Suspension for disk device

Abstract

To provide a suspension capable of arranging a slider on a slider arrangement portion in a stable posture.SOLUTION: A flexure 22 of a suspension 1 includes a metal base 40, a circuit portion 41, and a slider arrangement portion 50. The slider arrangement portion 50 has an aperture portion 70 formed in the metal base 40 and a slider support portion 90 provided on the metal base 40. The aperture portion 70 is formed at a position where the slider 51 is arranged. An embedding circuit portion 41a is arranged inside the aperture portion 70. The embedding circuit portion 41a is a part of a length direction of the circuit portion 41. The slider support portion 90 supports the slider 51 in a state where the embedding circuit portion 41a is arranged in the aperture portion 70. The embedding circuit portion 41a has an abutting portion 91 contacting a protrusion portion 30a of a load beam 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension for a disk drive, which includes a load beam, a flexure, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Disk drives are used in information processing devices such as personal computers. A disk drive includes a magnetic disk that rotates around a spindle and a carriage that rotates around a pivot shaft. A disk drive suspension is attached to the carriage arm.

[0003] A disk drive suspension includes a base plate, a load beam, and a flexure arranged along the load beam. The flexure includes a metal base made of a thin stainless steel plate and a wiring section arranged along the metal base. Hereinafter, a disk drive suspension will be simply referred to as a suspension.

[0004] A swingable gimbal structure is formed near the tip of the flexure. The gimbal structure includes a slider placement portion for placing a slider. A portion of the flexure that forms the slider placement portion is sometimes called a tongue, and is formed on a portion of the metal base. The gimbal structure is supported by a protrusion formed on the load beam. In the industry, the protrusion is sometimes called a dimple. The tongue is swingably supported by the apex of the protrusion (the apex of the dimple).

[0005] A slider that functions as a magnetic head is attached to the slider placement section. The slider is equipped with an element for accessing, such as reading and writing, data recorded on the disk. As the disk rotates, an air bearing is formed between the slider and the disk. The distance from the air bearing surface of the slider to the disk surface (Head Media Spacing) is extremely small, for example, less than 10 nm.

[0006] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a wiring portion is connected to a slider. The wiring portion in Patent Document 1 extends along one side surface and the other side surface of the slider in the longitudinal direction of the flexure. The slider is fixed to the metal base of the flexure by adhesive or the like. In this case, it is necessary to secure space for the wiring portion on both sides of the slider, which is disadvantageous in terms of miniaturizing the suspension.

[0007] In contrast, the suspension described in Patent Document 2 has a wiring section disposed between the back surface of the slider and the metal base. In other words, the metal base, wiring section, and slider are all stacked in the thickness direction. In this case, the back surface of the slider is fixed to the wiring section with an adhesive. This makes it possible to reduce the width of the slider placement section, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the suspension. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4993524 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5931624 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In the suspension described in Patent Document 2, the wiring and slider overlap in the thickness direction. The wiring has multiple conductors that are independent of each other, and each conductor is covered with a cover resin. Therefore, if the heights of the individual conductors and the cover resin are not uniform, the slider cannot be mounted in the correct position. Furthermore, because the metal base, wiring, and slider overlap in the thickness direction, there is also the problem that the distance from the apex of the dimple to the air bearing surface of the slider increases by the thickness of the wiring.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension that can stabilize the attitude of a slider placed in a slider placement portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One embodiment is a disk drive suspension including a load beam and a flexure. The flexure has a metal base, a wiring portion disposed along the metal base, and a slider placement portion where a slider is disposed. The slider placement portion has an opening formed in the metal base, a slider support portion formed in the metal base and supporting the slider, a buried wiring portion that is a longitudinal portion of the wiring portion, and an abutment portion that contacts a protrusion of the load beam. The opening is formed at a position where the slider is disposed. With the buried wiring portion disposed in the opening, the slider is supported by the slider support portion.

[0012] In the suspension of this embodiment, the embedded wiring portion may include a base resin layer, a conductor along the base resin layer, a cover resin covering the conductor, and the abutment portion. The slider placement portion may include a foundation resin layer overlapping the base resin layer. Also, a metal portion made of a part of the metal base may be provided inside the opening, and the metal portion may include the slider support portion. The metal portion may include the abutment portion.

[0013] The embedded wiring portion may include a load beam-side surface facing the load beam, a slider-side surface facing the slider, a first conductor having a terminal portion exposed on the load beam-side surface, and a second conductor having a terminal portion exposed on the slider-side surface.The embedded wiring portion may also include a ground connection conductor that electrically connects the metal base and the conductor of the embedded wiring portion.

