Trace interconnect array having increased bandwidth by selective etching of traces and dielectric substrate
AssigneeMaxtor Corporation
InventorArun Balakrishnan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tall-electrode trace interconnect array includes a dielectric support substrate for supporting least two tall-electrode trace conductors. A dielectric support structure on the support substrate supports outside longitudinal walls of the two tall-electrode trace conductors. The dielectric support structure is formed to be absent from a longitudinal space between the two tall-electrode trace conductors thereby defining an ambient air dielectric to reduce and control inter-electrode capacitance and increase resonant frequency and effective electrical bandwidth of the trace interconnect array. A method for forming the array is also disclosed.
Claims44
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, the trace conductors including adjacent sides, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, the trace conductors defining an air-dielectric space therebetween, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 3:1;
- and
- a plurality of spaced-apart cross-tie portions positioned directly between adjacent sides of the trace conductors, the cross-tie portions being oriented substantially perpendicular to each trace conductor, wherein the cross-tie portions connect the trace conductors together.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 1.1;
- and
- a pair of discontinuous buttress support walls formed on the support substrate for supporting the trace conductors, each of the buttress support walls being separately formed from dielectric material so that the trace conductors are positioned between the buttress support walls.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of discontinuous buttress support walls formed on the support substrate, each of the buttress support walls being separately formed from dielectric material;
- and
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate between the pair of buttress support walls, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, each trace conductor having two opposing sides that are substantially perpendicular to the support substrate, each trace conductor being positioned so that only one opposing side contacts one of the buttress support walls, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 1:1.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, the trace conductors including adjacent sides, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 1:1;
- and
- a plurality of spaced-apart cross-tie portions positioned directly between the adjacent sides of the trace conductors, the cross-tie portions being oriented substantially perpendicular to each trace conductor, wherein the cross-tie portions connect the trace conductors together.
A trace interconnect array for electrically interconnecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuit, the trace interconnect array comprising a dielectric support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly, two trace conductors formed on the support substrate, and a dielectric support structure formed on the dielectric support substrate, the dielectric support structure being selectively formed to fill only a portion of a space between the trace conductors, the trace conductors including adjacent sides, the dielectric support structure including longitudinally spaced apart cross-tie portions separating longitudinally extending spaces directly between the adjacent sides of the trace conductors.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 1:1;
- and
- a pair of buttress support walls formed on the support substrate for supporting the trace conductors, each of the buttress support walls being formed from dielectric material, each of the buttress support walls having a height dimension that is less than the height of the trace conductors.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors extending between the data transducer and the drive circuitry, the trace conductors including a height and a conductor base having a width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the width at the conductor base is at least approximately 1:1;
- a dielectric layer positioned between the sides of the trace conductors, the dielectric layer having a height dimension that is less than the height of each trace conductor;
- and
- a pair of buttress support walls formed on the support substrate for supporting the trace conductors, each of the buttress support walls being formed from dielectric material.
A trace interconnect array for electrically interconnecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuit, the trace interconnect array comprising:
- a dielectric support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly;
- a dielectric support structure formed on the support substrate;
- and
- two trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors defining a space between the trace conductors, at least one of the trace conductors having a conductor top which is devoid of the dielectric support structure;
- wherein the dielectric support structure is selectively formed to fill only a portion of the space between the trace conductors.
A trace interconnect array for electrically connecting a data transducer that is supported by a head suspension assembly to a drive circuitry of a disk drive, the trace interconnect array comprising;
- a support substrate positioned near the head suspension assembly:
- and
- a pair of trace conductors formed on the support substrate, the trace conductors including a height, a conductor base having a base width and a conductor top having a top width, the conductor base being secured to the support substrate, the trace conductors defining an air-dielectric space therebetween, wherein for each trace conductor, the ratio of the height of the trace conductor to the base width is at least approximately 1:1, and the ratio of the base width to the top width is at least approximately 2:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.