On measurement accuracy of lubricant thicknesses on sliders by ellipsometry

Transferred lubricant will affect IIMS and deteriorate flying stability, causing overall system reliability issues. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately determine the transferred lubricant thicknesses on sliders. Because the slider optical constants - vary with the measured spot, the measurement accuracy is a critical concern for ellipsometry application in measuring lubricant thicknesses on sliders. This paper investigates the measurement accuracy of lubricant thicknesses on sliders based on uncertainty propagation analysis and experimental studies. The results reveal that elliopsometry can't work out the correct lubricant thicknesses on slider.