Load beams of different thicknesses for magnetic storage devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for reducing the spacing between disks while maintaining separation between the flexure of a suspension assembly and magnetic storage disks, and a method for manufacturing a suspension assembly for a magnetic storage system and a magnetic storage device. [Solution] In the head stack assembly 107, the carriage 103 includes a plurality of carriage arms 105 and at least one head gimbal assembly 109 coupled to their distal ends. Each head gimbal assembly includes a suspension assembly 135 and a slider 142. The suspension assembly includes a load beam 196 and a flexure 140. The load beam includes a flexure side, a base plate side 192 facing the flexure side, and a recess 111 formed within the flexure side. The flexure is attached to the flexure side of the load beam at least partially within the recess.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to magnetic storage devices, and more specifically to load beams having different thicknesses.

Background Art

[0002] Magnetic storage devices such as hard disk drives ("HDDs") are widely used to store digital data or electronic information such as corporate data processing systems, computer workstations, portable computing devices, digital audio players, digital video players, etc. Generally, an HDD includes a read / write head that helps facilitate data storage on a magnetic disk. Each read / write head is supported on a suspension assembly. Some HDDs include a suspension assembly with a flexure.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] There is a need for a magnetic storage device and a method of manufacturing the same that helps maintain the separation between the flexure of the suspension assembly of the magnetic storage device and the magnetic storage disk while reducing the spacing between the disks of the magnetic storage device. The subject matter of the present application has been developed in response to the current state of magnetic storage devices and, in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art as set forth above that have not yet been fully solved by currently available magnetic storage devices. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0004] The following is a non-exhaustive list of embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, which may or may not be claimed.

[0005] This specification discloses a suspension assembly for a magnetic storage device. The suspension assembly includes a load beam and a flexure. The load beam includes a flexure side, a base plate side facing the flexure side, and a recess formed within the flexure side. The flexure is attached to the flexure side of the load beam at least partially within the recess. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0006] The suspension assembly further includes a base plate attached to the base plate side of the load beam. The load beam further includes a distal end, a proximal end, and a hinge between the distal end and the proximal end. The proximal end is attached to the base plate. The hinge is inserted between the distal end and the base plate, and the load beam is configured to flex around the hinge so that the distal end moves relative to the base plate. The subject matter described herein further includes Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Embodiment 1 above.

[0007] The recess is located at least partially at the proximal end of the load beam. The subject matter described above in this paragraph is characterized by Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Embodiment 2.

[0008] The maximum width of the flexure is greater than the width of the recess. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Embodiments 2 to 3 above.

[0009] A portion of the recess at the proximal end is larger than any portion of the recess at the distal end. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Example 5 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Examples 2 to 4 above.

[0010] The suspension assembly further includes two actuators coupled to a base plate and configured to move the load beam. The recess is located between the two actuators. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Embodiments 2 to 5 above.

[0011] A bifurcation plane passing through the center of the suspension assembly divides the recess into two equal halves. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 6 above.

[0012] The recess is configured to receive the flexure such that the substrate of the flexure fills only a portion of the recess. The subject matter described above in this paragraph is characterized by Example 8 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Examples 1 to 7 above.

[0013] The recess is configured such that it faces the first flexure side of the flexure when the recess receives the flexure. The load beam further includes a non-recessed portion located immediately adjacent to the recess. When the flexure is received by the recess, the ratio of the distance between the base plate side and the second flexure side facing the first flexure side to the thickness of the non-recessed portion is 1.3 to 1.9, and includes 1.3 and 1.9. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 9 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 8 above.

[0014] The maximum width of a portion of the flexure within the recess is narrower than the width of the recess. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Example 10 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Examples 1 to 9 above.

[0015] The load beam further includes a non-recessed portion located immediately adjacent to the recess, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the non-recessed portion to the thickness of the portion of the load beam in which the recess is formed is 1.7 or greater. The subject matter described herein is characterized by an embodiment 11 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of embodiments 1 to 10 above.

[0016] This ratio is 10 or less. The subject matter described above in this paragraph is characterized by Example 12 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Example 11.

[0017] In a virtual plane substantially perpendicular to the length of the load beam, the width of the recess is narrower than the width of the load beam in the virtual plane. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Example 13 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of Examples 1 to 12 above.

[0018] The flexure comprises multiple layers. The depth of the recess is greater than or equal to the thickness of the substrate layers of the multiple layers. The subject matter described above in this paragraph is characterized by Example 14 of the present disclosure, which also comprises the subject matter described in any one of Examples 1 to 13 above.

[0019] The multiple layers further include a dielectric layer attached to a substrate layer, the substrate layer being held in recesses, and the dielectric layer not being held in recesses. The subject matter described above in this paragraph is characterized by Example 15 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Example 14 above.

[0020] This specification further discloses a magnetic storage system comprising a large number of disks and a carriage. The carriage comprises a base plate and the magnetic storage system. The base plate comprises a flexure side, a base plate side opposite to the flexure side, a recess formed on the flexure side, a distal end, and a hinge. The hinge is inserted between the distal end and the base plate and is configured to flex so that the distal end moves relative to the base plate. The carriage also includes a flexure, at least partially attached to the flexure side of a load beam within the recess. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 16 of this disclosure.

