insight to data storage—trends, technologies, products ... · september 16-19 in san jose: ......

insidewhat’s

DISKCON USA Preview

The Future of Optical Discs: Choosing a Winner

Secure Erase of Disk Drive Data

Critical Dimension Metrology for NextGeneration Thin-Film Recording HeadProcesses

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INSIGHT to data storage — trends, technologies, productsSummer 2002

Published by IDEMA®—the trade association for the data storage industry

DISKCON USAspecial preview issue

Full technical conference information and registration card inside!

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Summer 2002 • INSIGHT 3

contents

6DISKCON USA Preview

18The Future of OpticalDiscs: Choosing a Winner

22Secure Erase of DiskDrive Data

26Critical DimensionMetrology for NextGeneration Thin-FilmRecording HeadProcesses

Mark Geenen—President

Storage, The Ultimate Technology—the theme for the DISKCONUSA 2002 Trade Show and Technical Conference. IDEMA ispleased to welcome you to DISKCON, the world’s only series oftrade shows that is tailored to the HDD industry. Please join usfor what promises to be a compelling week of exhibits, newproducts, technical sessions, standards meetings, and networking.Here are some of the highlights of what you can enjoySeptember 16-19 in San Jose:

DISKCON trade show: The DISKCON USA trade show is thelargest assemblage of exhibitors with products and technologiesdesigned specifically for the HDD industry. Key technologies andequipment that foster our industry’s meteoric improvement in areal density andperformance are first seen at DISKCON. Attending the show guarantees that you will becompletely up to speed on the industry’s infrastructure.

Technical Conference: This year’s Technical Conference features perhaps the best groupof speakers and topics ever offered by IDEMA. Leading Wall Street analysts will give thestraight scoop on how investors view our industry, and when we can expect an upturn instock prices. "Beyond Magnetic Storage" will feature some of the world’s top academicsin the field of storage. Sessions on Intermag highlights, HDD design, mobile andconsumer storage, and network storage will both educate and inform you. Don’t miss thiscost-effective, world-class conference.

CEO Kickoff: All the leading HDD companies support IDEMA’s evolving strategy. BillWatkins of Seagate, Mike Cannon of Maxtor, Matt Massengill of Western Digital, DougGrose of IBM, Ichiro Komura of Fujitsu, Wayne Fortun of Hutchinson Technology, EdBraun of Veeco Instruments, and John Dean of Salomon Smith Barney–the HDDindustry’s All Star Team—will kick off the DISKCON USA 2002 show with a fast-paced,compelling panel discussion on our industry and IDEMA’s future role. It is safe to saythat this session will be a highlight long remembered.

Keynote Dinner: One of the prime networking events of the DISKCON week is theKeynote Dinner. This year Matt Massengill, Chairman and CEO of a resurgent WesternDigital, is our featured speaker. Mr. Massengill will discuss not only the turnaround atWD, but also the bright future for our industry. He is also one of the more entertainingpublic speakers in the HDD business, so this is a "can’t miss" event.

Charity Golf Tournament: For the seventh consecutive year, IDEMA will host the MarkGeenen Technology for Youth Charity Golf Tournament. This year, the event moves toCoyote Creek Golf Club, a feature stop on the Senior PGA Tour. Not only is the course achallenge for low handicappers, but also it is a pleasure to play for recreational golfers.We are teaming up once again with Ronnie Lott’s All Stars Helping Kids organization. Wehad a tremendous event in 2001, and this year’s will be even better with a new playingformat, a silent auction, and a LIVE auction that promises to be highly entertaining. Thecharity golf tournament is the perfect opportunity to entertain customers or to treat yourcolleagues.

Reflecting our dynamic industry, IDEMA is adopting a new strategy that is bound to havefar-reaching effects on the disk drive business. DISKCON USA 2002 is a launch point forthis new strategy, so you don’t want to miss a single event. See you at DISKCON 2002 inSan Jose!

4 INSIGHT • Summer 2002

Board of Directors—U.S.Gerard “Tex” Schenkkan, MaxtorRich Rutledge, Western DigitalDave Wickersham, SeagateTechnologyMike Russak, KomagJim Murphy, Read-RiteEd Grochowski, IBMRick Penn, Hutchinson TechnologyRandy Bonner, MagnecompFrank Briezo, KLA-Tencor

Management Committee—Asia-Pacific

Jim Chirico—ChairSeagate TechnologyK.Y. Phua—Vice ChairIDEMA Asia-PacificS.C. Lee—Singapore Advisory ChairMaxtor Peripherals (S) Pte. Ltd.Tom McDorman—MalaysiaAdvisory ChairWestern DigitalBrent Bargmann—TailandAdvisory Committee ChairSeagate TechnologyPeter Maguire—PhilippinesAdvisory ChairLighthouse Worldwide Solutions Pte. Ltd.John Lee—Greater China AdvisoryChairKaifa MagneticsS.H. Goh—Education CommitteChairAchievaGary Davis—Membership ChairDavis Consultants Asia Sdn. Bhd.William Tan—Standards ChairMegatech Electronics Pte. Ltd.Chan Leng Wai—Finance ChairPeoplenetChang Faa ShoonSeagateAdam GiandomenicoLighthouseB.L. TehMMIT.H. SohRead-Rite CorporationMichael WeissVeeco Instruments, Inc.Hank PselosK.R. PrecisionSukh SandhuIBM

INSIGHT EditorSally [email protected] 408.330.8106

Creative DirectorChristine Carrig

ArticlesArticle contributions are welcome and are subject to editingby IDEMA.

AdvertisingAd space is available for the Winter2002 Issue. Editorial calendar andadvertising rates are availableonline at www.idema.org.

Subscriptions (Annual Rates)IDEMA Members: FreeNonmembers:

United States: $80Canada & Mexico: $100Rest of World: $140

For a subscription, register onlineat www.idema.org.

INSIGHT is an association/technicaljournal published quarterly by IDEMA—the trade association for the data storageindustry. The goal of INSIGHT is toinform IDEMA members and industryprofessionals worldwide about emergingtechnologies, industry news, as well asupcoming IDEMA and industry tradeevents. INSIGHT is an internationalpublication read by more than 15,000engineers, scientists, and technicalmanagers involved in the selection andpurchase of materials, equipment,supplies, and products used in thedevelopment and manufacture of datastorage devices.

© Copyright 2002 IDEMA. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without the writtenpermission of IDEMA. IDEMA andDISKCON are registered trademarks ofthe International Disk Drive Equipmentand Materials Association. Other productnames or brands used in this publicationare for identification purposes only andmay be trademarks of their respectivecompanies.

IDEMA—U.S.3255 Scott BoulevardSuite 2-102, Santa Clara, CA 95054-3013 USAPhone: 408.330.8100Fax: 408.492.1425

Sally Bryant, Ed.D.Executive Director408.330.8106

Mark GeenenPresident408.330.8101

Trudy GressleyFinance/Office Manager408.330.8105

Lisa HoodAdministrative Coordinator408.330.8100

Beth McCulloughTradeshow Coordinator408.492.1436

Kristen MontanProgram Manager, Standards408.330.8109

Communications CommitteeRichard Penn—ChairHutchinson Technology, Inc.Sally Bryant, Ed.D.IDEMAJay KimmalKomag, Inc.Keith GoodsonSeagate

IDEMA—Asia-PacificC/O Seagate Technology7000 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5Singapore 569877Republic of SingaporePhone: 65.278.9522Fax: 65.278.8762

Wendy AngTraining Executive

Sok-Yin HongAdministrative Executive

K.Y. PhuaManaging Director65.226.3412

IDEMA—JapanWataru Building, 6th Floor2-11-9, Nishi ShinbashiMinato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003JapanPhone: 81.3.3539.7071Fax: 81.3.3539.7072

Naoko MiuraEditor/Seminars

Teizo TaraoExecutive Director81.3.3539.7071

Akiko YamamotoFinance/Standards

Board of Directors—JapanTsuneo Suganuma—ChairHitachi, Ltd.Akira Kakehi—Co-ChairFujitsu, Ltd.Shun Kaneko—Director EmeritusIomega Japan CorporationHideki Harada—AuditorHTATeizo Tarao—Executive DirectorIDEMA JapanShoji FuchigamiSony CorporationYuichi HyakusokuMediken, Inc.Yuji KubotaToshiba CorporationNoboru KubokawaInstitute of Information Technology, Ltd.Mikio MatsuzakiTDK CorporationShunichi MurakamiAnelva CorporationTadashi ShinoharaHitachi Metals, Ltd.Isao SuzukiHoya CorporationAkira TeradaAlps Electric Co., Ltd.Tetsuo TsuruHitachi Electronics Engineering Co., Ltd.Toshihisa UenoKobe Steel, Ltd.Haruo UraiNEC CorporationHideaki YamazakiSpider Systems of Japan, Inc.Takashi YamazakiIBM Japan, Ltd.


New horizons of growth & opportunity

DISKCON USASeptember 16–19, San Jose, CA

Use the following pages as a guide to help you plan your time at DISKCON USA. To register online, visit www.idema.org, or complete the enclosed registration card.

Storage, The Ultimiate Technology—requires continual renewal as the key to survive andprosper in this industry. It demands that you improve your products, streamline your processes,and keep up with the pace of technological advancement while adapting to changing businessconditions. DISKCON USA 2002 helps you achieve this through its focus on new horizons ofopportunity and growth for the data storage industry.

Looking to develop new products, expand into new markets, and improve your bottom line?What are the best ways to achieve growth and which are the fertile opportunities? The answersto these questions, and many more, can be found at DISKCON USA 2002. Offering world-class education and a full roster of exhibitors who have the products, materials, and servicestargeted directly to your needs, DISKCON is focused entirely on data storage and data storagemanufacturing, providing you with the necessary knowledge to be more effective and yourproducts more competitive.

