Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Karupanan Supramaniam

Jeffry S Bennin

Todd W Boucher

Anthony J Liberko

Raymond A Loehlein

Robert J Matz

Gabriel M Montes

Jeffrey C Jones

A method of forming a flexure for an integrated lead head suspension with a metal spring layer, a conductive lead layer and an insulator layer between the metal spring layer and the conductive lead layer. The method includes forming insulator suspended portions on a lower surface of the conductive lead layer and further includes forming insulator spring arm portions on an upper surface of the metal spring layer adjacent to the insulator suspended portions.

Method of making integrated lead suspension flexure with balanced parallel leads for insulator layer hygrothermal compensation

A flexure for an integrated lead head suspension comprising a metal spring layer having a metal base region, a metal head bonding platform, and one or more metal spring arms connecting the metal head bonding platform to the metal base region for flexure motion. The flexure also includes a conductive lead layer having lead base region portions extending over the metal base region and lead suspended portions spaced from and adjacent to at least one of the metal spring arms. The flexure further includes an insulator layer between the metal spring layer and the conductive lead layer that has insulator base region portions for bonding the lead base region portions to and insulating the lead base region portions from the metal base region. The insulator layer also has insulator suspended portions on a lower surface of the lead suspended portions and insulator spring arm portions on an upper surface of the metal spring arms adjacent to the lead suspended portions. A first curvature is induced on each insulator suspended portion and a second curvature is induced on each insulator spring arm portion when the insulator layer undergoes volumetric variations. The direction of the second curvature generally opposes the direction of the first curvature, and the second curvature in the insulator suspended portions compensates for the first curvature in the insulator spring arm portions.

Integrated lead suspension flexure with balanced parallel leads for insulator layer hygrothermal compensation

A head suspension for supporting a read/write head adjacent a rotating data storage device has electrical conductors extending across the head suspension that are protected from contact and possible damage by a lifting arm by one or more standoffs that project outwardly from the head suspension adjacent and beyond the electrical conductors where the standoffs will come into contact with the lifting arm as it passes beneath the head suspension.

Head suspension having conductor protecting standoffs

An integrated lead suspension flexure including a metal spring layer having a metal base region, a metal head bonding platform, and one or more metal spring arms connecting the metal head bonding platform to the metal base region for flexure motion. The flexure also includes a conductive lead layer having a surface facing the metal spring layer and extending between the metal base region and the metal head bonding platform. The conductive lead layer has lead base region portions extending over the metal base region, lead metal-backed arm portions extending over the metal spring arms, and lead suspended portions extending from at least one of the lead metal-backed arm portions. The flexure further includes a hygroscopic insulator layer between the metal spring layer and the conductive lead layer having insulator base region portions for bonding the lead base region portions to and insulating the lead base region portions from the metal base region, insulator metal-backed arm portions for bonding the lead metal-backed arm portions to and insulating the lead metal-backed arm portions from the metal spring arms, and insulator suspended portions on the lower surface of the lead suspended portions. A first curvature is induced on each insulator metal-backed arm portion and a second curvature is induced on each insulator suspended portion when the insulator layer undergoes volumetric variations. The insulator metal-backed arm portions and insulator suspended portions have a serial arrangement so that the direction of the first curvature opposes the direction of the second curvature.

Growing community of inventors

Hopkins, MN, United States of America

Karupanan Supramaniam