[0021] The hinge is biased toward the surface of at least one disk of a stack of disks so that the distal end head can read data to and / or write data to at least one disk. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Embodiment 17 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Embodiment 16 above.

[0022] The load beam includes a first load beam. The base plate includes a first base plate. The recess includes a first recess. The carriage further includes a second load beam, a second base plate, and a second recess formed within the second load beam. The second recess faces away from the first recess. The subject matter described herein is characterized by an embodiment 18 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in any one of embodiments 16-17 above.

[0023] In addition, this specification discloses a method for manufacturing a suspension assembly for a magnetic storage device. This method includes mounting a flexure to means for at least partially fitting the flexure onto a load beam, which is located on the flexure side of the load beam. The flexure side faces the base plate side of the load beam. The aforementioned subject matter of this paragraph is characterized by Embodiment 19 of this disclosure.

[0024] Means for at least partially fitting a flexure into a load beam include a recess on the flexure side of the load beam. This method further includes forming a recess in the flexure side by removing material from the load beam to form the recess such that the ratio of the thickness of the non-recessed portion of the load beam immediately adjacent to the recess to the depth of the recess is 1 to 2.3, and includes 1 and 2.3. The subject matter described herein is characterized by Example 20 of the present disclosure, which also includes the subject matter described in Example 19 above.

[0025] The described features, structures, advantages, and / or characteristics of the subject matter of the present disclosure can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and / or implementations. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure. A person skilled in the art will understand that the subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented without one or more of the specific features, details, components, materials, and / or methods of a particular embodiment or implementation. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain specific embodiments and / or implementations that may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. Further, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the subject matter of the present disclosure. The features and advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and the appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the subject matter as described below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] To facilitate an easy understanding of the advantages of the present disclosure, a more specific description of the present disclosure briefly described above will be provided by referring to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and thus are not to be considered as limiting its scope. By using the accompanying drawings, the subject matter of this application will be described and explained more specifically and in detail. In these drawings, [Figure 1] It is a schematic perspective view of a magnetic storage device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a side elevation view of a head stack assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] It is a bottom view of a suspension assembly of a magnetic storage device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and a detailed view of a recess of a load beam of the suspension assembly. [Figure 3B]A cross-sectional side elevation view of a suspension assembly of a magnetic storage device taken along plane A-A of FIG. 3A, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] A flowchart of a method of manufacturing a suspension assembly of a magnetic storage device, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Throughout this specification, when referring to "one example", "an example", or similar language, it means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to that example are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Although expressions such as "in one example" and "in an example" may appear throughout this specification, they do not necessarily all refer to the same example. Similarly, the use of the term "implementation" means an implementation having specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. However, unless there is an explicit correlation indicating otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more embodiments.

[0028] Referring to Figure 1, a magnetic storage device 100 according to one embodiment is depicted as a hard disk drive (HDD). However, in other embodiments, the magnetic storage device 100 may be any of the various magnetic storage devices without departing from the essence of the subject matter of this disclosure. The magnetic storage device 100 includes a housing 102 that seals or encloses an internal cavity 114 defined within the housing. The housing 102 includes a base 130 and a cover 132 (shown with dashed lines so as not to obscure the internal shape of the magnetic storage device 100 within the internal cavity 114 of the housing 102). The cover 132 is coupled to the base 130 so as to enclose the internal cavity 114 from the environment outside the housing 102. In some implementations, a seal or gasket is positioned between the base 130 and the cover 132 to facilitate sealing between the base 130 and the cover 132. In some embodiments, the base 130 is manufactured from a metallic material such as stainless steel.

[0029] The magnetic storage device 100 includes various shaped parts located within the internal cavity 114 of the housing 102. In some embodiments, the magnetic storage device 100 includes a carriage 103, a disk 115, a spindle motor 121, and a voice coil motor (VCM) 125 within the internal cavity 114.

[0030] The spindle motor 121 is coupled to the base 130. In general, the spindle motor 121 includes a stationary part fixed to the base 130 in a non-movable manner, and a spindle that is rotatable relative to the stationary part and the base 130. Thus, the spindle of the spindle motor 121 can be considered as part of the spindle motor or integrated with it. Generally, the spindle motor 121 is operable to rotate the spindle relative to the base 130. The disks 115 or platters are fixed to the spindle of the spindle motor 121 via their respective hubs 122 so as to be co-rotatable with the spindle, and these hubs are fixed to the respective disks 115 and the spindle so as to be co-rotatable with the spindle. When the spindle of the spindle motor 121 rotates, the disks 115 also rotate in correspondence. In this way, the spindle of the spindle motor 121 defines the axis of rotation for each disk 115. The spindle motor 121 can be operably controlled to rotate the disk 115 in the rotational direction 190 by a controlled amount at a controlled speed. Although the magnetic storage device 100 is shown to have one spindle motor 121 and one VCM 125, in other embodiments the magnetic storage device 100 may have any number of spindle motors 121 and VCM 125.