The DISKCON Technical Conference offers a unique opportunity to focus on the storageindustry’s new horizons of growth and opportunity in technology and business. Here are someof the major topics and issues at this year’s DISKCON Technical Conference:

• Hear Wall Street specialists and leading storage business executives share their financial andbusiness outlook for the storage industry

• See how the latest HDD designs and mechanics are yielding improved performance

• Explore the fertile opportunities in the mobile applications market, and understand the designrequirements of mobile systems

• Unearth the market potential for new applications of HDDs that have been sprouting up inmany consumer devices, and study the unique engineering issues for these applications

• Survey the new storage technologies that are germinating—and what issues need to beaddressed before they will bud into commercial products

DISKCON USA 2002, now in its 16th year, sets the standard for data storage events. No otherevent offers the breadth of opportunities to learn, explore, and inquire about the products,materials, and services that drive data storage and data storage manufacturing. It onlyhappens once a year—so don’t miss it!


DISKCON USATECHNICAL CONFERENCEStorage—The Ultimate TechnologyWednesday, September 18 Thursday, September 19San Jose Convention Center—San Jose, CA

“Storage—The Ultimate Technology” is the theme of IDEMA’s DISKCON USA 2002 Technical Conference. A world-classassembly of technologists, marketing professionals, and analysts will capture every aspect of the unprecedentedprogress that has propelled this industry into the forefront of the computer revolution. Seven sessions will provide anassessment of storage technologies, application requirements, and a business/financial outlook for the industry. Explorethis amazing industry and its bright future by attending these sessions. There is no better way to master a strong per-spective of growth areas and technology directions of an industry on the rebound. The following schedule (as of25-Jun-02) provides a description of the seven sessions offered and in all likelihood will be subject to some changes asthe conference evolves. Visit the IDEMA website at www.idema.org for ongoing updates.

Wednesday, September 18

Session 1: Explosive Growth on the HDD Horizon?A Financial and Business Outlook

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 10:00 am-noon

This session draws upon the perspectives of key Wall Streetspecialists and business executives to formulate an assessment oftoday’s storage world—and the bright future that awaits industryparticipants. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear a "noholds barred" analysis of the storage industry, new potentialgrowth areas, and how stocks will fare in the years ahead.

Session Chair: Gillian Munson

Clint Vaughn, Salomon Smith Barney

William Lewis, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Session 2: Beyond Magnetic Storage/NSIC Review

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 1:30-5:00 pm

HDD storage has always been characterized by developmentand application of bold new technologies required to maintainthe pace of product evolution. This session will explore futuretechnologies in storage that could enhance and extend today’smagnetic technology base and branch out beyond this base withfuture storage innovations. These include MRAM, holography,probe based storage, and even protein-based technologies. Inaddition, a review of storage industry advances will be presentedby the National Storage Industry Consortium (NSIC) to initiatethis strategic session.

Session Chair: Michael Russak, President and Chief TechnologyOfficer, Komag, Inc.

Paul Frank, Executive Director, NSICNSIC overview: The future of information storage technology

Eric Mayes, Chief Technical Officer, Nanomagnetics, Ltd.Biologically-derived nanomagnets in self organized patternedmedia

Glenn Horner, Aprilis, Corp Towards commercial holographic data storage

Arthur Davidson, Carnegie Mellon UniversityMEMS based magnetic recording

James A. Bain, Carnegie Mellon UniversityThermally assisted magnetic recording

Tony Arrott, ConsultantMRAM—truth and fiction

Hans Coufal, Almaden Research Center, IBMThe millipede—nanotechnology entering data storage

Thursday, September 19

Session 3: Highlights from the INTERMAG Europe2002 Conference

Thursday, Sept. 19, 9:00 am-noon

A blue ribbon group of speakers from IEEE’s INTERMAGAmsterdam Review (held in May 2002) has been invited todiscuss innovative storage technologies, including recent updates.(This session continues to be of maximum interest for DISKCONattendees.) If you did not attend INTERMAG and want to hearthe latest updates from the industry’s foremost experts onmagnetic technology, this is the session to attend.

Session Chair: Chris Bajorek, Executive Vice President ofAdvanced Technology, Komag, Inc.

Akira Kakehi, Fujitsu Ltd.Over 100 Gbit/in2 longitudinal magnetic recording

Xiaoding Ma, Seagate TechnologyThe effect of slider on lubricant loss and redistribution

Masayuki Takagishi, Toshiba CorporationThe applicability of CPP-GMR for over 100 Gbpsi

continued on page 8


Yoshiaki Sonobe, IBM Almaden Research CenterThermally stable CGC perpendicular recording media with Pt-richCoPtCr layer and simulations of magnetic recording in CGCperpendicular media with random pinning sites

Hans-Josef Hug, University of Basel, Institute of PhysicsHigh resolution quantitative magnetic force microscopy

Bruce D. Terris, IBM Almaden Research CenterRecording properties of patterned Co70Pt18Cr12 perpendicularmedia; nanofabricated magnetic islands for high density storage;and magnetisation reversal and thermal activation in CoCrPtpatterned media

Hiroyuki Awano, Hitachi MaxellCapability of hybrid recording toward terabit/in2 and tera BPSwrite speed

Session 4a: Heads, Media, Electronics, theEvolutionary Backbone

Thursday, Sept. 19, 1:30-3:00 pm

Today’s magnetic disk drive components require design andprocess precision involving materials with magnetic, electrical,and physical properties that are far beyond those of a few yearsago. This trend in new materials and structures offers a significantchallenge to the storage product engineer, which will be exploredin the session, describing how these advanced components aredesigned and tested.

Session Chair: Barry Rossum, President, Consulting ResourcesInternational

Mehdi Ashegi, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon UniversityThermal property measurements of thin aluminum oxide layers forGMR head applications

Francis Liu, Director, Advanced Recording, Read-RiteCorporationAdvanced GMR sensors

Nersi Nazari, Vice President Signal Processing Technology,Marvell SemiconductorsElectronics for consumer disk drive applications

Mark Miller, Senior Engineer, Hutchinson TechnologyShock analysis for improved suspension and disk driveperformance

Session 4b: The Storage Explosion in ConsumerApplications


HDDs are at the cusp of a massive demand wave from theconsumer electronics markets. No other technology provides thecost/performance advantages that magnetic storage does, but isthe industry up to the task? Not only are customer demandsradically different, but competing technologies like flash andoptical are vying for the same applications. Which technologywill win? This session will focus on these newly defined marketsand how they may be specifically addressed by disk products.

Session chairman: Jim Porter, President DISK/TREND, Inc.

John Monroe, Vice President, Storage Group, Gartner DataquestAn insatiable desire for infortainment

Gerard "Tex" Schenkkan, Sr. Vice President, ConsumerElectronics and Business, Maxtor CorporationThe consumer storage market is real—and it’s growing

Amy Dalphy, Director, Toshiba Storage Device DivisionPowering a new breed of consumer electronics products

Tom Coughlin, Coughlin AssociatesWhat’s it take to make a disk drive consumer friendly?

Dick Zech, President, Advent GroupWhat happens next?

Session 5a: Design and Mechanics of Disk Drives


The magnetic hard disk drive has undergone exponential evolu-tionary changes to meet expanding requirements of the dataprocessing industry, and enhancements are made daily. Thesedesign changes, enabled by technology innovations, promise toextend data storage to new plateaus of capacity andperformance. This session will give attendees an opportunity tosee how today’s technologies in the design and mechanics of thedisk drive will evolve into the storage designs of the future.

Session Chair: TBD

Sri-Sri Jayantha, IBMAdvanced Servo Technology

XyratexAdvance Production Test Systems for Storage Industry

Roger Ku, Western DigitalTMR challenge of low cost, high capacity disk drives

Seagate presentation

Maxtor presentation

TECHNICAL CONFERENCEcontinued from page 7


Session 5b: Network Storage Applications


The success of today’s network architectures depends signifi-cantly on the availability of low cost, high performance storagewith such newly defined features as built-in intelligence,enhanced backup, and efficient interfaces, all preciselymanaged through an appropriate system design. This sessionwill explore the rapid evolution of these features, bothhardware and software, allowing attendees to gain an under-standing of new developments in product and system design tomeet these expanding applications.

Session Chair: Marc A. Farley, President, Building Storage

Gordon Hughes, Associate Director, CMRR UCSDIntelligent disk drives

Alan Armstrong, Vice President, Marketing, MarvellSemiconductorsSerial ATA and iSCSI in disk drives

Mike Meisner, Storage Architect, IntelObject based storage

Kevin Daly, Sr. Vice President and Chief Technology Officer,Quantum CorporationEnhanced backup solutions initiative

Chris Wood, Director, Strategic Marketing of NetworkStorage, SunStorage network management

200 Business Park Drive�Armonk, NY 10504

Register NOW for the CEO Kickoff at DISKCON!San Jose Convention CenterWednesday, September 189:00 am to 10:00 am

IDEMA’s new strategy and evolution path have the full support of all the leading HDD companies. The industry’s topmanagement, comprising IDEMA’s Executive Advisory Council, are helping steer our trade group into a new era.Market leaders—the HDD industry’s All Star Team—speaking at the CEO Kickoff are:

Bill Watkins, President/COO, Seagate TechnologyMike Cannon, President/CEO, MaxtorMatt Massengill, Chairman/CEO, Western DigitalDoug Grose, Executive Vice President, IBMIchiro Komura, President, Storage Products Group, FujitsuWayne Fortun, President/CEO, Hutchinson TechnologyEd Braun, Chairman/President, Veeco InstrumentsJohn Dean, Managing Director, Salomon Smith Barney

The Executive Advisory Council will kick off DISKCON USA 2002 with a fast-paced, compelling panel discussion onour industry and IDEMA’s future role. It is safe to say that this session will be a DISKCON highlight. And it’s FREE toregistered DISKCON attendees and exhibitors! Seating for this event is limited, so register early.


