Electrical trace interconnect assembly

A method of manufacturing an interconnect assembly for providing electrical interconnect means to a head suspension assembly, comprising the steps of:

• manufacturing out of a planar sheet of conductive material at least one pre
• shaped single-layer thin, elongated, and generally flat substrate-free trace interconnect having a rigid region and flexible regions that correspond to a rigid region and flexible regions in a suspension assembly, a distal end constructed and arranged for electrically coupling to an electrical terminal in a head assembly, a proximal end, a first major surface, and a second major surface, said trace interconnect shaped and arranged along the X, Y, and Z coordinates to match the surface topology of at least a portion of the suspension assembly and extending from the head assembly to a connection terminal;
• coating selected areas of the trace interconnect with a thin dielectric coating;
• simultaneously manufacturing out of the same sheet of material a support brace for providing a carrier element for alignment and fabrication of the trace interconnects, said support brace bracketing the trace interconnects and including a planar border along at least one side of the interconnect assembly, tooling registration holes, and detachable support tabs attaching the trace interconnects to the planar border.

A method of manufacture for a head suspension assembly for positioning a head assembly over a rotating data storage device and for transmitting electrical signals to and from the head assembly, said method of manufacture, comprising the steps of:

• providing a head assembly having at least one transducer, an air-bearing slider, and electrical terminals;
• constructing a suspension assembly including a load beam and a gimbal, the suspension assembly also having a rigid region, flexible regions, a proximal end, a distal end, a first major surface and a second major surface, the gimbal placed at the distal end and constructed and arranged for providing gimballing support to the head assembly;
• separately manufacturing out of a planar sheet of conductive material an interconnect assembly having at least one pre-shaped single-layer thin, elongated, and generally flat substrate-free trace interconnect having a rigid region and flexible regions that correspond to the rigid region and the flexible regions in the suspension assembly, a distal end constructed and arranged for electrically coupling to one of the electrical terminals in the head assembly, a proximal end, a first major surface, and a second major surface, said trace interconnect shaped and arranged along the X, Y, and Z coordinates to match the surface topology of at least a portion of the suspension assembly and extending from the head assembly to a connection terminal;
• coating selected areas of the interconnect assembly with a thin dielectric and adhesive coating;
• attaching the trace interconnects to the first major surface of the suspension assembly, forming an interconnect/suspension assembly;
• attaching the head assembly to the interconnect/suspension assembly;
• and
• electrically coupling the distal end of each trace interconnect to a different electrical terminal on the head assembly.

A method of manufacture of a head transducer interconnect harness for mounting an interconnect assembly and a head assembly to a suspension assembly in a rotating data storage device, the suspension assembly having rigid and flexible regions, said method of manufacture comprising the steps of:

• providing a head assembly having a slider, a transducer, and electrical terminals for input and output of electrical signals;
• manufacturing out of a planar sheet of conductive material an interconnect assembly including at least one pre
• shaped single-layer thin, elongated, and generally flat substrate-free trace interconnect having a rigid region and flexible regions that correspond to a rigid region and flexible regions in a suspension assembly, a distal end constructed and arranged for electrically coupling to an electrical terminal in the head assembly, a proximal end, a first major surface, and a second major surface, said trace interconnect shaped and arranged along the X, Y, and Z coordinates to match the surface topology of at least a portion of the suspension assembly and extending from the head assembly to a connection terminal, each trace interconnect also including at its distal end a bond pad having a wide contact surface;
• coating selected areas of the interconnect assembly with a thin dielectric and adhesive coating;
• manufacturing a support brace for providing a carrier element for the trace interconnects, said support brace bracketing the trace interconnects and including a planar border along at least one side of the interconnect assembly, tooling registration holes, and support tabs attaching the trace interconnects to the planar border;
• attaching the head assembly to the contact surface of the bond pads;
• and
• electrically coupling the distal end of each trace interconnect to a different electrical terminal on the head assembly.