Flexure for disk device suspension, and disk device suspension

Abstract

To provide a flexure of a suspension for a disk device and a suspension for a disk device that can be made thinner.SOLUTION: A flexure of a suspension for a disk device according to one embodiment includes a metal base and a wiring section that is provided along the metal base and has a base insulating layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer overlaid on the conductor layer. The flexure has a first region on which an electronic component is mounted and a second region that is arranged with the first region, and the first region includes a thin portion that overlaps the electronic component and has a thickness smaller than that of the second region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexure for a disk drive suspension and a disk drive suspension. [Background technology]

[0002] Hard disk drives (HDDs) are used in information processing devices such as personal computers. Hard disk drives include a magnetic disk that rotates around a spindle and a carriage that rotates around a pivot shaft. The carriage has an arm that rotates around the pivot shaft in the track width direction of the disk using a positioning motor such as a voice coil motor.

[0003] A disk drive suspension (hereinafter simply referred to as the suspension) is attached to the arm. The suspension includes a load beam and a flexure placed on the load beam. A slider that constitutes a magnetic head is mounted on a gimbal portion formed near the tip of the flexure.

[0004] The slider is provided with an element (transducer) for accessing the disk, such as reading or writing data. The load beam, flexure, and slider constitute a head gimbal assembly. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disk drive that can accommodate an increased number of magnetic disks as recording media. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-129423 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To accommodate the increasing recording density of disks, it is necessary to further miniaturize the head gimbal assembly and to position the slider with higher precision relative to the recording surface of the disk.

[0007] Due to strong demand for an increase in the recording capacity of hard disk drives in response to an increase in recording density, efforts are being made to increase the number of magnetic disks provided in hard disk drives (so-called multi-disk configurations).

[0008] In order to increase the number of magnetic disks, it is necessary not only to make the magnetic disks thinner, but also to reduce the spacing between the magnetic disks. Reducing the spacing between the magnetic disks increases the risk of contact between the suspensions facing each other between the magnetic disks. This has led to a demand for thinner suspensions. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of reducing the thickness of the suspensions.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexure for a disk drive suspension that can be made thinner, and a disk drive suspension. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A flexure for a disk drive suspension according to one embodiment includes a metal base and a wiring section provided along the metal base and having a base insulating layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer overlaid on the conductor layer. The flexure includes a first region where an electronic component is mounted, a second region aligned with the first region, and an opening overlapping a side surface of the electronic component located in the first region; The first region overlaps the electronic component and includes a thin portion having a thickness smaller than that of the second region. The thin portion has the conductor layer and the insulating cover layer, and the insulating cover layer in the thin portion has a side portion that covers one end of the conductor layer in the thin portion that is located on the opening side.

[0011] The conductor layer ,before In the second area moreover The thickness of the conductor layer in the thinned portion may be In the areaThe insulating base layer may be provided in each of the first region and the second region, and the thickness of the insulating base layer in the thin-walled portion may be smaller than the thickness of the insulating base layer in the second region.

[0012] The flexure may further include a pillow on which the electronic component is placed, the pillow being made of an electrically insulating material, and the pillow may be integrally formed with the side portion of the cover insulating layer.

[0013] before The metal base may be provided in each of the first region and the second region, and the thickness of the metal base at the thin-walled portion may be smaller than the thickness of the metal base at the second region.

[0014] The electronic component may be a slider, and the wiring portion in the second region may have a terminal portion electrically connected to the slider. The flexure may further include a bonding member that electrically connects the terminal portion and the slider.

[0015] A disk drive suspension according to one embodiment includes a flexure of the disk drive suspension and a load beam on which the flexure overlaps. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flexure for a disk drive suspension that can be made thinner, and a disk drive suspension. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a disk device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the disk device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a suspension for a disk drive. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the suspension shown in FIG. 3 as seen from the tip end. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the suspension according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparative example of the suspension according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the ninth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension according to the tenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of the description, the size, shape, etc. of each part in the drawings may be changed from the actual embodiment and shown schematically.

[0019] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a disk drive (HDD) 1. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the disk drive 1 includes a case 2, a plurality of magnetic disks (hereinafter simply referred to as disks 4) that rotate around a spindle 3, a carriage 6 that can rotate around a pivot shaft 5, and a positioning motor (voice coil motor) 7 for driving the carriage 6. The case 2 is sealed with a lid (not shown).

[0020] Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the disc device 1. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the carriage 6 is provided with a plurality of (for example, three) arms 8. The number of arms 8 provided on the carriage 6 is not limited to the above example.

