Surface properties of magnetic rigid disks for high-density data storage

The chemical toughened glass is shown to be very safe for the disk-drive application based upon Weibull analyses of spin-to-break test data. Investigations revealed that frictional performance of glass disks can be correlated with two parameters (zero crossing and peak to valley) of the surface profile as measured by phase-shift interferometry. To compare the surface characteristics of glass with a conventional Al disk, the piezoelectrical baseline signals were measured by a glide head while flying steadily over a disk without asperity hits. The results showed that the glass disk caused less disturbance to the slider than the Al disk and can thus provide an intrinsically better surface for low-fly-height, high-density application.