Magnetic recording / reproducing device and control method for magnetic recording / reproducing device

Abstract

To provide a magnetic recording / reproducing device that shortens the time required to form a lubricant filling area due to fluctuations in flying height, and a control method thereof.SOLUTION: In a control method for a magnetic recording / reproducing device according to the embodiment: after recording is performed by a thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 at a head flying height of a first height, the head flying height is changed to a second height H2 higher than the first height; by operating the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10, a lubricant is filled between the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 and a recording surface 1a; and a lubricant-filled region 29 including a lubricant-hardened material 26 and a hardened lubricant material 28, and having the second height H2 is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and a method for controlling the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In thermally assisted magnetic recording heads, recording is performed by increasing the temperature of the magnetic disk with a laser. During this process, it has been found that the temperature rise causes components thought to originate from the magnetic film of the magnetic disk to adhere to the tip of the near-field optical element (NFT) via the lubricant, generating a hardened substance.

[0003] Due to the nature of recording, it is impossible to prevent the formation of hardened lubricants. However, it is known that when hardened lubricants adhere to the recording medium, they act as a layer that increases the laser transmittance and improves the laser transmission efficiency.

[0004] The hardened lubricant is worn away by wear when the flying height is lowered, and is rebuilt when the flying height is raised by filling the gap between the head and the media with lubricant. Therefore, when the flying height changes within the disk surface, for example when the thermally assisted magnetic recording head moves from a track with low flying height to a track with high flying height, there is a problem that the recording performance decreases until the hardened lubricant is generated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0221511 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Pat. No. 1,041,0660 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The time required to form a lubricant filling region in association with fluctuations in the flying height of a thermally assisted magnetic recording head is shortened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment, there is provided a method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing device including a thermally assisted magnetic recording head and a thermally assisted magnetic recording medium having a lubricant applied to a recording surface, the method comprising the steps of: After recording with the thermally assisted magnetic recording head at a first head flying height, changing the head flying height to a second height which is higher than the first height; A method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing device is provided, the method including operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head to fill the lubricant between the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head and the recording surface to form a lubricant filling region of the second height. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of a magnetic recording and reproducing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of a magnetic recording and reproducing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view showing the magnetic head 10 and the suspension. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a magnetic recording and reproducing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a control method for the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing a process for forming a lubricant filling region. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing a process for forming a lubricant filling region. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing a process for forming a lubricant filling region. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of an MPU that can be used in the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the control method for the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change in BER over time in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to a first embodiment is a method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including a thermally assisted magnetic recording head and a thermally assisted magnetic recording medium having a lubricant applied to a recording surface thereof, After recording with a thermally assisted magnetic recording head at a first head flying height The head flying height is changed to a second height which is higher than the first height, and operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head to fill a lubricant between the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head and the recording surface to form a lubricant-filled region at a second height.

[0010] The magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the second embodiment is a thermally assisted magnetic recording head; a thermally assisted magnetic recording medium having a lubricant on a recording surface; a flying height control unit that changes the head flying height to a second height higher than the first height after recording is performed by the thermally assisted magnetic recording head at a head flying height of a first height; and a filling operation control unit that fills a space between the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head and the recording surface with lubricant by operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head over the recording surface, thereby forming a lubricant filling region having a second height.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The disclosure is merely an example, and appropriate modifications that are within the spirit of the invention and that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, in order to make the explanation clearer, the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part may be shown diagrammatically compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previous figures may be given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] Working Example The embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to examples. First, the configuration of an example of a disk drive according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The configuration of the disk drive, which is a magnetic recording and reproducing device, shown in Fig. 1 is also applied to each of the embodiments described later. As shown in FIG. 1, a disk drive 200 is a magnetic recording and reproducing device of a perpendicular magnetic recording type incorporating a magnetic disk 1, which is a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, and a magnetic head 10 having a magnetic flux control layer, which will be described later. FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a state in which a plurality of magnetic disks 1 and a plurality of magnetic heads 10 are housed in a housing 51 in the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the first embodiment, with the cover omitted.