[0031] Each of the disks 115 may be one of various types of magnetic recording media. Generally, in one embodiment, each disk 115 includes a substrate and a magnetic material coated directly or indirectly on the substrate. For example, the magnetic material of the disk 115 may be a conventional granular magnetic recording disk or wafer having magnetic layer bits containing a plurality of magnetic grains in each bit. In a granular magnetic medium, all bits are on the same plane, and the read / write surface 116 of the disk is substantially smooth and continuous. In one embodiment, each bit has a magnetic dipole moment which may be either in-plane (longitudinal) or out-of-plane (perpendicular) orientation.

[0032] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, when the disk 115 rotates in read / write mode, the VCM 125 electromagnetically engages with the voice coil of the carriage arm 105, causing the carriage arm 105 and the head gimbal assembly 109 coupled to it to rotate relative to the disk 115 in a rotational direction along a plane parallel to the read / write surface 116 of the disk 115. The carriage arm 105 can be rotated to position the read / write head 134 of the head gimbal assembly 109 across a specified radial area of ​​the corresponding read / write surface 116 of the disk 115 for read and / or write operations. The VCM 125 is fixed to the base 130 by engaging with the voice coil of the carriage arm 105, which is rotatably coupled to the base 130 via a spindle 127 that passes through the carriage 103. Generally, the spindle 127 defines the axis of rotation, which is the center of rotation of the carriage arm 105 when driven by the VCM 125.

[0033] The carriage arms 105 are fixed non-movably to the base of the carriage 103 (for example, integrally formed as a single-element monolithic body) and extend away from the base of the carriage in a manner that is spaced apart from each other. In some implementations, the carriage arms 105 are spaced equidistant from each other and extend parallel to each other. One of each disk 115 is positioned between adjacent carriage arms 105. In idle mode (for example, when no read / write operations are being performed), the VCM 125 is driven to rotate the carriage arms 105 radially outward relative to the disks 115, thereby placing or unloading the head gimbal assembly 109 onto the ramp support 117 fixed to the base 130.

[0034] Referring to Figure 2, the head stack assembly 107 includes a carriage 103, which includes a plurality of carriage arms 105 and at least one head gimbal assembly 109 (e.g., suspension) coupled to the distal end of each of the plurality of carriage arms 105. Each head gimbal assembly 109 includes a suspension assembly 135 and a slider 142. The slider 142 includes at least one read / write head 134 coupled to (e.g., embedded in) the housing of the slider 142. The magnetic storage device 100 in Figure 1 is shown to have five carriage arms 105 and four disks 115, while Figure 2 shows only one carriage arm 105 and two disks 115. In other embodiments, the magnetic storage device 100 may have fewer or more carriage arms 105 or fewer or more disks 115. In one embodiment, each side of each carriage arm 105 facing the disk 115 has a head gimbal assembly 109 (for example, each of the bottom and top carriage arms 105 may have one head gimbal assembly 109, and referring to Figure 2, each of the intermediate carriage arms 105 between the bottom and top carriage arms 105 may have two head gimbal assemblies 109).

[0035] The read / write head 134 of the slider 142 includes at least one read transducer and at least one write transducer. The read transducer is configured to detect the magnetic properties (e.g., magnetic bit pattern) of the disk 115 and convert the magnetic properties into electrical signals. The write transducer, in turn, changes the magnetic properties of the disk 115 in response to the electrical signals. For each head gimbal assembly 109, electrical signals are transmitted to and from the read / write head via electrical traces or wires formed within or coupled to the slider 142 and the flexure 140. The electrical traces of the slider 142 and the flexure 140 are electrically interconnected to facilitate the transmission of electrical signals between the read / write head and the flex connector 104 of the magnetic storage device 100, and communicate with the control module of the magnetic storage device 100 (see, for example, Figure 1). The control module is configured to process electrical signals and facilitate the communication of electrical signals between the magnetic storage device 100 and one or more external computing devices. Generally, the control module includes software, firmware, and / or hardware used to control the operation of various components of the magnetic memory device 100. The control module may include a printed circuit board on which the hardware is mounted on top or inside. Solder welding is used to electrically connect the slider 142 and the corresponding electrical contact pads (and corresponding electrical traces) of the flexure 140.

[0036] Figure 2 is a side elevation view of one embodiment of the head stack assembly 107. The head stack assembly 107 in Figure 2 includes a carriage arm 105 and two head gimbal assemblies 109 coupled to the carriage arm 105. Part of the carriage arm 105 is positioned between two disks 115. Although only one carriage arm 105 is shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments the head stack assembly 107 includes multiple carriage arms 105. As described above, each head gimbal assembly 109 includes a suspension assembly 135 and a slider 142, the slider having a read / write head 134 configured to read data to and / or write data to one of the disks 115.

