MEMS disc drive

• US 7,835,110 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology plc (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Ryan, Patrick, Berkowitz, Jeffery, Johnston, Alan, Kalderon, Steven, Leuthold, Hans, Xue, Song S., White, Andrew, Amin, Nurul, Bonin, Wayne, Ver Meer, Bradley, Hipwell, Roger, Pendray, John
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUIN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US11/656,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.01
• US Class Current: 360/97.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/2009 Turntables, hubs and motors for disk drives; Mounting of motors in the drive means for clamping of disk to turntable G11B17/022 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1436 with provision for moving the heads or record carriers relatively to each other

Abstract

A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) disc drive includes high-precision and integrated components to allow for increased functionality, robustness and reduced size as compared to currently produced disc drives. Integrating multiple subcomponents of the disc drive using batch processing provides low manufacturing costs. Furthermore, using MEMS techniques, new features can be added to disc drives. For example, an environmental control component, an accelerometer and/or a thermometer may be integrated into the housing of the disc drive.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing;

a rotatable media disc; and

an actuator including a head to communicate with the rotatable media disc,

wherein the housing, the rotatable media disc, the head and the actuator are co-located on a single wafer substrate.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an environmental control component, wherein the environmental control component is manufactured from the single wafer substrate.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the environmental control component is integrated within the housing.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the environmental control component comprises a resistive wire to heat the device.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the environmental control component comprises a Peltier cooling system.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising actuator electrodes, wherein the actuator electrodes rotate the media disc within the data storage device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the media disc is a magnetic media disc.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a substrate suitable for batch processing.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor integrated within the housing, wherein the sensor is manufactured from the single wafer substrate.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a thermometer.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing, the rotatable media disc, the head and the actuator were manufactured from a single wafer substrate using MEMS techniques.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a small form factor disc drive.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a fully integrated device built entirely on the single wafer substrate.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator arm is part of an actuator assembly, wherein the device further comprises a motion limiter to prevent the actuator assembly from contacting the rotatable media disc, wherein the motion limiter is located at a distance of less than 25 micrometers from the actuator arm.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises electrical vias for connecting a plurality of devices.

17. A device comprising:

a housing including a base and a cover;

a MEMS rotatable media disc;

an environmental control component; and

a MEMS actuator including a head to communicate with the rotatable media disc,

wherein the MEMS actuator is bonded to the base or the cover.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the cover is wafer bonded to the base.

19. The disc drive of claim 17, wherein the MEMS rotatable media disc and the base combine to form an integrated disc/motor to rotate the MEMS rotatable media disc.

20. The disc drive of claim 19, wherein MEMS rotatable media disc includes magnetizable components, wherein the base includes actuation electrodes that interact with the magnetizable components to rotate the MEMS rotatable media disc.

21. The disc drive of claim 17, further comprising a seal located between the cover and the base.

22. A device comprising:

a rotatable media disc including a spin-on glass; and

a housing including a base,

wherein the rotatable media disc and the base form an integrated disc motor to rotate the rotatable media disc,

wherein the base and the rotatable media disc are manufactured as a single component from a single wafer substrate.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the device is a small form factor disc drive.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising an environmental control component within the housing, wherein the environmental control component is manufactured from the single wafer substrate.

25. The device of claim 22, further comprising an accelerometer integrated within the housing, wherein the accelerometer is manufactured from the single wafer substrate.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a single wafer substrate comprising a housing;

a media disc;

a motor; and

an actuator including a head to communicate with the media disc.