[0013] The disk 1 is fixed to a spindle motor (SPM) 2 and mounted to rotate. The magnetic head 10 is mounted on an actuator 3 and configured to move in a radial direction on the disk 1. The actuator 3 is driven to rotate by a voice coil motor (VCM) 4. The magnetic head 10 includes a write head 10W, a read head 10R, and a thermal assist unit 100. The write head 10W writes data to the magnetic disk 1. The read head 10R reads data from the magnetic disk 1. The thermal assist unit 100 assists the write of data when the write head 10W writes data to the magnetic disk 1. The magnetic head 10 may include a single magnetic head or multiple magnetic heads.

[0014] Furthermore, the disk drive has a head amplifier integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as head amplifier IC) 11, a read / write channel (R / W channel) 12, a hard disk controller (HDC) 13, a microprocessor (MPU) 14, a driver IC 16, and a memory 17. The R / W channel 12, HDC 13, and MPU 14 are incorporated in a controller 15 consisting of a one-chip integrated circuit.

[0015] The head amplifier IC11 includes a circuit group for driving a laser diode for performing thermal assist, as described later. The head amplifier IC11 further includes a driver for supplying a recording signal (write current) corresponding to write data supplied from the R / W channel 12 to the recording head 10W. The head amplifier IC11 also includes a read amplifier for amplifying a read signal output from the reproducing head 10R and transmitting the amplified signal to the R / W channel 12.

[0016] The R / W channel 12 is a signal processing circuit for read / write data. The HDC 13 constitutes an interface between the disk drive and the host 18, and controls the transfer of read / write data. The MPU 14 is the main control unit of the disk drive, and executes servo control necessary for controlling read / write operations and positioning the magnetic head 10. Furthermore, the MPU 14 includes a flying height control unit 19-1 that controls the head flying height to change it to a second height higher than the first height after performing recording with the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording at a head flying height of a first height, and a filling operation control unit 19-2 that controls the filling operation of a lubricant between the head 10W and the recording surface 1a using the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording, to form a lubricant filling area having the second height. The memory 17 includes a buffer memory made of a DRAM, a flash memory, etc. It may also include a system area of ​​a magnetic recording medium.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the magnetic head 10 and the suspension. As shown in Fig. 3, each magnetic head 10 is configured as a floating type head, and has a slider 42 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a recording / reproducing head portion 44 provided at the trailing end (trailing end) of the slider 42. The magnetic head 10 is fixed to a gimbal spring 41 provided at the tip of the suspension 34. A head load L directed toward the surface of the magnetic disk 1 is applied to each magnetic head 10 due to the elasticity of the suspension 34. As shown in Fig. 2, each magnetic head 10 is connected to the head amplifier IC 11 and the HDC 13 via the suspension 34 and a wiring member (flexure) 35 fixed on the arm.

[0018] Next, the configurations of the magnetic disk 1 and the magnetic head 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a write head 10W and a magnetic disk 1 which are part of a magnetic recording and reproducing device. The magnetic disk 1 has a substrate 20, a heat sink layer 21, a crystal orientation layer 22, a perpendicular recording layer 23, and a protective film 24 with a lubricant applied to the surface, which are laminated in this order on the substrate 20. The perpendicular recording layer 23 has a large anisotropy in the direction perpendicular to the disk surface. The crystal orientation layer 22 is disposed under the perpendicular recording layer 23 to improve the orientation of the perpendicular recording layer 23. The heat sink layer 21 is disposed under the crystal orientation layer 22 to suppress the spread of the heated region. The protective film 24 is disposed on the upper part of the perpendicular recording layer 23 to protect the perpendicular recording layer 23.

