Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Raymond A Loehlein

Jeffry S Bennin

Todd W Boucher

Anthony J Liberko

Karupanan Supramaniam

Robert J Matz

Gabriel M Montes

Patrick Madsen

Lucas Paul Keranen

Hryhory T Koba

Arun S Kumar

A method for de-tabbing a dielectric tab extending between and bonded to first and second stainless steel portions of a disk drive head suspension component. Exemplary first and second stainless steel portions are a flexure base region and a flexure tongue. The method includes applying laser energy to the dielectric tab. The laser energy is characterized by one or more parameters, e.g., a pulse width and/or an energy density, causing de-bonding of the dielectric tab from the first and second stainless steel portions.

Method for de-tabbing a disk drive head suspension flexure

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

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.

Integrated lead suspension flexure with serially arranged metal-backed

Growing community of inventors

Mound, MN, United States of America

Raymond A Loehlein