Integrated lead head suspension assembly having an etched laminated load beam and flexure with deposited conductors
AssigneeHutchinson Technology Incorporated
InventorRobert T. J. Matz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A head suspension having a load beam and flexure both including electrical components formed integrally therewith, and a method for fabricating the same. The load beam is formed using subtractive methods such as chemical etching to reduce the cost of forming the load beam. The flexure is formed using additive methods such a sputtering, evaporation, or photolithographic techniques to allow the electrical components to be relatively low mass and flexible. The flexure electrical components are electrically interconnected with the load beam electrical components. In this way, the head suspension is formed having reduced cost and desirable dynamic characteristics.
Claims9
A method of fabricating a head suspension including the steps of:
- forming a load beam from a laminated sheet having at least a load beam base layer and an electrically conducting layer, the load beam including a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region adjacent to a distal end, and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;
- forming load beam electrical conductors on the load beam by etching at least the electrically conducting layer;
- forming a flexure by depositing at least flexure electrical conductors over a flexure base layer, the flexure for supporting a head slider;
- attaching the flexure to the distal end of the load beam;
- and
- electrically interconnecting the flexure electrical conductors to the load beam electrical conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.