Hermetically sealed electronics arrangement and approach

• US 7,123,440 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Albrecht, David, Strand, Timothy C., Stipe, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): HEINZ, ALLEN J
• Application Number:
  US10/673,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 360 9701- 9912
• US Class Current: 360/97.02
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1466 sealing gaskets, gasket in general F16J
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 17/305 by embedding in glass or ceramic material

Abstract

A hermetic sealing approach involves welding an Aluminum cover onto a low-cost Aluminum housing. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a metal housing having a base and sidewalls extending upward therefrom is adapted to receive and couple to an HDD arrangement. The metal housing is formed using material and processing (e.g., cold formed or die cast Aluminum) that are relatively inexpensive. A feedthrough arrangement including a plurality of communication pins extends through an opening in the base and is coupled thereto, with the communication pins adapted to pass signals between the inside and the outside of the metal housing. A metal cover is welded to an upper portion of the sidewalls and, with the feedthrough arrangement, hermetically seals the metal housing.

Claims

1. A hermetically sealed hard disk drive (HDD) enclosure, comprising:

an aluminum alloy housing comprising two sides, a bottom and a connector opening in the bottom of the housing;

a hard disk drive assembly disposed within the housing;

fasteners disposed along the inside bottom of the housing for fastening the hard disk drive assembly only to the bottom of the housing without creating an opening in the housing;

a multi-pin feedthrough disposed within the connector opening in the bottom of the housing, the multi-pin connector comprising a flange having a plurality of signal pins being disposed within openings therein, wherein ceramic beads seal the openings between the signal pins and the flange;

a coalesced metal joint securing the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing and providing a first hermetic seal;

a first lid disposed over the hard disk drive assembly and coupled to a flange in the side walls of the housing via a non-hermetic seal;

a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the first lid;

a second lid disposed over the first lid, the second lid comprising an aluminum alloy and being engaged by the pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the first lid; and

a laser weld formed between the second lid and the housing along the periphery of the second lid, the laser weld providing a second hermetic seal.

2. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1 further comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the second lid and a dampening plate adhered to the second lid via the pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the second lid.

3. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 2, wherein the ceramic beads comprise glass.

4. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 3 further comprising a low density, low-humidity gas disposed within the housing.

5. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 4, wherein the housing has a solidification temperature substantially equal to a solidification temperature of the second lid.

6. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the ceramic beads comprise glass.

7. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1 further comprising a low density, low-humidity gas disposed within the housing.

8. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing has a solidification temperature substantially equal to a solidification temperature of the second lid.

9. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cold-forged aluminum alloy housing.

10. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a die-cast aluminum alloy housing.

11. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the coalesced metal joint comprises a weld.

12. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the coalesced metal joint comprises a solder joint.

13. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the feedthrough flange and the housing have substantially similar expansion coefficients.

14. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor disposed within the housing with the hard disk drive assembly, the temperature sensor being configured and arranged to detect the temperature in the housing for adjusting operational parameters of the hard disk drive assembly as a function of the detected temperature.

15. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy housing comprises an eutectic aluminum alloy housing.

16. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the second lid has a thickness less than a thickness of the first lid and has a low solidification temperature and a high cracking resistance.

17. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a step for holding the feedthrough flange.

18. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a flange-housing interface comprising a solder channel for holding solder therein.

19. The hermetically sealed HDD enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing and the second lid comprise an aluminum alloy of about 88% aluminum and 12% silicon.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a central processor;

a hermetically sealed hard disk drive; and

a communications link coupled and adapted to pass signals between the processor and the hermetically sealed hard disk drive;

wherein the hermetically sealed hard disk drive comprises;

an aluminum alloy housing comprising two sides, a bottom and a connector opening in the bottom of the housing;

a hard disk drive assembly disposed within the housing;

fasteners disposed along the inside bottom of the housing for fastening the hard disk drive assembly to the bottom of the housing only without creating an opening in the housing;

a multi-pin feedthrough disposed within the connector opening in the bottom of the housing, the multi-pin connector comprising a flange having a plurality of signal pins being disposed within openings therein, wherein ceramic beads seal the openings between the signal pins and the flange;

a coalesced metal joint securing the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing and providing a first hermetic seal;

a first lid disposed over the hard disk drive assembly and coupled to a flange in the side walls of the housing via a non-hermetic seal;

a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the first lid;

a second lid disposed over the first lid, the second lid comprising an aluminum alloy and being engaged by the pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the first lid; and

a laser weld formed between the second lid and the housing along the periphery of the second lid, the laser weld providing a second hermetic seal.

