industry and in academia. On the other hand, a major limitation in increasing the track density is the structural resonance of the suspension which connects the slider bearing to the actuator arm. In this paper, a nonintrusive measurement technique using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer is utilized to measure the submicron suspension vibration