U.S. patent application number 15/913327 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-12 for head suspension assembly for testing a slider.
The applicant listed for this patent is Seagate Technology LLC. Invention is credited to Sunchai Mata.
Application Number | 20190279669 15/913327 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67843335 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-12 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190279669 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mata; Sunchai |
September 12, 2019 |
HEAD SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY FOR TESTING A SLIDER
Abstract
A head suspension assembly for testing a slider. The head
suspension assembly includes a load beam assembly and a gimbal
coupled to the load beam assembly. A clamp is coupled to the
gimbal. The clamp is configured to releasably secure a slider in
the head suspension assembly. The clamp includes an alignment
feature for positioning the slider in the head suspension
assembly.
Inventors: |
Mata; Sunchai; (Nakorn
Ratchasima, TH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Seagate Technology LLC |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
67843335 |
Appl. No.: |
15/913327 |
Filed: |
March 6, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 5/4826 20130101;
G11B 5/3189 20130101; G11B 5/4853 20130101; G11B 5/4833
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G11B 5/48 20060101
G11B005/48 |
Claims
1. A head suspension assembly comprising: a load beam assembly; a
gimbal coupled to the load beam assembly, the gimbal comprising a
stopper; and a clamp coupled to the gimbal, the clamp configured to
releasably secure a slider in the head suspension assembly and
configured to urge the slider towards the stopper, the clamp
comprising: a plate; an alignment feature in the plate for
positioning the slider in the head suspension assembly; first and
second side members coupled to the plate, the first and second side
members each include a portion that extends downwardly from the
plate and a portion that is above the plate; and a connection
piece, above the plate, that connects the first and second side
members.
2. The head suspension assembly of claim 1 and wherein the
alignment feature comprises fiducial holes.
3. The head suspension assembly of claim 1 and further comprising
an electrical interconnect configured to couple to the slider when
the slider is secured in the head suspension assembly.
4. The head suspension assembly of claim 1 and wherein the
electrical interconnect comprises traces coupled to contact pads,
and wherein the clamp is configured to urge the slider against the
contact pads.
5. The head suspension assembly of claim 4 and wherein the gimbal
comprises the stopper that is configured to prevent movement of the
contact pads when the slider is urged against the contact pads.
6. The head suspension assembly of claim 5 and wherein the stopper
comprises a first finger that is positioned proximate to a first
outer contact pad of the contact pads, and wherein the stopper
further comprises a second finger positioned proximate to a second
outer contact pad of the contact pads.
7. The head suspension assembly of claim 6 and wherein the stopper
further comprises a first wing coupled to the first finger and a
second wing coupled to the second finger.
8. The head suspension assembly of claim 5 and wherein the stopper
comprises a bar positioned proximate to the contact pads, and
wherein the bar is configured to prevent movement of the contact
pads when the slider is urged against the contact pads.
9. The head suspension assembly of claim 3 and wherein portions of
the electrical interconnect are routed over the load beam
assembly.
10. (canceled)
11. The head suspension assembly of claim 9 and further comprising
reduced thickness regions in portions of the load beam assembly
under the electrical interconnect.
12. The head suspension assembly of claim 9 and wherein the load
beam assembly includes a first end and a second end that is
proximate to the clamp, and wherein the electrical interconnect
comprises a tail pad portion that extends beyond the first end of
the load beam assembly, and the tail pad portion comprises a
plurality of layers comprising: an electrically conductive via; a
first metal layer below the electrically conductive via; and a
second metal layer below the first metal layer and formed of a
different metal than the first metal layer.