[0019] The magnetic head 10 is a separated type magnetic head in which the recording head 10W and the reproducing head 10R are separated, and the recording head 10W is composed of a main pole 40 made of a high magnetic permeability material that generates a magnetic field perpendicular to the disk surface, a trailing yoke 50 that is magnetically connected to the main pole 40 and that passes magnetic flux to the main pole 40, a return shield pole 60 that is provided on the leading side of the main pole 40 to efficiently close the magnetic path immediately below the main pole, a coil 70 that is arranged to be wound around the magnetic path including the trailing yoke and the return shield pole to pass magnetic flux to the main pole 40, a heater 80 for controlling the flying height of the recording head, a near-field optical element 30 that generates near-field light that heats the perpendicular recording layer 23 of the magnetic recording medium 1 on the leading side of the main pole 40, and a waveguide 31 for propagating the light for generating near-field light. The light source is a laser diode 32 that is incorporated in the actuator assembly 3 by mounting it on the slider. For example, Au, Pd, Pt, Rh, or Ir, or an alloy made of a combination of some of these, can be used as the near-field light element 30. For example, an oxide made of SiO2, Al2O3, etc. can be used as the insulating layer provided between the main pole and the near-field light element.

[0020] Recording methods for thermally assisted magnetic recording that can be used in the magnetic recording and reproducing device 200 include a conventional recording method known as CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording), in which tracks are written at radial intervals and recording is performed so that adjacent tracks do not overlap; a shingled recording method known as SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording), in which tracks are stacked in sequence in the radial direction and recording is performed overlapping a portion of an adjacent track; an interlaced recording method known as IMR (Interlaced Magnetic Recording), in which adjacent tracks have a bottom track and a top track that are alternately stacked, and after recording on the bottom track, recording is performed on the interlaced top track and the bottom track by overlapping them; or a combination of these. The magnetic recording and reproducing device 200 can contain oxygen gas at a ratio of 1% by volume or more and 20% by volume or less. If the oxygen gas ratio is less than 1% by volume, the amount of deposits adhering to the head increases, and the probability of contact between the head and the media tends to increase, while if the oxygen gas ratio is more than 20% by volume, the head positioning accuracy tends not to meet the desired level.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing a control method for the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the second embodiment. 6, 7, and 8 are model diagrams showing the process of forming the lubricant filling region in the thermally assisted magnetic recording head. 5 and 6, first, the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 having the NFT 30 and the main pole 40 at its tip is caused to seek above the magnetic disk 1 having the magnetic recording layer 23, the protective layer 24, and the lubricant layer 25 applied on the protective layer 24 at a head flying height of a first height H1, and a magnetic recording operation is performed by the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 at the head flying height of the first height H1 (ST1). As a result, the lubricant filled at the tip of the NFT 30 from the lubricant layer 25 hardens, and a lubricant hardened material 26 having the first height H1 can adhere to the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10.

[0022] Next, a track prepared exclusively for dummy writing is prepared as a track for operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head during the lubricant filling operation, for example, and accessed, and the head flying height control unit 19-1 changes the head flying height to a second height H2 higher than the first height H1 (ST2). As a result, as shown in Fig. 7, by increasing the flying height to the second height H2 and widening the distance between the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head 10 and the recording surface 1a of the magnetic recording medium 1, a gap 27 can be created between the lubricant hardened material 26 at the tip of the NFT 30 and the magnetic recording medium 1. Thereafter, the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 is operated in accordance with the filling operation control unit 19-2 to perform a filling operation of the lubricant between the hardened lubricant 26 and the recording surface 1a (ST3). As a filling operation of the lubricant, first, the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 seeks on a track for dummy writing, and the lubricant is filled into the gap 27 from the lubricant layer 25 by surface tension. Next, in this state, a laser is irradiated to perform magnetic recording, and the lubricant filled around the hardened lubricant 26 at the tip of the NFT 30 is hardened to form a hardened lubricant 28. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the thermally assisted magnetic recording head 10 can be provided with a lubricant filling region 29 having a second height, including the hardened lubricant 26 and the hardened lubricant 28.

[0023] Thus, according to the embodiment, after the magnetic recording operation is completed, the head flying height can be increased and a lubricant filling area can be provided in the head in advance. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the head flying height for each track, the time required to fill the lubricant due to the variation in flying height, i.e., the time when recording performance deteriorates, can be shortened as much as possible, making it possible to perform magnetic recording without degrading recording performance.

