Suspension flexure forming gimbal slot

Abstract

The invention relates to a suspension flexure forming a universal slot. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive includes a load beam coupled with a corresponding flexure via a centerline weld at a distal location of the flexure, where the flexure further includes a gimbal location at least partially formed away from the load beam proximate the centerline weld. The gimbal portion may be formed away from the load beam by mechanical shaping prior to being welded to the load beam and / or at least the transverse portion may be formed away from the load beam by laser radiation of the flexure after being welded to the load beam. In either case, a gap is enabled to be formed between the pivot joint flexure and the corresponding load beam around the vicinity of the centerline weld attachment point so that there is no interference between the components and a stable resonance mode is achieved throughout the dielectric load z height variation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention may generally relate to a hard disk drive and, more particularly, to enabling a gimbal gap to be formed between a flexure portion of a suspension assembly and a load beam. Background Art

[0002] A hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile storage device that is housed within a protective enclosure and stores digitally encoded data on one or more circular disks having a magnetic surface. When the HDD is in operation, each magnetic recording disk is rapidly rotated by a spindle system. Data is read from and written to the magnetic recording disks using a read / write head (or "transducer") positioned above a specific location on the disk by an actuator. The read / write head uses a magnetic field to write data to and read data from the surface of the magnetic recording disk. The write head operates using an electric current flowing through its coil, thereby generating a magnetic field. Electrical pulses are sent to the write head in different patterns of positive and negative currents. The current in the coil of the write head creates a local magnetic field in the gap between the head and the disk, which in turn magnetizes small regions on the recording medium.

[0003] The HDD includes at least one head gimbal assembly (HGA) that typically includes a suspension assembly and a corresponding head slider mounted thereon, and the HGA houses the read / write transducer (or "head"). Each slider is attached to the free end of the suspension assembly, which projects cantilever-like from a rigid arm of the actuator. A number of actuator arms may be combined to form a single movable unit, i.e., a head stack assembly (HSA), which typically has a rotary pivot bearing system. The suspension assembly of a conventional HDD typically includes a relatively rigid load beam that has a mounting plate at its base end, which is attached to the actuator arm, and a flexure portion (or "gimbal" or "gimbal flexure") is mounted at its free end, which carries the slider and its read / write head. A "hinge" that is actually compliant in the vertical bending direction (perpendicular to the disk surface) is located between the mounting plate and the functional end of the load beam. This hinge enables the load beam to be suspended towards the rotating disk surface and load the slider and the read / write head. Thus, the function of the flexure portion is to provide gimbal support for the slider so that the slider can pitch and roll (i.e., be gimbaled) to adjust its orientation.

[0004] Any method that may be described in this section is a method that can be implemented, but not necessarily a method that has been previously envisioned or implemented. Thus, unless otherwise stated, no method described in this section should be considered prior art merely because it is included in this section. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] The embodiments are shown by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and in which:

[0006] Figure 1 is a plan view showing a hard disk drive according to one embodiment;

[0007] Figure 2A is a top view showing a head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment;

[0008] Figure 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a Figure 2A head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment;

[0009] Figure 2C is a perspective view showing a Figure 2A head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment, highlighting potential contact areas;

[0010] Figure 3A is a perspective view showing a head gimbal assembly having a flexure with a slit formed therein according to one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 3B is a side view showing a Figure 3A head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment;

[0012] Figure 4A is a top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface;

[0013] Figure 4B is a first top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiated flexure with a slit formed therein according to one embodiment;

[0014] Figure 4C is a second top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiated flexure with a slit formed therein according to one embodiment;

[0015] Figure 4D is a third top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiated flexure with a slit formed therein according to one embodiment;

[0016] Figure 5 is a top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiated flexure with a slit formed therein according to one embodiment; and

[0017] Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] A method for forming a flexure portion with a gimbal slot in a suspension assembly of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a hard disk drive (HDD) is generally described. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention described herein. However, it will be apparent that embodiments of the invention described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring embodiments of the invention described herein.