13. An apparatus comprising: a load beam assembly; a gimbal coupled
to the load beam assembly, the gimbal comprising a substantially
flat portion and a stopper having first and second wings that
extend upwardly from the substantially flat portion of the gimbal,
the stopper further comprising: a bar between the first and second
wings having a different geometry than the first wing or the second
wing, the bar having a first end coupled to the first wing and a
second end coupled to the second wing; or a first finger coupled to
the first wing and a second finger coupled to the second wing, the
first and second fingers being between the first and second wings;
and a clamp coupled to the gimbal, the clamp configured to
releasably secure a slider and configured to urge the slider
towards the bar or the first and second fingers of the stopper.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 and further comprising an electrical
interconnect configured to couple to the slider when the slider is
secured in the clamp.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 and wherein the electrical
interconnect comprises traces coupled to contact pads, and wherein
the clamp is configured to urge the slider against the contact
pads.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 and wherein the stopper is configured
to prevent movement of the contact pads when the slider is urged
against the contact pads.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 and wherein the stopper comprises the
first finger that is positioned proximate to a first outer contact
pad of the contact pads, and wherein the stopper further comprises
the second finger positioned proximate to a second outer contact
pad of the contact pads.
18. (canceled)
19. The apparatus of claim 15 and wherein the stopper comprises the
bar positioned proximate to the contact pads, and wherein the bar
is configured to prevent movement of the contact pads when the
slider is urged against the contact pads.
20. A method of making a head suspension assembly comprising:
providing a load beam assembly; coupling a gimbal having a stopper
to the load beam assembly; coupling a clamp to the gimbal such that
a plate of the clamp is attached to the gimbal and located between
the gimbal and the load beam assembly, and such that side members
of the clamp that extend downwardly from the plate are positioned
on left and right sides of the load beam assembly, the clamp being
capable of releasably securing a slider in the head suspension
assembly and being capable of urging the slider towards the
stopper; and providing an alignment feature in the clamp for
positioning the slider in the head suspension assembly.
21. The method of claim 20 and further comprising providing an
electrical interconnect configured to couple to the slider when the
slider is secured in the head suspension assembly.
22. The method of claim 21 and further comprising routing portions
of the electrical interconnect over the load beam assembly.
Description
SUMMARY
[0001] In one embodiment, a head suspension assembly is provided.
The head suspension assembly includes a load beam assembly and a
gimbal coupled to the load beam assembly. A clamp is coupled to the
gimbal. The clamp is configured to releasably secure a slider in
the head suspension assembly. The clamp includes an alignment
feature for positioning the slider in the head suspension
assembly.
[0002] In another embodiment, an apparatus includes a load beam
assembly and a gimbal coupled to the load beam assembly. The gimbal
includes a stopper. A clamp is coupled to the gimbal. The clamp is
configured to releasably secure a slider and to urge the slider
towards the stopper.
[0003] In yet another embodiment, a method of making a head
suspension assembly is provided. The method includes providing a
load beam assembly, and coupling a gimbal to the load beam
assembly. The method further includes coupling a clamp to the
gimbal. The clamp is capable of releasably securing a slider in the
head suspension assembly. The method also includes providing an
alignment feature in the clamp for positioning the slider in the
head suspension assembly.
[0004] Other features and benefits that characterize embodiments of
the disclosure will be apparent upon reading the following detailed
description and review of the associated drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a top view of a head suspension assembly in
accordance with one embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic illustration of an 11-pad slider
electrically coupled to trace pads on a slider side of an
electrical interconnect of the head suspension assembly of FIG.
1.
[0007] FIGS. 2B-2D are diagrammatic illustrations of example design
variations in the portion of the head suspension assembly shown in
FIG. 2A.
[0008] FIG. 2E is a top view of the slider side of the electrical
interconnect showing portions of traces of the electrical
interconnect.
[0009] FIG. 3A is a top view of a portion of the head suspension
assembly of FIG. 1 where sliders are releasably attached for
testing.
[0010] FIG. 3B is a side view of the head suspension assembly
portion shown in FIG. 3A.
[0011] FIG. 3C is an exploded view of a portion of the structure
shown in FIG. 3B.
[0012] FIGS. 4A-4C are diagrammatic illustrations of a load beam
assembly including reduced thickness regions in accordance with one
embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of an electrical
interconnect in accordance with one embodiment.
