Polyimide Tabbing for Disk Drive Head Suspension Detabbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of disk drive suspension components, such as load beams and flexures, generates fine metal particles during detabbing operations, which can adhere to the components and interfere with drive operation despite cleaning efforts.
Innovation Solution
The use of a suspension component manufacturing method that incorporates a polymer layer in the tabs connecting the components to carrier strips, allowing the polymer layer to be severed during detabbing, reducing metal particle production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal tabs are used to connect suspension components to carrier strips, then the components can be securely supported during manufacturing, but fine metal particles are generated during detabbing operations that contaminate the components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by creating tabs with a layered structure consisting of a metal layer (for structural strength and connection) and a polymer layer (for controlled detachment). This composite tab structure allows the metal portion to provide secure support during manufacturing while the polymer portion enables clean separation without generating metal particles, thus resolving the contradiction between support stability and particle contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the detabbing function from the metal tab structure by introducing a separate polymer layer that performs the detachment function. The polymer layer is designed to be severed easily at detab regions, separating the detachment function from the metal portion that provides structural support, thereby eliminating metal particle generation during detabbing while maintaining component support stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If cleaning processes are applied to remove metal particles, then some particles can be removed, but not all particles are successfully removed and they can still interfere with drive operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by preventing particle generation in the first place through the use of polymer detab regions. Instead of relying on cleaning processes to remove particles after they are generated, the polymer-based detabbing mechanism prevents particle creation at the source, making cleaning processes unnecessary and eliminating the problem of remaining contamination entirely.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If polymer layer is used in detab regions, then metal particle production is reduced, but the tab structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the tab into distinct functional zones: a metal layer for structural support and connection, and a polymer layer for controlled detachment. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function while maintaining a relatively simple overall tab structure that can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components includes supporting the components from carrier strips and/or other components by tab regions consisting substantially of a polyimide insulating layer. The components are detabbed by severing the insulating layer at the tab regions.