[0019] Introduction

[0020] Terms

[0021] References herein to "an embodiment", "one embodiment", etc. are intended to mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. However, instances of such phrases are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0022] The term "substantially" should be understood to describe a feature that is mostly or nearly structured, constructed, dimensioned, etc., but in practice manufacturing tolerances, etc. result in situations where the structure, configuration, dimensions, etc. are not always or necessarily as precise as described. For example, describing a structure as "substantially vertical" will give the term its ordinary meaning such that the sidewall is vertical for all practical purposes, but may not be precisely at 90 degrees throughout.

[0023] Although terms such as "optimal", "optimized", "minimum", "minimized", "maximum", "maximized", etc. may not have certain values associated therewith, if such terms are used herein, it is intended that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such terms will include affecting a value, parameter, measurement, etc. in a beneficial direction consistent with the overall disclosure. For example, describing the value of something as "minimum" does not require that the value actually equal some theoretical minimum (e.g., zero), but should be understood in a practical sense as corresponding to an objective of moving the value in a beneficial direction towards the theoretical minimum.

[0024] Context

[0025] Recall that the function of the flexure is to provide a gimbal support for the slider, enabling the slider to pitch and roll to adjust its orientation. However, due to mechanical tolerances, there are always some variations in the height difference between the HGA and the media load. To achieve stable suspension resonance mode control, it is highly desirable, if not crucial, that the physical boundaries of the gimbal around the welded attachment point are not interfered with or contacted by any features. Any physical contact between the pivot gimbal and the load beam structure around the weld point may cause unstable gimbal resonance mode variations for servo control.

[0026] Figure 2A is a top view showing a head gimbal assembly, Figure 2B is showing Figure 2A a cross-sectional schematic view of the head gimbal assembly, and Figure 2C is showing Figure 2A a perspective view of the head gimbal assembly, highlighting potential contact areas. The head gimbal assembly (HGA) 200 includes a suspension assembly 202, which includes a flexure 202f movably coupled to a load beam 202l. A slider 204 is mounted on the flexure 202f, and when the flexure 202f is firmly coupled to the load beam 2021 via a weld 206, the HGA 200 is designed and configured such that the flexure 202f with the slider 204 gimbals (e.g., pitches and rolls) around a recess (not visible in this view, typically constituting the load beam 2021).

[0027] Figure 2B The cross-sectional view Figure 2B-2B depicts an ideal flat load beam such as 2021 (the "flat LB" depicted by a dashed line), and a more practical load beam such as 2021 in an arched state ("LB arched"), whereby the load beam structure tends to deform (here upward) towards the flexure 202f, which is depicted as having a desired curvature at the position of the T-shaped neck 202f-1 of the flexure. Given the foregoing structural arrangement between the LB arched load beam 2021 and the T-shaped neck 202f-1 of the flexure with the desired curvature, Figures 2B through 2C collectively indicates that the contact point 208 between the two parts 2021, 202f may occur near the T-shaped neck 202f-1. Additionally, Figure 2B is intended to depict a static situation and thus depicts a small gap between the parts at the contact position 208, while such contact points 208 may or actually occur when the flexure 202f ideally gimbals around the load beam 2021 to enable the slider 204 to fly accurately over a disk medium (e.g., see Figure 1 the recording medium 120).

[0028] As mentioned, within an HDD, due to the presence of mechanical tolerances, there is typically some variation in the difference in the HGA-to-media load z-height (e.g., in the direction along the disk stack axis / height). When loaded at different z-heights within the mechanical tolerances of the HDD, contact / interference of the flexure 202f with the load beam 2021 near the rear end of the suspension assembly 202 ( Figures 2A through 2C the merged lip or lifter tab end depicted in Figures 2A through 2C ) should be expected and is likely to cause resonance frequency instability. Any physical contact between the pivot gimbal flexure 202f and the load beam 2021 structure around and / or near the weld 206 may cause an unstable gimbal resonance mode change for servo control. This instability is caused by the pivot flexure structure contacting the load beam outside the weld attachment point, which can occur when the load beam is not formed flat enough to reduce the risk of interference. One such method described above may include using a narrow-width load beam design, but this is impractical for, e.g., a HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording) load beam due to the presence of typical laser diode attachment openings in the load beam. Other methods may involve wider and thus more expensive gimbal flexures, which reduces the dynamic performance. Given the foregoing, designing a gimbal that implements such a pivot slot is challenging, at least in part due to the lower layer load beam width, formed flatness control, and gimbal dynamic performance requirements. Accordingly, there remains a challenge in forming a flexure gimbal / pivot slot with the load beam, specifically around the weld attachment point, to achieve a stable resonance mode over the entire load z-height (e.g., the distance from the slider to the disk media).