[0014] FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrammatic illustrations that together
illustrate a tail pad design for the head suspension assembly of
FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 6C illustrates a reflow process for coupling the tail
pad portions of FIGS. 6A and 6B to a printed circuit card.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a slider
tester which incorporates the head suspension assembly of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to testing
components of a data storage device during manufacture of the data
storage device. A disc drive is one example of a data storage
device. In a disc drive, data is stored on a storage disc in
concentric tracks. In many drives, the data is stored using a write
head that changes a physical property of the disc. The data is read
from the disc by positioning a read head over a desired track and
sensing the physical properties of the disc along the track. For
example, in a magnetic disc drive, the read head senses magnetic
moment boundaries along the disc.
[0018] The process for producing a read head or a write head varies
depending upon the type of read head or write head being produced.
Nonetheless, substantially all head manufacturing methods share
common characteristics, such as high degree of manufacturing
complexity, small feature sizes, and a susceptibility to
manufacturing errors. Because of this, each production method
generates some heads that may not meet specifications. In order to
detect faulty heads accurately, the transducing heads are tested
over a disc surface. In particular, each transducing head is flown
over a disc surface while it performs writing and/or reading
operations. Early in the disc drive manufacturing art, this type of
testing was performed after the head was assembled in a complete
disc drive. However, this in-drive testing proved to be costly
because the disc drive had to be rebuilt if the head was found to
be faulty.
[0019] To address the cost of in-drive testing, a "spin-stand"
which allowed a head-gimbal assembly (HGA) to be tested before it
was placed in a disc drive was developed. An HGA includes a slider
having a transducing head, an armature (beam and gimbal strut) for
positioning the slider, and a flexible circuit that carries
electrical signals between the head and drive electronics. In
general, a spin-stand includes a spinning computer disc and a
mounting support that supports the HGA and moves the transducing
head to a desired position over the spinning disc. The transducer
is substantially more delicately fabricated that the other
components of the HGA. The spin-stand allows a series of tests to
be performed on the transducing head including, for example,
error-rate testing, pulse width-fifty testing, track average
amplitude testing and track scan testing. Often, the failure of the
HGA is due to the electrical malfunctioning of the transducer.
Since the components of the HGA are permanently attached, the
entire assembly is rejected if a transducer is found to be
defective. Rejecting the entire assembly which includes the base
plate, load beam, gimbal strut and flex circuit in addition to the
slider with the embedded transducer is wasteful, unnecessarily
increasing manufacturing costs.
[0020] In embodiments of the disclosure a head suspension assembly
for a slider tester is provided, which includes a clamp that is
coupled to a gimbal and a load beam. The assembly also includes an
electrical interconnect, such as a flex circuit or other wiring.
The clamp is configured to releasably secure a slider in the head
suspension assembly such that the slider is electrically coupled to
the electrical interconnect when properly positioned in the
clamp.
[0021] It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used
in different figures for same or similar elements. It should also
be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose
of describing embodiments, and the terminology is not intended to
be limiting. Unless indicated otherwise, ordinal numbers (e.g.,
first, second, third, etc.) are used to distinguish or identify
different elements or steps in a group of elements or steps, and do
not supply a serial or numerical limitation on the elements or
steps of the embodiments thereof. For example, "first," "second,"
and "third" elements or steps need not necessarily appear in that
order, and the embodiments thereof need not necessarily be limited
to three elements or steps. It should also be understood that,
unless indicated otherwise, any labels such as "left," "right,"
"front," "back," "top," "bottom," "forward," "reverse,"
"clockwise," "counter clockwise," "up," "down," or other similar
terms such as "upper," "lower," "aft," "fore," "vertical,"
"horizontal," "proximal," "distal," "intermediate" and the like are
used for convenience and are not intended to imply, for example,
any particular fixed location, orientation, or direction. Instead,
such labels are used to reflect, for example, relative location,
orientation, or directions. It should also be understood that the
singular forms of "a," "an," and "the" include plural references
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a top view of a head suspension assembly 100 in
accordance with one embodiment. Head suspension assembly 100
includes a load beam assembly 102, an electrical interconnect
(e.g., a flex circuit) 104, a gimbal 106 and a clamp 108 that
releasably secures a slider 110 in the head suspension assembly
100. Load beam assembly 102 includes beam 111 and hinge 112. Load
beam assembly 102 extends from a first end 114 that includes a
mounting hole 115 to a second end 116 that includes a lift 118,
which may be used to park the assembly 100 in a spin-stand tester.
