EFFECT OF ETCHING WALL PROFILE ON TPC FLYING HEIGHT

The effect of the flying height on the TPC wall profile is studied. Th e different etching techniques to form the TPC steps create different wall profiles. The wall profiles are measured using an AFM. By employi ng the numerical technique developed for the sub-ambient pressure slid ers the wall profile can be modeled correctly. The resulting modeled f lying heights show very good agreement with the measured flying height s. The flying heights are less sensitive to the wall length and wall h eight; thus, the flying heights are less susceptible to the measuremen t uncertainties.