Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Kurt F Fischer

Peter Francis Ladwig

Douglas P Riemer

Paul Valentine Pesavento

Kyle T Tobias

Darrell C Sydlo

Matthew J Horner

David D Smahel

Christopher J Sperl

Ritesh K Tiwari

Maryam O Yusuf

Alexander W Haas

Carl C Minton

Methods for producing flexible circuits can include creating treating a surface of the flexible circuit with at least one of an atmospheric plasma and a beam of ions. The atmospheric plasma is formed by directing a flow of gas between an electrode and the surface of the flexible circuit and generating a voltage between the electrode and the flexible circuit to create a plasma from the gas. A mean ion energy of the ions in the ion beam ranges from about 500 electron volts to about 1,500 electron volts.

Plasma treatments for flexures of hard disk drives

A method of initiating and controlling electroless nickel plating on copper substrates carried into a plating bath on a continuous stainless steel web where the copper is electrically bussed or in physical contact with the steel is described. A bias current is applied to the plating bath and a feedback loop is established to determine initiation of plating as well as to ramp down the biasing current to prevent electro- or electroless plating of the web.

Electroless plating activation

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Eau Claire, WI, United States of America

Kurt F Fischer