An experimental investigation of contact characteristics between a slider and medium using the electrical resistance method

A highly accurate technique for detecting contact based on the electrical resistance method is presented. Experimental results obtained using a thin-film medium are compared with measurements made with the piezoelectric transducer (PZT) method. It is clarified that contact frequency obeys a simple power function of velocity and is extremely sensitive to spacing. In comparison, PZTs are unable to detect a solid contact until the number of contacts exceeds a certain threshold, thus they are not always satisfactory for highly accurate contact detection