[0021] A suspension 10 is attached to the tip of each of the arms 8. A slider 11 that constitutes a magnetic head is provided at the tip of each of the suspensions 10.

[0022] When the disk 4 rotates at high speed, air flows in between the disk 4 and the slider 11, forming an air bearing. When the positioning motor 7 rotates the carriage 6, the suspension 10 moves in the radial direction of the disk 4, causing the slider 11 to move to the desired track on the disk 4.

[0023] 2, the disk 4 includes a first disk 4A and a second disk 4B. The first disk 4A faces the second disk 4B at a predetermined distance. The disk device 1 includes a plurality of suspensions 10, which include a first suspension 10A and a second suspension 10B.

[0024] The first suspension 10A and the second suspension 10B are attached to one of the arms 8 that is located at the center in the thickness direction of the case 2. The first suspension 10A and the second suspension 10B are located between the first disk 4A and the second disk 4B.

[0025] The first suspension 10A faces the second suspension 10B in the thickness direction of the case 2. The number of discs 4 is not limited to two, but may be three or more. The number of suspensions 10 can be changed appropriately depending on the number of discs 4.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a disk drive suspension 10. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the suspension 10 shown in Fig. 3, seen from its tip. The suspension 10 includes a base plate 21, a load beam 22, and a flexure 30 placed on the load beam 22. The load beam 22, the flexure 30, and other components form a head gimbal assembly.

[0027] The load beam 22 and the flexure 30 both extend in the longitudinal direction of the suspension 10. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the suspension 10, the load beam 22, and the flexure 30 is defined as the longitudinal direction X, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X is defined as the lateral direction Y of the suspension 10, the load beam 22, the flexure 30, etc.

[0028] A direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) the longitudinal direction X and the lateral direction Y is defined as a thickness direction Z of the suspension 10, the load beam 22, the flexure 30, etc. The thickness direction of the case 2 corresponds to the thickness direction Z. Hereinafter, the length along the thickness direction Z may be referred to as the thickness.

[0029] The base plate 21 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel. The thickness of the base plate 21 is, for example, 120 μm, but is not limited to this example. The base plate 21 is provided with a boss portion 23 for attaching the suspension 10 to the arm 8 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) provided on the carriage 6.

[0030] The load beam 22 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel. The thickness of the load beam 22 is, for example, 30 to 80 μm. The load beam 22 has a shape that tapers toward the tip. A dimple 24 is formed near the tip of the load beam 22.

[0031] The load beam 22 has a spring portion 25 at one end in the longitudinal direction X. The load beam 22 is fixed to the base plate 21 at a welded portion (not shown) by, for example, spot welding using a laser. The load beam 22 is elastically supported by the base plate 21 via the spring portion 25.

[0032] The flexure 30 is disposed along the base plate 21 and the load beam 22. The flexure 30 is fixed to the base plate 21 and the load beam 22 at welded portions (not shown) by, for example, spot welding using a laser.

[0033] The flexure 30 includes a tip portion 31 that overlaps with the load beam 22, and a flexure tail 32 that extends from the tip portion 31 toward the rear of the base plate 21. The flexure 30 includes a metal base 40 made of, for example, a thin stainless steel plate, and a wiring portion 50 provided along the metal base 40.

[0034] The metal base 40 may be called a base layer or a stainless steel layer. The thickness of the metal base 40 is smaller than the thickness of the load beam 22. The thickness of the metal base 40 is, for example, 15 to 20 μm.

[0035] In the tip end portion 31, the flexure 30 further has a tongue portion 33 and a pair of outriggers 34. The pair of outriggers 34 are disposed on both sides of the tongue portion 33 in the short-side direction Y, respectively.

[0036] The pair of outriggers 34 are shaped to protrude outward on both sides of the tongue portion 33 in the short-side direction Y. The pair of outriggers 34 are part of the metal base 40, and the outlines of each are formed by, for example, etching.

[0037] A slider 11 is mounted on the flexure 30. The slider 11 is an example of an electronic component. An element 12 capable of converting magnetic signals to electric signals, such as an MR element, is provided at the tip of the slider 11. These elements 12 are used to access the disk 4, such as to write or read data.

[0038] The wiring portion 50 is electrically connected to the elements of the slider 11 via the terminal portion 51 for the slider 11. The tongue portion 33, the pair of outriggers 34, the dimples 24, etc. form a gimbal portion 35 that supports the slider 11 so that it can swing freely.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the suspension 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section along the longitudinal direction X of a portion of the suspension 10 including the tongue portion 33. In the example shown in Fig. 5, an opening 36 is formed in the tongue portion 33.