[0014] The slider support may have an electrically insulating base member disposed between the metal portion and the slider. The slider support may include an electrically insulating first base member covering the opening, and an electrically insulating second base member located between the slider and the first base member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a suspension having a wiring portion, a slider placement portion, etc., it is possible to stabilize the attitude of a slider placed on the slider placement portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a suspension according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a disk device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slider placement portion taken along line F4-F4 in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the slider placement portion taken along line F5-F5 in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement portion according to the eighth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [First embodiment] A suspension including a slider mounting portion according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the suspension 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the suspension 1. In Fig. 1, a double-headed arrow X1 indicates the length direction of the suspension 1, and a double-headed arrow Y1 indicates the width direction of the suspension 1.

[0018] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a typical example of a disk device 10. The disk device 10 includes a case 11 (only a portion of which is shown), a disk 12 that rotates around a spindle, a carriage 14 that rotates around a pivot shaft 13, and a positioning motor 15 that drives the carriage 14. The case 11 is sealed with a lid. A suspension 1 is attached to the tip of an arm 16 of the carriage 14.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension 1 includes a base plate 20, a load beam 21, and a flexure 22. The base plate 20 is made of, for example, a stainless steel plate. The base plate 20 is fixed to the carriage 14 (shown in FIG. 3) via a boss portion 23. The thickness of the base plate 20 is, for example, 100-300 μm, but other thicknesses are also possible.

[0020] The load beam 21 extends in the longitudinal direction of the suspension 1. The thickness of the load beam 21 is, for example, 20-40 μm, but may be other thicknesses. The load beam 21 has a first face 21 a on the side where the flexure 22 is disposed, and a second face 21 b on the opposite side to the first face 21 a.

[0021] A dimple portion 30 is formed near the tip of the load beam 21. The dimple portion 30 has a protrusion 30a. The protrusion 30a protrudes from the first surface 21a of the load beam 21 toward the flexure 22. The dimple portion 30 is recessed when viewed from the second surface 21b of the load beam 21. For this reason, the protrusion 30a is sometimes referred to as a dimple in the industry, but it is sufficient that it is a protrusion that protrudes toward the flexure 22.

[0022] The flexure 22 is fixed to the load beam 21 by welds 35 and 36 (parts of which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The flexure 22 extends along the length of the suspension 1 along the load beam 21. The flexure 22 includes a metal base 40 made of a stainless steel plate that is thinner than the load beam 21, and a wiring portion 41 disposed along the metal base 40. The thickness of the metal base 40 is, for example, 20 μm (12-25 μm), but other thicknesses are also acceptable.

[0023] A slider mounting portion 50 is formed near the tip of the flexure 22. A slider 51 that functions as a magnetic head is disposed on the slider mounting portion 50. The slider 51 is provided with an element for magnetically recording data on the disk 12, an element for reading data recorded on the disk 12, and the like.

[0024] The slider mounting portion 50 includes a plate portion 55 (shown in FIG. 2) that is made up of a part of the metal base 40. In the industry, this plate portion 55 is sometimes referred to as a tongue. In this embodiment, the plate portion 55 is supported by arms 56 and 57 and limiter members 58 and 59 so as to be able to swing relative to the load beam 21. The plate portion 55 includes a first plate 55a and a second plate 55b. The first plate 55a and the second plate 55b can move slightly relative to each other in the width direction of the suspension 1, with a slit 55c as the boundary.

[0025] Actuator elements 61 and 62 are arranged on both sides of the slider 51. The actuator elements 61 and 62 are made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate). When a voltage is applied to the actuator elements 61 and 62, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts in response to the applied voltage. This allows the tip of the slider 51 to move a small amount in the width direction of the suspension 1 (indicated by the double-headed arrow Y1 in FIG. 1). An element for reading and writing data is provided on the tip of the slider 51.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slider mounting section 50 taken along line F4-F4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the slider mounting section 50 taken along line F5-F5 in Fig. 4. The double-headed arrow X2 in Fig. 4 indicates the thickness direction of the metal base 40. The metal base 40 has a first surface 40a on which the slider 51 is mounted and a second surface 40b facing the load beam 21.

[0027] The slider placement section 50 includes an opening 70 formed in the metal base 40. The opening 70 is open in the thickness direction of the metal base 40. In this embodiment, the opening 70 is open to the first surface 40a and the second surface 40b of the metal base 40. Note that the opening 70 may be open only to the first surface 40a (the side where the slider 51 is placed). The width W1 (shown in FIG. 4) of the opening 70 is smaller than the width W2 of the slider 51.

[0028] 4 and 5, the embedded wiring portion 41a is disposed inside the opening 70. The embedded wiring portion 41a is a part of the length of the wiring portion 41. In FIG. 2, the double-headed arrow X3 indicates the length direction of the wiring portion 41.

