Recordable disc with fluid bearing features

• US 7,957,091 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: White, Andrew, Bonin, Wayne, Rafaelof, Menachem, Ver Meer, Bradley, Hipwell, Roger, Pendray, John, Leuthold, Hans, Amin, Nurul
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUIN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US11/656,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 360/97.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/2036 Motors characterized by fluid-dynamic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/123 Mounting arrangements of constructional parts onto a chassis

Abstract

A device comprises a fluid bearing including a textured fluid bearing surface and a second surface and a recordable disc. The recordable disc includes a substrate, a recordable media layer on the substrate, and at least one of the textured fluid bearing surface and the second surface. The device may be manufactured using MEMS techniques. MEMS techniques provide the high precision necessary to create the textured fluid bearing surface. MEMS techniques also allow the recordable disc to be batch-fabricated with one or more additional recordable discs.

Claims

1. A disc drive comprising:

a recordable disc including a first surface and a second surface; and

a housing including a third surface and fourth surface;

wherein the first surface and third surface combine to form a first fluid bearing adjacent to a first side of the recordable disc,

wherein the second surface and fourth surface combine to form a second fluid bearing adjacent to a second side of the recordable disc and opposite to the first side of the recordable disc, wherein the recordable disc is suspended between the first fluid bearing and the second fluid bearing during operation of the disc drive.

2. The disc drive of claim 1, wherein the recordable disc rotates at a rotational velocity of greater than 25,000 revolutions per minute.

3. The disc drive of claim 1, the recordable disc is flexible and the first and second fluid bearing surfaces constrain the disc in a substantially fixed plane.

4. The disc drive of claim 1, further comprising a hub at the center of the recordable disc, wherein the hub includes a third fluid bearing at the interface of the recordable disc and the hub.

5. The disc drive of claim 4, wherein the recordable disc includes an annular chuck mechanism at the interface of the recordable disc and the hub.

6. The disc drive of claim 5, wherein the annular chuck mechanism comprises a piezoelectric material.

7. The disc drive of claim 1, further comprising a third fluid bearing at an outer diameter of the recordable disc, wherein the third fluid bearing surface constrains the recordable disc to about a substantially fixed axis.

8. The disc drive of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator assembly including an actuator arm; and

a motion limiter to prevent the actuator assembly from contacting the recordable disc, wherein the motion limiter is located at a distance of less than 25 micrometers from the actuator arm.

9. A method of fabricating recordable discs for disc drives comprising:

forming recordable media layer on a substrate;

forming a textured fluid bearing surface on the substrate; and

partitioning the substrate to form at least two recordable discs from the substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming a thin-film lubrication layer on the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the recordable media layer is magnetically recordable.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein forming a textured fluid bearing surface on the substrate includes using at least one MEMS manufacturing process.

13. A disc comprising:

a first layer including a recordable media; and

a second layer including a surface with features operable to implement a fluid dynamic bearing, wherein said fluid dynamic bearing is disposed at an outside diameter of said disc or on a surface of said disc.

14. The disc of claim 13, wherein said second layer defines a hole located at a center of said disk, and wherein an inner surface of said hole includes a plurality of features for implementing a second fluid dynamic bearing.

15. The disc of claim 13, wherein a periphery of said second layer defines an outer surface, and wherein said outer surface includes a plurality of features for implementing a third fluid dynamic bearing.

16. The disc of claim 13 further comprising:

a third layer disposed between said first and second layers, wherein said third layer is operable to shield said first layer from electromagnetic fields.

17. The disc of claim 13 further comprising:

a thin-film lubrication layer.

18. The disc of claim 13 further comprising:

at least one element operable to rotate said disc.

19. The disc of claim 18, wherein said at least one element is disposed at an outer edge of said disc.

20. The disc of claim 18, wherein said at least one element is disposed circumferentially around a center of said disc in concentric circles of different diameter.

21. The disc of claim 18, wherein said at least one element includes at least one conductive element operable to implement a capacitive electrostatic actuation mechanism.

22. The disc of claim 18, wherein said at least one element includes at least one magnetic element operable to implement an electromagnetic actuation mechanism.

23. The disc of claim 13, wherein said second layer is flexible.

24. The disc of claim 13 further comprising:

a second surface including features operable to implement another fluid dynamic bearing.

25. A device comprising:

a disc including;

a first layer including a recordable media; and

a second layer including a first surface; and

a housing including a second surface, and

wherein said first and second surfaces are operable to implement a fluid dynamic bearing between said disc and said housing.

26. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

an actuator arm operable to rotate across said disc; and

a head attached to said actuator arm and operable to read to and write from said recordable media.

27. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

at least one member attached to said housing and operable to limit movement of said actuator arm.

28. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

a hub attached to said housing and including a third surface, and

wherein said second layer defines a hole located at a center of said disk, and wherein an inner surface of said hole and said third surface of said hub are operable to implement a second fluid dynamic bearing.

29. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

a base attached to said housing and including a fourth surface, and

wherein a periphery of said second layer defines an outer surface, and wherein said outer surface and said fourth surface of said base are operable to implement a third fluid dynamic bearing.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein said disc further comprises:

a third layer disposed between said first and second layers, wherein said third layer is operable to shield said first layer from electromagnetic fields.

31. The device of claim 25, wherein said disc further comprises:

a thin-film lubrication layer.

32. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

a feature attached to said housing, and

wherein said disc further comprises at least one element operable to interact with said feature and rotate said disc.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein said at least one element is disposed at an outer edge of said disc.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein said at least one element is disposed circumferentially around a center of said disc in concentric circles of different diameter.

35. The device of claim 32, wherein said feature includes at least one capacitor, and wherein said at least one element includes at least one conductive element operable to implement a capacitive electrostatic actuation mechanism.

36. The device of claim 32, wherein said feature includes at least one electromagnet, and wherein said at least one element includes at least one magnetic element operable to implement an electromagnetic actuation mechanism.

37. The device of claim 25, wherein said second layer is flexible.

38. The device of claim 25, wherein said disc further comprises:

a second surface including features operable to implement another fluid dynamic bearing.