Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Cambridge Mechatronics Limited

Mound Laser & Photonics Center, Inc.

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Peter Francis Ladwig

Douglas P Riemer

Michael Wayne Davis

Kurt C Swanson

Mark A Miller

Paul Valentine Pesavento

Richard Rodger Jenneke

John A Theget

Timothy A McDaniel

Joel B Michaletz

Philip W Anderson

Dean E Myers

Reed T Hentges

Clark T Olsen

Duane M Jelkin

Matthew S Lang

Zachary A Pokornowski

John L Schumann

James Robert Howarth

Robin Eddington

Stephen Matthew Bunting

Bryan John Scheele

Lance Nevala

Donald M Anderson

Patrick R LaLonde

Chee Keong Lai

Joseph D Starkey

Jacob D Bjorstrom

Jeffry S Bennin

Ryan N Ruzicka

Andrew Benjamin David Brown

Reid C Danielson

Scott J Cray

Daniel W Scheele

Kyle T Tobias

Y Austin Chang

Erich W Bierbrauer

Darrell C Sydlo

Matthew J Horner

Jianhua Joshua Yang

Kurt F Fischer

Todd Austin Peter

Steve R Young

Keith D Johnson

Carl C Minton

David D Smahel

Christopher J Sperl

Ritesh K Tiwari

Maryam O Yusuf

Alexander W Haas

Randy J Johnson

Richard R Jenneke

Timothy Alan Mcdaniel

Devices including high-aspect ratio electroplated structures and methods of forming high-aspect ratio electroplated structures are described. A method for manufacturing metal structures includes providing a substrate having a metal base characterized by a height to width aspect ratio A/B and electroplating a metal crown on the base to form the metal structure with a height to width aspect ratio A/S greater than the aspect ratio A/B of the base.

High aspect ratio electroplated structures and anisotropic electroplating processes

A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace.

Miniature pressure/force sensor with integrated leads

A battery pouch is described. The battery pouch including an outer layer and an inner layer disposed on the outer layer. The inner layer including at least one sensor.

Sensored battery pouch

A suspension assembly is described. The suspension assembly including a rigid interposer circuit; a plurality of flexible circuits configured to attach to the rigid interposer circuit and movable about an x-axis and a y-axis with respect to the static plate; and a sensor mounting region on the rigid interposer circuit.

Sensor shift structures in optical image stabilization suspensions

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 suspension assembly is described. The suspension assembly including a static member or plate; a moving member or plate movable about an x-axis and a y-axis with respect to the static plate; a sensor mounting region on the moving plate; and one or more shape memory alloy (SMA) elements extending between and coupled to the static plate and moving plate. The SMA elements, when driven by a controller, move the moving plate and the sensor mounting region thereon about the x-axis and the y-axis with respect to the static plate.

An etch chemistry solution for treating metallic surfaces in which the etch chemistry solution includes an oxidizing agent and gluconic acid. The etch chemistry solution may also include an oxidizing agent and a short-chained polyethylene polymer glycol or a short-chained polyethylene copolymer glycol. The metallic surfaces are usually used in circuits such as flexible circuits.

Etch chemistry for metallic materials

Electric tabs and methods for manufacturing are described. A method includes disposing a dielectric layer on a second side of a base material, the base material having a first side and the second side. The method including developing the dielectric layer on the second side of the base material. And, the method including etching the first side of the base material to form an electrode tab.

Electrode tabs and methods of forming

Embodiments of the disclosure include a suspension assembly having a support member, a moving member movably coupled to the support member, and shape metal alloy wires coupled between the support and moving members by attachment structures. In embodiments, the attachment structures include a first portion and a second portion configured to be crimped together. In embodiments, at least one of the first and second portions include an etched recess.

Shape memory alloy wire attachment structures for a suspension assembly

A method of plating a copper substrate with gold that reduces or eliminates the presence of microvoids at the interface of the gold/copper substrate is described. Suitably, live entry of the substrate into the plating bath is performed with application of external current to the bath such that no portion of the substrate is exposed to the bath for more than one second without the application of the external current. Increase of the applied current for gold strike to the mass-transfer-limit for gold reduction accomplishes the full measure of improvement in eliminating microvoids.

Plating method to reduce or eliminate voids in solder applied without flux

A camera lens suspension assembly includes a support member including a support metal base layer, a moving member including a moving metal base layer, bearings and smart memory alloy wires. The support member includes a bearing plate portion, static wire attach structures, and mount regions. A printed circuit on the support metal base layer includes traces extending to each static wire attach structure. The moving member includes a moving plate portion, elongated flexure arms extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion, and moving wire attach structures. The bearings are between and engage the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member. Each of the smart memory alloy wires is attached to and extends one of the static wire attach structures and one of the moving wire attach structures.

Integrated camera lens suspension

A camera assembly comprises a lens assembly supported on a support structure, wherein the lens assembly includes an autofocus actuator arrangement and the camera assembly includes an optical image stabilization assembly arranged to move the lens assembly in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. A flexible printed circuit tape connected between the support structure and the lens assembly and providing an electrical connection to the auto-focus actuator arrangement is bent around a corner, thereby allowing the flexible printed circuit tape to accommodate the motion of the lens assembly perpendicular to the optical axis. A crimp plate connected to the lens assembly which crimps shape memory alloy wires has features extending out of the plane of the crimp plate for reducing flexibility. At least part of the optical image stabilization assembly overlaps the lens assembly in the direction along the optical axis, thereby reducing the height of the camera assembly.

Camera assembly

A method of making a component includes applying a clamping force to the component, the component coupled to a carrier strip of a panel via a polymeric tab and separating a portion of the polymeric tab from a substrate of the component, thereby causing the component to be detached from the panel.

Removable tabs and methods of making and using the same

A device includes a dielectric layer having a first surface and a second surface. The device also includes a first set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures disposed on the first surface of the dielectric layer and a second set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures disposed on the second surface of the dielectric layer opposite the first set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures.

High-aspect ratio electroplated structures and anisotropic electroplating processes

Growing community of inventors

Hutchinson, MN, United States of America

Peter Francis Ladwig