Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Nobuyuki Hashi

Tatsushi Yoshida

Yuhsuke Matsumoto

Tatsumi Tsuchiya

Yoshio Uematsu

Takaaki Murokawa

Hiroyasu Tsuchida

Takuya Satoh

Takuma Muraki

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques to prevent, when a bonding pad and a lead wiring pad are to be connected using a solder ball, the solder ball from deviating from a centerline and a soldering problem from occurring. In one embodiment, a head suspension assembly includes a solder ball disposed between a lead wiring pad provided for a flexure and a bonding pad provided for a slider. The solder ball is then melted for making a soldered joint between the lead wiring pad and the bonding pad. A through slot is provided at a position near a centerline on a front surface of the lead wiring pad. The solder ball is dropped into the through slot by gravity from the front surface of the lead wiring pad. A contact area in contact with the solder ball is thereby secured on a side of the slider.

Rotating disk storage device and integrated wire head suspension assembly

Embodiments of the invention provide a head gimbal assembly (HGA) capable of effecting solder ball connection with use of low energy. In one embodiment, the HGA includes a head/slider. In the head/slider, slider pads and lead wire pads are connected to each other by reflow of solder balls under the radiation of a laser beam. Lead layers are connected to a magnetic head and electrode studs are connected to the lead layers, respectively, and are also connected to the slider pads. The diameter R (m) of a solder ball and a sectional area S (m) of an electrode stud are in a relation of R&#x2267;4S.

Head gimbal assembly and magnetic disk drive with specific solder ball or slider pad and electrode stud dimensioning to produce reliable solder ball connection using laser energy

A method for removing a lead-free solder from a slider pad is provided to permit re-utilization of a head/slider used in a magnetic disk drive. In one embodiment, a slider pad formed on a head/slider and a lead pad are connected to each other through a lead-free solder fillet. A cutting tool is heated beforehand to a temperature near the melting point of the lead-free solder. The cutting tool is moved in parallel with a surface of the slider pad to cut the solder fillet while softening the solder fillet. The solder fillet is removed so as not to impose a stress on the slider pad and in a state in which the head/slider can be re-utilized.

Method of removing lead-free solder from slider pad and magnetic disk drive

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Kanagawa, Japan

Nobuyuki Hashi