[0040] The slider 11 has a bottom surface 13 facing the flexure 30 and a side surface 14 located on one side in the longitudinal direction X. The side surface 14 is provided with a terminal portion 15 for connecting to the terminal portion 51 of the flexure 30. An end portion of the slider 11 including the side surface 14 overlaps with the opening 36.

[0041] As described above, the flexure 30 includes the metal base 40 and the wiring portion 50. The metal base 40 has a surface 401 and a surface 402 opposite to the surface 401. The surface 401 faces the load beam 22. The dimples 24 protrude toward the surface 401, and the tips of the dimples 24 contact the surface 401.

[0042] The wiring section 50 has a base insulating layer 60 superimposed on the surface 402 of the metal base 40, a conductor layer 70 superimposed on the base insulating layer 60, and a cover insulating layer 80 superimposed on the conductor layer 70.

[0043] The insulating base layer 60 and the insulating cover layer 80 are formed of an electrically insulating resin material such as polyimide. The insulating base layer 60 has a thickness of, for example, 8 to 10 μm. The insulating cover layer 80 has a thickness of, for example, 4 to 5 μm.

[0044] The conductor layer 70 is formed of a highly conductive metal material such as copper. Although not shown, the conductor layer 70 has a plurality of wirings arranged in the short-side direction Y. The plurality of wirings includes, for example, a wiring for reading and a wiring for writing. The thickness of the conductor layer 70 is, for example, 6 to 12 μm.

[0045] The conductor layer 70 is formed, for example, by etching to form a predetermined pattern along the insulating base layer 60. Alternatively, the conductor layer 70 may be formed by a layer formation process such as plating on the insulating base layer 60 that has been masked with a predetermined pattern.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 5, the flexure 30 has a first region A1 where an electronic component (e.g., a slider 11) is mounted, and a second region A2 aligned with the first region A1. In the example shown in Fig. 5, a portion of the first region A1 and the second region A2 aligned in the longitudinal direction X is shown. For example, the size of the first region A1 when viewed from one side in the thickness direction Z is larger than the size of the electronic component.

[0047] The metal base 40, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are provided in the first region A1 and the second region A2, respectively. In the first region A1, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are located between the metal base 40 and the slider 11.

[0048] The thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2. In the thickness direction Z, the surface 401 of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is located on the same plane as the surface 401 of the metal base 40 in the second region A2.

[0049] The thickness of the cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the cover insulating layer 80 in the second region A2. The cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1 has a side portion 81 that covers one end of the conductor layer 70 on the opening 36 side.

[0050] The insulating base layer 60 has a first insulating base portion 61 in the first region A1 and a second insulating base portion 62 in the second region A2. In FIG. 5, the thickness of the first insulating base portion 61 is indicated by thickness T61, and the thickness of the second insulating base portion 62 is indicated by thickness T62. The thickness T61 of the first insulating base portion 61 is smaller than the thickness T62 of the second insulating base portion 62 (T61 <T62)。

[0051] For example, the thickness T61 of the first insulating base part 61 is three-quarters or less of the thickness T62 of the second insulating base part 62. As yet another example, the thickness T61 of the first insulating base part 61 is half or less of the thickness T62 of the second insulating base part 62. As one example, the thickness T61 of the first insulating base part 61 is 4 to 5 μm, and the thickness T62 of the second insulating base part 62 is 8 to 10 μm.

[0052] The conductor layer 70 has a first conductor portion 71 in the first region A1 and a second conductor portion 72 in the second region A2. When the conductor layer 70 is formed by a layer formation process such as plating, the first conductor portion 71 is formed by fewer layer formation processes than the second conductor portion 72.

[0053] In FIG. 5, the thickness of the first conductor portion 71 is indicated by a thickness T71, and the thickness of the second conductor portion 72 is indicated by a thickness T72. The thickness T71 of the first conductor portion 71 is smaller than the thickness T72 of the second conductor portion 72 (T71 <T72)。

[0054] For example, the thickness T71 of the first conductor portion 71 is three-quarters or less of the thickness T72 of the second conductor portion 72. As yet another example, the thickness T71 of the first conductor portion 71 is half or less of the thickness T72 of the second conductor portion 72. As one example, the thickness T71 of the first conductor portion 71 is 3 to 6 μm, and the thickness T72 of the second conductor portion 72 is 6 to 12 μm.

[0055] The second conductor portion 72 of the conductor layer 70 in the second region A2 has a terminal portion 51. One end of the wiring that constitutes the conductor layer 70 is located at the terminal portion 51. The terminal portion 51 is not covered by the cover insulating layer 80. The terminal portion 51 is electrically connected to the terminal portion 15 of the slider 11 via a bonding member 37 such as solder.

