Method of fabricating electrically isolated metal MEMS beams and microactuator incorporating the MEMS beam
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsWayne A. Bonin, Lee Walter, Zine-Eddine Boutaghou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microactuator is formed by defining stator and rotor regions on a wafer. Isolation barriers are formed in the stator and rotor regions to define a isolation regions. Conductive suspension beam are formed between the first and second isolation regions, and wafer material between the stator and rotor regions is removed to form a stator and a rotor. The microactuator is arranged to position a load device having an electrical component. The suspension beams support the rotor and load device and provide electrical connection between the stator and rotor for the microactuator and/or the load device.
Claims29
A microactuator for positioning a load device having an electrical component comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor supporting the load device;
- and
- suspension means coupled to the stator and rotor to support the rotor and load and provide electrical connection between the stator and rotor.
An actuator arm assembly for positioning a transducer relative to a selected track on a recording medium in a data storage device to write data to and read data from the medium, the actuator arm assembly comprising:
- an actuator arm;
- a microactuator having a stator mounted to the actuator arm and a rotor supporting the transducer;
- a flex circuit supported by the actuator arm and electrically connected to the stator for carrying electric signals;
- a plurality of electrically conductive suspension beams each having a first end mounted to the stator and a second end mounted to the rotor, the suspension beams supporting the rotor and transducer relative to the stator;
- a plurality of first conductors electrically connecting the first ends of each suspension beam to the flex circuit;
- and
- a plurality of second electrical conductors electrically connected to the second ends of the suspension beams, at least some of the second electrical conductors electrically connecting the second ends of respective suspension beams to the transducer to supply write signals from the flex circuit to the transducer and to supply read signals from the transducer to the flex circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.