Vibration damping utilizing a patterned visco-elastic polymer

• US 20080158725A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Haruhide, Hirano, Toshiki
• Application Number:
  US11/648,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/86
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4833 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

Abstract

A micro-machined vibration-damping device comprises a patterned visco-elastic polymer and a substrate for receiving the patterned visco-elastic polymer.

Claims

1. A micro-machined vibration-damping device comprising:

a patterned visco-elastic polymer; and

a substrate for receiving said patterned visco-elastic polymer.

2. The micro-machined vibration-damping device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a surface of a micro-machined device.

3. The micro-machined vibration-damping device of claim 1 further comprising a constraining layer.

4. A microactuator for use in a hard disk drive comprising:

a first mounting surface for attaching a suspension;

a second mounting surface for attaching a slider wherein said slider comprises a magnetic transducer for reading and writing data tracks onto a surface of a disk;

an actuation device for moving said first mounting surface relative to said second mounting surface; and

a micro-machined vibration-damping device coupled between said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface, wherein said micro-machined vibration damping device is configured to attenuate oscillations of said second mounting surface with respect to said first mounting surface.

5. The microactuator of claim 4 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device comprises a patterned visco-elastic polymer.

6. The microactuator of claim 4 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device further comprises a constraining layer.

7. A suspension for use in a hard disk drive comprising:

a tail section for coupling data signals to and from actuator arm electronics;

a mounting feature for coupling an actuator arm;

a spring section coupling said mounting feature to a rigid section;

a flexible section coupling said rigid section to a distal mounting surface; and

a receiving surface for receiving a micro-machined vibration-damping device.

8. The suspension of claim 7 wherein said receiving surface for receiving a micro-machined vibration-damping device is selected from the group of surfaces consisting of:

a surface on said tail section, a surface on said mounting feature, a surface on said spring section, a surface on said flexible surface, and a surface on said distal mounting surface.

9. The suspension of claim 7 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device comprises a patterned and polymerized visco-elastic polymer.

10. The suspension of claim 7 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device further comprises a constraining layer.

11. A hard disk drive comprising:

a base casting for providing coupling points for components and sub-assemblies of said hard disk drive;

a motor-hub assembly to which at least one disk is coupled allowing rotation of said disk about an axis approximately perpendicular and centered to said disk, wherein said motor-hub assembly is coupled to said base casting, wherein said disk comprising at least one surface of data tracks;

a magnetic transducer for reading and writing said data tracks onto said surface;

a slider comprising said magnetic transducer;

a suspension coupled to said slider, wherein said suspension is coupled to an actuator assembly for moving said slider arcuately across said data tracks;

a microactuator coupled between said suspension and said slider enabling said slider to follow deviations in said data track location; and

a micro-machined vibration damping device coupled to said microactuator, wherein said micro-machined vibration damping device comprises a patterned and cured visco-elastic polymer precursor configured for attenuating oscillations of said microactuator.

12. The hard disk drive of claim 11 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device further comprises a constraining layer.

13. The hard disk drive of claim 11 wherein said microactuator comprises a cavity open on at least one side for receiving a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

14. A hard disk drive comprising:

a base casting for providing coupling points for components and sub-assemblies of said hard disk drive;

a motor-hub assembly to which at least one disk is coupled allowing rotation of said disk about an axis approximately perpendicular and centered to said disk, wherein said motor-hub assembly is coupled to said base casting, wherein said disk comprising at least one surface of data tracks;

a magnetic transducer for reading and writing said data tracks onto said surface;

a slider comprising said magnetic transducer;

a suspension coupled to said slider, wherein said suspension is coupled to an actuator assembly for moving said slider arcuately across said data tracks; and

a micro-machined vibration damping device coupled to said suspension, wherein said micro-machined vibration damping device comprises a patterned and polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor configured for attenuating oscillations of said suspension.

15. The hard disk drive of claim 14 wherein said micro-machined vibration-damping device further comprises a constraining layer.

16. The hard disk drive of claim 14 wherein said microactuator comprises a cavity open on at least one side for receiving a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

17. A method of micromachining a vibration damping device, said method comprising:

applying a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor to a substrate;

drying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor becomes a dried visco-elastic polymer precursor;

patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor becomes a patterned visco-elastic polymer precursor; and

curing said patterned visco-elastic polymer precursor such that said visco-elastic polymer precursor is polymerized resulting in a micro-machined visco-elastic damping device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer to a cavity defined in said substrate, said cavity open on at least one side for receiving said liquid visco-elastic polymer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing liquid photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing dry photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying an organic solvent to said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

pressing a constraining layer onto said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

25. A method of micromachining a vibration damping device, said method comprising:

applying a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor to a substrate;

curing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor is polymerized; and

patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor resulting in a micro-machined visco-elastic damping device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer to a cavity defined in said substrate, said cavity open on at least one side for receiving said liquid visco-elastic polymer.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing liquid photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing dry photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein said patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying oxygen plasma to said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor.

32. A method for damping vibration, said method comprising:

applying a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor to a substrate;

drying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor becomes a dried visco-elastic polymer precursor;

patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor becomes a patterned visco-elastic polymer precursor; and

curing said patterned visco-elastic polymer precursor such that said visco-elastic polymer precursor is polymerized resulting in a vibration damping component.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

34. The method of claim 32wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer to a cavity defined in said substrate, said cavity open on at least one side for receiving said liquid visco-elastic polymer.

35. The method of claim 32wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

squirting said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor onto said substrate.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein said patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing liquid photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing dry photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

40. The method of claim 32 wherein said patterning said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying an organic solvent to said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

41. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

pressing a constraining layer onto said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

42. A method for damping vibration, said method comprising:

applying a liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor to a substrate;

curing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor whereby said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor is polymerized; and

patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor resulting in a micro-machined visco-elastic damping device.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer to a cavity defined in said substrate, said cavity open on at least one side for receiving said liquid visco-elastic polymer.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

screen printing said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein said applying said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

squirting said liquid visco-elastic polymer precursor onto said substrate.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing photolithography to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing liquid photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein said utilizing photolithography to pattern said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

utilizing dry photoresist to pattern said dried visco-elastic polymer precursor.

50. The method of claim 42 wherein said patterning said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor comprises:

applying oxygen plasma to said polymerized visco-elastic polymer precursor.