[0037] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the suspension assembly 135 includes a base plate 192 and a load beam 196, the side views of which are shown in Figure 2 and the bottom views in Figure 3A. The base plate 192 spans between the distal end of the carriage arm 105 and the proximal end of the load beam 196 and is coupled to them. The load beam 196 bends relative to the base plate 192 of the suspension assembly 135 via a hinge 141 of the load beam 196. The hinge 141 biases the load beam 196 toward a corresponding read / write surface 116 of the disk 115 so that a read / write head 134 of the suspension assembly 135 can read data to and / or write data to one of the corresponding disks 115. In some embodiments, the read / write head 134 floats above the read / write surface 116 as the disk 115 rotates relative to the read / write head 134.

[0038] In some embodiments, the load beam 196 is made of a resilient, flexible material such as a metallic material. When bent, the hinge 141 acts as a spring, generating a force (referred to herein as the “gram load”) that biases the head 134 of the load beam 196 toward the read / write surface 116 to a position where the levitation height between the read / write surface 116 and the read / write head 134 is minimized. This is achieved, for example, by forced air or another gas (e.g., helium). The gap between the read / write head 134 and the disk 115 is sometimes referred to herein as the “levitation height” or “floating height”. It is often desirable to minimize and / or stabilize this gap in order to maximize the signal quality of the data transmitted between the disk 115 and the read / write head 134. In some embodiments, the levitation height is approximately 5 nanometers ("nm") or less. However, the examples of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0039] The suspension assembly 135 also includes a flexure 140 extending along the underside of the base plate 192 and the load beam 196. The flexure 140 includes a portion that extends (e.g., transversely) across the hinge 141. As used herein, the term “underside” refers to either side of the base plate 192 and / or the load beam 196 facing the read / write surface 116, which is biased to move the corresponding read / write head 134.

[0040] Referring again to Figure 2, reducing the distance d3 between disks 115 allows the magnetic storage device 100 to accommodate a greater number of disks 115 (see, for example, Figure 2). Reducing the distance d3 while maintaining the suspension and disk-to-disk height d4 between the flexure 140 and the disks 115, if possible, helps maintain performance while creating space for more disks 115 in the magnetic storage device 100, and further improves design and component flexibility. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure include a load beam 196 having a recess 111 configured to help maintain the suspension and disk-to-disk space d4 while reducing the distance d3 between disks 115 by accepting a portion of the flexure 140.

[0041] Figure 3A is a bottom view of a suspension assembly 135 of a magnetic storage device 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 2 and 3A-3B, the load beam 196 includes a flexure side 101 and a base plate side 106 facing the flexure side 101. The suspension assembly 135 also includes a flexure 140, which is at least partially attached to the flexure side 101 of the load beam 196 within a recess 111.

[0042] The base plate 192 of the suspension assembly 135 is attached to the base plate side 106 of the load beam 196. The load beam 196 includes a distal end 133 and a proximal end 119. The proximal end 119 is attached to the base plate 192. In some embodiments, the distal end 133 is not attached to the base plate 192. A hinge 141 is inserted between the distal end 133 and the base plate 192, so that the proximal end 119 faces the distal end 133 relative to the hinge 141. The load beam 196 is configured to flex about the hinge 141 so that the distal end 133 can move relative to the base plate 192. Referring to, for example, Figures 2 and 3A, the load beam 196 is configured to flex about the hinge 141 so that the distal end 133 is biased toward the read / write surface 116 of the disk 115.

[0043] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a suspension assembly 135 along the virtual plane "A" shown in Figure 3A, relating to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 3A and 3B, the recess 111 of the load beam 196 is formed on the flexure side 101 of the load beam 196. The recess 111 can accommodate at least a portion of the flexure 140. Referring to Figure 2, the recess 111 allows for a reduction in the distance d3 between the discs 115 while maintaining the suspension-disc space d4 between the flexure 140 and the discs 115, by at least partially accommodating the flexure 140 therein.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3B, the recess 111 defines the recess 108 of the load beam 196. The recess 111 is located at least partially at the proximal end 119 of the load beam 196. In some embodiments, the recess 111 is mostly located at the proximal end 119 of the load beam 196. In some embodiments, a portion of the area of ​​the recess 111 on the proximal end 119 is larger than any portion of the area of ​​the recess 111 on the distal end 133. In other embodiments, the entire recess 111 is located at the proximal end 119.

[0045] Referring to Figure 3A, in some embodiments, the recess 111 includes a gap 144 and at least partially overlaps a gap plane "C" that is substantially perpendicular to the branch plane "B". In some embodiments, the first portion 113 of the recess 111 is located opposite the second portion 118, and the gap plane "C" substantially separates the first portion 113 from the second portion 118. The branch plane "B" divides the load beam 196 into two equal halves in a direction substantially parallel to the length L1 of the load beam 196. The gap plane "C" is also substantially perpendicular to the length L1 of the load beam 196. The first portion 113 and the second portion 118 form a continuous recess 111. In some embodiments, both the first portion 113 and the second portion 118 are located at the proximal end 119 of the load beam 196. In this embodiment, the distal end 133 flexes relative to the proximal end 119 around the hinge 141, so the first portion 113 does not flex relative to the second portion 118. As can be seen in Figure 3A, in some embodiments, the area of ​​the first portion 113 is smaller than the area of ​​the second portion 118.