[0024] It should be noted that, instead of preparing a track for dummy writing as the track used to operate the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head during the lubricant filling operation, the same effect can be obtained by increasing the flying height to a second height and drawing the same pattern on the same track as the track on which the last thermally-assisted magnetic recording was performed. The lubricant filling operation using the thermally assisted magnetic recording head can, for example, involve performing magnetic recording while irradiating a laser using a thermally assisted magnetic recording operation after causing the thermally assisted magnetic recording head to seek, or by simply causing the thermally assisted magnetic recording head to seek without irradiating a laser using a thermally assisted magnetic recording operation.

[0025] When magnetic recording is performed while irradiating the lubricant, the lubricant-filled region 29 can become a hardened lubricant as shown in FIG. 8. When the thermally assisted magnetic recording head is simply made to seek, the lubricant-filled region 29 can contain a hardened lubricant and an unhardened or insufficiently hardened lubricant. Even without laser irradiation, the lubricant can be attached to the tip of the NFT by simply changing the flying height and seeking. In that case, hardening does not occur because there is no temperature rise due to near-field light, but if there is a change in the flying height when performing the next magnetic recording, the time for filling the lubricant can be shortened, thereby shortening the time for which recording performance deteriorates. The timing for filling the lubricant can be set by the following: once every certain period of time, after passing a registered position when there is a defect such as a protrusion on the media, or when the idle state continues for a certain period of time.

[0026] The flying height can be changed in the following manner. First, in order to deal with sudden fluctuations in the flying height, a method of uniformly increasing a fixed value can be used. A flying height table for each area, a defect map in which the positions of defects such as protrusions on the magnetic recording medium are registered, and a flying height adjustment table for determining an adjustment value for each area can be stored in advance in the system area of ​​the magnetic recording medium. For example, in the flying height table for each area, the adjustment value can be determined by calculating the difference in flying height between the area in which writing is being performed and the area in which writing is to be performed next.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing another example of an MPU that can be used in the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is applicable to the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus of FIG. 1, and has the same configuration as FIG. 1 except that MPU 14-1 is used instead of MPU 14. As shown in the figure, MPU 14-1 includes a detection unit 67 that detects a set value for determining the lubricant filling operation, a filling operation calculation unit 66 that calculates the lubricant filling operation corresponding to the detection result, a filling operation control unit 19-2 that operates write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording in response to the result of the filling operation calculation unit 66, and controls the lubricant filling operation between head 10W and recording surface 1a for a predetermined time by, for example, performing only a seek or irradiating a laser to perform recording, thereby forming a lubricant filling area having a second height, a timing determination unit 19-3 that determines when to fill with lubricant, and a filling operation control unit 19-4 that determines when to fill with lubricant when the head flying height is at a first height. the head flying height in a zone where the write head 10W will perform the next recording after recording with the write head 10W for magnetic recording; a determination unit 64 which receives the calculation result and determines the head flying height; an instruction unit 65 which receives the determination result from the determination unit 64 and instructs a change in the head flying height; a flying height control unit 19-1 which receives an instruction from the instruction unit 65 and controls the head flying height to a second height which is higher than the first height; and a main control unit 61 which is connected to the flying height control unit 19-1, the filling operation control unit 19-2, the timing determination unit 19-3, the flying height calculation unit 63, the determination unit 64, the instruction unit 65, the filling operation calculation unit 66, and the detection unit 67 and controls the entire system.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing another example of the control method for the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, in another example of the control method of the magnetic recording and reproducing device according to the first embodiment, first, a detection unit 67 detects a set value for determining a filling operation of the lubricant. A filling operation calculation unit 66 calculates a filling operation of the lubricant corresponding to the set value. In response to the calculation result, a filling operation control unit 19-2 sets a filling operation of the lubricant between the head 10W and the recording surface 1a (ST11). The set value can include parameters for determining the filling operation and filling time, and can be set in advance and registered in the system area of ​​the magnetic recording medium. For example, when the set value of the filling operation is 0, the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording is caused to seek on a track for dummy writing, and a laser is irradiated to perform recording. Alternatively, when the set value of the filling operation is 1, the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording is caused to seek on a track for dummy writing, and recording by laser irradiation is not performed. The filling time can be determined corresponding to the set value of the filling time. Here, a case where recording is performed by irradiating a laser will be described.