[0029] Forming a slotted suspension flexure

[0030] According to an embodiment, local permanent deformation is generated by mechanical flexure forming or by applying laser radiation along the centerline of the flexure such that a slot can be formed between the pivot gimbal flexure of the suspension assembly of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) and the corresponding load beam near the centerline weld attachment point.

[0031] Figure 3A is a perspective view showing a head gimbal assembly having a flexure formed with a slot according to one embodiment, and Figure 3B is showing according to one embodiment Figure 3ASide view of a head gimbal assembly. The head gimbal assembly (HGA) 300 includes a suspension assembly 302, which includes a flexure 302f movably coupled to a load beam 3021, and further includes a slider 304 mounted on the flexure 302f. Here, the flexure 302f is coupled to the load beam 3021 via a centerline weld 306 at a longitudinally distal portion 302f-2 of the flexure 302f, wherein the flexure 302f further includes a gimbal portion 302f-1 in the longitudinally proximal direction (e.g., similar to Figures 2A through 2B the T-shaped neck 202f-1 of the suspension assembly 200), wherein the gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f is formed to be separated from or away from the load beam 3021 in the lateral direction near the centerline weld 306 (e.g., at Figure 2C the region near the contact point 208). Thus, a gap is provided or realized between the pivotal gimbal flexure 302f and the load beam 3021 structure around, near, or close to the weld 306, thereby reducing, minimizing, stabilizing, or eliminating gimbal resonance mode variations that may otherwise occur if the contact or mechanical interference between the pivotal gimbal flexure 302f and the load beam 3021 is not so managed. According to an embodiment, a suspension assembly such as suspension assembly 302 is incorporated into an HGA such as HGA 300, which HGA may be incorporated into a hard disk drive (HDD) such as Figure 1 the HDD 100.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f is formed to be separated from or away from the load beam 3021 in two lateral directions from the centerline weld 306 and is located at a position in the proximal direction away from the centerline weld (see also, for example, Figures 4B through 4D ). For example and as Figures 3A through 3B shown, the entire gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f is formed to be separated from or away from the load beam 3021 by mechanical forming (e.g., bending), such as at a neck portion 302f-3 connecting the distal portion 302f-2 and the gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f. Here, the neck portion 302f-3 may take the form of a "Z" shape or an inclined "L" shape, which connects the upper distal portion 302f-2 welded to the load beam 3021 by the weld 306 and the lower gimbal portion 302f-1 that is bent away. This is best envisioned with reference to Figure 3B the side view.

[0033] Figure 4Ais a top view showing the load beam-flexure mechanical interface. The suspension assembly 402 includes a flexure 402f movably coupled to a load beam 4021, whereby the flexure 402f is rigidly coupled to the load beam 4021 via a centerline weld 406. Here, features marked with like reference numerals are similar in location and function to those shown and described in reference Figures 3A through 3B to those features. For example, the flexure 402f includes a gimbal section 402f-1 that is structurally connected to a distal section 402f-2 via a neck section 402f-3. Figure 4A The suspension assembly 402 of

[0034] represents a reference configuration in which a flexure formed with a slit is not implemented. According to one embodiment, the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam (i.e., separated therefrom) by way of laser irradiation of the flexure rather than by mechanical forming / bending. The laser irradiation applied to the flexure is positioned / placed reasonably to heat the flexure material (usually metal), thereby effecting, facilitating, forcing, applying thermal stress to cause at least a portion of the gimbal section of the flexure to permanently deform in a direction away from the load beam to which the flexure is welded. Generally, and according to one embodiment, the laser irradiation is applied to the flexure around the longitudinal centerline ("CL") of the flexure, which coincides with the location of the corresponding weld point, thus causing at least one section (e.g., the transverse section) to effect or produce the aforementioned thermally generated permanent deformation away from or separated from the load beam.

