Actuator tilt interposer for within-row lapping mount tool for magnetic recording read-write heads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10702969-B2
Application number	US-201715847805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A lapping tool assembly includes a mount tool and an interposer structure interposed between actuators and the mount tool, where the interposer includes interposer pins reactively coupled with the actuators such that each interposer pin is configured to receive a translational force from a corresponding actuator and to transmit the force to a corresponding actuation pin of the mount tool. The interposer may include a zero z-axis shift flexure system, and/or a z-axis decoupling flexure system, and/or alignment features, for accurately transmitting the actuation forces to the mount tool, while inhibiting affecting other portions of the mount tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lapping tool assembly comprising:
a mount tool comprising:
a rotatable first structural member housing a plurality of angular actuation pins each positioned to apply an angular lapping force to a corresponding head slider of a row-bar of magnetic read-write head sliders, said first structural member comprising a fixture for holding said row-bar, and
a second structural member coupled with said first structural member via a first flexure and a second flexure, said second structural member housing a plurality of stripe height actuation pins each positioned to apply a lapping force to a corresponding head slider of said row-bar; and

an interposer structure interposed between a plurality of actuators and said mount tool, said interposer comprising:
a first element comprising a plurality of interposer pins reactively coupled with said plurality of actuators such that each said interposer pin is configured to receive a respective translational force from a corresponding said actuator for transmission of said respective translational force to a corresponding said angular actuation pin of said mount tool, and
a second element coupled to said first element via a first flexure and a second flexure, and coupled to a fixed housing via a third flexure and a fourth flexure.

2. The lapping tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first, second, third, and fourth flexures are configured such that:
upon said first element receiving said translational forces in a y-direction from said actuators, a natural tendency of said first element to swing upward counterclockwise due to bending of said first and second flexures is offset by said second element swinging downward clockwise due to bending of said third and fourth flexures, such that said first element translates substantially linearly only in the y-direction.

3. The lapping tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
said plurality of stripe height actuation pins, when actuated, translate substantially in a z-direction;
said interposer pins of said first element of said interposer structure each comprises a proximal end proximal to said actuators, a distal end including a distal end tip engageable with said corresponding angular actuation pin of said mount tool, and an intermediate structure between said proximal end and said distal end and from which said distal end extends; and
said first element further comprises a decoupler flexure system comprising a group of one or more first decoupler flexures and a group of one or more second decoupler flexures coupling said proximal end to said intermediate structure of said interposer pins to substantially decouple application of y-direction engagement forces from said interposer pins to said stripe height actuation pins from affecting said stripe height actuation pins of said mount tool in said z-direction.

4. The lapping tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
said interposer pins of said first element of said interposer structure each comprises a proximal end proximal to said actuators, a distal end tip engageable with said corresponding angular actuation pin of said mount tool, and an intermediate structure between said proximal end and said distal end and from which said distal end extends; and
said distal end of each said interposer pin comprises an alignment bump that substantially centers said distal end tip of said interposer pin within a v-notch of said corresponding angular actuation pin when said interposer pin is engaged with said angular actuation pin.

5. The lapping tool assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
a pre-aligner comb that positions each interposer pin within a vertical tolerance range;
wherein each said alignment bump of said interposer pin is positioned between said pre-aligner comb and said distal end tip of said interposer pin such that said interposer pin is free to move in the z-direction with the respective engaged angular actuation pin of the mount tool.

6. A lapping tool actuation interposer comprising:
a first element comprising a plurality of interposer pins reactively coupled with a plurality of actuators such that each said interposer pin is configured to receive a respective translational force from a corresponding said actuator for transmission of said respective translational force to a corresponding lapping mount tool angular actuation pin; and
a second element coupled to said first element via a first flexure and a second flexure, and coupled to a fixed frame via a third flexure and a fourth flexure.

7. The actuation interposer of claim 6 , wherein said first, second, third, and fourth flexures are substantially parallel in a static state and are configured such that:
upon said first element receiving said translational forces in a y-direction from said actuators, a natural tendency of said first element to swing upward counterclockwise due to bending of said first and second flexures is offset by said second element swinging downward clockwise due to bending of said third and fourth flexures, such that said first element translates substantially linearly only in the y-direction.

8. The actuation interposer of claim 6 , wherein:
said lapping mount tool further comprises a plurality of stripe height actuation pins which when actuated translate substantially in a z-direction, and said stripe height actuation pins are mechanically coupled to said angular actuation pins such that upon said first element transmitting said translational forces in a y-direction to said angular actuation pins, said angular actuation pins rotate and tend to affect said stripe height actuation pins in said z-direction;
said interposer pins of said first element each comprises a proximal end proximal to said actuators, a distal end including a distal end tip engageable with said corresponding angular actuation pin of said mount tool, and an intermediate structure positioned between said proximal end and said distal end and from which said distal end extends; and
said first element further comprises a decoupler flexure system comprising a group of one or more first decoupler flexures and a group of one or more second decoupler flexures coupling said proximal end to said intermediate structure of said interposer pins to substantially decouple application of y-direction engagement forces from said interposer pins to said stripe height actuation pins from affecting said stripe height actuation pins of said mount tool in said z-direction.

9. The actuation interposer of claim 6 , wherein:
said interposer pins of said first element each comprises a proximal end proximal to said actuators, a distal end including a distal end tip engageable with said corresponding angular actuation pin of said mount tool, and an intermediate structure between said proximal end and said distal end and from which said distal end extends; and
said distal end of each said interposer pin comprises an alignment bump that aligns said interposer pin in said z-direction with a fork of said corresponding angular actuation pin when said interposer pin is engaged with said angular actuation pin.

10. A method for applying actuation forces to a lapping mount tool for lapping a row-bar of magnetic sensor devices, wherein said row-bar has an x-axis along the direction of the row and a y-axis along the direction of the width of said row-bar, the method comprising:
affixing said row-bar to a lapping mount tool fixture;
actuating each of a plurality of actuators to apply a respective translational force from each said actuator to a corresponding interposer pin of an interposer structure;
operating a zero z-axis shift flexure system comprising a set of first flexures interconnecting said interposer pins and a rotatable T-structure

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Smith Darrick T
• Gee Glenn P
• Sougrati Hicham M
• Davis Damaris

Classifications

• B24B37/20

  Lapping pads for working plane surfaces · CPC title

• G11B5/3169

  Working or finishing the interfacing surface of heads, e.g. lapping of heads · CPC title

• G11B5/3163

  Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers · CPC title

• G11B5/3173

  Batch fabrication, i.e. producing a plurality of head structures in one batch · CPC title

• B24B37/048 Primary

  of sliders and magnetic heads of hard disc drives or the like · CPC title