One-piece load beam and gimbal flexure using flexible circuit

A disk drive suspension comprising a flexible circuit and a one-piece load beam and low stiffness gimbal flexure, said flexible circuit comprising a laminate of a conductor, a plastic film layer and a metal layer, said load beam supporting said flexible circuit and having a distal end comprising a rigid portion having a first thickness, said load beam rigid portion being selectively etched through its said first thickness to define within the plane of said rigid portion said gimbal flexure comprising a generally U-shaped flexure frame generally spaced from said rigid portion across an etching-produced gap, said flexure frame having a proximate end, left and right legs extending distally from said proximate end, and an open distal end, said flexure frame being locally connected at its said left and right legs to said rigid portion across said gap to support said flexure frame in place, said flexure frame having a lesser thickness than said first thickness, said flexure frame further comprising a flexure tongue having said first thickness and cantilevered from said proximate end of said flexure frame toward said flexure frame open distal end, said flexible circuit having a distal portion extending beyond said load beam rigid portion and connected to the distal end of said flexure tongue and to each of said flexure frame legs across said flexure frame open distal end, said flexible circuit distal portion being free of its said metal layer except where connected to said flexure tongue or flexure frame legs, whereby flexure tongue movement is limited by said flexible circuit film layer.