[0056] Although not shown, the surface of the terminal portion 51 is plated. For the plating, a metal material such as Ni / Au is used. The plating thickness is, for example, 0.5 to 1.0 μm. As shown in FIG. 5, the second base insulating portion 62 and the second conductor portion 72 have extension portions 62a and 72a, respectively, that extend toward the opening 36.

[0057] The flexure 30 further has a plurality of pillows 90 between the slider 11 and the insulating cover layer 80 in the first region A1. The pillows 90 keep the mounting height of the slider 11 constant in the thickness direction Z, and also form a space between the flexure 30 and the slider 11 for the adhesive to accumulate.

[0058] The pillow 90 is made of an electrically insulating resin material such as polyimide. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the pillow 90 is formed integrally with the insulating cover layer 80, but it may be formed from a separate material from the insulating cover layer 80. The thickness of the pillow 90 is, for example, 5 µm.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, the pillows 90 are arranged in the longitudinal direction X. The plurality of pillows 90 each have a surface 91 on which the slider 11 is disposed. The slider 11 is disposed on the surface 91 of the plurality of pillows 90 and is adhered to the flexure 30 by an adhesive. The cross-sectional shape of the pillow 90 is rectangular, but is not limited to this example.

[0060] In the first region A1, a thin portion 38 is formed in the flexure 30 by laminating a metal base 40, a first base insulating portion 61, a first conductor portion 71, and a cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z. From another perspective, the first region A1 includes the thin portion 38.

[0061] The thin portion 38 is formed to reduce the thickness of the flexure 30 in the region where the electronic component is mounted. From another perspective, in the first region A1, since the thin portion 38 overlaps with the electronic component, the electronic component can be mounted on the flexure 30 closer to the side of the load beam 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the thin portion 38 overlaps with the slider 11 in the thickness direction Z.

[0062] [[ID=ll]] The thickness T31 (shown in FIG. 5) of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 (shown in FIG. 5) of the flexure 30 in the second region A2 (T31 < T32). For example, the thickness of the flexure 30 is the length from the surface 401 of the metal base 40 to the surface of the cover insulating layer 80 facing the bottom surface 13 of the slider 11. <0OO0247>

[0063] <000024?In the example shown in FIG. 5, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 corresponds to the thickness of the thin portion 38. That is, the thickness of the thin portion 38 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. Since the first base insulating portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71 are included, the thickness of the wiring portion 50 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the wiring portion 50 in the second region A2.

[0064] From the perspective of the conductor layer 70, the first conductor portion 71 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 in the thickness direction Z than the second conductor portion 72. From the perspective of the cover insulating layer 80, the cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the cover insulating layer 80 in the second region A2.

[0065] From the viewpoint of the pillow 90, in the thickness direction Z, the surface 91 of the pillow 90 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the insulating cover layer 80 in the second region A2. Furthermore, in the thickness direction Z, the surface 91 of the pillow 90 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the terminal portion 51.

[0066] From the viewpoint of the slider 11, in the thickness direction Z, the bottom surface 13 of the slider 11 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the insulating cover layer 80 in the second region A2. Furthermore, in the thickness direction Z, the bottom surface 13 of the slider 11 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the terminal portion 51.

[0067] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a comparative example of the suspension 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the flexure 300 of the comparative suspension 100 does not have a thin portion 38 in the first region A1. From another perspective, the insulating base layer 60 does not have a first insulating base portion 61 in the first region A1, and the conductor layer 70 does not have a first conductor portion 71 in the first region A1.

[0068] Therefore, the thickness T301 (shown in FIG. 6) of the flexure 300 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness T302 (shown in FIG. 6) of the flexure 300 in the second region A2. The thickness T302 of the flexure 300 in the second region A2 is equal to the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2 described with reference to FIG.

[0069] The length in the thickness direction Z from the terminal portion 15 of the slider 11 to the terminal portion 51 of the conductor layer 70 is smaller in the suspension 10 according to this embodiment than in the suspension 100 according to the comparative example.

[0070] That is, in the suspension 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the terminal portion 15 of the slider 11 is lower relative to the position of the terminal portion 51 of the conductor layer 70 than in the suspension 100 according to the comparative example.

[0071] In the suspension 10 according to this embodiment, the slider 11 is disposed closer to the dimple 24 than in the suspension 100 according to the comparative example, and this allows the thickness of the suspension 10 including the slider 11 that constitutes the magnetic head to be reduced. From another perspective, the suspension 10 according to this embodiment allows the height of the suspension 10 to be lower than that of the suspension 100 according to the comparative example.