In some embodiments, load beam assembly 102 may be formed of
stainless steel. Other suitable materials may also be used to form
load beam assembly 102. As can be seen in FIG. 1, gimbal 106
includes a main body 134, a tongue 136 and legs 135A and 135B that
connect main body 134 to tongue 136. Gimbal 106 may be formed of
stainless steel or any other suitable material. In the embodiment
of FIG. 1, a portion of clamp 108 may be attached or bonded to
gimbal 106. Electrical interconnect 104 includes a slider
side/slider end 120 and a tail side/tail end 122. The assembly of
the head suspension 100 near the slider side 120 of the electrical
interconnect 104 is somewhat complex, and is enlarged and
illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3B, etc.
[0023] FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic illustration of an 11-pad slider
110 electrically coupled to trace pads on slider side 120 of
electrical interconnect 104. In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the 11
slider pads include a writer negative pad (W-) 123A, a writer
positive pad (W+) 123B, a slider substrate connection pad or ground
pad (G) 123C, a heater for reader pad (Hr) 123D, a heater for
writer pad (Hw) 123E, a first reader negative pad (R1-) 123F, a
first reader positive pad (R1+) 123G, a second reader negative pad
(R2-) 123H, a second reader positive pad (R2+) 1231, a first
thermal asperity detection pad (Tax) 123J, and a second thermal
asperity detection pad (Tay) 123K. As can be seen in FIG. 2A,
slider side 120 of electrical interconnect 104 includes contact
pads 124A-124K that make electrical contact with respective ones of
slider pads 123A-123K when slider 110 is held in place with the
help of clamp 108. Contact pads 124A-124K are positioned at ends of
traces 125A-125K, which can be seen through window 127 in gimbal
106. In one embodiment, a portion of clamp 108 (not shown in FIG.
2A) urges the slider 110 against a stopper 126 of gimbal 106.
Stopper 126 may be substantially perpendicular to, or may generally
extend in an upward direction from, a remaining portion of gimbal
106. In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, stopper 126 includes fingers 128
and wings 130 from which the fingers 128 extend. As can be seen in
FIG. 2A, each of fingers 128 is in contact with at least one of
pads 124A-124K (e.g., an outer pad) and helps prevent slider 110
from moving beyond the stopper 126 when the slider 110 is
clamped.
[0024] FIGS. 2B-2D are diagrammatic illustrations showing examples
of variations in stopper 126 and window 127 designs in different
embodiments. In the embodiment of FIG. 2B, wings 130A are extended
in an upward direction relative to wings 130 of FIG. 2A. Further,
in the embodiment of FIG. 2B, fingers 128A are shorter (e.g.,
extend less in a horizontal direction) relative to fingers 128 of
FIG. 2A. The embodiment of FIG. 2C is similar to the embodiment of
FIG. 2B in that it employs upwardly extended wing 130A. However,
the embodiment of FIG. 2C includes a stopper bar 129 instead of
fingers 128 (of FIG. 2A), 128A (of FIG. 2B). Further, in the
embodiment of FIG. 2C, the single window (e.g., 127 of FIGS. 2A and
2B) is divided into two windows 127A and 127B. The embodiment of
FIG. 2D has a stopper structure similar to that of the embodiment
of FIG. 2C and therefore includes upwardly extended wings 130A and
a stopper bar 129. However, the embodiment of FIG. 2D employs a
relatively narrow window 127C compared to, for example, window 127
of the embodiment of FIG. 2A.
