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Numerical simulation of molecularly thin lubricant film flow due to the air bearing slider in hard disk drives

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Abstract

In this paper we numerically study the evolution of depletion tracks on molecularly thin lubricant films due to a flying head slider in a hard disk drive. Here the lubricant thickness evolution model is based on continuum thin film lubrication theory with inter-molecular forces. Our numerical simulation involves air bearing pressure, air bearing shear stress, Laplace pressure, the dispersive component of surface free energy and disjoining pressure, a polynomial modeled polar component of surface free energy and disjoining pressure and shear stress caused by the surface free energy gradient. Using these models we perform the lubricant thickness evolution on the disk under a two-rail taper flat slider. The results illustrate the forming process of two depletion tracks of the thin lubricant film on the disk. We also quantify the relative contributions of the various components of the physical models. We find that the polar components of surface free energy and disjoining pressure and the shear stress due to the surface free energy gradient, as well as other physical models, play important rolls in thin lubricant film thickness change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 5150 Etcheverry Hall, Berkeley, 94720-1740, USA

    Hiroyuki Kubotera & David B. Bogy

  2. Magnetic Disk Drive Laboratory, Storage and Intelligent Systems Laboratories, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, 243-0197, Japan

    Hiroyuki Kubotera

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Kubotera
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  2. David B. Bogy
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Correspondence to Hiroyuki Kubotera.

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Kubotera, H., Bogy, D.B. Numerical simulation of molecularly thin lubricant film flow due to the air bearing slider in hard disk drives. Microsyst Technol 13, 859–865 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-006-0275-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-006-0275-z

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