Ultra-Low Inertia Nanopositioning Stages AchieveSub-Nanometer Precision FasterPolytec PI introduces the new line of P-75x piezo-drivenNanoPositioning stages and digital controllers featuring the latestadvances in micro-mechanical design and control technology.These miniature, ultra-low inertia nanopositioning stages weredesigned for spin stand test applications and allow the fastestpossible positioning and settling with sub-nanometer resolutionand stability. The nanomechanisms are equipped with zero-friction parallel kinenatics flexures and two plate capacitivesensors. The digital controllers feature Active Trajectory ControlTM

InputShapingTM for vibration nullification, FreshapingTM for betterdyanmics linearity, and Adaptive Following ErrorCompensationTM for increased dyanmics bandwidth. For addi-tional information write to: Polytec PI, Inc., 16 Albert St. Auburn,MA 01501.

PPT861-HDTM High-Speed Suspension InspectionSystemThe PPT861-HD is a high-speed, automated, 3D inspectionsystem designed for precise measurement of a broad range ofcritical parameters including delta height and offset, SAG, RSA,PSA, LB twist and resonance prediction of suspensions, HGAs,and HSAs. This turnkey system takes advantage of the patentedScanning Moiré InterferometryTM (SMITM) 3D technology for 100percent production scanning (inline or offline), QA, and FA. Theexclusive 3D inspection technology is integrated with advancedmaterial handling systems for a complete inspection solution. Formore information see www.pptvision.com.

Novx Introduces the Series 6000Novx has introduced the Series 6000—the next generation work-station monitor. The Series 6000 is fully microprocessor-basedand introduces Novx EMI detection capability, ionization decaytesting, and our next generation (patent pending) wrist-strap/operator monitoring technology with many other additionalprocess monitoring advantages. The Series 6000 also includesdigital output which eliminates the need for a Novx DART tointerface to Novx PEMS™ (Process Environment MonitoringSystem). This instrument has fully programmable alarm set-pointswhich eliminates manual adjustments and can be "field"adjusted. System configuration is truly modular for plug-and-playassembly, certification, and shipment.

Veeco Introduces Dektak 6M Stylus Profiler forImproved Surface Characterization-Low-CostSolution for Today's Measurement ChallengesVeeco Metrology Group has introduced the new Dektak® 6Mbench-top stylus profiler. As the newest product in the industry-standard Dektak line of surface profilers, the stylus profilerincorporates Dektak’s trademark reliability with a low inertiasensor head to provide step height, surface roughness, andwaviness measurements for samples up to 150 millimeters for awide range of semiconductor, data storage, and industrial appli-cations. "The key component to the new Dektak is the Low-InertiaSensor 3 head," explains Rick Olds, Product Line Manager. "Thissensor incorporates technological innovations that allow areduction in noise and inertia as well as improved isolation andeasier stylus replacement. These advances are due to the use oflighter composite materials such as carbon and titanium whichreduce the scanning inertia. Electronic noise is also reducedthrough the use of ultra-high permeability material and the sensordesign features increased magnetic shielding to isolate the elec-tromagnetic field. Perhaps the most exciting aspect is that theimprovements do not significantly increase the base price of thesystem. In addition to its unique combination of accuracy, ease ofuse, and simplicity of design, the Dektak 6M is surprisingly eco-nomical." Additional information on Veeco can be found atwww.veeco.com.

DSW210 NanoTrack™ Servowriter—10 Fully-Patterned Disks in 45 MinutesThe NanoTrack DSW210 is KLA-Tencor's first outside-the-drivedisk servowriter solution. The DSW210 can process 10 disks at atime and write in excess of 140 KTPI. Fast Nanotrack throughputlowers advanced KTPI servowriting costs and greatly simplifies thefinal assembly process. NanoTrack helps you deliver areal densitybreakthroughs with 0.25nm (0.01µ")optical encoding and < 3.7nm (< 0.15µ") track-holdingaccuracy, due in part to our proprietaryspindles with industry-leading NRRO < 0.8nm (< 0.03µ"). Automation-friendly NanoTrack is also extendablefor future technologies. Please contactMatt Bellis at 510.624.6749 forcomplete details ([email protected]).

DISKCON USA—new productsThe following product announcements have been submitted by exhibiting companies and provide an example ofsome of the new technologies you will see on the exhibit floor. Experience the future in real time and check out thehottest new products on display.


Intevac Announces New System for Applying NextGeneration Anti-wetting Agents on Thin Film HeadsIntevac's Model HC1GB Head Coater is designed to distribute amicroscopic layer of anti-wetting agent across the surface of thehead. The machine utilizes technology developed on the Intevacmagnetic disk media lubrication system which is known for itstight thickness uniformity control while minimizing solventemissions.

Data Storage Drive Runs CoolerHeat build-up is a growing problem for data storage drives.Traditional non-conductive plastic housings thermally insulatedevices from surrounding air and increase component tempera-tures, which can cause components to fail. This injection moldedpart reduces thermal resistance of the enclosure, lowers part tem-perature, and incorporates all required features and attachmentpoints. For additional information visit www.coolpolymers.com.

HEIDENHAIN and ETEL Launch a New Motion ControlSystem for Servo Track WritersAt this year’s DISKCON USA show, HEIDENHAIN Corporationand ETEL, Inc., will jointly introduce a new complete motioncontrol system for the servo track writing industry. With theROP8282 encoder system from HEIDENHAIN and the voice coilmotor and motion control board from ETEL, servo track writersnow have the capability of writing well over 100,000 tracks perinch. The new system boasts advanced bearing designs, userfriendly software interface (ETEL-Tools^TM) and connections thatcan directly plug into your servo writer. The encoder assembly hasa 1 V peak to peak output, measures plus/minus 25 degrees ofarc, and has extremely low jitter at values less than plus/minus0.5 nanometers. For more information on the complete system,contact Art Holznecht, Sales and Marketing Manager, [email protected]

Arrival of a new Breed in MR/GMR SlicingTechnology Advanced Imaging, Inc., announces a series of high precisionequipment for row slice, throat height grinding, and part off oper-ations. The slicing system employs unparalleled design in rigidityand stability with intuitive controls for today’s industry require-ments. The dicing machine incorporates Aii’s DSP control/visionsystem, Windows based and touch screen panel. The choice ofspindles is optimized for your process with high speed/torqueand full-body mount on a robust platform. The table has <0.2arc second resolution with over 100 ft*lbs of holding torque.Rapid vision alignment and fast, precise positioning provide ahigh degree of accuracy. Dices up to 12" (300mm) diameter partsize in a small machine footprint. For additional information visitwww.aiiwebsite.com or contact: JoJo Daof, Applications Managerat Aii, 741 Flynn Rd., Camarillo, CA 93012, Tel: 805.388.6001

Magnetic Measurement SystemShb Instruments has expanded the application of Hysteresis LoopTracers into new areaswith the introduction ofthe high-field Model 110Magnetic MeasurementSystem. Capable of fieldstrengths of over 15,000Oe, and able to accom-modate wafers up to 8inches in diameter, thisrevolutionary instrumentis the latest addition toShb’s product line. It joins the industry-standard Model 109,which is aimed at applications requiring less field strength.These instruments are designed to make BH loop, magnetoresis-tance and magnetostriction measurements on a wide variety ofboth hard and soft thin film materials. They feature real-timeloop display and measurements, as well as full computer controland programmability. Their unprecedented sensitivity allowsaccurate measurements on films as thin as 3 Å. Applicationsinclude MR and GMR recording heads, disk media, sensors, andgeneral magnetics R&D. To learn more visit www.shbinstru-ments.com.

Hyprez 3-Axis Plate Profiling Air Bearing System Engis is pleased to announce the availability of our next-generation Lap Plate Profiling Technology System, Model#18LMF-3AR-A/B. This multi-functional tool is designed toprovide consistent plate flatness quality and surface texture tovalues of less than one micron in a production environment. The3-Axis, computer controlled–AR system, takes mechanical andenvironmental vagaries into memory for compensated profiling.The free-joint Air-Bearing System maximizes plate flatness, whileminimizing transferred harmonic/transferred vibration, alsoeliminating most axial/radial run-out for optimized micro-grooving peak-to-valley profile repeatability across the platesurface. This equipment features a durable one-piece construc-tion design and is arranged for wet or dry profiling. In additionto the operation system, productivity features include ease ofplaten handling, open access to critical equipment components(operational & maintenance) with strict levels of attention paid toenvironmental control, cleanliness and safety. Options offeredinclude Ethernet interface (local and remote) to the controller,data collection systems (including bar-code scanning interface),aspherical profiling, and constant velocity/speed software.Available in models to process 12-, 15-, 16-, 18- and 20-inchdiameter plates. Contact: Dave Roth, Hyprez Product [email protected]

continued on page 12


OGP Announces COBRA LASER PROFILE SCANNERwith New Video OptionOptical Gaging Products, Inc. (OGP®) introduces Cobra laserprofile scanner for non-contact, high resolution surface profiles ofmanufactured parts—powered by new ScanX Profiling Software.Cobra is capable of linear scans up to 50 mm (2 inches), with Z-axis resolution to 0.125 mm, over measurement ranges to 8 mm.The new video option aids alignment and provides a real-timeimage of the laser spot as it scans across the surface. Thecompact LCD display provides a crisp image without taking upvaluable space. The portable Cobra combines laser technology, acomputer-controlled moving sensor, and data analysis software toproduce high-resolution surface profiles. NEW ScanX softwareprovides a simple user interface for controlling the measurementand displaying the results. Under computer control, the lasermoves in a precise linear scan while the sensor acquires reflectedred laser light at intervals selected by the user. ScanX processesthis data to determine changes in surface height and to generatea surface profile. Interaction with the generated profile allowsdetailed measurement of feature sizes, heights, widths, andspacings. The measurement is totally non-contact—only lowpower red laser light strikes the surface. Fragile, pliable, andsensitive samples can be scanned with confidence.The Cobra 2D scanner will be featured at DISKCON 2002 inOptical Gaging Products’ booth # 335. For more informationcontact Optical Gaging Products, Inc., at 800.647.4243,www.ogpnet.com, or e-mail at [email protected].