[0035] Figure 4B is a first top view showing the load beam-flexure mechanical interface with a radiated flexure formed with a slit according to one embodiment. According to this embodiment and as shown, the laser irradiation is applied to the flexure 412f at a plurality of target locations that are substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure 412f of the suspension assembly 412. As depicted, each of a plurality of groups of radiation positions / lines / targets is applied to the gimbal section 412f-1 of the flexure 412f in corresponding groups 412f-1-1, 412f-1-2 on each side of the centerline in a proximal direction away from the distal section 412f-2, the weld 416, and the interconnecting neck section 412f-3 of the flexure 412f. This causes at least a portion of the gimbal section 412f-1, such as the transverse section 412f-1-3, to produce the aforementioned thermally generated deformation away from or separated from the load beam 412l.

[0036] Figure 4CIs a second top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiation-formed slotted flexure according to an embodiment. According to this embodiment and as shown, laser radiation is applied to the flexure 422f at a position coinciding with the centerline of the flexure 422f of the suspension assembly 422. As depicted, each of the plurality of radiation positions / lines / targets is applied to the neck portion 422f-3 of the flexure 422f in a group 422f-3-1 generally and substantially on each side of and above the centerline, in a proximal direction away from the distal portion 422f-2 and the weld 426, and distal to the gimbal portion 422f-1 of the flexure 422f. This causes at least a portion of the gimbal portion 422f-1, such as the lateral portion 422f-1-3, to be displaced away from or separated from the load beam 422l to produce the aforementioned heat-generated deformation.

[0037] Figure 4D Is a third top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface having a radiation-formed slotted flexure according to an embodiment. According to this embodiment and as shown, laser radiation is applied to the flexure 432f at a position coinciding with the centerline of the flexure 432f of the suspension assembly 432 and at multiple sets of target positions that are substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure 432f. Thus and as depicted, each of the plurality of radiation positions / lines / targets in a first group 432f-3-1 is applied to the neck portion 432f-3 of the flexure 432f in a group generally and substantially on each side of and above the centerline, in a proximal direction away from the distal portion 432f-2 and the weld 436, and distal to the gimbal portion 432f-1 of the flexure 432f. Additionally and as depicted, each of the plurality of radiation positions / lines / targets in a second group is applied to the gimbal portion 432f-1 of the flexure 432f in corresponding subgroups 432f-1-1, 432f-1-2 on each side of the centerline, in a proximal direction away from the distal portion 432f-2, the weld 436, and the interconnecting neck portion 432f-3 of the flexure 432f. This causes at least a portion of the gimbal portion 432f-1, such as the lateral portion 432f-1-3, to be displaced away from or separated from the load beam 4321 to produce the aforementioned heat-generated deformation.

[0038] It should be noted that in each corresponding Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C 、 Figure 4DThe number and exact positions of each of the radiation targets (e.g., 412f-1-1, 412f-1-2, 422f-3-1, 432f-1-1, 432f-1-2, 432f-3-1) of the flexures 412f, 422f, 432f depicted in are for illustrative purposes and may vary with a particular implementation in the course of implementation, and are suitable for achieving the goal of deforming the corresponding gimbal portions 412f-1, 422f-1, 432f-1 away from or separately from the corresponding load beams 412l, 422l, 432l.

[0039] In the context of a suspension assembly and according to one embodiment, the flexure is coupled or attached to the corresponding load beam at one or more positions other than the distal centerline positions at the welds 306 ( Figures 3A through 3B ), 406 ( Figure 4A ), 416 ( Figure 4B ), 426 ( Figure 4C ), 436 ( Figure 4D ) depicted elsewhere herein. Thus, the same method of deforming the flexure portion away from or separately from the load beam portion to create a gap or additional gap between the flexure and the load beam near the weld to avoid interference / contact between the parts as described above can be applied to any other flexure-load beam weld attachment location.

