Combination transducer/slider/suspension and method for making

Abstract

A disk drive assembly in which the suspension, slider and transducer are integrated and fabricated to produce a combination assembly. The combination transducer-slider-suspension assembly is batch produced by forming a plurality of the combination assemblies onto a single wafer. The wafer is then diced to separate the assemblies into individual sections. The transducers are deposited onto the wafer and the air bearing surface formed. Conductors to interconnect each transducer with the external circuits are insulated from the wafer and deposited along a path which will form the suspension. A spring-like resilient layer is then deposited over and electrically insulated from the conductors. The wafer is then pattern etched to remove a portion of the wafer backside to form the suspension and provide a transducer / slider combination having an air bearing surface after the wafer is diced to separate the individual combination assemblies. The air bearing surface is defined as the slider surface immediately adjacent the media surface during read / write operation of the disk drive assembly whether or not the slider is flying above or in sliding contact with the media surface during operation. Integrated circuit amplifiers can be deposited at the free end of the conductors prior to separation of individual assemblies.

Description

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCEJones Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,872, issued on Feb. 26, 1980 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, to show a thin film inductive transducer useful with the present invention.Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,772 issued on Aug. 17, 1976 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, to show a thin film magnetoresistive head useful with the present invention.Hinkel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,048, issued on Nov. 25, 1986 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, to show a process for making magnetic head sliders useful with the present invention.Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,841, issued on Feb. 17, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, to show a wafer-substrate material useful with the present invention.Cuzner, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,800, issued on Nov. 19, 1974 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, to show a rotary actuator useful in a drive using the present invention.TECHNIC...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

It is, therefore, an object of the of the present invention to provide an enhanced, integrated combination transducer-slider-suspension assembly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a unique process that permits the batch fabrication of a multitrack assembly wherein a plurality of transducer-slider assemblies are suspended from a single membrane suspension.

Problems solved by technology

Any error in the placement of the suspension relative to the slider results in the destruction of both pieces.

Again, errors can cause destruction of the entire combination.

There is no showing of a combination transducer-slider-suspension with conductors nor a method for making the combination.

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