Slider curvature adjustment through stress control

Stress-reducing technologies over the slider backside are studied for curvature adjustment. These technologies include lapping on a copper table with different size diamond, lapping on a tin table charged with diamond and etching using an inductive coupling plasma system. Results show that reactive ion etching gives the largest range for crown and camber adjustment. Curvature adjustment by lapping on a tin table is controllable as it changes in small increments, but such control is unachievable with different diamond sizes.