[0046] Referring again to Figure 3B, in some embodiments, the recess 111 is substantially centered relative to the load beam 196. For example, as seen in Figure 3B, a bifurcation plane "B" passing through the center of the suspension assembly 135 divides the recess 111 into two equal halves. In various embodiments, plane "B" is substantially perpendicular to the hinge 141 and / or substantially parallel to the length L1 of the load beam 196.

[0047] In some implementations, the head gimbal assembly 109 includes an actuator 120 that is selectively operable to move (e.g., pivot) the read / write head 134 relative to the base plate 192 at a position related to where a portion of the flexure 140 intersects with the hinge 141. Referring to Figure 3A, the suspension assembly 135 includes at least two actuators 120. The actuators 120 may be, for example, piezoelectric ("PZT") actuators. The actuators 120 are mounted on the load beam 196 and the base plate 192 and are configured to move the load beam 196 relative to the base plate 192. For example, the actuator 120 is configured to pivot the distal end 133 of the load beam 196 relative to the base plate 192 around an axis (extending within the page of Figure 3A), thereby rotating the read / write head 134 left or right (relative to the page of Figure 3A). As can be seen in Figure 3A, the actuator 120 is electrically connected to the flexure 140.

[0048] Referring to Figures 3A-3B, when the load beam 196 is attached to the base plate 192, the recess 111 is located between the two actuators 120. For example, on the load beam 196, the recess 111 is located between the two actuator openings 138 at the proximal end 119 of the load beam 196. The actuator openings 138 are configured to receive the actuators 120 attached to the base plate 192 when the load beam 196 is attached to the base plate 192. In some embodiments, the entire recess 111 is located between the two actuators 120, that is, the recess 111 does not overlap with either of the actuators 120 in any plane parallel to plane "B".

[0049] In some embodiments, the flexure 140 is a multilayer flexure. As used herein, the term “layer” may be used to describe multiple consecutive or non-consecutive layers. Referring to Figure 3B, the layers of the flexure 140 include, for example, a substrate layer 128, a first dielectric layer 129, a third layer 131, and a second dielectric layer 136, arranged in a lamination formation. The first dielectric layer 129 may be inserted between the substrate layer 128 and the third layer 131 and / or the second dielectric layer 136.

[0050] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 128 is formed directly on the load beam 196. Similar to the load beam 196, the substrate layer 128 is often made of stainless steel or other similar material and has a greater thickness than the other layers of the multilayer flexure 140. In some embodiments, the substrate layer 128 is made of a metallic material. According to some embodiments, the substrate layer 128 has a thickness of about 20 micrometers ("μm") (t3, as shown in Figure 3B). The substrate layer 128 can have a thickness t3 of 15 μm to 25 μm, including 15 μm and 25 μm, such as about 18 μm. In some embodiments, the substrate layer 128 is attached to the load beam 196, and the entire flexure 140 is attached to the load beam. That is, the substrate layer 128 is in contact with and directly adjacent to the load beam 196.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3B, a portion of the flexure 140 received by the recess 111 includes at least the substrate layer 128 of the flexure 140. In some embodiments, the substrate layer 128 is the only layer of the flexure 140 in the recess 111. In some embodiments, a portion of the flexure 140 (e.g., the substrate layer 128) received by the recess 111 does not completely fill the recess 111, thereby defining a gap within the recess 111 adjacent to the flexure 140. According to a particular embodiment, the substrate layer 128 has a width w4 that is smaller than the maximum width w1 of the flexure 140. Other layers of the flexure 140 (e.g., the first dielectric layer 129) can be wider than the substrate layer 128. In some embodiments, the recess 111 has a width w2 that is at least the same as, or wider than, the width w4 of, the substrate layer 128, so that the recess 111 can receive the substrate layer 128. In some embodiments, the width w2 of the recess can be made wider than the maximum width w1 of the flexure 140, while in other embodiments, it can be made narrower than the maximum width w1.

[0052] As shown in Figure 3B, the substrate layer 128 can fit completely into the recess 111 along the virtual plane "A". In some embodiments, the thickness t3 of the substrate layer is less than or equal to the depth d2 of the recess 111. The depth d2 of the recess 111 is the depth relative to the flexure side 101 in the non-recessed portion 124. The substrate layer 128 is mounted on the load beam 196 on the flexure side 101 and on the inner surface or base surface of the recess 111, thereby allowing the substrate layer 128 to be received within the recess 111. Referring to Figure 3B, in various embodiments, the substrate layer 128 is substantially central with respect to the recess 111. In some embodiments, plane "B" divides both the recess 111 and the substrate layer 128 into equal halves.

[0053] The recess 111 faces the first flexure side 123 of the flexure 140 when the recess 111 receives the flexure 140. The first flexure side 123 includes the side of the substrate layer 128 opposite to the side of the substrate layer 128 on which the first dielectric layer 129 is formed. In plane "A", as seen in Figure 3B, the substrate layer 128 of the flexure 140 is the only layer of the flexure 140 that is directly attached to the road beam 196.

