Flexible Electrical Feed-Through for Helium-Sealed HDDs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hermetically sealed hard disk drives (HDDs) face challenges in achieving low helium leakage rates while maintaining electrical connectivity and supporting increasing data capacities and high-frequency signal transmission, particularly with traditional glass-metal and printed circuit board feed-through connectors.
Innovation Solution
A flexible type electrical feed-through connector assembly is introduced, comprising a flexible circuit assembly and a metal part thermally bonded together, with exposed metal portions forming a hermetic seal, and a board-to-board connector design that reduces capacitance and helium leakage, using low permeability materials and adhesives to enhance sealing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass-metal feed-through is used, then hermetic sealing performance is improved, but cost increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive glass-metal feed-throughs with a cost-effective PCB-based feed-through design that achieves adequate hermetic sealing performance through adhesive bonding and sealing structures, making the solution economically viable for helium-filled HDDs
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction combining PCB material, adhesive layers, and sealing structures to create a feed-through that achieves hermetic sealing without requiring expensive glass-metal materials, thus reducing cost while maintaining reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If PCB feed-through is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but helium leakage rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adhesive material as an intermediary between the PCB feed-through and the sealed enclosure, creating a hermetic seal that prevents helium leakage while maintaining the cost advantages of PCB construction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses thin adhesive films and sealing structures to create effective hermetic barriers in the PCB feed-through design, achieving low helium leakage rates without requiring thick or complex sealing structures
3Reliability
If traditional feed-through connectors are used, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but capacitance increases and signal transmission performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the feed-through structure into distinct functional zones with optimized trace layouts and grounding structures, reducing parasitic capacitance effects while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity for high-frequency signals
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different PCB trace configurations, impedance control, and grounding strategies to different signal lines based on their frequency requirements, optimizing electrical performance by tailoring local characteristics to specific signal needs
4Productivity
If more signal lines are added for higher data capacity, then data transmission capability is improved, but device complexity and leakage path increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal PCB feed-through structure that can accommodate multiple signal lines, power lines, and ground lines within a single integrated connector, supporting high data capacity transmission without proportionally increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple electrical connections and sealing functions into a single integrated PCB feed-through assembly, reducing the number of separate components and assembly steps while supporting increased data transmission capacity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible feed-through connector assembly achieves a 7% reduction in helium leakage rate and improved electrical transmission performance, supporting higher data capacities and multi-functional actuators with reduced parasitic capacitance and increased signal lines without compromising sealing integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a metal part thermally bonded together
Data Source
AI summary
A misalignment-tolerant flexible type electrical feed-through assembly, which is able to tolerate connector misalignment, involves a flexible circuit assembly (FCA) part constructed as a laminate structure of a base insulating layer, a conductor layer, and a cover insulating layer, where the FCA part is wrapped around a plurality of metal parts, where the metal parts are slidable relative to each other. Such a feed-through assembly may be used at an interface between a hermetically-sealed internal environment, such as in a lighter-than-air gas filled data storage device, and the external environment.