Washboard Effect at Head–Disk Interface

Abstract

This paper presents experimental investigations of the lubricant ripple formation when the slider flies on the track. We quantified the impact of ripple amplitude on slider flying height modulation (FHM). Comparisons were made between experimental observations and a previous modeling study where rippling was shown to be caused by slider-induced air shear modulation. We confirmed our model predictions and demonstrated conditions under which ripple formation is enhanced or reduced.