ARclean High-Performance Electronically CleanPressure-Sensitive Adhesive Systems and TapeTechnology for Hard Disk Drive Assembly

AdhesivesResearch, whopioneered theuse of enhancedpressure-sensitiveadhesive tech-nology to controlchemical contam-ination in harddisk drive assem-blies, offers

ultra-low outgassing, electronically clean pressure-sensitiveadhesives which are acrylic acid free for tape seals, labels, filterbonding, and flexible circuit bonding. The company has recentlyintroduced three new related products into its line of electroni-cally clean technology. Contact: Bill Stratton [email protected] or visit www.adhesivesresearch.com

MTI Introduces New Microtrak II High-Speed CCD Laser Displacement SensorMTI Instruments Inc. hasexpanded its Microtrak family oflaser-based noncontact measure-ment systems. The new MicrotrakII offers state of the art CMOSCCD technology in a compact,DIN mountable package forprecise measurements of dis-placement, position, vibration, and thickness. Typical applicationsfor the Microtrak II include disk thickness, flatness, and warpage;alignment, displacement/position, step height, positioning,profiling, and structural dynamics. Based on MTI’s proven lasertriangulation technology, the system provides a perfect solutionfor many measurements previously unattainable. It is unaffectedby surface texture, color, or stray light. The Microtrak II particu-larly excels in measurements in which the sensor needs to haveas much operating standoff and range as possible. The DC-20kHz response is ideal for difficult high-speed measurements,especially in production applications. For more informationcontact MTI at 800.342.2203, or visit our website atwww.mtiinstruments.com

Hutchinson Technology Inc. To Introduce NewSuspension Assembly Concepts for Improved HDDPerformanceAt DISKCON 2002, HTI will demonstrate a broad range of sus-pension load beam, flexure, mount plate, and feature concepts tosolve many of the significant technological and business issuesfacing the disk drive industry today. Among the many newconcepts will be new suspension load beams that increase firstbending resonance frequency and improve shock performance.These load beams can be matched with next generation flexuredesigns for tighter fly height distributions, and tailored with sus-pension-based ESD control features for reduced HGA/HSA anddrive level ESD failures. HTI will also demonstrate its latestconcepts to combat other industry challenges, including conceptsfor reduced wind excitation, 2.5 inch form factor desktop drivemigration, extended single stage actuator performance, andcontinued areal density growth. For more information, contactHutchinson Technology at 320.587.1900, visit them on-line atwww.htch.com, or stop by their booth #1027 at DISKCON USA.

DISKCON USA—new productscontinued from page 11


Put your company name in front of key decision makers in the data storageindustry by purchasing a promotion or corporate sponsorship at DISKCONUSA. Our wide range of sponsorships include prize donations, proceedings,coffee breaks, banners, water bottles, Keynote Dinner, ice cream breaks andmany more. IDEMA can customize any opportunity to work within yourmarketing budget. Companies that purchase a promotion or sponsorship areacknowledged in INSIGHT magazine and on the IDEMA Website.For a full list of opportunities and to learn more about these affordable, high-impact services, contact the IDEMA show group at 408.492.1436.

Promotional &SponsorshipOpportunities

A2C2AblestikAccurion, LLCAcropolis Engineering, Inc.Adhesives ResearchAdvanced EnergyIndustries, Inc.Aii (Advanced Imaging,Inc.)Amerimade TechnologyAnza Technology, Inc.Blackstone-NEY UltrasonicsBrandon InternationalCall Associates Inc.Candela InstrumentsChemetall-OakiteCME, Inc.Cool PolymersCoorsTekCrest UltrasonicsCorporationDaido Steel Co., Ltd.DeWeyl Tool CompanyDiamonex, a unit ofMorgan CeramicsDonaldson CompanyDover InstrumentCorporationDuPont CompanyEngis CorporationEntegris, Inc.F&K Delvotec, Inc.Glide/Write Inc.Guzik Technical EnterprisesHDI InstrumentationHeidenhain CorporationHERZANHitachi High-TechnologiesAmerica Ltd.Hutchinson Technology Inc.Hysitron Inc.IDEMA

InnovaTech Labs, Inc.Innovative OrganicsInnovex, Inc.Integral Solutions Int'lIntevac, Inc.Intri-Plex Technologies, Inc.IonITW TexwipeKLA-Tencor CorporationKnowledgeTek, Inc.Lake Shore Cryotronics,Inc.LESCOLNP Engineering Plastics,Inc.Magnebit HoldingCorporationMagnecomp GroupMagnetic Solutions Ltd.Meivac Inc.Micro E Systems Inc.Micro-Metric, Inc.Middlesex GeneralIndustries, Inc.

Mipox InternationalCorporationMotion Control Systems,Inc.MTI Instruments Inc.Nikko Materials, USA Inc.Nordiko USA, Inc.Novx CorporationNTK Technologies Inc.Oliver Design, Inc.Optical Gaging Products,Inc.Philips AnalyticalPhotonics Spectra/LaurinPublishingPolytec PI, Inc.PPT VisionPrent CorporationPrudential CleanroomServices (PCS)Pure TechRenishaw Inc.RJ Lee MicroSystems LLCRoush Anatrol

DISKCON USA—ExhibitorsWednesday, Sept. 18, 10 am to 6 pmThursday, Sept. 19, 10 am to 5 pmOur two-day exhibition will provide the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the technology leaders ofthe data storage industry. Below is a list of the exhibitors, as of June 24. Visit www.idema.org to reviewthe latest listing.

Schmitt Measurement Systems,Inc.Seagull Solutions, Inc.Shb Instruments, Inc.STMicroelectronicsTechnology ShowcaseThermo NORAN,KevexSpectraceTTiUnaxis USA, Inc.Ushio America, Inc.Valtech CorporationVeeco Instruments Inc.View Engineering, Inc.W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.Warren SuperabrasivesWestlake Plastics CompanyXyratex


DISKCON USAKeynote DinnerMatthew MassengillChairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerWestern Digital Corporation

September 18, 2002The Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CAno-host cocktails: 6 pmdinner: 7 pm

Matthew Massengill was named president and chief executive officerof Western Digital in January, 2000. He had served since October1999 as chief operating officer with responsibility for worldwideoperations and geographies,research and development, andmarketing. Before being named COO, Massengill served asexecutive vice president and general manager of all worldwide harddrive operations including research, development, manufacturing,and marketing. Massengill began his career at Western Digitalin1985 as a product engineer. He held various engineering andmarketing positions and was named vice president of marketing forthe Personal Storage Division in 1994. During his tenure in thePersonal Storage Division, Western Digital grew to become thelargest global supplier of drives in the desktop personal computermarket. In 1997 he was named senior vice president and general

manager of the enter-prise storage group,and in June 1999, wasappointed executivevice president,worldwide operationsand geographies.

Before joining WesternDigital, Massengillserved Ford Aerospaceand CommunicationsCorporation as aresearch engineerdeveloping materialsand devices for

infrared detectors and imaging systems. He received a degree inelectrical engineering from Purdue University in 1983, and in 1998was honored by Purdue with its Outstanding Engineering Alumniaward. Massengill is a member of the the CEO Roundtable at theUniversity of California, Irvine, and the board of directors of ShareOur Selves (SOS), a local nonprofit organization.

DISKCON USATradeshowWednesday–Thursday, September 18–19

The dynamic and interactive environment of the exhibitfloor encourages an open and collaborative exchange ofinformation with fellow data storage professionals.Interactive displays and demonstrations of the latestcutting-edge products will be showcased by industryleaders.

Technology ShowcaseView the history of the disk drive industry at IDEMA’sTechnology Showcase. It features the world‘s largest collectionof milestone disk drives and industry memorabilia, combinedwith unique educational exhibits created to explain theevolution of the storage industry.

Attendee Discounts

DISKCON USA Airline DiscountsSouthwest Airlines is offering a 10 percent discount on mostof its already low fares for air travel to and from DISKCONUSA. You or your travel agent may call Southwest AirlinesGroup and Meetings Reservations at 1.800.433.5368 andreference the assigned ID Code R9775. Reservation salesagents are available 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday,and 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday. You mustmake your reservations five or more days prior to travel.

DISKCON USA Hotel Rates and DiscountsIDEMA has negotiated special convention rates at nine hotelslocated in the San Jose area. Book your reservations throughour service agency, Convention Housing Management(CHM), by calling 1.800.227.5288 or sending an e-mail to:[email protected].

Early booking is strongly advised. Reservation requests aresubject to availability and restrictions may apply.


Looking for a Great Way toEntertain Customers and toNetwork?

Then don’t miss the 7th Annual Mark Geenen Technology for Youth Charity Golf TournamentMonday, September 16, Coyote Creek Golf Club, San Jose, CA. IDEMA is teaming up onceagain with pro football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott’s All Stars Helping Kids to support localyouth-oriented organizations. This tournament has raised well over $150,000 in the last fewyears and is a key event for both customers and colleagues.

What a great way to kick off DISKCON week! Take your customers and staff to play one ofthe Bay Area’s premier golf courses, Coyote Creek, a regular stop on the Senior PGA Tour.The track is both challenging for serious golfers and a great course for "once a year"players. It straddles Highway 101, convenient to the greater San Jose area, and featuressome picturesque holes that will stay with you long after the round is over.

Shotgun start: 11 amFormat: Scramble, but with some interesting twists!Cost: $950 per foursome if payment received by August 16, $1000 thereafter.