[0072] The flexure 30 of the suspension 10 configured as described above has a first region A1 on which the slider 11 is mounted and a second region A2 aligned with the first region A1, and the first region A1 overlaps with the slider 11 and includes a thin-walled portion 38 whose thickness is smaller than the thickness T32 of the second region A2.

[0073] In the first region A1, the thin-walled portion 38 is formed so as to overlap with the slider 11. It is possible to reduce the thickness of the flexure 30 in the area overlapping with the slider 11. This allows the thickness of the suspension 10 in the portion including the slider 11 to be reduced.

[0074] As a result, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the flexure 30 and the suspension 10, thereby making it possible to thin the flexure 30 and the suspension 10. In this embodiment, since the thin-walled portion 38 includes the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71, the thickness of the flexure 30 can be further reduced.

[0075] With a suspension 10 equipped with such a flexure 30, the thickness of the suspension 10 at the portion including the slider 11 is reduced, allowing the spacing between the disks 4 to be reduced. This reduces the thickness of the disk device 1, making it possible to slim down the disk device 1. From another perspective, since the spacing between the disks 4 can be reduced, more disks 4 can be installed in a case 2 of the same height.

[0076] In this embodiment, a thin portion 38 is partially formed in the tip end portion 31 of the flexure 30. From another perspective, the size of the thin portion 38 occupies a small proportion of the entire tip end portion 31 of the flexure 30. Therefore, forming the thin portion 38 has almost no effect on the vibration characteristics, electrical characteristics, and other properties of the flexure 30, and therefore the thickness of the flexure 30 can be reduced while minimizing the effect on the properties of the flexure 30.

[0077] Furthermore, because the size of the first insulating base portion 61 is small, it has almost no effect on the electrical characteristics, and the risk of dielectric breakdown in the insulating base layer 60 can be kept low. Furthermore, even if the first conductor portion 71 is provided in the conductor layer 70 in the first region A1, the risk of dielectric breakdown in the insulating base layer 60 remains almost unchanged. In this embodiment, the risk of dielectric breakdown can be kept low.

[0078] In the suspension 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the terminal portion 15 of the slider 11 is lower relative to the position of the terminal portion 51 of the conductor layer 70 than in the suspension 100 according to the comparative example. This reduces the distance between the terminal portion 15 of the slider 11 and the terminal portion 51 of the conductor layer 70, making it easier to connect the terminal portion 15 and the terminal portion 51 by the bonding member 37 and reducing the likelihood of connection failure.

[0079] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flexure 30 that can be made thinner, and a disk drive suspension 10. In addition to the above, this embodiment provides various other favorable effects.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the thin portion 38 has the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71, but it is sufficient if the thin portion 38 has at least one of the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71. Even in such a case, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 can be reduced.

[0081] Next, other embodiments will be described. In the other embodiments and modifications described below, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above will be given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted or simplified. The flexure 30 in each of the following embodiments can be applied to the suspension 10.

[0082] [Second embodiment] 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2.

[0083] 7, the metal base 40 has a first metal base portion 41 in the first region A1 and a second metal base portion 42 in the second region A2. For example, the first metal base portion 41 is formed by half-etching the portion of the metal base 40 that corresponds to the first metal base portion 41 in an etching process.

[0084] In FIG. 7, the thickness of the first metal base portion 41 is indicated by a thickness T41, and the thickness of the second metal base portion 42 is indicated by a thickness T42. The thickness T41 of the first metal base portion 41 is smaller than the thickness T42 of the second metal base portion 42 (T41 <T42)。

[0085] For example, the thickness T41 of the first metal base portion 41 is three-quarters or less of the thickness T42 of the second metal base portion 42. As yet another example, the thickness T41 of the first metal base portion 41 is half or less of the thickness T42 of the second metal base portion 42. As one example, the thickness T41 of the first metal base portion 41 is 7 to 10 μm, and the thickness T42 of the second metal base portion 42 is 15 to 20 μm.

[0086] In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking the first metal base portion 41, the first insulating base portion 61, the first conductor portion 71, and the insulating cover layer 80 in the thickness direction Z. As shown in Fig. 7, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2.

[0087] Furthermore, since the thin portion 38 including the first metal base portion 41 is formed in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 (shown in FIG. 5) of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the first embodiment. From the viewpoint of the base insulating layer 60, the first insulating base portion 61 is located closer to the surface 401 of the metal base 40 than the second insulating base portion 62 in the thickness direction Z.

[0088] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In the flexure 30 of the second embodiment, the thin-walled portion 38 including the first metal base portion 41 is formed in the first region A1, so that the thickness of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 can be further reduced.

