Control of Head Smear Generated From DLC Films Using an External Electric Field

In this study, the dependence of the electric field between the magnetic disk and Si wafer, used as the counter surface, on the hydrocarbon smear generated from the diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoat was investigated. As a result, the positive electric field from the disk to the Si wafer increased the amount of smear, and the negative field reduced it. The positive electric field was estimated to extract hydrocarbon ions from the thermal plasma toward the Si wafer, and the opposite field attracts the hydrocarbon ions to the DLC surface. Therefore, the electric field between the slider and disk possibly controls the smear generation from the DLC overcoat, which is heated by laser irradiation in the heat-assisted magnetic recording).

Utilization of CD and DVD Pick-Up Heads for Scratch Inspection of Magnetic Disk in Dynamic State Using Microcontroller

A non-destructive technique to inspect a scratch on all magnetic disks in the beginning process of hard disk drive (HDD) manufacturing by using CD and DVD pick-up heads as the detector is proposed. It requires a 100% disk inspection of micrometer-sized scratches in a quick measurement with low cost inventing. Most of the previous studies were in static state but this is the first time to be done in dynamic study using the microcontroller in order to promptly serve for industrial utilization. The size, position, and shape characteristic of scratches are examined using light reflection technique. The results show that, when the laser beam is targeted on a magnetic disk in a position, either scratch or non-scratch, the reflected light intensity differs. The DVD pick-up head can detect the width and the surface characteristic of the scratches, which is similar to the results from scanning electron microscope (SEM) for all scratches sizes less than 100 µm. It is also found that using a DVD pick-up head provides a better resolution of shape characteristic and roughness of scratches surface than a CD pick-up head. Hence, the scratch size of 10s µm scale on the magnetic disk can be accurately characterized by this proposed technique, which can be further utilized for magnetic disk inspection in the hard disk drive manufacturing process.

Controlled nonlinear magnetic damping in spin-Hall nano-devices

Large-amplitude magnetization dynamics is substantially more complex compared to the low-amplitude linear regime, due to the inevitable emergence of nonlinearities. One of the fundamental nonlinear phenomena is the nonlinear damping enhancement, which imposes strict limitations on the operation and efficiency of magnetic nanodevices. In particular, nonlinear damping prevents excitation of coherent magnetization auto-oscillations driven by the injection of spin current into spatially extended magnetic regions. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate that nonlinear damping can be controlled by the ellipticity of magnetization precession. By balancing different contributions to anisotropy, we minimize the ellipticity and achieve coherent magnetization oscillations driven by spatially extended spin current injection into a microscopic magnetic disk. Our results provide a route for the implementation of efficient active spintronic and magnonic devices driven by spin current.