After the tournament, relax at Coyote Creek’s fine dining room and enjoy a delicious buffetand drinks. Then, the evening will heat up with both a silent and live auction! Kick offDISKCON week with a fun day in the sun at Coyote Creek—while helping local youth orga-nizations.

CALENDAR OFEVENTS

Sept. 16Charity GolfTournamentContribute to a worthy causeand at the same time,network with industry profes-sionals while enjoying a dayof golf at the Coyote CreekGolf Club, San Jose.

Sept. 17–19Education ClassesThe technical educationclasses offered byKnowledgeTek are a greatway to keep pace with thetechnologies used in the datastorage industry.

Sept. 18Keynote DinnerThis popular event (held inSan Jose at the FairmontHotel) sells out quickly.Reserve your space todayonline at www.idema.org.

Sept. 18–19Technical ConferenceThe prestigious two-dayTechnical Conference offerssessions that provide anassessment of storagetechnologies, applicationrequirements, and businessoutlooks for the industry.

Sept. 18–19TradeshowThe dynamic and interactiveenvironment of the exhibitfloor encourages open andcollaborative exchange ofinformation with fellow datastorage professionals.Interactive displays anddemonstrations of the latestcutting-edge products will beshowcased by industryleaders. View the history ofthe disk drive industry at theTechnology Showcase.

Christopher Bajorek, Ph.D., Honored with the IEEEReynold B. Johnson Information Storage Award

Dr. Christopher Bajorek is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE). He is the recipient of the prestigious 2002IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Award for leadership inthe development and manufacturing of magnetoresistive recordingheads for data storage devices, and the Third Millennium MedalAward for outstanding contributions by the IEEE Magnetics Society.From 1997 to 2000, he was a Director of the International Disk DriveEquipment & Materials Association (IDEMA). Dr. Bajorek has contributed to more than 20patents and 50 publications in the fields of semiconductors, electronic packaging, and datarecording.

This award, sponsored by IBM Corporation, is presented annually "for outstanding contribu-tions to the field of information storage, with emphasis in the area of computer storage." Theaward consists of a bronze medal, certificate and a cash prize.

Dr. Bajorek is executive vice president, Advanced Technology, at Komag. He is regarded asan expert in managing applied research, product and process development, customersupport, and manufacturing functions, with special emphasis on data storage devices,products, and software. In his career Dr. Bajorek has played a significant role in the develop-ment and high-volume manufacturing of thin film magnetoresistive (MR) recording heads inthe storage industry. In his current position, Dr. Bajorek is responsible for Komag’s advanceddisk designs and processes with focus on developing media more than two generations in thefuture.


Attendees Agree: DISKCON USA is the Leading Event in the HDD Industry

Now in its 16th year, DISKCON USA remains the premiere event in the data storage industry, andthe only show tailored to the interests of the hard disk drive community. In a recent survey of pastattendees, 95 percent state that DISKCON is the leading event in the hard disk drive industry, and92 percent find that it is the best event to see the latest products and services in storage manufac-turing. Only at DISKCON USA can you meet with key industry suppliers, attend a world-classtechnical conference, and hear the CEOs of the leading companies in the HDD industry share theirviews on the state of the industry.

What else did DISKCON attendees say? Staying current on the latest products and services canbe difficult: Almost all attendees (93 percent) find it challenging or somewhat challenging to stayup-to-date on the latest products and services relating to hard disk drives and their manufacture.DISKCON provides a means to meet that challenge. Attendees report that they come to DISKCONto learn about new technologies (91 percent), stay up-to-date in data storage manufacturing tech-niques (77 percent), improve their ability to do their job better (75 percent), learn about new datastorage standards (47 percent), and meet and network with business associates (58 percent).

Ninety-one percent of attendees use DISKCON to learn about new products, while 64 percent findDISKCON offers a convenient venue to evaluate competing technologies. Two-thirds of attendeesfound DISKCON very effective in providing a "one-stop-shop" to evaluate and compare multipleproduct categories and companies in one place. Over 61 percent of DISKCON attendees areinvolved in purchasing decisions, with 7 percent involved in purchasing decisions of $20 millionor greater.

What’s hot in the storage industry? Sixty-three percent of attendees identified consumer electronicsand storage networking as the two hottest areas. The Technical Conference at DISKCON featuressessions that address these hot topics: "The Storage Explosion in Consumer Applications" and"Network Storage Applications."

DISKCON attendees (86 percent) agree that the time they spend at DISKCON is time well spentand 94 percent plan to attend DISKCON USA 2002. So don’t be left out—mark your calendarsnow for September 16-19 for DISKCON at the San Jose Convention Center.

See you there!

Sally Bryant, Ed.D.Executive Director


All classes scheduled for 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Tuesday, September 17: Serial ATA OverviewPreregistered: $550 members, $600 nonmembers; at the door: $660 members, $720 nonmembersSerial ATA is poised to become the dominant disk drive interface and dramatically impact theindustry. This course provides a good, working knowledge of the Serial ATA interface: how itfunctions, performs, and how it will be integrated into computer systems. Participants will beprovided with enough technical detail to achieve a high level understanding, without having to getlost in a sea of details. Prior knowledge of parallel ATA is not required to benefit from this class.Course outline:

IntroductionParallel to Serial MigrationSerial ATA Technical OverviewBringing Serial ATA to Market

Wednesday, September 18: Data Storage: The Cutting Edge 2002Preregistered: $395 members, $425 nonmembers; at the door: $475 members, $510 nonmembersThis course focuses on the latest developments that are moving and shaping the data storageindustry. It presents the issues and technologies behind the buzzwords and headlines, and explainshow these will impact and change today's storage business. KnowledgeTek's staff of specializedexperts is continually updating the course to keep it current and relevant. This class provides a greatway to keep up with the ever-changing data storage industry. This course is a follow-up toKnowledgeTek's popular Disk Drive Technology class and assumes no additional knowledge orunderstanding. Course outline:

State of the Disk Drive IndustryGMR Running Out Of GasTunneling MR (TMR) HeadsMaxed-Out MediaScaling Servo to Sky-High TPI Virtual TapeInnovators’ Dilemma

Thursday, September 19: Perpendicular Recording Technology OveriewPreregistered: $495 members, $545 nonmenbers; at the door: $595 members, $655 nonmembersPerpendicular Recording has been promoted as the technology to carry us through the superparam-agnetism limit. With low demag fields that improve with increasing density, and the capability toincrease coercivity and still be able to write, this technology promises to be the panacea. But whyhave we not yet seen products; and when will we? Why do companies continue to bet on this tech-nology? How are we going to overcome the obstacles in producing this technology? This class isideal for those that want an overview of the advantages and the challenges of PerpendicularRecording Technology. Course outline:

The Basics: Perpendicular vs. LongitutudinalMedia MagnetizationSummary of Challenges Changing from Longitudinal to Perpendicular RecordingThe Motivation: Why Perpendicular over Longitudinal Superparamagnetic EffectPostponing the Inevitable: The Barrier RatioPractical Limits to Improving the Barrier Ratio With Longitudinal RecordingThe Perpendicular AdvantageSolving the Problems with Perpendicular Recording SkewProbe Head Design

Dr. Tim PerkinsDr. Tim Perkins has over 20years of experience in the diskdrive industry. His consultingpractice focused on signalanalysis techniques to evaluatedisk drive components. Hisclients included leading manu-facturers of heads, disks, readchannel ICs, disk drives and testequipment. Currently he worksfull time for KnowledgeTekdeveloping new courses,training trainers, and conduct-ing classes.

Dr. Perkins is no stranger to theclassroom. He has earnedadvanced degrees (BS, MS,MA, PHD) in Physics, ElectricalEngineering, Computer Science,and Psychology. He has alsotaught at public colleges inCalifornia. Dr. Perkins can bereached [email protected]

Dennis MooreDennis Moore, founder andprincipal of IOI Consulting, isan independent consultant spe-cializing in I/O interfaces. Withmore than 30 years of experi-ence ranging from desktop tomainframe applications, hebrings extensive expertise tobear at all levels of I/O inter-faces. Mr. Moore has held bothtechnical and managerialpositions in engineering andcustomer service, and so bringsa broad perspective to hisclasses as well.

He is a member of both theANSI T10 and T11 standardscommittees (responsible for theSCSI and Fibre Channelstandards). Mr. Moore’s studentscomment frequently on thedepth and breadth of hisknowledge, his patience inanswering questions, and hissubtle and dry humor. Mr.Moore can be reached [email protected]

DISKCON USAEducation ClassesToday’s fast-paced storage industry requires employees to have current knowledge ofindustry products and their technologies. Continuous learning has become the norm foranyone who wants to stay ahead of the competition. The technical education classes offeredat DISKCON USA are a great way to learn about an aspect of data storage that may beunfamiliar to you. Classes are presented by KnowledgeTek, a leader in technical training.


The Future of Optical Discs: Choosing a WinnerFerry Zijp, Philips Research Laboratories Eindhoven, The Netherlands

In February of this year, nine leading companiesannounced that they jointly established the basic specifi-cation for a new optical disc video recording format,called "Blu-ray Disc." The new format can hold almost6 times more data than a DVD disc and is widelyregarded as its successor.

With the format for the Blu-ray Disc established, thequestion is of course what comes next? A glimpse intothe future shows a Blu-ray Disc successor that differssignificantly from CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disctechnology.

