FUNDAMENTAL-STUDY ON A THIN-FILM AE SENSOR FOR MEASUREMENT OF BEHAVIOR OF A MULTI-PAD CONTACT SLIDER

To study the fundamental dynamic characteristics of a multi-pad slider for contact recording, we developed a thin-film piezoelectric acousti c emission array sensor on an Si-suspension with an array pattern simi lar to that of contact pads. Experiments showed that the sensitivity o f the sensor is about 0. 11 V/N (slider thickness: 0.2 mm) and that ea ch array sensor designed here is not influenced by the acoustic waves which occur due to contact with other contact pads, so the contact or non-contact condition of each pad can be measured.