[0025] FIG. 2E is a top view of slider side 120 of electrical
interconnect 104 showing portions of traces 125A-125K below gimbal
106 (not shown in FIG. 2E). In one embodiment, the traces 125A-125K
and pads 124A-124K are formed of copper. However, any other
conductive material may also be used for the traces. Traces
125A-125K may be routed in any suitable manner. In the embodiment
of FIG. 2E, the routing of traces 125D-125K is relatively simple
(e.g., without any interleaving). However, the routing of traces
125A, 12B and 125C is carried out via additional structures
131A-131C, 132A and 132B. Structures 131A-131C help provide
interleaved trace connections for electrical bandwidth improvement.
In the embodiment of FIG. 2E, traces 125A and 125B and routed such
that four trace portions are ultimately formed (e.g., trace
portions 125A' and 125A'' and trace portions 125B' and 125B'').
Coupling of additional trace portions 125A' and 125A'' is shown in
FIG. 3A and discussed below.
[0026] FIG. 3A is a top view of a portion of head suspension
assembly 100 where sliders 110 are releasably attached for testing.
As noted above, gimbal 106 includes legs 135A and 135B that connect
main body 134 to tongue 136. Portions 137 of legs 135A and 135B are
designed to improve gimbal 106 stiffness. As can be seen in FIG.
3A, portions of traces 125A-125K of electrical interconnect 104
extend along sides of gimbal legs 135A and 135B. A jumper 151 is
included for the interleaving of traces. In the embodiment of FIG.
3A, jumper 151 includes 3 vias (not shown in the interest of
simplification) that electrically couple to structures 131A-131C,
thereby connecting trace 125A to trace portions 125A' and 125A''.
Clamp 108 includes a substantially flat plate 138 and substantially
U-shaped portions 139A and 139B extending from the substantially
flat plate 138. When assembled in a manner shown in FIG. 3A, the
substantially flat plate 138 is above beam 111 and the U-shaped
portions 139A and 139B are positioned on either side of beam 111.
Each U-shaped portion 139A, 139B includes a base 140A, 140B, a
first side 141A, 141B connected to substantially flat plate 138 and
a second side 142A, 142B that is opposite first side 141A, 141B and
may have a height that is greater than a height of first side 141A,
141B. Second sides 142A and 142B of U-shaped portions 139A and
139B, respectively, are coupled together by a connection piece 143
that includes a tab or clamp tip 144. The substantially flat plate
138 includes fiducial holes 145A and 145B positioned as shown in
FIG. 3A. As will be discussed below, fiducial holes 145A and 145B
serve as positioning or alignment features. Any other suitable
alignment features (e.g., fiducial marks) may be used instead of
fiducial holes 145A and 145B in other embodiments. In should be
noted that fiducial holes 145A and 145B are aligned with holes in
interconnect structures 132A and 132B, respectively, shown in FIG.
2E. Clamp 108 is formed of a resilient material (e.g., resilient
sheet steel) that enables loading/unloading of slider 110 into head
suspension assembly 100 and also helps hold the slider 110 in place
in head suspension assembly 100 by urging the slider 110 against
stopper 126 of gimbal 106. Slider 110 may be loaded into head
suspension assembly 100 with the help of a machine that may
include, for example, a camera that helps locate fiducial holes
145A and 145B. Once the fiducial holes 145A and 145B are located,
the machine calculates a proper location for slider 110 to be
loaded, suitably positions slider 110 over clamp 108, and deforms
the clamp 108 (e.g., by inserting pins between the U-shaped
portions 139A and 139B from below the clamp 108 and applying a
force on connection piece 143) such that connection piece 143 and
second sides 142A and 142B are pulled away from first sides 141A
and 141B to enable insertion of slider 110 into the clamp 108. The
machine then inserts the slider 110 into the clamp 108 with the
slider pads 123A-123K facing the trace contact pads 124A-124K.
