Shared Conductive Trace for Laser and Write Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic hard disk drives face challenges in efficiently integrating laser light sources for energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) due to limited space on the laminated flexure, leading to increased manufacturing costs and frequency-dependent skew between write signals and laser driving signals, which affects data storage capacity and synchronization.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a patterned electrically conductive layer on the laminated flexure with conductive traces that connect to both the write head and laser diode, utilizing a power combiner circuit to combine write and laser signals, and employing low and high pass filters to reduce frequency-dependent skew by ensuring both signals follow the same path before differentiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional conductive traces are added to the laminated flexure to drive the laser device, then the laser device can be driven, but the space available on the flexure is limited and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive traces on the laminated flexure are designed to serve dual purposes: carrying both the write signal to the write head and the laser driving signal to the laser device. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated conductive traces for the laser device, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the capability to drive both the write head and laser device effectively.
2Reliability
If separate conductive paths are used for write signal and laser driving signal, then signal integrity is maintained, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the conductive paths for the write signal and laser driving signal into a shared conductive trace structure on the laminated flexure. By combining these functions into a unified trace design, the number of manufacturing steps is reduced, alignment requirements are simplified, and overall manufacturing time and costs are decreased while maintaining signal integrity through proper trace routing and impedance control.
3Ease of operation
If different conductive paths are used for write and laser signals, then signal routing is straightforward, but frequency-dependent skew increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the write signal and laser driving signal into the same conductive trace structure, the patent ensures that both signals experience identical electrical characteristics and propagation delays. This unified path eliminates frequency-dependent skew between the signals, as they travel through the same medium with the same impedance and length, thereby improving signal synchronization without complicating the routing design.
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
This approach enhances space efficiency, reduces manufacturing complexities and costs, and synchronizes write and heating signals effectively, improving data storage capacity and reducing frequency-dependent skew, thereby enhancing the performance of EAMR disk drives.
Implementation Method 1
local application of laser light for localized heating of the disk surface
Implementation Method 2
heat produced by the laser will assist the writing of magnetic transitions on the disk
Implementation Method 3
applying sufficient magnetic field to the desired microscopic disk surface location to overcome the coercivity
Data Source
AI summary
A disk drive includes a write head that includes a slider, a write transducer disposed on the slider, and a laser device affixed to the slider. The write transducer is driven by a first electrical signal that is carried on at least one of a plurality of conductive traces of a laminated flexure to which the write head is attached. The laser device is driven by a second electrical signal that is also carried by the same at least one of the plurality of conductive traces. The first signal is characterized by a first frequency, and the second electrical signal is characterized by a second frequency that is different from the first frequency.