Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Other

Catherine A Morley

Reid C Danielson

Jacob D Bjorstrom

Todd A Krinke

John H Tangren

Steven A Fank

Steven R Young

Mark P Sponholz

The present invention provides a process for controlling the contour of a feature in a transition area made by etching a substrate. This process includes applying a patterned resist mask to the substrate to form a plurality of mask openings and mask land areas. The mask land areas are sized and spaced to a control the contour of a feature on the substrate.

Process for control of contours formed by etching substrates

A method of limiting movement of a head suspension away from a disk surface, the head suspension used for supporting a head slider over the disk surface in a rigid disk drive, the method comprising the steps of providing a load beam for use in a head suspension, the load beam having a mounting region, a rigid region and a spring region located between the mounting region and rigid region; forming a shock limiter from the same piece of material as the spring region of the load beam, the shock limiter comprising a cantilevered portion overlapping an overlapped portion of the head suspension; forming a head suspension from the load beam; and mounting the head suspension in a bard disk drive suspending a head slider over the surface of the disk, such that when an impact load causes the head suspension to move away from the surface of the disk, the shock limiter limits such movement

Method of limiting movement of a head suspension away from disk surface

A gimbal and load beam apparatus for a head suspension for a disk drive having lateral arms with dielectric and conductor layers without metal backing to provide for low pitch and roll stiffness while also having a structural layer attached to the gimbal at proximal and distal locations for high lateral stiffness. The structural layer may be formed of stainless steel and can serve as the load beam and spring region for the head suspension.

Low stiffness gimbal for disk drive head suspensions

A head suspension, for supporting a head slider relative to a rotating disk in a rigid disk drive, formed from a flexure and a load beam that has a mounting region, a rigid region and a spring region located between the mounting and rigid regions. The load beam including a shock limiter integrally formed within the spring region as a cantilevered portion surrounded by a spring aperture used for adjusting the spring stiffness of the spring region. The head suspension typically configured to include a bend or radius in the spring region to bias the head suspension toward the disk surface. The cantilevered portion of the shock limiter formed with a pre-determined gap between the shock limiter and the head suspension when the head suspension is in an operating position. The cantilevered portion configured to overlap a portion of the head suspension, such that movement of the head suspension toward the shock limiter due to impact or shock loading results in contact between the shock limiter and the overlapped portion, thereby arresting the movement of the head suspension.

Head suspension with integral shock limiter

A head suspension or head suspension component that includes a spring metal support layer, an insulating layer and a conductive layer, into which three dimensional heat dissipation structures have been integrally formed to dissipate heat from the head suspension, especially in an area adjacent to an integrated circuit mounted on the head suspension. The heat dissipation structures may include a plurality of heat fins formed into or onto one or more conductive traces of the conductive layer, or may include a plurality of projections or indentations formed into or onto conductive traces. Use of a partial etching technique allows for simultaneous etching of both the traces and the heat fins within the traces, thereby decreasing production costs and increasing head suspension reliability. Heat fins may also be formed into the support layer in a region adjacent to the conductive layer heat fins, if desired in order to dissipate even more heat from the region.

Heat dissipation structures for integrated lead disk drive head suspensions

A head suspension for supporting a head slider relative to a rotating disk in a rigid disk drive, formed from a flexure and a load beam that has a mounting region, a rigid region and a spring region located between the mounting and rigid regions. The load beam including a shock limiter integrally formed within the spring region as a cantilevered portion surrounded by a spring aperture used for adjusting the spring stiffness of the spring region. The head suspension typically configured to include a bend or radius in the spring region to bias the head suspension toward the disk surface. The cantilevered portion of the shock limiter formed with a pre-determined gap between the shock limiter and the head suspension when the head suspension is in an operating position. The cantilevered portion configured to overlap a portion of the head suspension, such that movement of the head suspension toward the shock limiter due to impact or shock loading results in contact between the shock limiter and the overlapped portion, thereby arresting the movement of the head suspension.

Growing community of inventors

Lester Prairie, MN, United States of America

Catherine A Morley