Inventors:
Gerald Daniel Malagrino - Rochester MN
John Bornholdt - Rochester MN
Peter Keim - Saratoga CA
Assignee:
Western Digital Corporation - Irvine CA
International Classification:
G11B 5127
Abstract:
A method of making a head disk assembly using a fixture is disclosed. The head disk assembly includes a base having an interior-horizontal surface and a side wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal surface, a disk for coupling to the base, and a head for coupling to the base. The disk includes a head facing surface and an outer diameter and the head includes a disk facing surface. The fixture includes a light source for propagating a light beam towards the side wall, a light reflecting structure for receiving the light beam and outputting a reflected light beam, and a control structure for controlling a vertical movement of the light reflecting structure, the light reflecting structure includes a reflecting mirror surface defining an angle with respect to the horizontal surface. The method includes the steps of coupling the disk to the base, coupling the head to the base, positioning the head towards the disk such that the head is positioned adjacent to the outer diameter of the disk and positioned between the outer diameter and the side wall. The method further includes controllably moving the light reflecting structure vertically towards the horizontal surface such that the reflecting mirror surface is positioned proximate to the disk and the head and is positioned between the side wall and the head, propagating the light beam from the light source to the light reflecting structure such that the reflecting mirror surface reflects the light beam incident upon its surface to output the reflected light beam such that the reflected light beam defines a signal that depends on an amount of light passing between the head facing surface and the disk facing surface, detecting a clearance between the head facing surface and the disk facing surface based on the signal, and merging the head with the disk.
