Dynamics of the unload process for negative pressure sliders

Negative pressure sliders also have many merit features, but they can develop an undesirable suction force during dynamic unload. In this paper the dynamics of negative pressure sliders during the unload process was investigated by simulation and experiment. A simplified L/UL model for the suspension system was created, and an experimental setup was built to directly measure the air bearing forces. Two slider designs have been simulated and measured at various disk rotation speeds. Good correlation between the experimental and simulation results was achieved. During unload the air bearing suction force causes dimple separation. By selecting an optimal speed for unload, we can decrease the amount of dimple separation for a given slider design.