Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Jeffry S Bennin

Todd W Boucher

Brent D Lien

Gary E Gustafson

Michael T Hofflander

Ryan A Jurgenson

Haven A Mercer

Rick R Drape

Corey S Hartmann

Jeffrey W Green

Thomas J Glaeser

Daniel P Noga

Jacob D Bjorstrom

Zachary A Pokornowski

John A Theget

James H Dettmann

Mark R Christianson

Dean E Myers

Lloyd C Goss

Richard Rodger Jenneke

Reed T Hentges

Craig A Leabch

Mark Steven Lewandowski

Shane J Van Sloun

Mark A Schmidt

James Roger Mahoney

Stevenson J Marek

Anthony J Liberko

Jason R Heffelfinger

Raymond A Loehlein

Karupanan Supramaniam

Shawn P Bopp

Brian J Stepien

Brandon K Fraser

John E Theisen

John L Wagner

Robert J Matz

Gabriel M Montes

Brian D Schafer

Brett L Haugen

Scott C Giere

Jason S Griesbach

Tony S Peterson

Dennis M Ingle

Peter Francis Ladwig

Mark T Girard

Paul Valentine Pesavento

Michael Ray Tiller

David A Ziegler

Allan D Tokuda

Wade A Linnertz

Richard G Fiedler

Mark O Dustrude

Kevin D Bjork

Various embodiments concern a suspension assembly of a disk drive. The suspension assembly includes a load beam comprising a major planar area formed from a substrate. The load beam further comprises a window in the substrate, a dimple formed from the substrate, and a flange. The flange is a region of the major planar area that extends partially around the dimple but does not extend along an edge of the dimple. The edge of the dimple is adjacent to the window. The dimple is in contact with the flexure. A HAMR block or other element can extend through the window. The lack of a full flange can minimize the necessary clearance between the dimple and the HAMR block or other element and thereby allow the window to be enlarged to accommodate the HAMR block or other element.

Disk drive suspension assembly having a partially flangeless load point dimple

A stainless steel dual stage actuated disk drive head suspension baseplate including a plated electrical contact area having nickel and gold. The baseplate can be heat treated. The nickel and gold can be in a mixture.

Low resistance ground joints for dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions

Stable, low resistance conductive adhesive ground connections between motor contacts and a gold-plated contact area on a stainless steel component of a dual stage actuated suspension. The stainless steel component can be a baseplate, load beam, hinge, motor plate, add-on feature or flexure.

Various embodiments concern a method for manufacturing a disk drive head suspension component. Such methods can comprise providing a head suspension component comprising a layer of insulating material on a spring metal layer. Such methods can further comprise forming a strain gauge element and a trace seed layer by depositing a first metal on the insulating material layer, such as by sputtering. The strain gauge element and the trace seed layer can be formed simultaneously by the depositing of the first metal as part of the same process step. The first metal can be of a strain gauge class of metal having relatively high resistivity, such as constantan. Such methods can further comprise plating a second metal on the trace seed layer to form one or more traces.

Head suspension flexure with integrated strain sensor and sputtered traces

A disk drive head suspension having a leaf-type gram load spring. One embodiment of the suspension includes a base plate and a load beam. The load beam is formed from a single piece of stainless steel and includes a mounting region, a beam region, a spring region between the mounting region and beam region, and a leaf spring extending from the beam region. The mounting region of the load beam is attached to the base plate, with a proximal end portion of the leaf spring overlaying the base plate. The leaf spring can have a formed bend in the z-height direction and is forced into a loaded state before the proximal end is welded to the base plate.

Disk drive head suspension with leaf spring gram loading

Apparatus and method for selectively applying a voltage to one major surface of a pair of piezoelectric motors (PZTs) on a disk drive head suspension with a primary plane of a load beam of the head suspension parallel to the major surfaces of the PZT elements electrically insulated from the load beam. Electrical connections to the PZTs are made via wires, solder, conductive epoxy or electro-mechanical attachment of a plated surface of the PZT with a bond pad on an electrically isolated substrate. Lead extensions or separate pieces may be used to connect to the PZTs. The PZTs may be located on a major surface of the load beam, or may be assembled in a pre-fabricated motor assembly before being installed in the head suspension. Apertures in the load beam and other layers permit physical installation of the PZT motors and enable electrical connection to the PZTs.

Apparatus for insulating and electronically connecting piezoelectric motor in dual stage actuator suspension from the same side of the suspension

A method of making a multi-piece head suspension for a rigid disk drive. The method includes providing a first layer including a mounting region with an integral boss tower attached to a stiffener by one or more positioning tabs; attaching a second layer including a spring region to an interface between the mounting region and the stiffener; attaching a flexure to the stiffener; and removing the positioning tabs. The flexure can optionally be a portion of the second layer.

Method of forming a head suspension with an integral boss tower

Apparatus for insulating and electrically connecting piezoelectric motor in dual stage actuator suspension

A microactuated head suspension including a mounting region for attachment of the head suspension to a source of primary actuation, a pair of generally arcuate ring springs and a connecting member. The ring springs at spaced locations extending from the mounting region with at least one aperture interposed between the pair of ring springs. Each ring spring having concave sides that are substantially free from linear sections and are oriented away from a longitudinal centerline of the head suspension. The connection member is located opposite the mounting region and is spaced from the mounting region by the at least one aperture. The connection member joins ends of the pair of ring springs. In addition, the head suspension may include at least one microactuator for secondary actuation of the head suspension. The microactuator is operationally mounted relative to the pair of ring springs.

Microactuated head suspension with ring springs

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Hutchinson, MN, United States of America

Jeffry S Bennin