Method and devices for providing magnetoresistive heads with protection from electrostatic discharge and electric overstress events
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorKathy X. Tang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disk drive includes a disk having a recording surface, a head stack assembly that includes a body portion, an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion and a head gimbal assembly supported at the actuator arm. The head gimbal assembly includes a suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the actuator arm, a slider coupled to the second end of the suspension, the slider comprising a transducer for reading from and writing to the recording surface. A gimbal is coupled to the second end of the suspension and to the slider. An array of diodes is attached to the suspension to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events.
Claims60
A head stack assembly for a disk drive, the head stack assembly comprising:
- a body portion including a bore defining a pivot axis;
- an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion;
- a head gimbal assembly supported at the actuator arm and including:
- a suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the actuator arm;
- a slider coupled to the second end of the suspension, the slider comprising a transducer and
- an array of diodes attached to the suspension, configured to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events and to allow no more than about 6 mA to flow through the transducer;
- and
- a gimbal coupled to the second cud of the suspension and to the slider.
A suspension assembly for attachment to an actuator arm in a disk drive and for supporting a slider, the suspension assembly comprising:
- a suspension, the suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to attach to the actuator arm and the second end being configured to support the slider, the slider comprising a transducer and
- an array of diodes configured to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events and to allow no more than about 6 mA to flow through the transducer, the array being attached to the suspension.
A head gimbal assembly for attachment to an actuator arm in a disk drive, the head gimbal assembly comprising:
- a suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the actuator arm;
- a slider coupled to the second end of the suspension, the slider comprising a transducer and
- an array of diodes, attached to the suspension, configured to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events and to allow no more than about 6 mA to flow through the transducer, and
- a gimbal coupled to the second end of the suspension and to the slider.
A disk drive, comprising:
- a disk having a recording surface;
- a head stack assembly, including:
- a body portion;
- an actuator aim cantilevered from the body portion;
- and
- a head gimbal assembly supported at the actuator am and including:
- a suspension having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the actuator arm;
- a slider coupled to the second end of the suspension, the slider comprising a transducer for reading from and writing to the recording surface and
- an array of diodes, attached to the suspension, configured to protect the transducer from electrostatic discharge or electrical overstress events and to allow no more than about 6 mA to flow through the transducer;
- and
- a gimbal coupled to the second end of the suspension and to the slider.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.