[0089] Even if the first metal base portion 41 is provided on the metal base 40 in the first region A1, the risk of dielectric breakdown in the base insulating layer 60 remains almost unchanged, and therefore, in this embodiment, the risk of dielectric breakdown can be kept low.

[0090] Furthermore, since the proportion of the first metal base portion 41 in the entire tip end portion 31 of the flexure 30 is small, deformation and dimensional variations in the metal base 40 are less likely to occur, making it possible to provide a flexure 30 of stable quality.

[0091] [Third embodiment] 8 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to a third embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that no opening is formed in the tongue portion 33 in the first region A1.

[0092] 8, the metal base 40, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are formed continuously from the first region A1 to the second region A2. The terminal portion 51 is formed by the conductor layer 70 that passes between the slider 11 and the metal base 40 in the first region A1. In the second region A2, the terminal portion 51 is not covered by the insulating cover layer 80.

[0093] A step S is formed in the flexure 30 between the terminal portion 51 and the slider 11 in the longitudinal direction X. In the second region A2, the insulating cover layer 80 has a surface 82 facing the side surface 14 of the slider 11. In the example shown in FIG. 8 , the surface 82 is parallel to the side surface 14 of the slider 11. Note that the surface 82 does not have to be parallel to the side surface 14 of the slider 11.

[0094] The thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2. The thickness of the insulating cover layer 80 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the insulating cover layer 80 in the second region A2.

[0095] The insulating base layer 60 has a first insulating base portion 61 in the first region A1 and a second insulating base portion 62 in the second region A2. The conductor layer 70 has a first conductor portion 71 in the first region A1 and a second conductor portion 72 in the second region A2.

[0096] In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking the metal base 40, the first base insulating portion 61, the first conductor portion 71, and the cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z.

[0097] 8, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. The configuration of the flexure 30 in the third embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments.

[0098] [Fourth embodiment] 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to a fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that the thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2.

[0099] 9, the metal base 40 has a first metal base portion 41 in the first region A1 and a second metal base portion 42 in the second region A2. In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking the first metal base portion 41, a first insulating base portion 61, a first conductor portion 71, and a cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z.

[0100] 9, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. Furthermore, since the thin-walled portion 38 including the first metal base portion 41 is formed in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the third embodiment (shown in FIG. 8).

[0101] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the fourth embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. In the third and fourth embodiments, the thin-walled portion 38 has the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71, but it is sufficient if it has at least one of the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71. Even in such a case, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 can be reduced.

[0102] [Fifth embodiment] 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the suspension 10 according to the fifth embodiment. The fifth to eighth embodiments differ from the above-described embodiments in that the flexure 30 does not have at least one of the insulating base layer 60, the conductive layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 in the first region A1.

[0103] 10, the metal base 40 is provided in a first region A1 and a second region A2. The wiring portion 50 has a base insulating layer 60 and a cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1, and has a base insulating layer 60, a conductor layer 70, and a cover insulating layer 80 in the second region A2.

[0104] More specifically, the wiring portion 50 does not have a conductor layer 70 in the first region A1. In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking a metal base 40, a base insulating layer 60, and a cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z. In the thin portion 38, the base insulating layer 60 is in contact with the cover insulating layer 80.

[0105] The thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2. The thickness of the base insulating layer 60 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the base insulating layer 60 in the second region A2. The thickness of the cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the cover insulating layer 80 in the second region A2.

[0106] For example, the thickness of the metal base 40 is equal to the thickness T42 of the second metal base portion 42 described above, and the thickness of the insulating base layer 60 is equal to the thickness T62 of the second insulating base portion 62. The thickness of the insulating cover layer is equal to the thickness of the insulating cover layer in each of the above-described embodiments.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 10, since the wiring portion 50 does not have the conductor layer 70 in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2.

[0108] 10, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 corresponds to the thickness of the thin portion 38. That is, the thickness of the thin portion 38 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. Since the flexure 30 does not have the conductor layer 70, the thickness of the wiring portion 50 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the wiring portion 50 in the second region A2.

[0109] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the fifth embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. In the fifth embodiment, the wiring portion 50 does not have the conductor layer 70 in the first region A1, which reduces the risk of dielectric breakdown.

[0110] [Sixth embodiment] 11 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to the sixth embodiment. The sixth embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in that the wiring portion 50 of the flexure 30 does not have the cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1.

[0111] In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by laminating the metal base 40 and the insulating base layer 60 in the thickness direction Z. The insulating base layer 60 in the thin portion 38 is in contact with a plurality of pillows 90. As shown in FIG. 11 , a thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than a thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2.

