Abstract:
A disc drive that includes a slider with a field emission sensor that senses fly height. The sensor has an electrode tip disposed on the slider. The electrode tip faces a media surface across a gap. The sensor conducts a tunneling current through the gap and provides an output representing the length of the gap. An actuator adjusts the fly height spacing. A feedback circuit provides an actuator electrical input as a feedback function of the sensor output to control the fly height spacing.
Abstract:
A method of handling a wafer for through-wafer plasma etching includes lateral support provided between a handle wafer and a product wafer without wafer bonding or an adhesive film using mating mechanical structures. The product wafer is easily separated from the handle wafer following etching without stripping or cleaning. Because the connection between the wafers is mechanical, not from an adhesive layer/bonded layer, a wafer can be etched, inspected, and subsequently continue to be etched without the hindrance of repeated bonding, separation, and cleaning. A non-bonded support for released devices following a through-etch process is also provided.
Abstract:
A disc drive includes a disc mounted to a motor, an access arm, and a slider connected to the access arm. A comb-type microactuator is mounted on the slider and a transducer is mounted to the microactuator such that actuation of the microactuator moves the transducer relative to the slider.
Abstract:
A microactuator is formed by defining stator and rotor regions on a wafer. Isolation barriers are formed in the stator and rotor regions to define a isolation regions. Conductive suspension beam are formed between the first and second isolation regions, and wafer material between the stator and rotor regions is removed to form a stator and a rotor. The microactuator is arranged to position a load device having an electrical component. The suspension beams support the rotor and load device and provide electrical connection between the stator and rotor for the microactuator and/or the load device.
Abstract:
A sealed micro-actuator device for positioning a slider in a disc drive comprises a micro-actuator body, which includes a stator, a rotor, and a motor for moving the rotor with respect to the stator. The micro-actuator device includes means for sealing the micro-actuator body to prevent debris from reaching the motor. In a preferred embodiment, the means for sealing comprises a plurality of cavities formed in the micro-actuator body and an injection molded polymer seal with a plurality of protrusions that extend into the plurality of cavities. A first subset of the plurality of protrusions make contact with the stator, thereby holding the means for sealing in place. A second subset of the plurality of protrusions extend into cavities formed in the rotor. The second subset of protrusions does not contact the rotor. In an alternative preferred embodiment, a first and a second surface of the rotor are recessed from a first and a second surface of the stator, and the means for sealing comprises a first flexible film heat sealed to the first surface of the stator and a second flexible film heat sealed to the second surface of the stator. In another alternative embodiment, a sealed actuator is incorporated into a slider of a disc drive. The slider comprises a slider body, a data transfer element, and an actuator. The data transfer element transfers data to or from a magnetic medium. The actuator is coupled between the slider body and the data transfer element. The actuator is operable to move the data transfer element relative to the slider body. The slider includes sealing means to prevent debris from reaching the actuator.
Abstract:
A microactuator suspension having a stator portion for connection to a gimbal, a rotor portion for connection to a slider and a plurality of microbeams connected therebetween. The microbeams have an aspect ratio of 30:1, 60:1, 90:1, 120:1 or more. The microbeams may be manufactured from a material that is different than the material of the stator, such as Titanium, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Nickel or Silicon Nitride.
Abstract:
High precision force imparting and/or a force (including weight) and displacement measuring/indicating device which includes a multi-plate capacitor transducer system. The transducer may be used for both applying and measuring the applied force during microindentation or micro hardness testing, and for imaging before and after the testing to achieve an atomic force microscope type image of a surface topography before and after indentation testing.
Abstract:
A magnetic data storage system includes a storage medium wherein bits of data are stored by perpendicular recording with a density sufficiently high to provide for the simultaneous presence of more than one data bit beneath the magnetic sensing element of a read head. A relative motion is imparted between the head and the medium during playback of data, and the sensed magnetic field changes produce sensor signals. The sensor signals are delayed by one or more delay elements providing delay times which differ from each other by one increment of delay, such delay increment being equal to the amount of time elapsed by a stored data bit passing a point on the pole piece of the read head. By summing together the respective delayed signals, cancellation of the spurious response is obtained so that the stored data can be retrieved.
Abstract:
A suspension comprises a load beam having a leading portion and a trailing portion, a gimbal sheet mounted to the leading portion and forming a first pad, a second pad, and a displacement lever assembly including at least a first lever arm having a first end adjacent and connected to the first pad and a second end opposite the first end and connected to the second pad. The displacement lever assembly is configured to translate a linear displacement of the first pad to a differing displacement of the second pad. The suspension comprises a piezoelectric element attached to the first pad and extending across the second pad.
Abstract:
In general, the invention is directed to techniques for integrated interconnects with a set of disc drives. The interconnects allow for a set of disc drives to be positioned in an array; for example, as set of disc drives may be stacked to communicate with a device through a single interface of the device. The interconnects may be formed as vias within the housing of the disc drives. Vias may produced using MEMS techniques, e.g., electroplating, as part of the manufacturing processes of the disc drive itself.