Lam Research Corporation

Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Aerogen, Inc.

Brian Scott Thornton

Alan John Jensen

Edmund Bruno Fanslau, Jr

Andrew J Nagengast

Wilbur C Krusell

Anil K Pant

Michael Albert Klimowicz

Robert G Boehm, Jr

A head gimbal assembly includes a slider, a flexure, and a plurality of solder receptacles. The slider has an air-bearing surface and a metallized backside opposite the air bearing surface. The flexure includes a flexure tongue layer at least partially formed of stainless steel. The flexure further includes at least one additional layer over the flexure tongue layer. The plurality of solder receptacles extend through the at least one additional layer to the flexure tongue layer. Solder fills at least one of the solder receptacles and contacts the stainless steel of the flexure tongue layer.

Flexure design and assembly process for attachment of slider using solder and laser reflow

A slider/suspension design and assembly method include securing a slider to a suspension assembly for use in a magnetic disk drive data recording device. To this end, solder bumps are applied to a metalized backside surface of the slider, and are patterned and flown within a plurality of receptacles to form a rigid mechanical connection between the slider to the flexure, while also enabling the slider-suspension assembly to be separated without damage during the process. The slider/suspension assembly is initiated by forming a plurality of slider bars on a wafer, in such a manner that the trailing edge surfaces of the sliders form a front side of the wafer. A plurality of thin film read/write elements and a plurality of electrical contact pads are formed on the wafer front side. Slider bars are then diced from the wafer, and the slider backsides are metalized on the slider bars. A pattern of solder bumps is applied onto the metalized backsides of the slider bars, and the slider bars are then sliced to form individual sliders that are secured to corresponding flexures.

A slider/suspension design and assembly method include securing a slider to a suspension assembly for use in a magnetic disk drive data recording device. To this end, a solder fillet bond is applied at the leading edge surface of the slider to provide a structural connection of the slider to the flexure, while also enabling the slider-suspension assembly to be separated without damage during the process. The slider/suspension assembly is initiated by forming a plurality of sliders on a wafer, in such a manner that the trailing edge surfaces of the sliders form the front side of the wafer, and the leading edge surfaces of the sliders form the backside of the wafer. A plurality of thin film data transducing elements and a plurality of electrical contact pads are then formed on the wafer front side.

Method of forming a slider/suspension assembly

A CMP polishing pad improves overall material removal rate uniformity by combining multiple polishing pad sections in a serially linked manner, where the polishing pad sections are characterized by at least two different material removal rate profiles. The polishing pad is designed by determining a wafer polishing profile for each of a group of polishing pads where each polishing pad has a unique groove configuration, determining a combination of polishing pad segments, each of the segments constructed with one of the unique groove configurations, that will combine to achieve an improved uniformity in the polishing profile, and manufacturing a polishing pad having pad sections corresponding to the analytically determined pad sections.

Chemical mechanical planarization or polishing pad with sections having varied groove patterns

A method for producing an aerosol generator utilizes a vibratable member having a plurality of apertures for producing liquid droplets upon vibration of the vibratable member. A support member is injection molded about the vibratable member, and a vibratable element is placed in vibrational communication with the vibratable member.

Insert molded aerosol generator and methods

A method for performing and an apparatus to perform chemical mechanical polishing on a semiconductor wafer are disclosed. The apparatus includes a wafer holder, a polishing member, and a movable table. The movable table is in contact with and is supporting the polishing member. The polishing member includes a polishing pad, a backing layer, and a stiffening layer positioned between the backing layer and the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a polishing surface that is oriented to receive a semiconductor wafer held by the wafer holder. The polishing surface is configured to chemically mechanically polish the semiconductor wafer. The method includes holding a semiconductor wafer, moving a polishing member, and bringing a surface of the semiconductor wafer into contact with the polishing member. The polishing member includes a polishing pad, a backing layer, and a stiffening layer positioned between the polishing pad and the backing layer.

Planarization system for chemical-mechanical polishing

A technique for utilizing a sensor to monitor fluid pressure from a fluid bearing located under a polishing pad to detect a polishing end point. A sensor is located at the leading edge of a fluid bearing of a linear polisher, which is utilized to perform chemical-mechanical polishing on a semiconductor wafer. The sensor monitors the fluid pressure to detect a change in the fluid pressure during polishing, which change corresponds to a change in the shear force when the polishing transitions from one material layer to the next.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Brian Scott Thornton