21. The computer system of claim 20 further comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the second lid and a dampening plate adhered to the second lid via the pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the second lid.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the ceramic beads comprise glass.

23. The computer system of claim 22 further comprising a low density, low-humidity gas disposed within the housing.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the housing has a solidification temperature substantially equal to a solidification temperature of the second lid.

25. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the ceramic beads comprise glass.

26. The computer system of claim 20 further comprising a low density, low-humidity gas disposed within the housing.

27. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing has a solidification temperature substantially equal to a solidification temperature of the second lid.

28. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing comprises a cold-forged aluminum alloy housing.

29. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing comprises a die-cast aluminum alloy housing.

30. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the coalesced metal joint comprises a weld.

31. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the coalesced metal joint comprises a solder joint.

32. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the feedthrough flange and the housing have substantially similar expansion coefficients.

33. The computer system of claim 20 further comprising a temperature sensor disposed within the housing with the hard disk drive assembly, the temperature sensor being configured and arranged to detect the temperature in the housing for adjusting operational parameters of the hard disk drive assembly as a function of the detected temperature.

34. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the aluminum alloy housing comprises an eutectic aluminum alloy housing.

35. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the second lid has a thickness less than a thickness of the first lid and has a low solidification temperature and a high cracking resistance.

36. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing further comprises a step for holding the feedthrough flange.

37. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing includes a flange-housing interface comprising a solder channel for holding solder therein.

38. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the housing and the second lid comprise an aluminum alloy of about 88% aluminum and 12% silicon.

39. A method for manufacturing a hard disk drive (HDD) enclosure, the method comprising:

forming an aluminum alloy housing comprising two sides, a bottom and a connector opening in the bottom of the housing;

fastening a hard disk drive assembly disposed within the housing along the inside bottom of the housing only without creating an opening in the housing;

positioning a multi-pin feedthrough within the connector opening in the bottom of the housing, the multi-pin connector comprising a flange having a plurality of signal pins being disposed within openings therein,

forming a coalesced metal joint to secure the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing and to provide a first hermetic seal;

sealing the openings between the signal pins and the flange using ceramic beads that expand when the coalesced metal joint is formed;

placing a first lid over the hard disk drive assembly;

coupling the first lid to a flange in the side walls of the housing using a non-hermetic seal;

depositing a pressure sensitive adhesive over the first lid;

placing, over the first lid, a second lid, the second lid comprising an aluminum alloy and engaging the pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over the first lid; and

laser welding the second lid and the housing along the periphery of the second lid to form a second hermetic seal.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising providing a low density, low-humidity gas within the housing prior to laser welding the second lid and housing together.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the forming a coalesced metal joint to secure the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing and to provide a first hermetic seal further comprises welding the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the forming a coalesced metal joint to secure the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing and to provide a first hermetic seal further comprises soldering the multi-pin feedthrough to the opening of the housing.

43. The method of claim 39 further comprising;

disposing a temperature sensor within the housing with the hard disk drive assembly;

detecting temperature in the housing;

adjusting operational parameters of the hard disk drive assembly as a function of the detected temperature.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the forming an aluminum alloy housing further comprises a step for holding the feedthrough flange.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the forming an aluminum alloy housing further comprises forming a flange-housing interface having a solder channel for holding solder therein.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the aluminum alloy housing and the second lid further comprise an aluminum alloy of about 88% aluminum and 12% silicon.