Head actuator assembly and method for fabricating the same

• US 5,970,602 A
• Filed: 09/03/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Keiichi, Harada, Yoshinao, Sonobe, Yoshiaki, Takeda, Kazuya, Tokumitsu, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/922,806
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 29/603.03, 29/603.04, 29/603.06, 29/604, 29/607, 360/104
• US Class Current: 29/603.06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/484 Integrated arm assemblies, e.g. formed by material deposition or by etching from single piece of metal or by lamination of materials forming a single arm/suspension/head unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4903 with bonding

Abstract

A thin metal plate, which is a material for forming load beams, is integrally formed with carriages extending from flexures, VCM coil sections, and a support plate for a flexible substrate. The signal output lines from the magnetic heads, and the signal lines from the VCM coil sections are connected directly and integrally to the flexible substrate without a soldering connection.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an actuator, comprising;

forming a flexible composite material;

selectively processing portions of the composite material to form two integral actuator components, each actuator component including a flexure, a load beam, and a carriage; and

joining the two actuator components to form a unified, planar actuator assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carriages further comprise a voice coil motor coil section.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein only one of the actuator components is formed to integrally include a support plate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the flexible composite material includes the step of forming an insulating film between first and second metal plates.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of selectively removing portions of the composite material includes the step of selectively removing portions of the first metal plate to form the flexures, load beams and carriages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selectively removing portions of the first metal plate includes the steps of:

masking the first metal plate to expose the portions of the first metal plate to be removed; and

removing the exposed portions of the first metal plate to form the flexures, load beams and carriages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of removing the exposed portions of the first metal plate includes the step of removing portions of the second metal plate underlying the portions of the first metal plate.

8. The method of claim 5, further including the step of selectively removing portions of the second metal plate to form voice coil motor coil sections.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selectively removing portions of the second metal plate includes the step of forming conductive patterns.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the conductive patterns include circuitry for a read/write head.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive patterns include output signal lines, the output signal lines being formed on the load beams.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of adjusting shape of the output signal lines to balance the actuator at a pivot point.

13. The method of claim 11, further including the step of maximizing a shape of the output signal lines to increase the area of the output signal lines for reducing the resistance thereof.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selectively removing portions of the first metal plate includes the step of forming a flexible plate proximate the carriages.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selectively removing portions of the first metal plate includes the step of forming a support plate proximate the carriages.

16. The method of claim 5, further including the step of selectively forming a relative thick metal film on the second metal plate.

17. A method for fabricating an actuator, comprising the steps of:

forming an insulating film between first and second metal plates;

selectively masking the first metal plate to expose portions of the first metal plate;

removing the exposed portions of the first metal plate and underlying portions of the insulating film and second metal plate to form two integral actuator components, each actuator component including a flexure. a load beam, and a carriage, one of the actuator components integrally including a support plate;

selectively masking the second metal plate to expose portions of the second metal plate;

removing the exposed portions of the second metal plate to form conductive patterns on the second metal plate; and

joining the two actuator components to form a unified, planar actuator assembly.