# US 9,521,745 B2 · Suspension board with circuit and producing method thereof

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- Number: US 9,521,745 B2
- Document ID: US9521745B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/054,391
- Filed: 2016-02-26
- Published: 2016-09-15
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-10
- Assignees: Nitto Denko Corporation
- Applicants: Nitto Denko Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshito Fujimura; Saori Kanezaki; Naohiro Terada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521745B2

## CPC

- G11B 5/4846: {Constructional details of the electrical connection between arm and support}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

A suspension board with circuit includes a metal supporting board having a support opening portion, a base insulating layer disposed at one side of the metal supporting board, and a conductive layer disposed at one side of the base insulating layer and including a plurality of terminal portions overlapped with the support opening portion and disposed at spaced intervals to each other. The base insulating layer includes a plurality of base opening portions that are disposed between the plurality of terminal portions in an arrangement direction, a plurality of thick portions that are overlapped with each of end portions of the plurality of terminal portions in a direction orthogonal to both directions of the thickness direction and the arrangement direction, and a plurality of thin portions that are disposed along edge portions of the plurality of base opening portions between the plurality of thick portions and are thinner than the plurality of thick portions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A suspension board with circuit comprising:
a metal supporting board having a support opening portion passing through in a thickness direction,
a base in layer disposed at one side in the thickness direction of the metal supporting board, and
a conductive layer disposed at one side in the thickness direction of the base insulating layer and including a plurality of terminal portions, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with the support opening portion and disposed at spaced intervals to each other, wherein
the base insulating layer includes
a plurality of base opening portions that pass through in the thickness direction and are when projected in the thickness direction, disposed between the plurality of terminal portions in an arrangement direction of the plurality of terminal portions,
a plurality of thick portions that are, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with each of end portions of the plurality of terminal portions in a direction orthogonal to both directions of the thickness direction and the arrangement direction, and
a plurality of thin portions that are disposed along edge portions of the plurality of base opening portions between the plurality of thick portions and are thinner than the plurality of thick portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The suspension board with circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the metal supporting board includes a terminal connecting portion that is disposed at the inside of the support opening portion so as to be separated from an edge portion of the support opening portion and is, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with each of the plurality of terminal portions;
the base insulating layer includes an insulating portion that is disposed between the terminal, connecting portion and the terminal portion in the thickness direction and a connecting opening portion that passes through the insulating portion in the thickness direction; and
the terminal connecting portion is electrically connected to the terminal portion via the connecting opening portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The suspension board with circuit according to claim 1, wherein
both sides in the thickness direction of each of the plurality of terminal portions, excluding a portion overlapped with the thick portion, are exposed, when projected in the thickness direction.

### Claim 4

A method for producing a suspension board with circuit comprising the steps of:
preparing a metal supporting board;
forming a base insulating layer including a plurality of first portions disposed at spaced intervals to each other and having a thin thickness and a second portion disposed so as to surround the plurality of first portions and having a thicker thickness than the plurality of first portions at one side in a thickness direction of the metal supporting board;
forming a conductive layer including a plurality of terminal portions, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with the second portion between the plurality of first portions in an arrangement direction of the plurality of first portions at one side in the thickness direction of the base insulating layer;
by etching the metal supporting board, forming a plurality of first support opening portions passing through in the thickness direction and disposed when projected in the thickness direction, so as to include each of the plurality of first portions;
by etching the base insulating layer via the plurality of first support opening portions, removing the plurality of first portions to form a plurality of base opening portions passing through in the thickness direction and as a plurality of thin portions, forming a second portion exposed from the plurality of first support opening portions and, when projected in the thickness direction, being continuous to circumferential edge portions of the plurality of base opening portions; and
after forming the plurality of thin portions, by etching the metal supporting board, forming, in the metal supporting board, a plurality of second support opening portions passing through in the thickness direction and, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with each of end portions of the plurality of terminal portions in a direction, orthogonal to at least both directions of the thickness direction and the arrangement direction and as a plurality of thick portions, forming, in the base insulating layer, a second portion, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with the plurality of second support opening portions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for producing a suspension board with circuit according to claim 4, wherein
the step of forming the base insulating layer includes a step of forming a connecting opening portion that passes through in the thickness direction and is disposed in the second portion between the plurality of first portions in the arrangement direction;
the step of forming the conductive layer includes a step of electrically connecting the metal supporting board to the terminal portion via the connecting opening portion; and
the step of forming the plurality of second support opening portions by etching the metal supporting board includes a step of forming a plurality of second support opening portions so as to leave a portion that is, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with each of the central portions of the plurality of terminal portions in the metal supporting board and forming the portion that is overlapped with each of the central portions of the plurality of terminal portions as a terminal connecting portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method for producing a suspension board with circuit according to claim 4, wherein
the step of forming the base insulating layer includes a step of forming a plurality of third portions that are disposed between the plurality of first portions in the arrangement direction and have the same thickness as that of the plurality of first portions;
the step of forming the plurality of first support opening portions by etching the metal supporting board further includes a step of forming, in the metal supporting board, a plurality of third support opening portions that pass through in the thickness direction and are disposed, when projected in the thickness direction, so as to be overlapped, with the plurality of third portions; and
the step of etching the base insulating layer includes a step of removing the third portion that is exposed from the plurality of third support opening portions and is, when projected in the thickness direction, overlapped with the plurality of third support opening portions.