[0112] Furthermore, since the wiring portion 50 does not have the cover insulating layer 80 in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the fifth embodiment (shown in FIG. 10).

[0113] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the sixth embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments. In the fifth and sixth embodiments, by applying the first insulating base part 61 described in the first embodiment, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 can be further reduced.

[0114] [Seventh embodiment] 12 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to the seventh embodiment. The seventh embodiment differs from the sixth embodiment in that the flexure 30 does not have the insulating cover layer 80 in the first region A1. That is, in the seventh embodiment, the flexure 30 does not have the wiring portion 50 in the first region A1.

[0115] In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by the metal base 40. The metal base 40 in the thin portion 38 is in contact with a plurality of pillows 90. A portion of a surface 402 of the metal base 40 faces the bottom surface 13 of the slider 11.

[0116] 12, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. In this embodiment, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 corresponds to the thickness of the metal base 40.

[0117] Furthermore, since the flexure 30 does not have the wiring portion 50 in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the sixth embodiment (shown in FIG. 11). The configuration of the flexure 30 in the seventh embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments.

[0118] [Eighth embodiment] 13 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to an eighth embodiment. The seventh embodiment differs from the seventh embodiment in that the thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2.

[0119] 13, in the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by the first metal base portion 41. The first metal base portion 41 is in contact with a plurality of pillows 90.

[0120] 13, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. In this embodiment, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 corresponds to the thickness T41 of the first metal base portion 41.

[0121] Furthermore, in the first region A1, since the thin-walled portion 38 is formed by the first metal base portion 41, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the seventh embodiment (shown in Figure 12).

[0122] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the eighth embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments. The configurations described in the fifth to eighth embodiments can also be applied to cases where the opening 36 is not formed in the tongue portion 33. The first metal base portion 41 can also be applied to the fifth to seventh embodiments in the first region A1.

[0123] [Ninth embodiment] 14 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to the ninth embodiment. In the ninth embodiment, the flexure 30 has a first region A1 on which the actuator 16 is mounted.

[0124] The actuator 16 is an example of an electronic component. In this embodiment, the actuator 16 is, for example, a microactuator, and is made of a piezoelectric material such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT).

[0125] The actuator 16 is mounted on, for example, the tongue portion 33 (shown in FIG. 3). The actuator has a function of rotating the tongue portion 33 in the sway direction. For example, the actuator is disposed on both sides of the slider 11 in the short-side direction Y.

[0126] 14, the flexure 30 has a first region A1 where the actuator 16 is mounted and a second region A2 aligned with the first region A1. For example, in the longitudinal direction X, the first region A1 is located between the second regions A2.

[0127] The metal base 40, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are provided in a first region A1 and a second region A2, respectively. In the first region A1, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are located between the metal base 40 and the actuator 16. As shown in Fig. 14, the metal base 40, the insulating base layer 60, the conductor layer 70, and the insulating cover layer 80 are formed continuously from the first region A1 to the second region A2.

[0128] The thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2. The thickness of the insulating cover layer 80 in the first region A1 is equal to the thickness of the insulating cover layer 80 in the second region A2.

[0129] The insulating base layer 60 has a first insulating base portion 61 in the first region A1 and a second insulating base portion 62 in the second region A2. The conductor layer 70 has a first conductor portion 71 in the first region A1 and a second conductor portion 72 in the second region A2. As shown in Fig. 14, the first region A1 has a portion where the first conductor portion 71 is not formed.

[0130] In the first region A1, connection portions 73 (for example, two) are formed to electrically connect the actuator 16 and the conductor layer 70. The connection portions 73 are provided, for example, in holes 83 formed in the cover insulating layer 80, and penetrate the cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z. The connection portions 73 are formed, for example, from a conductive adhesive or the like.

[0131] 14, a recess 39 is formed in the flexure 30. For example, the recess 39 is formed by recessing a portion of the flexure 30 on which the actuator 16 is mounted toward the load beam 22. The recess 39 is formed by a metal base 40, a base insulating layer 60, a conductor layer 70, and a cover insulating layer 80.

[0132] In the second region A2, the insulating cover layer 80 has a surface 84 facing the side surface 17 of the actuator 16. In the example shown in FIG. 14 , the surface 84 is a surface parallel to the side surface 17 of the actuator 16. Note that the surface 84 does not have to be a surface parallel to the side surface 17 of the actuator 16.

[0133] In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking the metal base 40, the first base insulating portion 61, the first conductor portion 71, and the cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z.

