Disk drive head gimbal assembly including a PZT micro-actuator with a pair of separate PZT elements

An assembling method for a head gimbal assembly, comprising steps of:

• providing a slider;
• providing a PZT micro-actuator, wherein the micro-actuator comprises a pair of separate PZT elements and each PZT element has a body and a plurality of electrical pads, the body has at least two electrode-piezoelectric combination layers laminated together, the at least two electrode-piezoelectric combination layers are physically connected with but electrically isolated from each other, each electrode-piezoelectric combination layer has at least two of the electrical pads thereon, the electrical pads extend out from the body of the corresponding PZT element, and all the electrical pads of each PZT element are offset a predetermined distance therebetween;
• providing a suspension for mounting the slider and the PZT micro-actuator, wherein the suspension comprises a flexure which has a tongue region, the tongue has a slider mounting region for mounting the slider and a PZT mounting region for mounting the PZT micro-actuator, the PZT mounting region forms a plurality of electrical pads;
• mounting the two separate PZT elements of the PZT micro-actuator on the PZT mounting region of the suspension simultaneously and making the electrical pads of the PZT elements correspond to the electrical pads of the PZT mounting region, then bonding the corresponding electrical pads in one step or multiple steps via a soldering machine such that electrical connections between different electrode-piezoelectric combination layers of the PZT element and between the PZT element and the suspension are established at the same time;
• and,
• mounting the slider on the slider mounting region of the suspension and electrically connecting the slider with the suspension.

A disk drive unit, comprising:

• a head gimbal assembly;
• a drive arm connected to the head gimbal assembly;
• a disk;
• and
• a spindle motor to spin the disk;
• wherein the head gimbal assembly comprises:
• a slider;
• a PZT micro-actuator;
• and
• a suspension to support the slider and the PZT micro-actuator, the suspension including a flexure which has a tongue region, the tongue region comprising a slider mounting region for mounting the slider and a PZT mounting region for mounting the PZT micro-actuator, the PZT mounting region forming a plurality of electrical pads;
• wherein the PZT micro-actuator comprises:
• a pair of separate PZT elements, each PZT element having a body and a plurality of electrical pads;
• wherein the body has at least two electrode-piezoelectric combination layers laminated together, the electrode-piezoelectric combination layers are physically connected with but electrically isolated from each other, each electrode-piezoelectric combination layer has at least two of the electrical pads thereon, the electrical pads extend out from the body of the corresponding PZT element, and all the electrical pads of each PZT element are offset a predetermined distance therebetween;
• wherein the pair of PZT elements are mounted in the PZT mounting region, the electrical pads of different electrode-piezoelectric combination layers of each PZT element as well as the electrical pads of different electrode-piezoelectric combination layers of each PZT element and the PZT mounting region are bonded correspondingly via a common soldering machine in one step or multiple steps such that electrical connections between different electrode-piezoelectric combination layers of the PZT element and between the PZT element and the suspension are established at the same time.