Principles of Optical Disc Read OutRead out of data stored on an optical disc is based on theprinciples of diffraction of light. In an optical drive, lightfrom a laser is focused by an objective lens onto the datalayer of an optical disc. The data layer modulates thelight either in amplitude, phase or polarization, whichcauses diffraction of the light into several orders (Figure1). When the data patterns on the data layer decrease insize, diffraction directs the orders at an increasinglylarger angle from the optical axis. The condition inwhich the objective lens no longer captures any of thelight from the plus and minus first orders is called thediffraction or resolution limit, and marks the data densityat which the read out signal becomes zero. The diffrac-tion limit and optical spot size both scale with λ/NA,where λ is the wavelength of the laser light and NA thenumerical aperture of the objective lens. The numericalaperture of a lens is a measure for its optical strength andis defined as NA= n sin(θ), with n the refractive index ofthe optical medium (usually a protective plastic layer)and θ the angle at which the marginal rays are focusedon the data layer.

Three Generations of Optical Data Storage SystemsIn going from CD to DVD and recently to Blu-ray Disc,the increase in storage density was enabled by severalchanges (see Table 1). The main improvement betweenthe three generations however, was making the spot sizesmaller by decreasing the wavelength from infra-red, tored and blue-violet (respectively 780 nm, 650 nm and405 nm) and by using lenses with a larger numericalaperture (from 0.45 to 0.6 and 0.85).

For each system there are three types of media: Read-only (such as audio CD or CD-ROM) in which data isencoded as a series of pits, Write-once in which the datais burned in a dye (CD-R) and Rewritable (CD-RW) inwhich the data is recorded as crystalline and amorphousmarks in a phase change material. This class of materialscan be switched back and forth between the two phasesby heating with short laser pulses.

Besides the three aforementioned formats, there are alsoportable optical disc systems with magneto-optical (MO)media, such as MiniDisk and iD Photo. Data is stored onthese rewritable media in the form of magnetic domainsthat are recorded by heating the magnetic layer with afocused laser beam, while a current running through acoil generates an external magnetic field that ismodulated according to the data. During read out of MOmedia the magnetic domains give rise to a read out signalby detecting a small rotation of the polarization of thereflected laser light using polarizing optics. This rotationis induced by the polar Kerr effect in the magneticmedium. Both systems use optical heads with parametersthat are similar to that of CD and DVD.

Options for a Fourth Generation Optical DataStorage SystemLooking at the parameters in Table 1, it becomes clearthat the Blu-ray Disc must mark the end of the evolution-ary path of developments. The first reason for this is theshort wavelength of only 405 nm from a blue-violetGaN laser. This type of laser provides the shortest wave-length available from a semiconductor laser diode. Thesecond reason is the lens with a numerical aperture ofNA=0.85 which is close to the maximum value NA=1 forconventional objective lenses.

Table 1. Parameters of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc

CD DVD Blu-ray DiscWavelength [nm] 780 650 405Numerical aperture 0.45-0.5 0.6-0.65 0.85Track pitch [µm] 1.6 0.740 0.320Shortest pit [µm] 0.831 0.399 0.138Density [Gbit/inch2] 0.4 2.8 15.9Capacity [GB] 0.65 4.7 27


To overcome these limits, a number of alternative tech-nologies are being developed that aim at beating theBlu-ray Disc data density and data rate in a removabledisc system. Examples of such technologies are near fieldrecording, magnetic domain expansion in MO media,multi level recording, and recording in holographic orfluorescent media. So far results with near fieldrecording and magnetic domain expansion indicate thatthe winning technology to become a Blu-ray Discsuccessor may be one of the two.

Near field recording

It is known from microscopy that a numerical aperturelarger than 1 can be achieved by immersing both theobjective lens and the object in a high refractive indexoil. Similarly, the numerical aperture of an optical headcan be increased using a Solid Immersion Lens (SIL). Inits simplest form, a near field objective is a lens thatfocuses light at the center of curvature of a high refrac-tive index hemispherical SIL (Figure 2). The SIL canincrease the numerical aperture of the focusing lens to avalue as large as 1.5 or even 2 in the air at very close


proximity (the near field) to the flat side of the SIL. In anear field system, the SIL is usually mounted on a sliderwith a flying height of a few tens of nanometers, similarto the magnetic head in a hard disc drive.

At this moment it still remains to be established whetherremovability, the key success factor of optical discs, isrealistic with this technology. As a closed box systemwith a fixed disc, near field recording would have tocompete with the data density and the data rate of amodern hard disc drive, a comparison that the opticalnear field drive cannot win.

Magnetic domain expansion in Magneto-Optical media

The main difficulty in beating the Blu-ray Disc datadensity is in the read out, not in the process of recordingsmall marks. It is indeed possible, both on phase changeand MO media, to write marks that are too small toread back with the same optical head. With this in mind,researchers have tried to find unconventional ways toread out those very small marks. So far these attemptshave not been very successful with phase change media.On MO media, however, very successful methods havebeen developed that are based on expansion of magneticdomains in the optical spot during read out.

An example of magnetic domain expansion technologyis called MAMMOS (Magnetically AMplifyingMagneto-Optical System). With a pulsed laser and amodulating external field, magnetic domains can bewritten in the storage layer that are smaller than the

Figure 1. Diffraction by the data layer of anoptical disc

Figure 2. Configuration of the optical head for near fieldoptical recording with a SIL.

Figure 3. Expansion and collapse of a magnetic domainduring MAMMOS read out.


resolution limit of the optical head. Read out of thesesmall domains is a dynamic, thermo-magnetic process inwhich the domains are copied into an expansion layerwhere they expand to approximately the size of thefocused laser beam and then collapse again (Figure 3).Read out is again based on the polar Kerr effect. Thereare two distinct types of MAMMOS media: one in whicha modulating external magnetic field is required for theexpansion and collapse (RF-MAMMOS) and a morerecent development that does the trick without the needfor an external field (Zero-field MAMMOS).

The gain with MAMMOS media is impressive: experi-ments have shown that a data density of at least 5 timesthat of a single layer Blue-ray Disc is within reach with aconventional NA = 0.85 lens and a blue-violet laserdiode. In addition, experimental studies show that RF-MAMMOS media are fast enough to allow data rates upto 200 Mbps.

continued from page 19

Another aspect in favor of the MAMMOS system is itsrelatively simple magneto-optical head. The read andwrite head contains the objective lens and an integratedthin film coil that generates the modulating magneticfield. The head-disc distance of such a head can be on theorder of 10 micrometer, enabling the use of a conven-tional focusing and tracking actuator similar to the onesfound in a DVD player.

We will have to wait and see which system will emerge asthe successor of Blu-ray Disc, but the MAMMOS tech-nology definitely seems to be one of the most promising.

Ferry Zijp has been with Philips Research since 1995. He hasworked in the areas of design and evaluation of lightpaths forhigh density optical recording, modeling, experimentalevaluation of disk read out and interferometry for componentsand lightpath testing.


MIPOX

22 INSIGHT • Spring 2002


Secure Erase of Disk Drive DataGordon Hughes and Tom Coughlin

A cardinal rule of computer data storage devices is toprotect user data at all costs. This includes protectionagainst accidental erasure, using "recycle" folders andunerase commands. Drives use elaborate error detectionand correction techniques to never return incorrect userdata. All of this implies that true file erasure is anabnormal situation.

Consequently, user data often remains stored on diskdrives when they are discarded, transferred to anotheruser, or returned off lease. Even if users delete their files,they can be recovered from "recycling" folders or byspecial programs such as Norton Unerase. Other specialprograms are available to more definitely erase userdata, such as Norton WipeInfo, which offers a"Government Wipe." Because these are special programs,they are not widely known or used. Additionally, someuser data can be unreachable by erasure programs, suchas drive data blocks removed from use due to excessiveerrors. (These blocks are reassigned to other disklocations, and the defective record area is markedunusable in the drive’s "g-list," but the original data canremain in g-list sectors.) Norton WipeInfo only runs onolder Windows OS and wipes an individual folder.

A secure erase (SE) command is being added to computerdisk drives. SE is a positive, easy-use "data destroy"command amounting to electronic data shredding. It willbe easy to use, not require any special software, and com-pletely erase all possible user data areas. SE is a simpleaddition to the existing "format drive" commandcurrently present in computer operating systems andstorage systems. SE commands have been added to thestandard interface specifications for disk drives, ATA fordesktop or personal computers, and SCSI for enterprisedrives. These commands define a drive internal SEoperation that erases all possible user accessible recordareas by overwriting. Although SE can be implementedeasily by modifying the drive Format Unit firmware,while providing a feature of potential value to many drivecustomers, it is not yet widely implemented in disk drives.

SE capability will soon be required by the U.S. govern-ment for their disk drive purchases. Considering theadditional security and features this capability provides tomany users, we expect there will be considerable commer-cial interest in this capability as well.

However, some engineering is necessary to incorporateSE into drives. Magnetic recording SE development isrequired before drive firmware can be modified to carryout SE. These techniques have been studied at the Centerfor Magnetic Recording Research at the University ofCalifornia, San Diego.

This article discusses SE recording technology. It will beshown that a simple format drive command is effective, iflow frequency (LF) overwriting frequencies are used, theg-list is also overwritten, and all possible user recordareas are erased. Pseudo-random LF overwriting patternsare recommended for maximum security. Drive andspinstand experiments are shown and a protocol of SEvalidation tests.

To illustrate the effectiveness of SE, exotic data recoveryexperiments will also be shown. These use digital scopesignal averaging and computer correlation techniques torecover overwritten user data (erased beyond recovery bynormal drive read channels). The ATA drive spec definestwo SE levels, normal and enhanced. A two-pass SE willbe discussed for the latter, involving a combination oflow frequency and random data writing, and positioningthe heads ± 5-10 percent off-track. This defeats exoticrecovery techniques and also erases the track edge signals(which will be shown to be primarily transition noise inthe tests here, not signal).