[0134] Furthermore, the thin-walled portion 38 also includes a portion 38A located between the connection portions 73 in the longitudinal direction X. The portion 38A is formed by stacking the metal base 40, the first insulating base portion 61, and the insulating cover layer 80 in the thickness direction Z. As shown in FIG. 14 , the thin-walled portion 38 overlaps with the actuator 16 in the thickness direction Z.

[0135] 14, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 corresponds to the thickness of the thin-walled portion 38 in the portion where the connection portion 73 is located.

[0136] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the ninth embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. In the ninth embodiment, the thin-walled portion 38 is formed in the first region A1 so as to overlap with the actuator 16, so that the thickness of the flexure 30 in the region overlapping with the actuator 16 can be reduced. By reducing the thickness of the flexure 30, the degree of freedom in designing the thickness of the actuator 16 can be improved.

[0137] [Tenth embodiment] 15 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a suspension 10 according to the tenth embodiment. The tenth embodiment differs from the ninth embodiment in that the thickness of the metal base 40 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness of the metal base 40 in the second region A2.

[0138] 15, the metal base 40 has a first metal base portion 41 in the first region A1 and a second metal base portion 42 in the second region A2. In the first region A1, the flexure 30 has a thin portion 38 formed by stacking the first metal base portion 41, a first insulating base portion 61, a first conductor portion 71, and a cover insulating layer 80 in the thickness direction Z.

[0139] 15, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 is smaller than the thickness T32 of the flexure 30 in the second region A2. Furthermore, since the thin-walled portion 38 including the first metal base portion 41 is formed in the first region A1, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of this embodiment is smaller than the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 of the ninth embodiment (shown in FIG. 14).

[0140] The configuration of the flexure 30 of the tenth embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. In the ninth and tenth embodiments, the thin-walled portion 38 has the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71, but it is sufficient if it has at least one of the first insulating base portion 61 and the first conductor portion 71. Even in such a case, the thickness T31 of the flexure 30 in the first region A1 can be reduced.

[0141] When implementing the invention disclosed in the above embodiments, the specific aspects of each element constituting the disk drive suspension 10, including the specific aspects such as the shapes of the base plate 21, the load beam 22, and the flexure 30, can be modified in various ways.

[0142] In the first to eighth embodiments described above, the flexure 30 has a plurality of pillows 90, but it does not have to have a plurality of pillows 90. This allows the slider 11 to be moved closer to the dimple 24 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the pillows 90. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1...disk device, 10...disk device suspension, 11...slider (electronic component), 16...actuator (electronic component), 30...flexure, 38...thin portion, 40...metal base, 50...wiring portion, 60...base insulating layer, 70...conductor layer, 80...cover insulating layer, A1...first region, A2...second region.

Claims

1. A flexure for a disk drive suspension comprising: a metal base; and a wiring section provided along the metal base, the wiring section having a base insulating layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer overlaid on the conductor layer, a first region on which an electronic component is mounted, a second region aligned with the first region, and an opening overlapping a side surface of the electronic component located in the first region; the first region overlaps the electronic component and includes a thin-walled portion having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second region; the thin-walled portion has the conductor layer and the cover insulating layer, the insulating cover layer in the thin portion has a side portion covering one end of the conductor layer in the thin portion located on the opening side; Flexure for disk device suspension.

2. The conductor layer is further provided in the second region.

2. The flexure of the disk drive suspension according to claim 1.

3. the thickness of the conductor layer in the thin portion is smaller than the thickness of the conductor layer in the second region; 3. The flexure of the disk drive suspension according to claim 2.

4. the insulating base layer is provided in each of the first region and the second region, the thickness of the insulating base layer in the thin-walled portion is smaller than the thickness of the insulating base layer in the second region; 4. The flexure of the disk drive suspension according to claim 2.

5. The first region further includes a pillow formed of an electrically insulating material on which the electronic component is placed, the pillow is integrally formed with the side portion of the cover insulating layer; 2. A flexure for a disk drive suspension according to claim 1.

6. the metal base is provided in each of the first region and the second region, the thickness of the metal base in the thin-walled portion is smaller than the thickness of the metal base in the second region; 6. A flexure for a disk drive suspension according to claim 1.

7. the electronic component is a slider, the wiring portion in the second region has a terminal portion electrically connected to the slider; 7. A flexure for a disk drive suspension according to claim 1.

8. The slider further includes a bonding member that electrically connects the terminal portion and the slider.

8. The flexure of the disk drive suspension according to claim 7.

9. a flexure for a disk drive suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a load beam on which the flexure overlaps. Suspension for disk drives.

Images