Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan, Ltd.

Shinobu Hagiya

Haruhide Takahashi

Kousaku Wakatsuki

Shigeo Nakamura

Toshiki Hirano

Hiroyasu Tsuchida

Takayoshi Ohtsu

Shigenori Takada

Naoki Maeda

Tzong-Shii Pan

Kenji Itoh

Nobumasa Nishiyama

Irizo Naniwa

Wing Chun Shum

Kimihiko Sudo

Kouji Kataoka

Hiroshi Agari

Yohtaroh Ichimura

Yoshinobu Noguchi

Ryo Yoshida

Yousuke Fukumoto

Tadashi Honzawa

Haruki Nitta

Marutomo Gotou

An approach to a piezoelectric (PZT) device, such as a hard disk drive microactuator, includes one or more layers of poled PZT material, with top and bottom surfaces coupled with respective electrode layers coupled with a power source to drive the active PZT layer(s). The electrode layers have different thicknesses, where the particular thicknesses may be configured to mitigate the variation of out-of-plane motion or bending associated with operational variations in the z-height between a corresponding actuator arm and recording medium and, likewise, the phase variation of flexure vibration.

Piezoelectric-based microactuator arrangement for mitigating out-of-plane force and phase variation of flexure vibration

Approaches to a suspension for a hard disk drive include having an adhered one or more piezo actuating device driven by a negative bias driving voltage. The negative bias driving voltage is lower than ground, therefore such voltage inhibits the migration of ions of an electrically conductive adhesive to an electrically conductive flexure layer, and inhibits the degradation of the resistance of an insulating material positioned between the conductive adhesive and the conductive flexure layer.

Reducing ion migration in a hard disk drive microactuator flexure assembly

Approaches to a suspension for a hard disk drive (HDD) include a non-hemispherical dimple for movably coupling a flexure with a load beam, where the length of the non-hemispherical dimple exceeds the width. Therefore, in the context of a microactuator system, piezo actuating devices may be installed closer together to improve the microactuator stroke performance in moving the slider over the disk surface.

Hard disk drive suspension dimple

Approaches for protecting a component when a hard-disk drive (HDD) experiences a mechanical shock. An HDD includes a suspension comprising a load beam, a gimbal, and a flexure tongue. A component, such as a microactuator, is mounted on the suspension. The flexure tongue extends to at least the edge of the microactuator that is furthest from the gimbal. The flexure tongue prevents the microactuator from contacting the load beam when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. Alternately, the flexure tongue may comprise a tip portion that extends beyond the edge of the microactuator that is furthest from the gimbal, and the tip portion of the flexure tongue may deform to act as shock absorber when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. Alternately or additionally, a padding material may be used to prevent the microactuator or the flexure tongue from contacting the load beam when the HDD receives a mechanical shock.

Suspension for protecting a component from mechanical shock

A head gimbal assembly including a gimbal provided with a tongue comprising a stage; a sub-mount comprising a laser diode, wherein the laser diode is disposed internally in the sub-mount, and wherein the sub-mount is mounted on said stage; a head slider for thermally assisted recording, wherein the head slider is disposed on the sub-mount; a first piezoelectric element; a second piezoelectric element; and a plurality of lead wires.

Head gimbal assembly and disk drive

Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent dropout of a head slider from an micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) and damage of the MEMS. In an embodiment of the present invention, a suspension for a slider dynamic electric test (DET) comprises an MEMS for supporting a head slider. The MEMS has a clamper for holding a head slider and the clamper moved by an external force can attach or detach a head slider. The suspension comprises limiters for limiting the clamper's lateral movement. The limiters limit the clamper's undesirable movement, which prevents the clamper's lateral movement in attaching a head slider, a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage caused by a contact with a magnetic disk, or a head slider's dropout and the MEMS's damage in handling.

Micro electro mechanical system and head gimbal assembly

Embodiments of the present invention relate to approaches to effectively let noise on a head slider bonded to a silicon substrate of a microactuator, escape to the ground. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a microactuator bonded to a gimbal tongue. The microactuator comprises a piezoelectric element and a movable part for moving in response to expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric element. The motion of the movable part causes a head slider to slightly move. The microactuator further comprises a conductive path including an impurity-containing silicon layer formed on the silicon substrate. The conductive path transmits electric charge of the head slider to a suspension. The conductivity of the impurity-containing silicon layer is lower than the one of the silicon substrate so that the noise charge of the head slider may escape to the suspension.

Microactuator, head gimbal assembly, and disk drive device

In a dynamic electric test, a head slider is to be fixed positively to a suspension and to be removable easily from the suspension in accordance with the result of the test. In one embodiment of the present invention a head gimbal assembly includes a head slider, a gimbal and a load beam. The head slider is disposed on a gimbal tongue and is held with an urging force of a resilient clamp at a position between the resilient clamp formed on the leading side of the head slider and connecting terminals formed on the opposite side thereof.

Suspension for hard disk drive which enables easy dynamic electric testing

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a magnetic head slider to be easily mounted on or dismounted from a suspension and can hold a magnetic head slider so as not to be removed due to a shock resultant from handling during a characteristic test and a manufacturing process. A load beam is formed with protruding portions on both sides. A flexure includes a frame portion, a plate portion, a spring portion, an E-shaped pressing portion, and a probe portion. The plate portion extends from a guide portion of the frame portion. The probe portion may be formed by partially cutting out the frame portion. A limiter is formed on both sides of the plate portion. The limiter protrudes from the rear of the load beam and has a hook-shaped tip. The hook-shaped portion of the limiter engages with the protruding portionof the load beam to limit excess vertical movement of the flexure. A gap may be formed between the limiter and the protruding portion.

Suspension for magnetic head slider characteristic test

A head assembly for a data storage device. The head assembly has a suspension. The head assembly also includes a contact pad coupled to the suspension. The head assembly also includes a slider. The slider is coupled to the suspension at the slider mounting point. The slider mounting point is at least partially bounded by polyimide standoffs. The polyimide standoff closest to the contact pad is positioned to reduce the effect of the solder shrinkage moment.

Method for reducing PSA tilt through standoff relocation

Embodiments of the invention limit a pitch attitude angle of a magnetic head slider during loading without allowing gimbal stiffness of a flexure in an ordinary flying state to be increased. In one embodiment, a limiter formed by part of a flexure is disposed so as to provide a clearance from a lift tab formed by part of a load beam. A limiter clearance, if the clearance between the limiter and the lift tab is so called for convenience sake, must be maintained as a physical clearance when a magnetic head slider is in an ordinary flying state. The lift tab and the limiter are disposed on a side of an air inflow end of the magnetic head slider. The limiter clearance during unloading is thereby made small so as to allow proper and positive unloading operation. In addition, the limiter clearance made small during loading allows the absolute value of a pitch attitude angle of the magnetic head slider to be limited to a small one if the pitch attitude angle tends to become negative due to disturbances or vibration from the loading operation itself.

Magnetic disk drive head suspension having a lift tab which engages a limiter

To strengthen a flying lead portion of a long-tail flexible printed circuit (FPC) integrally formed with a flexure, stacked support portions of resin layers on both sides of a flying leadof a long-tail FPCare reinforced with metal framesA fold-back portionof the long-tail FPCis folded back at 90 degrees so that flying leadis disposed parallel with a turning shaftof a carriage. The flying lead is then joined to a connection padon a main FPC boardusing solder

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Fujisawa, Japan

Shinobu Hagiya