An Application of White Light Interferometry in Thin Film Measurements

An application of the white light interferometry technique has been developed for measuring the thickness of thin films. The technique is used in the development of sliders which serve as carriers for the magnetic transducers (read/write elements) that operate in close proximity to magnetic disks. With the proper design of a surface contour and the applied load on the slider, a self-acting air bearing is created under the slider due to the boundary layer existing on a rotating disk.