[0027] FIG. 3B is a side view of the head suspension assembly 100
portion shown in FIG. 3A. As can be seen in FIG. 3B, substantially
flat pate 138 of clamp 108 includes a first thickness portion 138A
that is attached (e.g., bonded) to gimbal 106 and a second, reduced
thickness, portion 138B. The second reduced thickness portion 138B
provides a space for inclusion of portions of traces 125A-125K of
electrical interconnect 104 between gimbal 106 and clamp 108. As
can be seen in FIG. 3B, clamp 108 is in contact with a raised
portion 146 of beam 111.
[0028] FIG. 3C is an exploded view of a portion of the structure
shown in FIG. 3B. As can be seen in FIG. 3C, a first intermediate
layer 147 is included between trace contact pads 124A-124K and
stopper 126 of gimbal 106. In one embodiment, the first
intermediate layer 147 may be formed of a flexible material (e.g.,
polyimide) and may be about 10 micrometers (um) thick. It should be
noted that, in the interest of simplification, layer 147 is not
shown in certain figures (e.g., not shown in FIG. 3A). Gimbal leg
135B, which is seen in the side view of FIG. 3C, may be about 25 um
thick in one embodiment. A second intermediate layer 148 is
included between gimbal 106 and electrical interconnect 104. As in
the case of the first intermediate layer 147, in one embodiment,
the second intermediate layer 148 may be formed of a flexible
material (e.g., polyimide) and may be about 10 um thick. Electrical
interconnect portion 104 below second intermediate layer 148
includes portions of traces 125A-125K, which may be formed of any
suitable electrically conductive material. In embodiment, the
electrical interconnect portion 104 below the second intermediate
layer 148 includes copper and is about 10 um thick. A cover layer
149, which may be about 4 um thick in one embodiment, is below the
electrical interconnect portion 104. The side view of FIG. 3C also
shows portion 138B of substantially flat plate 138 of clamp
108.
[0029] FIGS. 4A-4C are diagrammatic illustrations of load beam
assembly 102 having beam 111 and hinge 112 with reduced (non-zero)
thickness regions 150, 150A and 150B, which are configured to
provide an improvement in electrical bandwidth. The reduced
thickness regions 150, 150A and 150B are included to help
reduce/limit contact between electrical interconnect 104 and load
beam assembly 102 (e.g., beam 111 and hinge 112), thereby reducing
an influence of a material of the load beam assembly 102 (e.g.,
stainless steel) on a flow of electrical current through the
interconnect 104, which results in a bandwidth improvement.
Accordingly, the reduced thickness regions 150, 150A and 150B of
beam 111 and hinge 112 are included below the electrical
interconnect 104 and generally have shapes that correspond to
shapes of portions of the electrical interconnect 104 that are
above the reduced thickness regions 150, 150A and 150B. The shapes
of the reduced thickness regions 150 include substantially
rectangular shaped regions, a substantially Y-shaped region and
other suitable shapes. The two sets of reduced thickness regions
150A and 150B of hinge 112 are substantially similar. The inclusion
of such substantially similar reduced thickness regions 150A and
150B is to provide an option for routing electrical interconnect
104 over either region 150A or over region 150B. In some
embodiments, the reduced thickness regions 150, 150A and 150B may
be formed by an etching process. In one embodiment, legs of hinge
112 have a free-state angle .theta. of about 13 degrees, which is
shown in the hinge 112 side view of FIG. 4B. The angled hinge 112
portion helps bias beam 111 towards a data storage medium for
testing slider 110.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of electrical
interconnect 104 in accordance with one embodiment. In the
embodiment of FIG. 5, different portions of electrical interconnect
104 have independently determined trace widths and inter-trace
spacing to provide bandwidth improvements. In the embodiment of
FIG. 5, electrical interconnect 104 includes a pre-gimbal trace
portion 104A, a gimbal trace portion 104B, first load beam trace
portion 104C, a second load beam trace portion 104D, a third load
beam trace portion 104E, a fourth load beam trace portion 104F, a
fifth load beam trace portion 104G, a sixth load beam trace portion
104H, a first pre-load trace portion 104I, a second pre-load trace
portion 104J, a third pre-load trace portion 104K, a first weld
trace portion 104L, a second weld trace portion 104M, a third weld
trace portion 104N, a fourth weld trace portion 104O, a fifth weld
trace portion 104P, a tail trace portion 104Q, a first tail bend
trace portion 104R, a second tail bend trace portion 104S and a
third tail bend trace portion 104T. As noted above, in some
embodiments, each of the different electrical interconnect portions
104A-104T may have differing trace widths and/or inter-trace
spacing. For example, trace 125D (shown in FIG. 2E) may have a
first width in pre-gimbal region 104A and a second width in gimbal
region 104B, with the second width being different from the first
width. Also, for example, a first inter-trace spacing between
traces 125D and 125E (shown in FIG. 2E) in pre-gimbal region 104A
may be different from a second inter-trace spacing between the same
traces 125D and 125E in gimbal region 104B.
