• Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.184-188
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• 2006

In recent years the flying height of the head/slider has been decreasing in order to increase the recording density of hard disk drive (HDD). Accordingly, it was predicted that direct contact between slider and disk surface (slider slap) can cause defects on the disk such as scratch and particle generation. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate the effect of rounded-edge slider using Hertzian contact theory. Depth and width of scratch were predicted by plowing model. Furthermore, as we fabricated rounded-edge slider, rounded-edge slider was tested and compared with sharp-edge slider. The experimental results show rounded-edge was effective for reducing scratch depth.