BackgroundExperience gained from supporting customers withcomputer security and information storage media issueshave shown a tremendous need for the capability toreliably eradicate data from computer hard drives forsecurity and privacy reasons. The need arises when:

Mainframes and storage networks

• a user releases storage, a drive moves to a new storageserver, is removed for maintenance, or returned fromlease

• storage devices are re-configured for other uses orusers, for instance in expiring leased data storagefacilities at an SSP or data center

• a RAID drive backs up data to a hot spare



Individual user PCs and workstations

• computer (and hard drive) is replaced by a newermachine and the older machine is discarded or sold

• a project is completed and the data must be purged toprotect "need to know" or to prepare the drives fornew users or applications

• a user departs an organization and either leavessensitive/personal data on the computer or may takethe computer (and the organization’s data) with them

• a drive is to be returned to a drive manufacturer or adrive repair facility after a drive failure or near failure(for instance upon a SMART drive replacement afterimminent failure is determined)

• a virus has been detected and all possible traces of theoffending code must be eliminated

• an extreme virus or hacker attack where it is desirableto completely erase the data on some disks and reinstallback-up data

The elimination of unwanted data from a computer harddrive is not a simple task. Deleting a file merely removesits name from the directory structure; the data itselfremains in the drive’s data storage sectors where it can beretrieved until the sectors are overwritten. Reformatting ahard drive clears the file directory and severs the linksbetween storage sectors, but the data can be recovereduntil the sectors are overwritten. Software utilities thatoverwrite individual data files (or an entire hard drive)are susceptible to error and require constant modificationsto accommodate new hardware and evolving computeroperating systems. As a consequence, computer users,system administrators, security personnel, and serviceproviders have spent considerable time in an endless gameof technology catch-up while trying to develop solutionsfor the above problems.

Disk Drive Secure ErasureIn 1996 researchers at the University of California, Centerfor Magnetic Recording Research (CMRR), in San Diegoand the federal government began an investigation intoincorporating a secure overwrite feature into new harddisk drives. This secure overwrite feature when enabledwould allow hard disk drives to automatically overwriteall stored data via a simple external command. In discus-sions with U.S. hard drive manufacturers, they expressedtheir support for the secure overwrite or erasure feature.Fundamental issues needing to be addressed included:

• determining how to overwrite data for securitypurposes

• confirming secure erasure was implemented correctly

• confirming the effectiveness of secure erasure throughthe entire drive environmental specification

• making a simple and safe user interface for secure interface

• creating sufficient end-user demand to make secureerasure economically feasible

Modern hard drives store information in sectors thatcontain addressing fields, timing signals, the user’s dataand appropriate error correction coding, and otherfeatures essential for the drive’s proper operation. Inorder to accomplish secure erasure and continuedoperation of the disk drive, secure erasure mustoverwrite only the data portion of the sector without dis-turbing the addressing information or timing codes thatwould make the drive unusable.

Implementation of Secure EraseErasure can be at various fixed frequencies (includingDC) and either on or off-track. The erasure can beperformed once or several times. Spin-stand experimentswere performed at CMRR at UCSD to determine theeffectiveness of various erasure techniques.

For a constant frequency 20 MHz signal written on adata track, it was found that an erasure resulting in thesignal reduction of over -50 dB could be accomplishedwith a single on-track overwrite. This single on-trackoverwrite is more effective as the overwritten frequencyis reduced (Figure 1).

A further reduction of the original signal of a few dB ispossible for a second on-track overwrite. Lower over-writing frequencies are more effective in overwriting oldsignals because they write a wider track than the originalhigher frequency signal. Thus the lower frequency over-written track will more effectively erase the edges of theoriginal signal, even with a single overwrite. For a singlelow frequency overwrite, the SNR of the remaining 20MHz signal is <10 dBm; this is only marginally worsewith a second overwrite. Modern channels require thehead playback SNR to be greater than 19 dB. Erased

Figure 1. Test showing that LF gives best overwrite. Noiselevel is the overwrite limit at higher frequencies because

transition noise from overwriting signal dominates.


signal SNR of this level will be impossible to recoverusing a disk drive channel. Thus a single on-trackoverwrite will usually be sufficient to erase the priorinformation to a level that would be impossible torecover within a disk drive using its own channel.

It is possible that under extreme environmental differ-ences between when the data was written and when theoverwritten track is recorded, the two written tracks willbe significantly offset from each other. Under these condi-tions it is possible that some of the original track couldremain. If the overwritten track is at a much lowerfrequency (usually as low as possible), the amount oforiginal data remaining at the track edge will be signifi-cantly reduced.

Track edges can contain highly distorted original data aswell as transition noise and are therefore difficult torecover data from. Figure 2 shows a crosstrack scan ofthe residual signal when a swath of tracks is DC-erased(blue curve) and when a 20 MHz square wave is over-written by 10.5 MHz (red curve), chosen so theoverwriting signal doesn’t have harmonics at 20 MHz.The scan does not change if the 20 MHz signal is notwritten at all (black curve); so it must be entirely due tothe overwriting 10.5 MHz. This means that although theamplitude peaks 4-6 dB at the track edges, this cannot beunerased 20 MHz signal. A full spectral analysis (Figure3) shows that these track edge peaks are primarily ac-erased transition noise. (The noise floor at 20 MHz rises4 dB above the DC erase level, when 10.5 MHz isrecorded.) The poor write field gradients off the headsides AC erases a higher level of transition noise than thewell-written 10.5 MHz transitions in the main track.

One erasure pass appears to be sufficient to make olddata unrecoverable. A two-pass erasure can provide anadditional level of security. Writing LF helps erase thetrack edges, and then overwriting with random datadefeats exotic techniques (see later section of this article).The two passes can be slightly off-track in the positiveand negative direction in order to ensure elimination ofthe track edges.

Secure erasure can take some time and is likely to be anoff-line operation. For example, a Seagate Barracuda 180GB disk drive spinning at 7200 RPM with 24 heads and24,247 tracks per disk surface a complete single-passoverwrite of all user blocks takes about 40 minutes. Adouble-pass overwrite of all user blocks takes about 80minutes.

Secure Erasure Standards A SE feature has been added to the standard specifica-tions for disk drives, ATA for desktop or personalcomputers, and SCSI for enterprise drives. These require

that an SE operation erase all possible user accessiblerecord areas by overwriting. This feature will be as easyto use as a "format drive" command when SE supportappears in drives and in computer operating systems.

The SE feature piggybacks on the "format unit"command already in these specs, thus adding little or nocost to a drive, while providing a feature of potentialvalue to many drive customers.

There will be engineering details for disk drivecompanies to implement the secure erasure protocols,and computer operating system companies need to addthe already-defined SE command to their format drivesoftware. CMRR researchers are available to work withdrive companies and their customers on implementationof single-pass (regular) as well as double-pass (enhanced)secure erasure.

Exotic Data RecoveryDrive information can sometimes be recovered that hasbeen erased using a single erasure pass on-track. Itshould be first pointed out that single-frequency square-


Figure 3. NO! The track edge peaks are primarily AC-erasedtransition noise.

Figure 2. 20 MHz data overwritten by 10.5 MHz. Are the trackedge peaks old 20 MHz data?


wave overwrite tests are not meaningful indicators ofinformation recovery. A spectrum analyzer can see -60dB overwritten signals, but it can’t recover data. TheCMRR technique requires reading a data block manytimes, computer averaging the playback waveforms, thenerasing the block and re-recording the overwrite data toobtain its averaged playback waveform data, which issubtracted from the first waveform. The demonstrationshown below merely means that it is possible, not that itis practical or will work on any drive. It requiresknowing the data pattern being looked for, and alsoknowing the overwriting data pattern. So it "begs thequestion." It can be defeated by using a random dataoverwrite pattern.

Data recovery techniques showed that SE overwrittenuser data is beyond recovery by normal drive readchannels, but CMRR could recover overwritten userdata by digital scope signal waveform averaging,software correlation techniques. These recording experi-ments were done on a spinstand using a dual stripe MRhead 2.5 µm write width, 1.8 µm read width, 2500Oe/0.65 Mrt disk. These had 38 dB overwrite and aplayback noise floor -69 dB.

First a swath of tracks was DC erased, then arbitraryuser bits "HELPHELP" were written, the playbackwaveform was averaged 100 times to improve SNR, andsaved as waveform 1. Then a random bits overwrite, thesame signal averaging, and saved as waveform 2.Another DC erase followed by overwriting with thesame random bits and signal averaging is saved aswaveform 3.

Figure 4 shows the averaged initial playback waveform 1and the residual wave 3 minus wave 2. Not muchresidual signal left!

Figure 5 shows results from a correlation detector. Theresidual correlation has a correct peak at zero offset,which is about twice the second highest peak. Thisindicates that "helphelphelphelp" is correctly detected(but a 2 to 1 signal-to-noise ratio means high error rate).(When this was repeated with TWO random overwrites,correlation detection did not work.)

Beyond these data recovery techniques which use drivehardware, other exotic techniques can be proposed suchas putting recorded discs into scanning magnetic forcemicroscopes. It is easy to obtain pictures that appear toshow unerased track edge data. But no one has showncomplete recovery of a data sector, including the datasynchronization preamble, bit de-randomizer, partialresponse and modulation codes, and error correctioncode.

Figure 4. The original "helphelp" waveform and the residualwaveform 3 minus waveform 2.

Figure 5. Correlation detector worked! Matcheshighest peak.

Gordon Hughes is the Associate Director of the Center forMagnetic Recording Research at the University of California,San Diego. He is the principal investigator of the UCSD SMARTproject on disk drive failure prediction. He received his BS inPhysics and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Cal Tech. Heworked at Xerox PARC on magnetic recording research for diskdrives, then joined Seagate Technology as Senior Director ofRecording Technology. At Seagate he designed recording heads,disks, and systems, and was part of the development team thatestablished sputtered thin film disk media as today’s standard.He is a Fellow of the IEEE. Contact: 858-534-5317,[email protected], UCSD, La Jolla CA 90293-0401

Tom Coughlin is President of Coughlin Associates, a datastorage consulting firm. His current work encompassestechnology and market analysis and project consulting in datastorage from components to data storage systems. He heldengineering and engineering management positions at severaldisk drive and drive component companies in the past such asSeagate, Maxtor, Micropolis, Nashua Computer Products,Syquest, and Ampex. He has a BS in Physics and a Masters inElectrical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science fromthe University of Minnesota. He is a senior member of the IEEEand Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara University. For moreinformation see his web site www.tomcoughlin.com. Contact:408-978-8184, [email protected].