[0031] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a tail pad design for head
suspension assembly 100 in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 6A
illustrates a first portion 152 of a tail end 122 (shown in FIG. 1)
of head suspension assembly 100. First portion 152 may be formed of
a metal such a stainless steel and includes islands 153A-153K. FIG.
6B illustrates a second portion 154 of the tail end 122 of head
suspension assembly 100. The second portion 154 of the tail end 122
includes pads 155A-155K. In the embodiment of FIG. 6B, the tail
pads include a writer negative pad (W-) 155A, a writer positive
tail pad (W+) 155B, a heater for reader tail pad (Hr) 155C, a
heater for writer pad (Hw) 155D, a first reader negative tail pad
(R1-) 155E, a first reader positive tail pad (R1+) 155F, a second
reader negative tail pad (R2-) 155G, a second reader positive tail
pad (R2+) 155H, a first thermal asperity detection tail pad (Tax)
155I, and a second thermal asperity detection pad (Tay) 155J. Tail
pad 155K is a microactuator pad, which is coupled to a
microactuator (not shown) via a trace. In an assembled state,
different ones of tail of pads 155A-155K are located over
corresponding ones of islands 153A-153K.
[0032] FIG. 6C is a diagrammatic illustration of a reflow process
for electrically coupling a tail pad to a printed circuit card
(PCC) 162. A heat source (e.g., a reflow tip of a hot bar) 156 is
positioned above the layered structure as shown in FIG. 6C. The
tail pad 155A-155K is directly above an electrically conductive via
157. The tail pad 155A-155K may be about 10 um thick and the via
157 may have a similar thickness. In one embodiment, tail pads
155A-155K and conductive via 157 may be formed of Cu. As can be
seen in FIG. 6C, the via 157 is flanked by substantially coplanar
intermediate layers 158A and 158B. In one embodiment, the
intermediate layers 158A and 158B may be formed of a flexible
material (e.g., polyimide) and may be about 10 um thick. An island
153A-153K is included below the electrically conductive via 157 and
the intermediate layers 158A and 158B. In one embodiment, the
island 153A-153K may be formed of stainless steel and may be about
25 um thick. A metal layer 160 is positioned below the island
153A-153K. In some embodiments, the metal layer 160 is formed of a
different metal than the island 153A-153K. In one embodiment, the
metal layer 160 is formed of gold and is about 0.0025 um thick. The
gold layer 160 enables stainless steel island 153A-153K to connect
to a solder bump 162 on PCC 162. Heat from reflow tip 156 is passed
to one pad 15A-155K and transferred to the island 153A-153K through
via 157. The heat from the island 153A-153K is transferred to the
solder bump 161 via the thin metal layer 160. The solder bump 161
melts to form the electrical connection to the PCC 162.
