Bond Pad Sharing for Multiplicity of Electrical Components

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Solution Overview

Problem

Data storage systems face challenges in minimizing the number of bond pads on transducers while maintaining proper operation of multiple electrical components, as adding bond pads is costly and complex, and existing designs struggle with bias contention and performance degradation due to shared bond pads.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where at least one electrical bond pad is shared between two or more electrical components, coupled to bias sources, allowing for efficient powering of multiple components using fewer bond pads, and incorporating biasing and filtering circuitry to address bias contention and performance issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the number of bond pads is reduced to lower costs and simplify layout, then manufacturing cost and complexity decrease, but bias contention and performance degradation occur due to shared bond pads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebond pad layout complexityVSAvoidperformance stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by sequentially activating different electrical components at different times rather than simultaneously. The controller enables first electrical components during a first time period and disables them while enabling second electrical components during a second time period. This temporal separation allows bond pads to be shared between components without bias contention, as each component receives power in alternating intervals. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through proper power management while achieving ease of manufacture through reduced bond pad count.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making the bond pad allocation dynamic rather than static. The system continuously adjusts which electrical components are connected to which bond pads based on operational requirements. The controller dynamically enables and disables electrical components and adjusts bias source connections in real-time, allowing the same bond pad to serve different components at different times. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction between reducing bond pad数量 and maintaining performance stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Quantity of substance

If multiple electrical components share the same bond pad, then the number of bond pads required decreases, but bias contention occurs between components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of bond padsVSAvoidbias contention
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates bias contention through periodic action by implementing time-division multiplexing of bond pad usage. The controller sequentially enables different electrical components during different time periods, ensuring that only one component is active on a shared bond pad at any given moment. This periodic activation pattern prevents simultaneous current draw from multiple components that would cause bias contention, while still achieving the goal of reducing the total number of bond pads required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the controller to manage bond pad allocation and component activation sequences. Before potential bias contention can occur, the controller establishes proper enable/disable timing for electrical components. This preliminary control setup ensures that components are activated in a predetermined sequence that avoids conflicts on shared bond pads, thereby eliminating bias contention while maintaining reduced bond pad quantity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If more bond pads are added to power each electrical component individually, then performance and reliability improve, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent operation reliabilityVSAvoidbond pad structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by making bond pads multi-functional through time-division sharing. Each bond pad is designed to serve multiple electrical components sequentially rather than being dedicated to a single component. The controller manages this multi-functionality by enabling/disabling components in a controlled sequence, ensuring that each bond pad maintains reliable power delivery to whichever component is currently active. This approach achieves the reliability of dedicated bond pads while avoiding the complexity of having separate bond pads for each component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by transforming static bond pad assignments into dynamic, reconfigurable connections. Rather than having fixed one-to-one mappings between bond pads and components, the system dynamically reassigns bond pads to different components based on operational needs. The controller continuously adjusts the activation state of electrical components and their corresponding bond pad connections, maintaining reliable operation while simplifying the overall bond pad structure through this dynamic resource sharing approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10176832B2Bond pad sharing for powering a multiplicity of electrical components
Publication Date: 2019.01.08 SEAGATE TECH LLC
  • US10176832B2 patent drawing
  • US10176832B2 patent drawing
  • US10176832B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A bond pad set includes at least one ground pad and at least one electrical bond pad configured to bias and send/receive signals. The bond pad set is electrically connected to a multiplicity of electrical components. At least one electrical bond pad of the bond pad set is shared between two or more of the electrical components.