[0029] Next, the timing determination unit 19-3 determines whether or not to perform the filling operation, and sets the timing to perform the filling operation based on the result obtained (ST12). Next, recording is performed by the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording (ST13).

[0030] Next, it is determined whether to change the flying height (ST14), and if the flying height is not to be changed, the process returns to ST13 and the next recording is performed. An example of a case in which the flying height is not to be changed is when the highest flying height in the zone in which the next recording is to be performed is equal to or less than the first height. When changing the flying height, for example, the main control unit obtains the highest flying height in the zone where the next recording is to be performed from a flying height table for each area registered in the system area of ​​the magnetic recording medium as the memory 17. The flying height calculation unit 63 calculates the flying height of the second height from the highest flying height (ST15).

[0031] Receiving the calculation result, the determination unit 64 determines the head flying height (ST16). Receiving the determination result from the determination unit 64, the flying height control unit 19-1 controls the head flying height to change it to a second height higher than the first height (ST17). Receiving the result from the filling operation calculation unit 66, the filling operation control unit 19-2 controls the operation of the write head 10W for thermally assisted magnetic recording to irradiate a laser and perform recording, thereby performing a filling operation of lubricant between the head 10W and the recording surface 1a (ST18), and forms a lubricant filling area having the second height. It is determined whether or not the next recording should be performed (ST19), and if recording should be performed, the process returns to ST13 and the next recording is performed. If recording is not to be performed, the process ends.

[0032] Example 1 Twenty thermally assisted magnetic recording and reproducing devices having the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 1 were fabricated. Ten of these machines were used as Example 1, with the process of forming a lubricant-filled area in the hardened area, and the remaining ten machines were used as Comparative Example 1, with no special process of forming a lubricant-filled area. To form the lubricant-filled area, the machine was moved to the zone for forming the lubricant-filled area, and with the laser turned on, a random pattern was written 1,000 times. The floating height of this machine was set to be constant for all zones, and the floating amount was increased by 0.2 nm to form the lubricant-filled area. The lubricant-filled area was automatically formed at regular time intervals (in this case, once every five minutes) or when the zone changed.

[0033] After that, the bit error rate (BER) was measured over time for cases where the zone changed significantly during writing (when the zone moved by 5 mm or more in radial position). FIG. 11 is a graph showing the results of measuring the bit error rate over time for one of the devices in Example 1 and one of the devices in Comparative Example 1. As shown in the figure, in both Example 1 (curve 101) and Comparative Example 1 (curve 102), the BER improved over time and approached a constant value.

[0034] This is believed to be because the lubricant fills the gap between the head and the media, and hardens with each repetition of writing. However, in Example 1, which included the process for forming the lubricant filling area, the time it took for the BER to reach a constant value was shortened to about 1 / 5. This is believed to be because the lubricant was already in the process of hardening, so the time required for the BER to reach a constant value was shorter. This result shows that the process for forming the lubricant filling area in the embodiment can suppress BER fluctuations and shorten the time until convergence.

[0035] Example 2 Twenty thermally assisted magnetic recording and reproducing devices with the same configuration as in FIG. 1 were created. Ten of them were used as Example 2, in which a process for forming a lubricant-filled area in the hardened portion was included, and the remaining ten were used as Comparative Example 2, in which no special process for forming a lubricant-filled area was performed. To form the lubricant-filled area, the disk was moved to the zone for forming the lubricant-filled area, and a random pattern was written 7,200 times with the laser turned on. The flying height of this device was set constant for all zones, and writing was performed by raising the flying height by 0.3 nm to form the lubricant-filled area. The formation of the lubricant-filled area was set to occur automatically when the disk was in an idle state. Then, after passing the defect, the BER was measured for each time after the lubricant filling area formation process was performed. In both Example 2 and Comparative Example 2, the BER improved over time and approached a constant value. However, in Example 2, which included the lubricant filling area formation process, the time it took for the BER to reach a constant value was shortened to about 1 / 8. This result shows that the lubricant filling area formation process in the embodiment can suppress BER fluctuations and shorten the time until convergence.

