Microsuspension assemblies for direct access storage devices

• US 20030133229A1
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lille, Jeffrey S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,725,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/245.3
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4826 Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/60 Fluid-dynamic spacing of heads from record-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49025 Making disc drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4903 with bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49032 Fabricating head structure or component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49037 Using reference point/surface to facilitate measuring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49041 with significant slider/housing shaping or treating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49048 Machining magnetic material [e.g., grinding, etching, polishing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49163 with sintering of base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments include a method for forming a head suspension assembly. A spacer layer is formed in or on a silicon wafer. A transfer film including an opening defining the shape of a slider support membrane is provided, and the opening is filled with a resin material. The transfer film with the resin material therein is positioned over the silicon wafer so that at least a portion of the resin material is positioned adjacent to the spacer layer. The resin material is baked to form a glassy carbon material. The spacer layer is etched to form a trench in the silicon wafer adjacent to the glassy carbon material, and a slider is positioned on the glassy carbon material over the trench.

Claims

1. A head suspension assembly comprising:

a suspension arm having a trench formed therein; and

a membrane positioned on the suspension arm and adapted to support a slider thereon, wherein at least a portion of the membrane is positioned adjacent to the trench.

2. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, wherein the suspension arm and the membrane are formed from materials having different compositions.

3. A head suspension assembly as in claim 2, wherein the suspension arm is formed from silicon.

4. A head suspension assembly as in claim 2, wherein the membrane is formed from a material including carbon.

5. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, wherein the membrane comprises a glassy carbon material.

6. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, wherein the suspension arm is formed from a silicon wafer and the membrane comprises a glassy carbon material.

7. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a slider positioned on the membrane over the trench.

8. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, wherein the membrane extends across the trench.

9. A head suspension assembly as in claim 1, wherein the membrane is formed from an electrically conductive material.

10. A head suspension assembly as in claim 7, further comprising at least one wiring line electrically coupled to slider positioned on the membrane, wherein at least a portion of one wiring line is positioned so that the wiring line extends at least one of (a) into the suspension arm to a depth, and (b) on the surface of the suspension arm.

11. A method for forming a head suspension assembly, comprising:

forming a sacrificial layer in or on a portion of a substrate;

forming a transfer film including a mold of a suspension membrane therein;

filling the mold of the suspension membrane with a layer of material;

positioning the transfer film including the mold of the suspension membrane with the layer of material over the substrate;

baking the layer of material to density at least a portion of the layer of material; and

removing the sacrificial layer to form a cavity extending a distance into the substrate;

wherein the baked layer of material is at least partially positioned adjacent to the cavity.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises silicon and the sacrificial layer is formed by etching a trench in the substrate and filling the trench with a metal.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein removing the sacrificial layer comprises etching the metal from the trench.

14. A method as in claim 11, filter comprising forming the transfer film from a polymer material.

15. A method as in claim 11 further comprising forming the resin from a resin including carbon therein.

16. A method as in claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises silicon and the baked material comprises carbon.

17. A method as in claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the transfer film comprises polydimethyl siloxane, and the baked material comprises a glassy carbon material.

18. A method as in claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the transfer film comprises polysilsesquioxone, and the baked material includes a matrix containing silica.

19. A method as in claim 11, wherein the cavity extends a width that is no greater than that of the suspension arm and the cavity extends a depth that is less than the depth of the suspension arm.

20. A method as in claim 16, further comprising forming an adhesion layer between the silicon and the carbon.

21. A method for forming a head suspension assembly, comprising forming a spacer layer in or on a silicon substrate;

providing a transfer film including an opening defining the shape of a slider support membrane;

filling the opening defining the shape of the slider support membrane with a resin material;

positioning the transfer film with the resin material therein on the silicon substrate so that at least a portion of the resin material is positioned on the spacer layer;

baking the resin material to form a glassy carbon material; and

removing the spacer layer to form a cavity in the silicon substrate adjacent to the glassy carbon material.

22. A method as in claim 21, further comprising curing the resin material prior to baking the resin material and after positioning the transfer film with the resin material thereon over the silicon wafer.

23. A method as in claim 22, further comprising removing the transfer film from the resin material after curing the resin material.

24. A method as in claim 21, wherein forming a spacer layer comprises forming a trench in the silicon wafer and filling the trench with a sacrificial material.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the sacrificial material has a predetermined thickness.

26. A method as in claim 24, wherein the sacrificial material comprises a metal.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the metal comprises copper.

28. A method as in claim 21, further comprising positioning a slider on the glassy carbon material.

29. A method as in claim 21, further comprising forming an adhesion layer on the silicon wafer prior to positioning the transfer film thereon.

30. A method for forming a head suspension assembly, comprising:

forming a sacrificial layer in or on a portion of a substrate;

forming a transfer film across the substrate;

patterning a photoresist layer on top of the transfer film;

transferring the image of the patterned photoresist layer through the transfer film;

removing the patterned photoresist layer; and

removing the sacrificial layer to form a cavity extending a distance into the substrate.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein the transfer film includes silicon.

32. A method as in claim 30, wherein the transferring the image of the patterned photoresist layer through the transfer film is done using reactive ion etching.

33. A method as in claim 30, wherein the substrate comprises silicon and the sacrificial layer is formed by etching a trench in the substrate and filling the trench with a metal.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein removing the sacrificial layer comprises etching the metal from the trench.

35. A method as in claim 30, further comprising forming the transfer film from a polymer material.

36. A method as in claim 30, wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the transfer film comprises polysilsesquioxone, and the baked material includes a matrix containing silica.

37. A method as in claim 30, wherein the cavity extends a width that is no greater than that of the suspension arm and the cavity extends a depth that is less than the depth of the suspension arm.

38. A method as in claim 30, further comprising forming an adhesion layer between the substrate and the transfer film.

39. A disk drive for reading and writing disks comprising:

at least one disk;

a rotatable hub for mounting the disk;

a read/write head adapted to read from and write to the disk;

a slider onto which the read/write head is provided; and

a suspension assembly adapted to support the slider, the suspension assembly including a support arm defining a cavity, and a membrane positioned on the support arm, wherein at least a portion of the membrane is positioned adjacent the cavity.

40. A disk drive as in claim 39, wherein the membrane comprises a glassy carbon material and the support arm comprises silicon.

41. A disk drive as in claim 39, wherein the member extends across the cavity.