Suspension assembly having a microactuator electrically connected to a gold coating on a stainless steel surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9472218-B2
Application number	US-201514802329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 17, 2010
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A novel suspension assembly includes a suspension assembly mounting plate, a microactuator mounting structure extending from the suspension assembly mounting plate, a load beam extending from the microactuator mounting structure, and a laminated flexure attached to the load beam. The laminated flexure includes a tongue that has a read head bonding surface. The suspension assembly includes a stainless steel surface having a gold coating, and a piezoelectric microactuator attached to the microactuator mounting structure and electrically connected to the gold coating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suspension assembly comprising:
a suspension assembly mounting plate;
a microactuator mounting structure extending from the suspension assembly mounting plate;
a load beam extending from the microactuator mounting structure; and
a laminated flexure attached to the load beam, the laminated flexure including a tongue that has a read head bonding surface;
wherein the suspension assembly includes a stainless steel surface having a gold coating, and further comprises a microactuator attached to the microactuator mounting structure and electrically connected to the gold coating,
wherein the load beam includes at least one hinge plate and the stainless steel surface is a stainless steel surface of the hinge plate.

2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one hinge plate and the load beam are a single component having material continuity rather than being an assembly of subcomponents.

3. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) comprising:
a suspension assembly, the suspension assembly including
a suspension assembly mounting plate;
a microactuator mounting structure extending from the suspension assembly mounting plate;
a load beam extending from the microactuator mounting structure; and
a laminated flexure attached to the load beam, the laminated flexure including a tongue;

wherein the suspension assembly includes a stainless steel surface having a gold coating, and further comprises a microactuator attached to the microactuator mounting structure and electrically connected to the gold coating; and
a read head bonded to the tongue,
wherein the load beam includes at least one hinge plate and the stainless steel surface is a stainless steel surface of the hinge plate.

4. A disk drive comprising:
a disk drive base;
a spindle attached to the disk drive base;
a disk mounted on the spindle;
a coarse actuator attached to the disk drive base, the coarse actuator including an actuator arm;
a suspension assembly, the suspension assembly including
a suspension assembly mounting plate attached to the actuator arm;
a microactuator mounting structure extending from the suspension assembly mounting plate;
a load beam extending from the microactuator mounting structure; and
a laminated flexure attached to the load beam, the laminated flexure including a tongue;
wherein the suspension assembly includes a stainless steel surface having a gold coating, and further comprises a microactuator attached to the microactuator mounting structure and electrically connected to the gold coating; and

a read head bonded to the tongue,
wherein the load beam includes at least one hinge plate and the stainless steel surface is a stainless steel surface of the hinge plate.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Liu Yanning
• Shum Wing Chun
• Scura John E

Classifications

• G11B5/4833

  Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head (G11B5/484 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/596

  for track following on disks {(G11B5/5526, G11B5/5552, G11B5/5565, G11B5/5582 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G11B5/483 Primary

  Piezoelectric devices between head and arm, e.g. for fine adjustment · CPC title

• G11B5/4873

  the arm comprising piezoelectric or other actuators for adjustment of the arm · CPC title

• G11B5/4853 Primary

  Constructional details of the electrical connection between head and arm · CPC title