[0029] The embedded wiring portion 41a includes a base resin layer 72, a plurality of conductors (e.g., a first conductor 81 and a second conductor 82), and a cover resin 73. The base resin layer 72 and the cover resin 73 are each made of an electrically insulating resin such as polyimide. In this embodiment, the first conductor 81 and the second conductor 82 are described as examples, but the number and shape of the conductors are not limited to those in the embodiment. The conductors 81 and 82 are covered by the base resin layer 72 and the cover resin 73.

[0030] 2 and 5, one end of the wiring portion 41 is electrically connected to the terminal of the slider 51 via a terminal portion 85 and a conductive member 86. The conductors 81 and 82 are mainly made of copper, and a plating layer of gold or the like is provided on the outside of the copper as needed. However, to avoid complicating the drawings, the plating layer is omitted from the drawings. The conductors do not necessarily have to be provided with the plating layer.

[0031] A slider support portion 90 is formed on the first surface 40a of the metal base 40. The slider support portion 90 is a part of the metal base 40 and is substantially flat. The slider 51 is fixed to the slider support portion 90 by a fixing means such as adhesive. A gap G (shown in FIG. 4) is formed between the slider 51 and the cover resin 73 of the embedded wiring portion 41a. An electrically insulating resin may be filled into the gap G.

[0032] 4 and 5, an abutment portion 91 is formed on the base resin layer 72 of the embedded wiring portion 41a. The protrusion 30a (approximately the apex of the dimple portion 30) of the load beam 21 abuts on this abutment portion 91. The protrusion 30a protrudes from the first surface 21a of the load beam 21 toward the slider mounting portion 50. Therefore, the slider mounting portion 50 can swing in the thickness direction of the metal base 40 with the protrusion 30a as a fulcrum.

[0033] The slider placement section 50 of this embodiment has a buried wiring section 41a disposed inside the opening 70. With the buried wiring section 41a disposed in the opening 70, the slider 51 is supported by the slider support section 90. The slider support section 90 is substantially flat because it is part of the metal base 40. Therefore, the slider 51 is supported in a stable position by the slider support section 90. This allows the distance between the disk 12 and the air bearing surface 51a (the flying height of the slider) to be accurately regulated. Because the flying height of the slider is extremely small, it is important to accurately regulate the position of the slider 51.

[0034] According to the slider mounting section 50 of this embodiment, the protrusion 30a (the apex of the dimple) of the load beam 21 comes into contact with the abutment portion 91 of the embedded wiring portion 41a arranged in the opening 70. This reduces the distance from the apex of the dimple to the air bearing surface 51a, contributing to a low profile of the slider mounting section 50. Furthermore, the width of the slider mounting section 50 can be reduced.

[0035] As the disk 12 rotates, an air bearing is formed between the disk 12 and the slider 51. When the carriage 14 is rotated by a positioning motor 15 (shown in FIG. 3), the suspension 1 moves in the radial direction of the disk 12, thereby moving the slider 51 to the desired position on the disk 12. When a voltage is applied to the actuator elements 61 and 62, the actuator elements 61 and 62 expand and contract. This allows the tip side of the slider 51 to move precisely and quickly in the width direction (indicated by the double-headed arrow Y1 in FIG. 1).

[0036] Slider arrangement sections 50A-50G according to second to eighth embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 12. In these embodiments, components common to the slider arrangement section 50 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the slider arrangement section 50 of the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0037] [Second embodiment] 6 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting portion 50A according to the second embodiment. This slider mounting portion 50A includes a base resin 100. The base resin 100 may have a contact portion 91 formed therein that contacts the apex of the dimple portion. The base resin 100 is made of an electrically insulating resin such as polyimide, and is layered on a base resin layer 72. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the slider mounting portion 50 of the first embodiment, so common components are designated by common reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0038] [Third embodiment] 7 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting portion 50B according to the third embodiment. The slider mounting portion 50B of this embodiment has a metal portion 110 that is a part of the metal base 40. The metal portion 110 is formed inside the opening 70. A slider support portion 90 is formed on the metal portion 110, and the slider 51 is supported by the slider support portion 90.

[0039] [Fourth embodiment] 8 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting section 50C according to the fourth embodiment. In this slider mounting section 50C, a metal section 111 made of a part of the metal base 40 is formed in the center of the width direction of the opening 70. A slider support section 90 is formed on the slider-facing surface of the metal section 111. In addition, a contact section 91 is formed on the load beam-facing surface of the metal section 111.

[0040] [Fifth embodiment] 9 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting portion 50D according to the fifth embodiment. The embedded wiring portion 41a of the slider mounting portion 50D has a surface 121 on the load beam side and a surface 122 on the slider side. A terminal portion 81a exposed on the surface 121 on the load beam side is formed in a part of the first conductor 81. This terminal portion 81a can be electrically connected to a terminal 130 of the flexure 22. A terminal portion 82a exposed on the surface 122 on the slider side is formed in a part of the second conductor 82. This terminal portion 82a can be electrically connected to a terminal (top-bond pad) 131 on the back side of the slider 51.

