Suspension Design for Customer Manufacturability

Bob EvansDISKCON Asia Pacific

March 2006

Hutchinson Technology Inc., March 2006 2

Intro

• New technologies and processes such as solder head attach, FEMTO/PEMTO sliders, flyheight control and dual stage actuation are creating new and challenging requirements for suspension assemblies.

• HTI continues to provide solutions for emerging technology requirements, while providing features that allow for improved manufacturability at our customers.

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Specification Progression

• Gram Load• Tolerance Reduction• Change Through Swage• Standardized Measurement

• Static Attitude Tolerance Reduction• Bond Pad to Dimple Registration

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Gram

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Gram Load Change Through Swage

• Optimization of the base plate can reduce both the amount of gram change and bias between up and down suspensions.

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Setting the Industry Standard for Gram MeasurementGenVe Fixture:

• GenVe allows for standardized measurement of gram load.

• Over 100 fixtures are used in the industry today.

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Static Attitude

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Bond Pad to Dimple Registration

• Factors driving the need for improved bond pad to dimple registration include:

Reduced flyheight variationReduced slider sizesIncreased termination countSolder termination

• Registration improvements to date are a result of industry-leading automation, precision tooling and progression of flexure technology.

• Machine vision and flexure manufacturing technology enhancements will offer future improvements to bond pad to dimple registration.

Bond Pad

to Dimple

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Bond Pad to Dimple Registration

Leading Edge Assembled Bond Pad to Dimple Backside Alignment

00.005

0.010.015

0.020.025

0.030.035

0.040.045

0.05

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Year (Calendar, Start of)

Tota

l Tol

eran

ce (s

ym a

nd lo

c, m

m, +

/-)

Historical Volume Capability

Projected Technology Capability

ControlledPad at Flexure

Taper Locate in Welding

Auto-exposeDimple BacksideControl

VisionDimple Form

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Feature Progression

• Attachments• Merging & Handling• Electrical• Flexure Technology• Dual Stage

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Boss Size Reduction

• Enables thinner and smaller flanged base plates with reduced mass:

Significantly improves gram changeLess base distortionStronger flange

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Merge Features

• Allow the suspension to move on and off merge and shipping combs to reduce the possibility of damage and particle generation.

Comb DomeDielectric & CovercoatOverhang

Comb Rail

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Limiters

• Limiters restrict motion of the slider and gimbal.

• Benefits:Reduced handling damage during processingKeep head planar to disk during loading or shock events

Several configurations are available depending on design requirements.

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Plated Ground Features (PGF)

Low resistance ground (< 1 Ohm) minimizes ESD risk.

Simplifies head attach by eliminating conductive epoxy grounding.

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AS-21 ESD Coating

CopperCovercoat

Polyimide

Stainless Steel

Anti-Static Coating(thickness exaggerated for clarity)

Description:Description:• Semi-conductive polymer coating

Benefits:• Prevents tribocharging of the suspension • HGA and HSA ESD yield improvement• Reduced HSA DPPM• Reduced drive level ESD/EOS, increased drive yield, reduced drive rework

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SBB/SJB Robustness

• The heat generated during solder ball bonding or solder jet bonding can deform the gimbal.

• Both FEA modeling and part testing are used to minimize this change.

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Ultrasonic Robustness

• Carefully designed low stiffness FEMTO/PEMTO gimbals can eliminate damage from ultrasonics, while still meeting product requirements.

• Both FEA modeling and actual part testing can be used to improve and validate designs.

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Flexure Technology

TSA+ Additive Flexures• Registration for head attach• Polyimide covercoat for thermal robustness to high

temperature solder• Increased design flexibility

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Motor/Jumper Attach for Dual Stage

• Continued areal density progression will drive ever increasing TPI performance.

• Progression will challenge the servo bandwidth of today’s single stage actuation.

• HTI can provide dual stage suspensions to enable continued TPI increases without requiring major changes to HGA processes.

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Summary

• New technologies and processes such as solder head attach, FEMTO/PEMTO sliders, flyheight control and dual stage actuation are creating new and challenging requirements for suspension assemblies.

• HTI continues to provide solutions for emerging technology requirements, while providing features that allow for improved manufacturability at our customers.