Continued growth in areal density drives the need for lower surface contamination levels, smoother disk surfaces, increased inspection sensitivity for smaller defects, and an increased emphasis on controlling specific defect types early in the process. Moreover, with magnetic recording head fly-heights shrinking, smaller defects now have a much larger yield impact.

The Candela^TM 7100 series delivers advanced defect detection and classification for hard disk drive substrates and media. Built upon the production-proven Candela product line, the 7100 series helps manufacturers detect and classify critical submicron defects such as micro-pits, bumps, particles and buried defects, for maximizing yield and lowering total cost of inspection. Also, the Candela 7100 reduces dependency on manual, non-production tools and methods, such as an AFM, SEM, and TEM to investigate defects and identify root cause. Analyses currently being conducted on multiple analytical tools can now be done on a single inspection platform

saving time and money.