Critical Dimension Metrology for NextGeneration Thin-Film Recording Head ProcessesSrinath Venkataram, Diamond Division, KLA-Tencor Corporation, USA

TFH Critical Dimension RoadmapThe roadmap illustrates that the shrink rate for TFH poleor line width is more dramatic than that of the semicon-ductor gate width. This provides TFH processes achallenge of having to quickly adapt to semiconductortechnology know-how to achieve the production dates,and to remain competitive. It is predictable that thesetwo technologies would see a synergy in some manner inthe very near future.

Metrology and Head Performance MetricsTable 1 depicts critical TFH parameters and theirrelevance as performance metrics. With areal density asthe driver, writer and reader, pole widths hold specialattention for process control.

Figures 2 and 11 illustrate TFH wafer and slider processflow, highlighting key process points where the abovehead parameters are measured. The approximate cost ofa head in slider fabrication is twice its cost in wafer fab-rication. The cost spirals fourfold by the time the headreaches its final integration point into the drive—thus theimpetus to control early in the process to improve deviceyield and minimize cost of testing further down in theprocess flow.

Current metrology tools used in production for writerand reader pole widths are low electron voltage criticaldimension scanning electron microscopes (CDSEM).Examples of images for these layers are shown in Figures3 to 6.

Measurements depicted in Figures 3 and 4 are standardmeasurements today. Those depicted in Figures 5 and 6will become "the standard" for next-generation writerand reader control. The feasibility of this with one tool(or with a minimum number of tool sets) is important forcontrolling capital equipment investment costs. Inaddition, another important requirement is obtaining astatistically valid data set from every wafer required atthis rework step in the photolithography cell.

This schema would reduce the need for cross-sectioning amuch smaller sample set and making assumptions for theremaining wafer (a six-inch wafer comprised of approxi-mately 30,000 recording heads). For the writer, obtainingthe critical dimensions shown in Figure 5 would providedata for resist thickness, develop and exposure control

Figure 1. Generic TFH roadmap and ITRS roadmapITRS roadmap courtesy ITRS Metrology 2001 document

Requirements of increasing aerial density in the datastorage industry have led to the development ofadvanced Giant Magneto-resistive (GMR) andTunneling Magneto-resistive (TMR) head technology.Current thin film head (TFH) processes have resulted inrapidly decreasing writer and reader dimensions (polewidths) to sub-100 nm geometries, on par with theInternational Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors(ITRS) roadmap, and poised to surpass the line-widthshrink rate.

The attributes of pole width, thickness and alignment forthese layers directly impact critical recording headperformance metrics. For optimum process control, it isimportant to control these parameters at wafer level andhave them correlate to final magnetic parameters.

The question of who will be the bottleneck—the processor the metrology—is always on the mind of a processengineer. It is shown here that metrology tools are wellpositioned to address the process challenges for theoncoming technology nodes, but that there are otherfactors that will be required to be adapted to address thechallenges.

This article will focus on a generic TFH criticaldimension roadmap, and its implications for sub-100 nm pole width metrology are reviewed.

A subsequent article will provide defect inspectionrequirements for these technology nodes.


(feed backward informa-tion) and pole plate andetch control (feed forwardinformation). For thereader, obtaining thecritical dimensions shownin Figure 6 would providedata for resist thickness,develop, exposure and ionmilling control (feedbackward information).Several technical papersexist on this technique forsimilar applications.1

CDSEM based techniquesfor this application will belimited based on the angleof the structure and itsfeasibility for production.As an example, a CDSEMbased technique would beapplicable for Figure 5,but challenging for Figure6. An optical scatterome-try based technique wouldfit the mold readily for

Line Edge RoughnessLine Edge Roughness is anadditional process diag-nostic that will be requiredreal time from the writerand reader to quantifyfeature fidelity forscreening parts at arework stage in the pho-tolithography module.Below the sub-100 nmnode, pole widthdimension alone will notbe the sole characteristicof process control, andedge roughness will be acritical criterion forscreening parts. As anexample, Figures 7 and 8show two sets of waferCDSEM images for thereader layer that havevarying edge roughnesscaused by bad processing.In this case, the polewidths would remainwithin process specifica-tion, but edge roughnesscould be used to screen thepart. Not doing so wouldeventually lead toscrapping the part in sliderfabrication at a muchhigher cost investment.

Yoke Width MetrologyYoke Width Metrology isan important measurementthat controls the overwriteparameter for the head.This feature can only bemeasured and controlledduring wafer fabrication.Figure 2. Wafer Fabrication Process Flow

Table 1. Critical TFH parameters and their relevance as performance metrics

Parameters Head Performance Wafer Fab (Front end) Metrology Tool

1. Write and Read Pole Width Areal density, Overwrite, CDSEM, Optical Scatterometryand Angles Head Stability

2. Write Gap thickness Reluctance, Overwrite Spectroscopic Ellipsometry3. Read Gap thickness Read back pulse, Overwrite Spectroscopic Ellipsometry4. Shared Shield thickness Amplitude Contact Profiler5. Bottom Shield thickness Noise Contact Profiler6. Write Pole thickness Pole tip saturation, Overwrite Contact Profiler7. Write to Read Offset (overlay) Cross-talk Optical Coherence Probe

Figure 6. Cross-section ofreader

Figure 3. High aspect ratiosub-100 nm writer

Figure 4. Low aspect ratiosub-100 nm reader

Image-based metrologytechniques, in associationwith a high-resolution pro-duction CDSEM, makethis measurement feasible.

applications such as inFigure 6 and extendable tothe metrology of Figure 5.

Sub-100 nmDimensionsFor dimensions in the sub-100 nm realm, differencesof a few nanometersbetween metrologysystems and processchanges will be difficult todecipher and to pinpointroot cause. Thus, moreinformation beyond just adimensional number willbe required. Examples ofsuch information forassisting the processengineer in smart rootcause analysis and processcontrol will be obtainedfrom line edge roughnessand yoke width measure-ments. These are brieflyreviewed below.

Figure 5. Cross-section ofwriter



Figure 9. Yoke width metrology

Figure 10. Automated feedback to process equipment

Table 2. Example data set for wafer fabrication measurements

Feature Metrology Tool Average 3 Sigma CapabilityDimension Repeatability (P/T)

Writer pole width CDSEM ~ 80 nm < 4 nm

Reader pole width ~ 50 nm

Reader pole width Optical Scatterometry < 1 nm <20%

Angle metrology ~ 80 degrees < 1 degree

Line edge roughness CDSEM ~ 10 nm < 1 nm

Yoke width CDSEM ~ 1000 nm < 10 nm

Table 2 provides anexample data set for mea-surements for Figures 3through 9.

Finally, next-generationprocess control require-ments dictate theintegration of automatedclosed loop control schemabetween the metrology and

the lithography equipment.It has been shown2 thatthis eliminates the humanvariable of adjusting theprocess equipment. Anexample of this schemawith a stepper/track and aCDSEM is illustrated inFigure 10 below.

Rowbar level metrology,especially on the readerwidth and angles, will be anext-generation productrequirement. This providesmetrology and inspectioncapability for quickfeedback which otherwiserequires a destructive test.Smart sampling strategieswill be integrated withmetrology data from waferfabrication (feed forwardinformation) and theensuing results can be fedback to the wafer processto close the loop.

Figure 11. Slider fabrication process flow

It is to be noted that at the slider rowbar levelmetrology—ALL the measurements shown in the waferprocess flow metrology—can be done on a singlemetrology tool, the production CDSEM. Examples ofthis measurement are shown in Figures 12 through 14.

Thus, it is a critical juncture in the process flow toscreen quality parts before incurring incremental costs tothem once they are cut into individual sliders. Thisfeedback to the wafer process engineer to establish datacorrelations are relevant for next generation processcontrol and yield improvements. Such data feedbackwith correlations to magnetic track width and overwritehave been evaluated.3


Figure 8. RHS line edgeroughness on reader layer in

wafer fabrication

Figure 7. LHS line edgeroughness on reader layer in

wafer fabrication

Figure 9. Yoke widthmetrology


Figure 13. High magnification writer image

Figure 14. High magnification reader image

Figure 12. Low magnification slider image

Srinath Venkataram is the Senior MarketingManager for the Diamond (Data Storage)Division at KLA-Tencor. He has been withKLA-Tencor for the last seven years invarious positions of applications andmarketing. Prior to this he worked atApplied Magnetics Corporation, a recordinghead manufacturer, as a ProcessDevelopment Engineer. Srinath holds anM.S.EE degree from the University ofAlabama, Tuscaloosa.

SummaryNext generation CDSEMs are positioned to address thereviewed requirements. A new optical scatterometrytechnique, based on first principles, will make inroadssince it has the advantages of multiple measurements,namely, angle, and thickness and line width with a singlemeasurement. The disadvantages are that measurementsare made on test targets (unlike CDSEM measurements)and that accurate models are required to match thephysical structure. The combination of these two toolswill be adopted to address the challenges. In addition,process control for next generation will require newsampling schema, qualitative metrics for the feature ofinterest beyond just a dimensional value and closed loopcontrol methodologies.

Footnotes1. Proceedings of SPIE 2000, volume 3998, pages 125 - 1572. Papers from AEC/APC X11 CD Conference

Proceedings, Sept. 2000.3. 2-D Image based applications for TFH Methrology,

Proceedings from SPIE 2002.

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