A novel test system for automated surface characterization of performance relevant defects

Summary form only given. Higher areal storage densities increase the relevance of smaller media defects which might play a major role in HDD performance. In particular, the decrease in distance of the write and read elements to the spinning media (a decrease from 20 nm to 5 nm is expected in the next 5 years) requires a very careful control of defect heights. Furthermore, anti-ferromagnetic coupled media may cause new types of defects, which cannot be detected by any topographic sensitive measurement technique. We have developed a non-destructive, clean-room compatible measurement tool which allows us to test the entire surface with respect to magnetic and topographic properties of the magnetic storage media as well as to characterize specific areas on a nm/sup 2/ scale by means of scanning probe microscopy (SPM). SPM techniques are already used for defect characterization but they suffer from a small throughput, are often destructive and defect areas cannot be re-tested with exactly the same recording parameters. We have combined a spin stand tester (SST) and a SPM to a single unit. A positioning procedure allows us to automatically position specific areas which have been detected by the SST for SPM characterization.