[0054] The flexure 140 includes a second flexure side 126 facing the first flexure side 123. The second flexure side 126 includes the side of one or more layers of the flexure 140 other than the substrate layer 128. The second flexure side 126 includes, for example, a second dielectric layer 136 of the flexure 140. In some embodiments, when the recess 111 receives the flexure 140, the distance d1 between the base plate side 106 of the load beam 196 and the second flexure side 126 includes both the thickness t2 of the recess 108 and the total flexure thickness t5 of the flexure 140, and is 40 to 60 μm, and includes 40 and 60 μm. In one embodiment, the distance d1 is approximately 48 μm.

[0055] In some embodiments, even when the flexure 140 is received by the recess 111, the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124 of the load beam 196 located immediately adjacent to the recess 111 is smaller than the distance d1. The ratio of the distance d1 to the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124 when the flexure 140 is received by the recess 111 is between 1.3 and 1.9, and includes 1.3 and 1.9. In some embodiments, the thickness t2 of the recessed portion 108 is smaller than the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124, but since the thickness t2 of the recessed portion 108 is generally non-zero, the load beam 196 is not completely recessed. The ratio of the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124 to the thickness t2 of the recessed portion 108 is 1.7 or greater. For example, the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124 is approximately 30 μm, and the thickness t2 of the recessed portion 108 is approximately 10 μm. The ratio of thickness t1 to thickness t2 can be between 1.7 and 10, and may include both 1.7 and 10.

[0056] The recess 108 of the load beam 196 defines only a portion of the load beam 196 (for example, the maximum width of the recess 111 is narrower than the maximum width of the load beam 196, and / or the maximum length of the recess 111 is shorter than the maximum length L1 of the load beam 196, at least one of these). Referring to Figure 3A, the recess 108 is also smaller than the entire proximal end 119 of the load beam 196. The recess 108 does not extend along the entire length of the load beam 196. Limiting the area or size of the recess 108 helps maintain the rigidity of the load beam 196. The width w2 of the recess 111 in a plane "A" substantially perpendicular to the length L1 of the load beam 196 is narrower than the overall width w3 of the load beam 196 in the same plane "A".

[0057] In some embodiments, the ratio of the load beam width (e.g., load beam width w3) to the recess width w2 in the same virtual plane perpendicular to the load beam length L1 (e.g., virtual plane "A") is greater than 1.2. For example, the ratio of the load beam width w3 to the recess width w2 in plane "A" is between 1.2 and 10, and includes both 1.2 and 10. In some embodiments, the recess 108 occupies the entire proximal end 119 of the load beam 196 located between the two actuators. In other embodiments, the recess 108 occupies less than the entire proximal end 119 between the two actuators 120, so that at least a portion of the proximal end 119 between the two actuators 120 is not recessed.

[0058] Although not shown in Figure 3B, the load beam 196 is attached to the base plate 192 at the base plate side 106 of the load beam 196. For example, the proximal end 119 includes a portion of the base plate side 106 and is attached to the base plate 192 at the base plate side 106. The non-recessed portion 124 and the recessed portion 108 are at the same height along the base plate side 106. The recessed portion 108 is attached to the base plate 192 at the base plate side 106. Maintaining the load beam 196 at a non-zero thickness t2 in the recessed portion 108 is effective in supporting the attachment of the load beam 196 to the base plate 192 at the recessed portion 108.

[0059] The first dielectric layer 129 of the flexure 140 is formed (e.g., coated) on the substrate layer 128. In some embodiments, the first dielectric layer 129 is manufactured from a dielectric material and / or photosensitive material, such as liquid polyimide. As shown in Figure 3B, the first dielectric layer 129 forms a barrier between the substrate layer 128 and the trace of the third layer 131, helping to maintain signal quality. The thickness of the first dielectric layer 129 is positively correlated with signal quality. In various embodiments, the first dielectric layer 129 is manufactured from a polyimide material, such as a polyimide film, a polyimide resin, and / or any combination thereof.

[0060] Referring to Figure 3B, in some embodiments, the first dielectric layer 129 is not directly attached to the load beam 196, like the substrate layer 128, but in some embodiments, the recess 111 accepts at least a portion of the first dielectric layer 129. In other embodiments, the first dielectric layer 129 is completely accepted by the recess 111. In yet another embodiment, the thickness t3 of the substrate layer 128 is greater than the depth d2 of the recess 111, and the first dielectric layer 129 is not accepted within the recess 111.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3B, in some embodiments, the flexure 140 includes an additional third layer 131. The third layer 131 can be made of copper. In some embodiments, the copper of the third layer 131 is of high purity, so it is low in rigidity and highly flexible. For example, the third layer 131 contains copper with a purity of 99% or higher, or close to the purity of electronic grade copper foil. In some embodiments, the third layer 131 is part of one or more signal traces for the flexure 140. In some embodiments, the flexure 140 includes signal traces (sometimes called “circuit traces”) that conduct signals from the read / write head 134 to other components of the device 100. These traces are often made of copper and / or copper foil, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments, the traces are made of aluminum, gold, or a combination thereof. The third layer 131 is located between the first dielectric layer 129 and the second dielectric layer 136.

