Thin Closure Magnetic Head Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetic head fabrication methods face challenges in reducing the gap-to-gap distance between read and write modules, leading to mistracking and errors in data transfer, and the mechanical fragility of thin closures used in these heads makes them prone to breakage during processing.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing thin closure magnetic read/write heads by bonding closure strips only across the length of each row of chips in the array, mitigating flexural strain and allowing for thinner closures, and using side bars or U-shaped column sections to maintain column dimensions similar to prior art, facilitating additional processing and reducing breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If closure strips are made thin to reduce wear and improve data transfer, then wear resistance and data transfer rate are improved, but mechanical strength and resistance to breakage deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is segmented into multiple reinforcement ribs that extend vertically from the closure surface. These ribs divide the closure structure into multiple load-bearing elements, allowing the closure to maintain thin overall thickness while possessing enhanced mechanical strength and breakage resistance through the distributed reinforcement network.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure is constructed as a composite structure combining a thin closure body material with reinforcement ribs of different material properties. The ribs provide structural reinforcement while the thin closure body maintains the desired thickness for reduced wear, creating a composite that achieves both thinness and strength.
2Manufacturing precision
If gap-to-gap distance between read and write modules is reduced to reduce mistracking, then data transfer accuracy is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to the need for thin closure structures
Solution Approach 1:
The closure structure is segmented with multiple reinforcement ribs that are independently formed and then integrated into the closure assembly. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components that can be assembled together, reducing the overall manufacturing complexity despite the reduced gap-to-gap distance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement ribs are formed as preliminary structural elements before final assembly of the closure. By pre-forming these reinforcing structures, the closure can be manufactured with reduced thickness for better data transfer accuracy while the reinforcement is already in place to manage the manufacturing complexity.
3Productivity
If closure strips are made thin to improve data transfer rate, then data transfer rate is improved, but susceptibility to flexural strain and breakage during fabrication increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure structure incorporates multiple reinforcement ribs that segment the closure into reinforced zones. These ribs act as internal support structures that prevent flexural strain and breakage during fabrication, allowing the closure to remain thin for high data transfer rates while maintaining reliability throughout the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure uses a composite construction where thin closure body material is combined with reinforcement ribs. This composite structure provides the necessary breakage resistance and resistance to flexural strain during fabrication, while the thin overall profile maintains high data transfer rates.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing thin closure magnetic read/write heads, such as magnetic tape heads is provided. The method provides improved flexural strength of the closure so that the closure breakage during fabrication of the heads is mitigated and closure thickness is reduced. An array of chips is fabricated on a wafer. The array is closed, with a closure strip bonded to each row of the array. Closures span only the length of a row, so that the closures are not subjected to flexure during processing and breakage due to flexure is mitigated. Side bars are bonded to the array to form a column with dimensions similar to prior art columns. This allows columns manufactured by the invention to undergo additional processing using existing processes.