[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a slider
tester which incorporates head suspension assembly 100. Slider
tester 200 includes disc 206 mounted on spindle 202, which is
rotated by spindle motor 204. Spindle motor 204 rests on base 214
located directly below platform 208. Base 214 typically includes a
heavy granite block to provide mechanical stability. Head
suspension assembly 100 is positioned over disc 206 by "X"
direction positioning mechanism 207 and "Y" direction positioning
mechanism 213. "X" positioning mechanism 207 includes platform 208
which moves between guide rails 210 and 212. For purposes of
reference, movement of platform 208 along guides 210 and 212 is
considered to be in the "X" direction as shown by arrows 215. "Y"
positioning mechanism 213 includes a carriage 216 that moves
between rails 218 and 220 in the "Y" direction as indicated by
arrows 217.
[0034] Platform 208 can be supported by a cushion of air during
movement, and can be stabilized in a particular position by the
application of a vacuum between platform 208 and granite base 214
located directly below platform 208. Similar to platform 208,
carriage 216 can be supported by a cushion of air during movement
and locked into position by application of a vacuum. Position
encoders 221 and 223 can be located, respectively, along guide 210
to provide an indication of the position of platform 208 and along
guide 220 to provide an indication of the position of carriage
216.
[0035] Carriage 216 and platform 208 may be actuated by servo
motors or stepper motors mounted between one of the guide rails and
the respective platform or carriage. Other types of motors, such as
linear motors with the magnetic actuating structure built into the
guide rails and platforms, may be used. These motors generally
perform coarse adjustment of head suspension assembly 100 which is
connected to a suspension chuck 242. Suspension chuck 242 may be
mounted to fine positioning platform 240. Fine positioning platform
240 is connected to suspension chuck 242 through piezo elements or
a voice coil actuator or other mechanism that is able to move
suspension chuck 242 in the X direction to perform fine adjustment
of a transducing head with respect to disc 106.
[0036] During head suspension loading operations, pivot motor 228
rotates eccentric cam 229 causing lever arm 227 and the back end of
pivoting platform 226 to rotate upward about pivot pins 236, 238.
Suspension chuck 242, which carries suspension 244, is then placed
on piezo platform 240 and spindle motor 204 is activated so that
disc 206 rotates at a desired speed. Carriage 216 can be moved
forward so that the slider 110 (FIGS. 1 and 2A) at the end of
suspension 100 moves under the spinning disc 206. Support platform
208 is also moved so that slider 110 is positioned at a desired
radius along disc 206. When the slider 110 nears the desired
location relative to disc 206, motor 228 rotates eccentric cam 229
back so that pivoting platform 226 returns to its level position
and the head is brought into proximity with disc 206. The head
suspension 100 then flies over a surface of disc 206. If fine
positioning platform 240 is not included, suspension chuck 242 may
be mounted directly on pivoting platform 226.
[0037] The head suspension 100 is connected by electrical leads to
printed circuit 230, which has further connections to control box
248. Control box 248 controls the positioning of the head
suspension 100 and the types of tests that are performed on the
slider 110. In particular, control box 248 designates the location
for the test track, the data to be written to the disc, and the
position of the read head within the written track during read back
of the test data. Using fine positioning platform 240, the slider
110 can be moved to a number of different locations within a track
during read back, so that a profile of the off track sensitivity of
the read element of slider 110 can be determined.
[0038] The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are
intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the
various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as
a complete description of all of the elements and features of
apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods
described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those
of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other
embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such
that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made
without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally,
the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn
to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be
exaggerated, while other proportions may be reduced. Accordingly,
the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative
rather than restrictive.
[0039] One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to
herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term "invention"
merely for convenience and without intending to limit the scope of
this application to any particular invention or inventive concept.
Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent
arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be
substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is
intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations
of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and
other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be
apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the
description.
[0040] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37
C.F.R. .sctn. 1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that
it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of
the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description,
various features may be grouped together or described in a single
embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This
disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that
the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly
recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,
inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all of the
features of any of the disclosed embodiments.
[0041] The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered
illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are
intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other
embodiments, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the
present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the
scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest
permissible interpretation of the following claims and their
equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the
foregoing detailed description.
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