[0062] In some embodiments, the third layer 131 has a thickness t4 of about 6 micrometers ("μm") (Figure 3B). As shown in Figure 3B, the first dielectric layer 129 is interposed between the substrate layer 128 and the third layer 131. In some embodiments, the thickness t4 of the third layer 131 is less than the thickness t3 of the substrate layer 128. In other embodiments, the thicknesses t3 and t4 are approximately equal.

[0063] Referring to Figure 2, in some embodiments, the magnetic storage device 100 includes a head stack assembly 107 having a plurality of carriage arms 105. In some embodiments, two head gimbal assemblies 109 are coupled to the distal ends of each carriage arm 105, and each carriage arm includes a suspension assembly 135 and a slider 142. In such embodiments, each suspension assembly 135 includes a load beam 196. The load beams 196 of the two head gimbal assemblies 109 are arranged such that the flexure sides 101 of each load beam 196 face in opposite directions. Recesses 111 are formed on the flexure sides 101 of each of the two load beams 196 coupled to a given carriage arm 105. Thus, the two recesses 111 of the two load beams 196 face away from each other.

[0064] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for manufacturing a suspension assembly 135 of a magnetic storage device 100, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the method 400 includes manufacturing a load beam 196 of the suspension assembly 135 of the magnetic storage device 100. Those skilled in the art will understand that the steps shown in Figure 4 and / or any combination of the steps described herein may be employed.

[0065] Method 400 includes step 404 of attaching the flexure 140 to means for at least partially fitting the flexure 140 into the load beam 196, which is located on the flexure side 101 of the load beam 196. In some embodiments, the means for at least partially fitting the flexure 140 into the load beam 196 includes a recess 111 in the flexure side 101, and attaching the flexure 140 404 includes attaching the flexure 140 such that the flexure 140 is at least partially fitted into the recess 111 formed in the flexure side 101 and the flexure 140 is at least partially fitted into the load beam 196. The flexure side 101 may face the base plate side 106 of the load beam 196. The base plate side 106 is the side of the load beam 196 to which the load beam 196 is attached to the base plate 192.

[0066] In some embodiments, Method 400 further includes an additional step 402 of forming a recess 111 on the flexure side 101 before attaching the flexure 140 to the load beam 196. In some embodiments, Method 400 includes forming the recess 111 by removing material from the load beam 196. Removing material from the load beam 196 includes partially etching the load beam by reactive ion etching, chemical etching, and / or a combination thereof. Removing material from the load beam 196 can also be achieved by other methods, including but not limited to laser ablation, mechanical grinding and / or cutting, ion milling, and / or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, Method 400 includes forming the recess 111 by forming the load beam 196 having the recess 111 on the flexure side 101 (for example, by forming the load beam 196 in a mold).

[0067] In some embodiments, Method 400 includes forming the recess 111 on the flexure side 101 such that the ratio of the thickness t1 of the non-recessed portion 124 of the load beam 196 located immediately adjacent to the recess 111 to the depth d2 of the recess 111 is 1 to 2.3, and includes 1 and 2.3.

[0068] In the above description, specific terms such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” “over,” and “under” may be used. These terms are used to clarify the description when dealing with relative relationships, where applicable. However, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and / or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, the “upper” surface can become the “lower” surface simply by turning the object inside out. Yet, it is still the same object. Furthermore, the terms “including,” “comprising,” and “having,” and their variations, mean “including, but not limited to,” unless otherwise specified. The list of enumerated items does not implicitly mean that any or all of those items are mutually exclusive and / or mutually exclusive, unless otherwise specified. “A,” “an,” and “the” also mean “one or more,” unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the term "plural" can be defined as "at least two."

[0069] As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured” to perform a particular function is not merely capable of performing the specified function after further modification, but is actually capable of performing the specified function without any modification. In other words, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured” to perform a particular function is specifically selected, created, implemented, used, programmed, and / or designed for the purpose of performing a particular function. As used herein, “configured” indicates an existing characteristic of the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware that enables the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform a particular function without further modification. For the purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as “configured” to perform a particular function may be described as “adapted” and / or “operated” to perform that function, in addition or as a substitute.

[0070] In addition, instances in this specification in which one element is "connected" to another element can include direct and indirect connections. A direct connection can be defined as one element connected to another element and in some contact with the other element. An indirect connection can be defined as a connection between two elements that do not directly contact each other but have one or more additional elements between the connected elements. Furthermore, as used herein, fixing one element to another element can include direct and indirect fixing. In addition, as used herein, "adjacent" does not necessarily mean contact. For example, one element may be adjacent to another element without contacting it.