[0041] [Sixth embodiment] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a slider placement section 50E according to the sixth embodiment. This slider placement section 50E has a ground connection conductor 140. The ground connection conductor 140 electrically connects a part of the metal base 40 (metal portion 111) to a terminal 131 on the back side of the slider 51. The slider placement section 50E may also have a connection conductor 141 for electrically connecting multiple second conductors 82 to each other.

[0042] [Seventh embodiment] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting section 50F according to the seventh embodiment. The slider mounting section 50F includes a metal section 110 having a slider support section 90 and a base member 150 provided on the metal section 110. The base member 150 is made of an electrically insulating resin. The slider 51 is supported by the slider support section 90, which includes the base member 150. An opening 70 formed in the metal base 40 is filled with an electrically insulating potting resin 160. Conductors 81 and 82, which are arranged on a base resin 100, are embedded in the potting resin 160.

[0043] [Eighth embodiment] 12 is a cross-sectional view of a slider mounting section 50G according to the eighth embodiment. This slider mounting section 50G has a first pedestal member 161 that covers the opening 70 and a second pedestal member 162 that overlaps the first pedestal member 161 in the thickness direction. The first pedestal member 161 and the second pedestal member 162 are each made of an electrically insulating resin. The slider 51 is supported by a slider support section 90 that includes the first pedestal member 161 and the second pedestal member 162. The rest of the configuration is common to the slider mounting section 50F of the seventh embodiment, so common reference numerals are used to designate components common to both, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0044] The slider placement section 50, 50A-50G in each of the embodiments described above has an embedded wiring section 41a disposed in the opening 70. With this embedded wiring section 41a disposed in the opening 70, the slider 51 is supported by the slider support section 90 of the metal base 40. This allows the slider 51 to be disposed in a stable position, and also makes it possible to reduce the width of the slider placement section.

[0045] Moreover, in the slider mounting portion 50, 50A-50G of each embodiment, when the embedded wiring portion 41a is disposed in the opening 70, the protrusion 30a (the apex of the dimple) of the load beam 21 comes into contact with the abutment portion 91. This makes it possible to reduce the distance from the apex of the dimple to the air bearing forming surface 51a, thereby contributing to a low profile of the slider mounting portion.

[0046] It goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented by modifying various aspects of the elements that make up the flexure, such as the metal base and wiring section. The openings formed in the metal base, the slider support section, and the contact section can also be implemented in various forms without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...suspension, 10...disk device, 21...load beam, 22...flexure, 30...dimple portion, 30a...convex portion, 40...metal base, 40a...first surface, 40b...second surface, 41...wiring portion, 41a...embedded wiring portion, 50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E, 50F, 50G...slider placement portion, 51...slider, 70...opening, 72...base resin layer, 73...cover resin, 81, 82...conductor, 90...slider support portion, 91...abutment portion, 100...base resin, 110, 111...metal portion, 140...ground connection conductor, 141...connection conductor, 150...base member, 161...first base member, 162...second base member.

Claims

1. A disk drive suspension including a load beam and a flexure, The flexure is Metal base and a wiring portion disposed along the metal base; a slider placement section in which the slider is placed, The slider arrangement portion is an opening formed in the metal base; a buried wiring portion that is a part of the wiring portion and is disposed inside the opening; a slider support portion formed on the metal base and configured to support the slider when the buried wiring portion is disposed in the opening; a contact portion with which a protrusion formed on the load beam comes into contact; A suspension characterized by comprising:

2. 2. The suspension of claim 1, The embedded wiring portion includes a base resin layer, a conductor along the base resin layer, a cover resin covering the conductor, and the contact portion.

3. 3. The suspension of claim 2, further comprising: The slider arrangement portion is A suspension having a base resin layer overlying the base resin layer.

4. 2. The suspension of claim 1, a metal portion formed of a part of the metal base is provided inside the opening; The metal portion of the suspension has the slider support portion.

5. 5. The suspension of claim 4, The metal portion of the suspension has the contact portion.

6. 2. The suspension of claim 1, The buried wiring portion is a load beam side surface facing the load beam; a slider-side surface facing the slider; a first conductor having a terminal portion exposed on a surface facing the load beam; a second conductor having a terminal portion exposed on the surface facing the slider;

7. 2. The suspension of claim 1, The suspension has a ground connection conductor that electrically connects the metal base and the conductor of the buried wiring portion.

8. 5. The suspension of claim 4, The slider support portion is The suspension includes an electrically insulating base member disposed between the metal portion and the slider.

9. 2. The suspension of claim 1, The slider support portion is an electrically insulating first base member covering the opening; The suspension includes an electrically insulating second base member located between the slider and the first base member.

Images