Sae Magnetics (h.k.) Limited

Manuel Hernandez

Yen Fu

Ellis T Cha

Po-Kang Wang

Yaw-Shing Tang

Hong Tian

Ben Hu

Niraj Mahadev

Method and apparatus are presented for electrically coupling a slider to ground. In one embodiment, a bonding pad is provided on a side of the slider body separate from the bonding pad(s) used for read/write signals. This separate bonding pad is electrically coupled within the slider body to components that are to be coupled to ground. A separate conductor provided on the suspension (e.g., a trace, a flex circuit, etc.) may be electrically coupled to the separate bonding pad via gold ball bonding. The conductor is also coupled to ground in the hard-disk drive device (e.g., via the preamplifier). The use of the separated bonding pad and trace may negate the need to use a conductive adhesive to electrically ground the slider via its attachment to the tongue of a slider.

Method and apparatus for providing an additional ground pad and electrical connection for grounding a magnetic recording head

In a method and apparatus for testing a head-gimbal assembly (HGA), a HGA is placed in contact with force transducers mounted on a rotational stage. The force transducers are adjusted to position the transducers around a rotational center of the rotational stage. The rotational stage is rotated, and the torque and variations in torque exerted by the HGA on the force transducers during rotation are measured.

Micro torque and micro stiffness measurement device

Apparatus are presented for electrically coupling a slider to ground. In one embodiment, a bonding pad is provided on a side of the slider body separate from the bonding pad(s) used for read/write signals. This separate bonding pad is electrically coupled within the slider body to components that are to be coupled to ground. A separate conductor provided on the suspension (e.g., a trace, a flex circuit, etc.) may be electrically coupled to the separate bonding pad via gold ball bonding. The conductor is also coupled to ground in the hard-disk drive device (e.g., via the preamplifier). The use of the separated bonding pad and trace may negate the need to use a conductive adhesive to electrically ground the slider via its attachment to the tongue of a slider.

Apparatus for providing an additional ground pad and electrical connection for grounding a magnetic recording head

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an improved method and system are provided. In one embodiment, a conductive connection is made between two metal layers separated by an intermediate insulating layer by providing vias between one of the metal layers and the insulating layer. A conductor, such as a conductive sphere made of gold is disposed into the vias and pressed so as to create a conductive connection between the metal layers. In a further embodiment, vias are created in both metal layers. In such a case, a fixture support may be provided so that when the conductive sphere is pressed into the vias, it is also pressed into the support to improve the conductive connection.

Method and apparatus for connecting metal structures on opposing sides of a circuit

Methods and devices are described that provide improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection for suspension assemblies. In one embodiment, a ground line is provided among the traces that are used in the suspension. Alternatively, a top ground plane is provided on top of the conductive traces with an interposed insulative layer. The ground line and/or the top ground plane provide EMI protection for read and write signals traveling through the traces (e.g., read and write traces) of the suspension assembly. The ground line and/or the top ground plane reduce the interaction between the read and the write traces, thus minimizing cross talk.

Wireless suspension design with ground plane structure

A wireless suspension design is described that can be used in varying types of drive designs. In one embodiment, a flex circuit is provided with at least two indicia to indicate where the flex circuit is to be bent when attaching it to a head stack assembly.

Wireless suspension design to accommodate multiple drive designs

A system and method are described for processing a slider (e.g., one to be used in a disk drive apparatus). Corners of the sliders are abraded while still a part of a row of sliders in a part-off operation. By abrading the corners of the sliders, head slap events between the slider and the recording media result in less damage to the recording media and less particulate matter from the slider being left on the recording media, improving data integrity for the recording media.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Manuel Hernandez