[0036] Example 3 Twenty thermally assisted magnetic recording and reproducing devices with the same configuration as in FIG. 1 were created. Ten of them were subjected to a process for forming a lubricant filling area, designated as Example 3, and the remaining ten were subjected to a special process for forming a lubricant filling area, designated as Comparative Example 3. When forming the lubricant filling area, a seek was performed with the laser turned off on the track where the last write was performed. The flying height of this device was slightly different for each zone, and the flying height in the zone where the next write was scheduled was increased by 0.3 nm and a seek was performed. The lubricant filling area was set to be formed whenever the zone changed or when the device passed over a registered defect. Then, after passing the defect, the BER was measured for each time after the lubricant filling area formation process was performed. In both Example 3 and Comparative Example 3, the BER improved over time and approached a constant value. However, in Example 3, which included the lubricant filling area formation process, the time until the BER reached a constant value was shortened to about half. This result shows that the lubricant filling area formation process in the embodiment can suppress BER fluctuations and shorten the time until convergence.

[0037] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1...magnetic recording medium, 1a...recording surface, 10, 10W, 10R...thermally assisted magnetic recording head, 29...lubricant filling area, 19-1...flying height control unit, 19-2...filling operation control unit, 200...magnetic recording / reproducing device

Claims

1. A method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing device including a thermally assisted magnetic recording head and a thermally assisted magnetic recording medium having a lubricant on a recording surface, comprising: After recording with the thermally assisted magnetic recording head at a head flying height of a first height, changing the head flying height to a second height which is higher than the first height; A method for controlling a magnetic recording and reproducing device, comprising: operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head to fill the space between the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head and the recording surface with the lubricant, thereby forming a lubricant filling area of ​​the second height.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first height is equal to or greater than the highest flying height within a zone in which recording occurs.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second height is equal to or greater than the highest flying height in a zone in which recording is performed after the head flying height is changed.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling the lubricant on the surface of the thermally assisted magnetic recording head by changing the head flying height to a second height that is higher than the first height.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the thermally assisted magnetic recording head comprises performing a seek on the recording surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head comprises performing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording operation on the recording surface.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the track on which the thermally assisted magnetic recording head is operated is the same as the last thermally assisted magnetically recorded track.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the track on which the thermally assisted magnetic recording head operates is a dedicated track.

9. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic recording and reproducing device contains oxygen gas at a ratio of 1% to 20%.

10. a thermally assisted magnetic recording head; a thermally assisted magnetic recording medium having a lubricant on a recording surface; a flying height control unit that changes the head flying height to a second height higher than the first height after recording is performed by the thermally assisted magnetic recording head at a head flying height of a first height; and a filling operation control unit that operates the thermally assisted magnetic recording head on the recording surface to fill the lubricant between the thermally assisted magnetic recording head and the recording surface, thereby forming a lubricant filling area having a second height.

11. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first height is equal to or greater than the highest flying height in a zone where recording is performed.

12. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second height is equal to or greater than the highest flying height in a zone in which recording is performed after the head flying height is changed.

13. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing device according to claim 10, wherein the lubricant is filled onto the surface of the thermally assisted magnetic recording head by changing the head flying height to a second height which is higher than the first height.

14. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein operating the thermally assisted magnetic recording head comprises performing a seek on the recording surface.

15. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein operating the thermally assisted magnetic recording head comprises performing a thermally assisted magnetic recording operation on the recording surface.

16. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the track on which the thermally assisted magnetic recording head is operated is the same as the track on which the last thermally assisted magnetic recording was performed.

17. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the track on which the thermally assisted magnetic recording head operates is a dedicated track.

18. 11. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus contains oxygen gas at a ratio of 1% to 20%.

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