599results about "Electrical connection between head and arm" patented technology

A disk drive includes a disk having a recording surface, a head stack assembly that includes a body portion, an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion and a head gimbal assembly supported at the actuator arm. The head gimbal assembly includes a suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the actuator arm, a slider coupled to the second end of the suspension, the slider comprising a transducer for reading from and writing to the recording surface. A gimbal is coupled to the second end of the suspension and to the slider. An array of diodes is attached to the suspension to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events.

A method for manufacturing a reader/writer is provided having a substrate with an undercoat formed thereon. A first shield is formed over a portion of the undercoat and a pair of reader leads is formed over the first shield and undercoat. A read sensor is formed between the reader leads and a first pole/second shield is formed over the reader leads. A mid coat is formed over the undercoat and the reader leads. A second pole is formed over and in contact with the mid coat. A lead is formed over the second pole. A pedestal is formed over the reader lead and an overcoat is formed over the second pole and the lead and around the pedestal. A pad is then formed over the pedestal.

A method of connecting a plurality of probe pins to a plurality of first external connection pads, which are provided on a head gimbal assembly and are electrically connected to a plurality of terminal electrodes of a write magnetic head element, respectively, and a plurality of second external connection pads, which are provided on the head gimbal assembly and are electrically connected to a plurality of terminal electrodes of a read magnetic head element. In the connection method, an approach direction of the probe pins to the first external connection pads and an approach direction of the probe pins to the second external connection pads are made different from each other.

A method for forming an electrical interconnect on an integrated lead suspension or suspension component of the type formed from a laminated sheet of material having a stainless steel layer, a conductive lead layer and an insulating layer separating the stainless steel and conductive lead layers. An aperture is formed through at least the insulating layer to expose the stainless steel layer at an interconnect site. An interconnect mask is applied around the interconnect site. Conductive material is electroplated onto the stainless steel layer at the interconnect site to form a plated interconnect. The mask is then removed. The method is used to form an interconnect bond pad on the same side of the stainless steel layer as the conductive lead layer in one embodiment. In another embodiment the aperture is formed through the insulator layer and the stainless steel layer, and conductive material is built up on the stainless steel layer during the electroplating step until it meets and plates onto the conductive lead layer to form a stainless steel side interconnect. In yet another embodiment the aperture is formed through the insulator layer and the conductive lead layer, and conductive material is built up on the stainless steel layer during the electroplating step until it meets and plates onto the conductive lead layer to form a conductive lead side interconnect.

Stable, low resistance conductive adhesive ground connections between motor contacts and a gold-plated contact area on a stainless steel component of a dual stage actuated suspension. The stainless steel component can be a baseplate, load beam, hinge, motor plate, add-on feature or flexure.

A wired circuit board having a terminal portion formed as a flying lead that can provide enhanced strength of the conductive pattern, both sides of which are exposed, by simple construction to effectively prevent disconnection of the conductive pattern. The wired circuit board having the terminal portion formed as the flying lead in which the both sides of the conductive pattern are exposed includes, in crossing areas where ends of a cover-side opening and ends of a base-side opening and the conductive pattern are crossed each other, (i) the widened portions formed in the conductive pattern or (ii) cover-side projections and base-side projections formed in the cover layer and the base layer, respectively.

A gimbal assembly of a dual-stage microactuator is provided with a remotely-located piezoelectric transducer (PZT) and at least one actuation strut connecting an asymmetrical amplification structure supporting the PZT to a tongue supporting a slider, such that the movement of the PZT over the asymmetrical amplification structure is amplified by the asymmetrical amplification structure and at least one actuation strut into rotation of the tongue and slider. A plurality of actuation struts connect opposing sides of the asymmetrical amplification structure with opposing sides of the tongue, which causes the tongue to rotate about a central portion of the tongue upon which a dimple of a supporting loadbeam contacts the tongue.

A HGA comprises a slider, a suspension to load the slider, a flying height controller for controlling flying height of the slider; and a flexible cable to be electrically connected with the slider and the flying height controller. In the present invention, the flying height controller comprises at least one piezoelectric piece disposed between the slider and the suspension. The HGA further comprises ACF to connect the flying height controller with the suspension and the flexible cable. The invention also discloses a disk drive unit with the HGA, a method for flying height control with the HGA, and a system for controlling flying height.

Method and apparatus are presented for electrically coupling a slider to ground. In one embodiment, a bonding pad is provided on a side of the slider body separate from the bonding pad(s) used for read/write signals. This separate bonding pad is electrically coupled within the slider body to components that are to be coupled to ground. A separate conductor provided on the suspension (e.g., a trace, a flex circuit, etc.) may be electrically coupled to the separate bonding pad via gold ball bonding. The conductor is also coupled to ground in the hard-disk drive device (e.g., via the preamplifier). The use of the separated bonding pad and trace may negate the need to use a conductive adhesive to electrically ground the slider via its attachment to the tongue of a slider.