[0040] Figure 5 is a top view showing a load beam-flexure mechanical interface with a radiated flexure having a gap formed therein. Similar to the suspension assembly 302 ( Figures 3A through 3B ) of the HGA 300, the suspension assembly 412 ( Figure 4B ), the suspension assembly 422 ( Figure 4C ), and the suspension assembly 432 ( Figure 4D ), Figure 5The suspension assembly 502 of the HGA 500 includes a flexure 502f movably coupled to a load beam 502l via a centerline weld 506 at a longitudinally distal portion 502f-2 of the flexure 502f. Similarly, here the flexure 502f also includes a gimbal portion 502f-1 interconnected along a longitudinally proximal direction via a neck portion 502f-3, wherein at least a portion of the gimbal portion 502f-1 of the flexure 502f is configured to be separated from or move away from the load beam 502l in a lateral direction near the centerline weld 506. In the context of the suspension assembly 502, the flexure 502f is also coupled to the load beam 502l via a pair of lateral welds 507-1, 507-2 at a longitudinally proximal portion 502f-4 of the flexure 502f, and the proximal portion 502f-4 of the flexure 502f is configured to be separated from or move away from the load beam 502l near, adjacent to, or in the vicinity of each of the lateral welds 507-1, 507-2. Thus, according to one embodiment, laser radiation is applied to the flexure 502f at one or more target locations and / or one or more sets of target locations near the lateral welds 507-1, 507-2 on the proximal portion 502f-4 of the flexure 502f of the suspension assembly 502. Note that the aforementioned target and / or target set locations are different from the laser radiation locations 502f-4-1, 502f-4-2, at which radiation may be applied to the proximal portion 502f-4 to form the flexure 502f for the purpose of achieving a slider static attitude (e.g., pitch static attitude (PSA) and / or roll static attitude (RSA)), rather than for forming a gimbal / pivot gap of the flexure to the load beam.

[0041] Method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly

[0042] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly according to one embodiment. According to Figure 6 The head gimbal assembly (HGA) assembled, manufactured, and produced according to the method is designed and configured to be implemented into a hard disk drive (HDD) (see, for example, Figure 1 the HDD 100).

[0043] At block 602, the flexure is welded to the load beam via a centerline weld at a longitudinally distal portion of the flexure, the flexure further including a gimbal portion along a longitudinally proximal direction away from the distal portion, wherein at least a portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure forms a gap with the load beam in a lateral direction (or two lateral directions, i.e., on each side of the centerline) near the centerline weld. For example, the flexure 302f ( Figures 3A through 3B ), 412f ( Figure 4B ), 422f ( Figure 4C ), 432f (Figure 4D )、502f( Figure 5 ) is welded to the load beam 3021 via the center line welding portion 306( Figures 3A through 3B )、416( Figure 4B )、426( Figure 4C )、436( Figure 4D )、506( Figure 5 )。 Figures 3A through 3B )、412l( Figure 4B )、422l( Figure 4C )、432l( Figure 4D )、502l( Figure 5 )。

[0044] As discussed elsewhere herein, with primary reference to Figures 3A through 3B , the gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f can be formed by mechanical forming (e.g., bending) to be away from or separated from the load beam 3021, such as at the neck 302f-3 connecting the distal portion 302f-2 and the gimbal portion 302f-1 of the flexure 302f, whereby the neck portion 302f-3 can be formed in a "Z" shape or an inclined "L" shape, and the neck portion connects the upper distal portion 302f-2 welded to the load beam 302l via the welding portion 306 and the lower gimbal portion 302f-1 that bends away. Thus, according to one embodiment, Figure 6 's method may further include mechanically pre-forming the flexure before welding (block 602) such that the gimbal portion of the flexure bends away from the distal portion of the flexure and thus is finally away from or separated from the load beam at the neck portion of the flexure during assembly. For example, mechanically pre-forming the flexures 302f, 502f such that the gimbal portions 302f-1( Figures 3A through 3B )、502f-1( Figure 5 ) of the corresponding flexures bend away from the distal portions 302f-2( Figures 3A through 3B )、502f-3( Figure 5 ) of the flexures at the neck portions 302f-3( Figures 3A through 3B )、502f-2( Figure 5 ) of the flexures.

[0045] As discussed elsewhere herein, with primary reference to Figures 4A through 4D , at least a portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure can be formed to be away from or separated from the load beam by irradiating the flexure with a laser rather than by mechanical forming / bending (or in addition to mechanical forming / bending). Thus, according to one embodiment, Figure 6The method may further include forming the flexure by laser irradiating the flexure after welding (block 602) so that a lateral portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is spaced apart from the load beam. For example, the gimbal portion 412f-1 ( Figure 4B )、422f-1( Figure 4C )、432f-1( Figure 4D )、502f-1( Figure 5 ) of the lateral portion 412f-1-3 ( Figure 4B )、422f-1-3( Figure 4C )、432f-1-3( Figure 4D ) can be formed away from the load beam 4121 by laser irradiation of the flexure instead of mechanical forming / bending. Figure 4B )、4221( Figure 4C )、4321( Figure 4D )、5021( Figure 5 ) or separated therefrom, whereby the laser radiation applied to the flexure portion heats the flexure material, thereby causing permanent deformation of the gimbal portion of the flexure in a direction away from the load beam, thereby creating a gap. Thus, forming a flexure by this method may include (i) applying laser radiation to a plurality of adjacent radiation targets, including targets on each side of the centerline of the flexure (see, e.g. Figures 4B through 4D ), and / or (ii) applying laser radiation to a plurality of radiation targets, including targets at the gimbal location substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure (see, e.g. Figure 4B , Figure 4D ).