[0071] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” when used with a list of items means that one or more different combinations of the listed items may be used, and only one of the items in the list may be required. An item may be a specific object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one of” means that any combination of items or number of items may be used from the list, but not all of the items in the list may be required. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” could mean item A; item A and item B; item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In some cases, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” could mean, for example, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B and seven of item C; or several other preferred combinations.

[0072] Unless otherwise stated, terms such as “First,” “Second,” etc., are used herein solely as labels and are not intended to impose any order, position, or hierarchical requirements on the items they refer to. Furthermore, a reference to, for example, an item “Second,” does not require or exclude the presence of, for example, an item “First” or a lower-numbered item, and / or, for example, an item “Third” or a higher-numbered item.

[0073] The schematic flowcharts included herein are generally presented as logical flowcharts. Therefore, the depicted sequence and labeled steps represent one embodiment of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps or parts thereof of the presented method. Furthermore, the format and symbols employed are provided to illustrate the logical steps of the method and are not intended to limit the scope of the method. Various types of arrows and lines may be used in the flowcharts, but these are not intended to limit the scope of the corresponding method. In fact, only the logical flow of the method may be shown using some arrows or other connectors. For example, arrows may indicate waiting or monitoring periods of an unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the illustrated method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method is performed may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown.

[0074] This subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only and are not restrictive in all respects. All modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be included within those scopes.

Claims

1. A suspension assembly for a magnetic storage device, wherein the suspension assembly is It is a road beam, Flexia side, The base plate side facing the flexure side, and A road beam including a recess formed within the flexure side, A suspension assembly including a flexure, which is at least partially attached to the flexure side of the road beam within the recess.

2. Furthermore, it includes a base plate attached to the base plate side of the road beam, The load beam further includes a distal end, a proximal end, and a hinge between the distal end and the proximal end. The proximal end is attached to the base plate. The hinge is inserted between the distal end and the base plate. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the load beam is configured to flex about the hinge such that the distal end moves relative to the base plate.

3. The suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein the recess is at least partially located at the proximal end of the road beam.

4. The suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein the maximum width of the flexure is greater than the width of the recess.

5. The suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the recess at the proximal end is larger than all portions of the recess at the distal end.

6. The suspension assembly according to claim 2, further comprising two actuators coupled to the base plate and configured to move the road beam, wherein the recess is located between the two actuators.

7. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a branching plane passing through the center of the suspension assembly divides the recess into two equal halves.

8. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recess is configured to receive the flexure such that the substrate of the flexure fills only a portion of the recess.

9. When the recess receives the flexure, the protrusion is configured to face the first flexure side of the flexure. The load beam further includes a non-recessed portion located immediately adjacent to the recess, The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein, when the flexure is received by the recess, the ratio of the distance between the base plate side and the second flexure side facing the first flexure side to the thickness of the non-recessed portion is 1.3 to 1.9, and includes 1.3 and 1.

9.

10. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the maximum width of a portion of the flexure within the recess is narrower than the width of the recess.

11. The load beam further includes a non-recessed portion located immediately adjacent to the recess, The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the non-recessed portion to the thickness of the portion of the road beam in which the recess is formed is 1.7 or more.

12. The suspension assembly according to claim 11, wherein the ratio is 10 or less.

13. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the width of the recess in a virtual plane substantially perpendicular to the length of the road beam is narrower than the width of the road beam in the virtual plane.

14. The aforementioned flexure includes multiple layers, The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the recess is greater than or equal to the thickness of the substrate layers of the plurality of layers.

15. The plurality of layers further include dielectric layers attached to the substrate layer, The substrate layer is received by the recess, and further, The suspension assembly according to claim 14, wherein the dielectric layer is not received by the recess.

16. A magnetic memory system, Multiple disks, Including a carriage, the carriage is base plate and A road beam attached to the base plate, Flexia side, The base plate side facing the flexure side, The recess formed within the flexure side, distal end, and A load beam including a hinge, the hinge being inserted between the distal end and the base plate and configured to flex so that the distal end moves relative to the base plate, A magnetic storage system including a flexure, which is at least partially attached to the flexure side of the road beam within the recess.

17. The magnetic storage system according to claim 16, wherein the hinge biases toward the surface of at least one of the plurality of disks so that the distal end head can read data to and / or write data to the at least one disk.

18. The aforementioned load beam includes a first load beam, The base plate includes a first base plate, The recess includes the first recess, The carriage further includes a second load beam, a second base plate, and a second recess formed within the second load beam. The magnetic storage system according to claim 16, wherein the second recess faces away from the first recess.

19. A method for manufacturing a suspension assembly for a magnetic memory device, wherein the method is A method comprising attaching a flexure to means for at least partially fitting the flexure into the road beam, which is located on the flexure side of the road beam, wherein the flexure side faces the base plate side of the road beam.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the means for fitting the flexure into the load beam at least partially includes a recess on the flexure side, and the method further includes forming the recess on the flexure side by removing material from the load beam such that the ratio of the thickness of a non-recessed portion of the load beam located immediately adjacent to the recess to the depth of the recess is 1 to 2.3 and includes 1 and 2.3.

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