An electrical connection structure connects a piezoelectric element to a flexure with a conductive adhesive. An electrode surface is formed on the piezoelectric element, and a terminal surface is formed on the wiring member and is smoother than the electrode surface. A the gold plate layer is formed on the terminal surface and is connected to the electrode surface with the conductive adhesive. At least one recess is formed by laser processing on the conductive terminal surface layer. The electrical connection structure substantially equalizes the surface roughness of the terminal surface with the gold plate layer to that of the electrode surface, improves a bonding strength on the terminal surface nearly to that on the electrode surface, enhances the reliability of electrical connection between the electrode surface and the terminal surface, maintains electrical characteristics of the terminal surface, and prevents contamination around the terminal surface.

A thin-film magnetic head includes at least one thin-film magnetic head element with an ABS, and at least one heating means located at a position opposite to the ABS with respect to the at least one thin-film magnetic head element. The at least one heating means is energized to heat at least when the at least one thin-film magnetic head element operates.

A suspension for a disk drive includes a mount plate adapted to mount to a primary actuator, a functional end portion adapted to carry a slider, and a hinge disposed between the mount plate and the functional end portion. A mounting configuration is provided on the mount plate for mounting the suspension to the primary actuator. A pair of secondary actuators are mounted in longitudinally overlapping relationship with the mounting configuration so as to minimize the impact of the secondary actuators on suspension length. The secondary actuators are operatively connected to the hinge for producing sway displacement of the slider.

A Head Gimbal Assembly (HGA) for use in a disk drive and comprising an ESD-protected slider comprising a head formed on a slider substrate. The slider may comprise an electrical-isolation circuit; an electrically-resistive path between head input connections and the slider; or both isolation circuits and resistive paths for reducing electrostatic charge on the slider while remaining connected during disk drive operations.

A substrate for suspension which is produced at low costs and can sufficiently attain the prevention of damage by electrostatic discharge and restraint of noises. The substrate for suspension includes: a metallic substrate, an insulating layer formed on the metallic substrate and having an opening from which the metallic substrate is exposed, a grounding-wiring layer formed on the insulating layer and arranged near the opening, and a ground terminal formed in the opening and contacting the metallic substrate and the grounding-wiring layer. The ground terminal is made of a metal having a melting point of 450° C. or lower.

A method for forming an electrical interconnect on an integrated lead suspension or suspension component of the type having a stainless steel layer, a conductive lead layer and an insulator layer separating the stainless steel and conductive lead layers. An aperture is formed through only the insulator layer to expose the stainless steel layer at an interconnect site. An interconnect mask is applied around the interconnect site. A first conductive material is electroplated onto the stainless steel layer at the interconnect site to form a plated interconnect between the spring metal layer and the conductive lead layer. The mask is then removed. An electrical interconnect between the stainless steel and conductive lead layers including an aperture only through the insulator layer and an electroplated conductive material interconnect extending between both the spring metal layer and the conductive lead layer.

A suspension board with circuit includes a conductive region in which a conductive layer is formed and a mounting region for mounting a slider on which a magnetic head that is electrically connected to the conductive layer is mounted. The mounting region mounts the slider so that the slider is capable of relatively moving with respect to the conductive region, and the conductive region includes an opposing region that is opposed to the slider in the thickness direction at the time of the relative movement of the slider with respect to the conductive region and a damage preventing portion for preventing damage to the opposing region by the slider.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slider for a disk drive. The slider includes a slider body including a slider body outer surface. The slider further includes an inductive write head including main and return poles. The slider further includes a slider ground pad disposed at the slider body outer surface. The slider ground pad is disposed in electrical communication with the main and return poles for electrically grounding the main and return poles.

A wired circuit board includes an insulating layer, and a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer. The insulating layer includes a first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer. The conductive layer includes a first conductive pattern, and a second conductive pattern. The first conductive pattern includes a first connecting portion formed on the first insulating layer and under the second insulating layer, and at least one pair of first terminals configured continuously to the first connecting portion so as to electrically connect to an external electronic element and spaced apart from each other to allow the electronic element to extend therebetween. The second conductive pattern includes a second connecting portion formed on the second insulating layer, and a second terminal configured continuously to the second connecting portion so as to electrically connect to a magnetic head provided on an external slider.

Examples of a magnetic recording head slider, a head gimbal assembly and methods of manufacturing each are disclosed. The magnetic recording head slider may comprise a slider body and a plurality of bond pads formed on a trailing edge of the slider body. Each of the plurality of bond pads may include a probe contact area and a soldering contact area. The probe contact area may be larger than the soldering contact area. The head gimbal assembly may include a suspension arm with conductive leads. A plurality of bond pads may be formed on the suspension arm in contact with the ends of the conductive leads. A width of a proximal portion of each of the bond pads may be greater than a width of a distal portion of each of the plurality of bond pads. The methods may include forming the above-described structures.

A disk drive includes a disk, and a head stack assembly (HSA). The HSA includes a preamplifier; an actuator assembly that defines an actuator arm; a load beam supported by the actuator arm, the load beam defining a registration feature. A flexure is coupled to the load beam, the flexure defining an opening that is centered on the registration feature and including a plurality of conductive formations. The conductive formations include a plurality of conductive flexure connection pads that collectively define a center point; a plurality of conductive traces to electrically couple the plurality of flexure connection pads to the preamplifier, and a conductive feature disposed away from and aligned with the center point, the conductive feature at least partially surrounding the opening within the flexure. A slider is coupled to the plurality of flexure connection pads for reading and writing to the disk.