[0046] In view of the embodiments described herein, a gap is formed between a pivoting gimbal flexure and a corresponding load beam of a suspension assembly of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) near a centerline weld attachment point by mechanical flexure shaping or application of laser radiation at least along the centerline of the flexure to produce a localized permanent deformation. Thus, interference is avoided by the gap between the parts, thereby achieving a stable suspension resonant mode frequency throughout the expected load z-height variation.

[0047] Physical description of an exemplary operating context

[0048] Embodiments may be used in the context of a digital data storage device (DSD) such as a hard disk drive (HDD). Thus, according to one embodiment, Figure 1 A plan view illustrating a conventional HDD 100 is shown to help describe how a conventional HDD generally operates.

[0049] Figure 1Shows the functional arrangement of the components of the HDD 100 including the slider 110b, which includes the magnetic read / write head 110a. The slider 110b and the head 110a may be collectively referred to as the head slider. The HDD 100 includes at least one head gimbal assembly (HGA) 110 having a head slider, a lead suspension 110c typically attached to the head slider via a flexure, and a load beam 110d attached to the lead suspension 110c. The HDD 100 also includes at least one recording medium 120 rotatably mounted on a spindle 124 and a drive motor (not visible) attached to the spindle 124 for rotating the medium 120. The read / write head 110a (which may also be referred to as a transducer) includes a write element and a read element for writing and reading information stored on the medium 120 of the HDD 100, respectively. The medium 120 or multiple disk media can be attached to the spindle 124 using a disk clamp 128.

[0050] The HDD 100 also includes an arm 132, a carriage 134, and a voice coil motor (VCM) attached to the HGA 110. The VCM includes an armature 136 having a voice coil 140 attached to the carriage 134 and a stator 144 including a voice coil magnet (not visible). The armature 136 of the VCM is attached to the carriage 134 and is configured to move the arm 132 and the HGA 110 to access portions of the medium 120, and they are jointly mounted on a pivot shaft 148 having an interposed pivot bearing assembly 152. In the case of an HDD having multiple disks, the carriage 134 may be referred to as an "E-block" or a comb, because the carriage is arranged to carry an array of linked arms, giving it the appearance of a comb.

[0051] A component including a head gimbal assembly (e.g., HGA 110) having a flexure to which a head slider is coupled, an actuator arm (e.g., arm 132) to which the flexure is coupled, and / or a load beam, and an actuator (e.g., VCM) to which the actuator arm is coupled may be collectively referred to as a head stack assembly (HSA). However, an HSA may include more or fewer components than those described. For example, an HSA may refer to a component that also includes electrical interconnect components. Generally speaking, an HSA is a component configured to move a head slider to access portions of the medium 120 for read and write operations.

[0052] Further reference Figure 1, electrical signals including write signals to the head 110a and read signals from the head (e.g., current to the voice coil 140 of the VCM) are transmitted by a flexible cable assembly (FCA) 156 (or "flexible cable", or "flexible printed circuit" (FPC)). The interconnect between the flexible cable 156 and the head 110a may include an arm electronics (AE) module 160, which may have an on-board preamplifier for the read signal and other read and write channel electronics. The AE module 160 may be attached to the sled 134 as shown. The flexible cable 156 may be coupled to an electrical connector block 164, which provides electrical connectivity in some configurations through a feedthrough provided by the HDD enclosure 168. The HDD enclosure 168 (or "housing base" or "substrate" or simply "base") together with the HDD cover provides a semi-sealed (or in some configurations, airtight) protective housing for the information storage components of the HDD 100.

[0053] Other electronics, including the disk controller and servo electronics including a digital signal processor (DSP), provide electrical signals to the drive motor, the voice coil 140 of the VCM, and the head 110a of the HGA 110. The electrical signal provided to the drive motor causes the drive motor to rotate, thereby providing torque to the spindle 124, which in turn is transmitted to the medium 120 attached to the spindle 124. Thus, the medium 120 rotates in the direction 172. The rotating medium 120 forms an air cushion that acts as an air bearing on which the slider 110b rides, such that the slider 110b flies above the surface of the medium 120 without contacting the thin magnetic recording layer on which information is recorded. Similarly, in an HDD that uses a lighter-than-air gas such as helium for non-limiting example, the rotating medium 120 forms an air cushion that acts as a gas or fluid bearing on which the slider 110b rides.

[0054] The electrical signal supplied to the voice coil 140 of the VCM enables the head 110a of the HGA 110 to access the track 176 on which information is recorded. Accordingly, the armature 136 of the VCM swings through an arc 180, which enables the head 110a of the HGA 110 to access the respective tracks on the medium 120. The information is stored in a plurality of radially nested tracks on the medium 120, which are arranged in sectors (such as sector 184) on the medium 120. Correspondingly, each track is composed of a plurality of sectorized track portions (or "track sectors") such as sectorized track portion 188. Each sectorized track portion 188 may include recorded information and a data header that contains error correction code information and a servo burst signal pattern, such as an ABCD-servo burst signal pattern (which is information identifying the track 176). When accessing the track 176, the read element of the head 110a of the HGA 110 reads the servo burst signal pattern, which provides a position error signal (PES) to the servo electronics, which controls the electrical signal supplied to the voice coil 140 of the VCM, thereby enabling the head 110a to follow the track 176. When the track 176 is found and a specific sectorized track portion 188 is identified, the head 110a reads information from the track 176 or writes information to the track 176 according to instructions received from an external agent (such as the microprocessor of a computer system) by the disk controller.

[0055] The electronic architecture of the HDD includes a plurality of electronic components for performing its respective HDD operation functions, such as a hard disk controller ("HDC"), an interface controller, an arm electronics module, a data channel, a motor driver, a servo processor, a buffer memory, etc. Two or more such components may be combined on a single integrated circuit board called a "system on a chip" ("SOC"). Several of such electronic components (if not all) are typically arranged on a printed circuit board that is coupled to the bottom side of the HDD, such as coupled to the HDD housing 168. According to one embodiment, the electronic components include a NAND flash memory 190 component or circuit. The NAND flash memory 190 may be configured to store multiple bits within a single NAND cell. A single-level cell (SLC) stores one bit / cell, while a three-level cell (TLC) can store 3 bits / cell. Compared with TLC, SLC provides higher performance, higher programming-erase (P / E) cycles, and higher data retention margins, which enables 3 times the storage in the same footprint as SLC. The application of this NAND technology enables SLC for write-intensive operations and TLC and above for read-intensive operations to be enabled in the same device.

[0056] This document refers to hard disk drives, such as referring to Figure 1The HDD 100 shown and described above may include an information storage device sometimes referred to as a "hybrid drive". A hybrid drive generally refers to a storage device having the functions of a conventional HDD (see, e.g., HDD 100) combined with a solid-state storage device (SSD) that uses non-volatile memory such as flash memory or other solid-state (e.g., integrated circuit) memory, which is electrically erasable and programmable. Since the operation, management, and control of different types of storage media are generally different, the solid-state portion of the hybrid drive may include its own corresponding controller functions, which may be integrated with the HDD functions into a single controller. The hybrid drive can be constructed and configured to operate and utilize the solid-state portion in various ways, such as, by way of non-limiting example, using the solid-state memory as a cache memory for storing frequently accessed data, for storing I / O-intensive data, etc. Additionally, the hybrid drive can be constructed and configured to operate essentially as two storage devices in a single housing, namely a conventional HDD and an SSD, having one or more interfaces for host connection.

[0057] Extensions and alternatives

[0058] In the foregoing description, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details, which may vary depending on the specific implementation. Accordingly, various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the embodiments. Thus, the present invention, and the applicant's intent to be the sole and exclusive indicator of the present invention, is a set of claims presented in this patent application in its specific form, including any subsequent corrections. Any definitions expressly set forth herein of terms contained in these claims shall govern the meaning of such terms as used in the claims. Accordingly, limitations, elements, characteristics, features, advantages, or attributes not expressly recited in the claims should in no way limit the scope of such claims. Thus, this specification and the drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

[0059] Furthermore, in this description, certain process steps may be shown in a particular order, and alphabetic and alphanumeric labels may be used to identify certain steps. Unless expressly stated in the specification, embodiments are not necessarily limited to any particular order of performing such steps. Specifically, these labels are only used for convenience in identifying the steps and are not intended to specify or require a particular order of performing such steps.

Claims

1. A hard disk drive (HDD) suspension assembly, the hard disk drive (HDD) suspension assembly comprising: A load beam; And A flexure, the flexure being coupled to the load beam via a centerline weld at a longitudinally distal portion of the flexure, the flexure including a gimbal portion along a longitudinally proximal direction, wherein at least a portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam in a lateral direction near the centerline weld.

2. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam in two lateral directions from the centerline weld and is located at a position along the proximal direction away from the centerline weld.

3. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam by mechanical forming.

4. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam by laser irradiating the flexure.

5. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 4, wherein, The laser irradiation is applied to the flexure at a position coinciding with the centerline of the flexure.

6. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 5, wherein, The laser irradiation is also applied to the flexure at a plurality of positions substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure.

7. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 4, wherein, The laser irradiation is applied to the flexure at a plurality of positions substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure.

8. The HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The flexure is further coupled to the load beam via a pair of lateral welds at a longitudinally proximal portion of the flexure; and The proximal portion of the flexure is formed to be away from the load beam near each of the lateral welds.

9. A head gimbal assembly (HGA), the head gimbal assembly (HGA) comprising the HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1.

10. A hard disk drive, the hard disk drive comprising the HDD suspension assembly according to claim 1.

11. A hard disk drive (HDD), the hard disk drive (HDD) comprising: A plurality of recording disk media rotatably mounted on a spindle; A head slider housing a read / write transducer configured to read from and write to a recording disk medium among the plurality of recording disk media; Means for moving the head slider to access a portion of the recording disk medium; And A head gimbal assembly (HGA) coupled to the means for moving, the HGA comprising: A load beam; and A flexure, the flexure being coupled to the load beam via a centerline weld at a longitudinally distal portion of the flexure, the flexure including a gimbal portion along a longitudinally proximal direction, wherein at least a portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to be separated from the load beam in a lateral direction near the centerline weld.

12. The HDD according to claim 11, wherein, A portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to extend away from the load beam in two transverse directions from the centerline weld portion and is located at a position along the proximal direction away from the centerline weld portion.

13. The HDD according to claim 11, wherein: The flexure is also coupled to the load beam via a pair of transverse welds at a longitudinal proximal portion of the flexure; and The proximal portion of the flexure is formed to extend away from the load beam near each of the transverse welds.

14. A method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly (HGA), the method comprising: Welding the flexure to the load beam via a centerline weld at a longitudinal distal portion of the flexure, the flexure including a gimbal portion along a longitudinal proximal direction away from the distal portion, wherein at least a portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure forms a gap with the load beam in a transverse direction near the centerline weld.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, A portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is formed to extend away from the load beam in two transverse directions from the centerline weld portion and is located at a position along the proximal direction away from the centerline weld portion.

16. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising: Mechanically preforming the flexure before the welding such that the gimbal portion of the flexure bends away from the distal portion of the flexure at a neck portion of the flexure.

17. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising: After the welding, forming the flexure by laser irradiating the flexure such that a transverse portion of the gimbal portion of the flexure is spaced apart from the load beam.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, Forming the flexure includes applying the laser irradiation to a set of a plurality of adjacent irradiation targets, the set of a plurality of adjacent irradiation targets including targets located on each side of the centerline of the flexure.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, Forming the flexure further includes applying the laser irradiation to a second set of a plurality of irradiation targets, the second set of a plurality of irradiation targets including targets located on the gimbal portion and substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein Forming the flexure includes applying the laser irradiation to a set of a plurality of irradiation targets, the set of a plurality of irradiation targets including targets located on the gimbal portion and substantially equidistant from the centerline of the flexure.

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