Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly includes mechanically attaching a semiconductor chip that includes a conductive pad to a routing line, mechanically attaching and electrically connecting a metal particle to the routing line, wherein the routing line extends laterally beyond the metal particle towards the chip and the chip and the metal particle extend vertically beyond the routing line in the same direction, forming an encapsulant after attaching the chip and the metal particle to the routing line wherein the chip and the metal particle are embedded in the encapsulant, and forming a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor chip that includes a conductive pad, a conductive trace that includes a routing line and a metal particle, a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad, and an encapsulant. The routing line extends laterally beyond the metal particle towards the chip, and the chip and the metal particle are embedded in the encapsulant and extend vertically beyond the routing line in the same direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor package device includes an insulative housing, a semiconductor chip, and a lead, wherein the insulative housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a peripheral side surface between the top and bottom surfaces, the bottom surface includes a peripheral portion and a central portion within the peripheral portion, the peripheral portion protrudes downwardly from the central portion, the chip includes a conductive pad, and the lead protrudes laterally from and extends through the peripheral side surface and is electrically connected to the pad.

Abstract: Magnetic recording media having a protective carbon overcoat adapted to protect the magnetic recording layer from surface contact events and corrosion. The carbon overcoat includes at least two layers. A first layer is adapted to protect the magnetic recording layer from surface contact events and corrosion. The second layer is disposed on the first layer and is adapted to enhance the bonding of a lubricant to the carbon overcoat and to minimize head degradation. The magnetic recording media of the present invention advantageously enables the use of thin carbon overcoats, enhancing areal density, while maintaining good tribological properties.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor package device includes providing a conductive trace that includes a terminal and a lead, wherein the terminal and the lead are electrically connected to one another, attaching the conductive trace to a semiconductor chip using an insulative adhesive, wherein the chip includes a conductive pad, forming a first insulative housing portion that contacts the chip and the lead without contacting the terminal, wherein the lead protrudes laterally from and extends through the first insulative housing portion, forming a connection joint that contacts and electrically connects the conductive trace and the pad, and forming a second insulative housing portion that contacts the adhesive, the terminal and the first insulative housing portion after forming the first insulative housing portion, wherein the terminal protrudes downwardly from and extends through the second insulative housing portion, and the first and second insulative housing portions form an insulative housing that surroun

Abstract: A semiconductor package device includes an insulative housing, a semiconductor chip and a conductive trace, wherein the insulative housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a peripheral side surface between the top and bottom surfaces, the chip includes a conductive pad, the conductive trace includes a routing line, a terminal and a lead, the terminal protrudes downwardly from and extends through the bottom surface and is electrically connected to the pad, the lead protrudes laterally from and extends through the side surface and is electrically connected to the pad, the terminal and the lead are spaced and separated from one another outside the insulative housing, and the terminal and the lead are electrically connected to one another by the routing line inside the insulative housing and outside the chip.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor package device includes providing an insulative housing, a semiconductor chip, a terminal and a lead, wherein the insulative housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a peripheral side surface between the top and bottom surfaces, the chip includes a conductive pad, the terminal protrudes downwardly from and extends through the bottom surface, the lead protrudes laterally from and extends through the side surface, the terminal and the lead are spaced and separated from one another outside the insulative housing, and the terminal is electrically connected to the lead and the pad inside the insulative housing and outside the chip, singulating the lead from a lead frame, and trimming the lead without trimming the terminal.

Abstract: A method of connecting a conductive trace and an insulative base to a semiconductor chip includes providing a semiconductor chip, a metal base, an insulative base, a routing line and an interconnect, wherein the chip includes a conductive pad, the metal base is disposed on a side of the insulative base that faces away from the chip, the routing line is disposed on a side of the insulative base that faces towards the chip, and the interconnect extends through a via in the insulative base and electrically connects the metal base and the routing line, forming an opening that extends through the insulative base and exposes the pad, forming a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad, and etching the metal base such that an unetched portion of the metal base forms a pillar that overlaps and is aligned with the via and contacts the interconnect, wherein a conductive trace includes the routing line, the interconnect and the pillar.

Abstract: A system for the detection and support of data streams is disclosed. The system determines whether new commands comprise a data stream. If a new data stream is detected, the system next determines whether adequate resources are available to launch the new data stream. If the system determines that the data stream can be launched, system resources, particularly cache memory space, are assigned to the data stream to provide the data stream with the necessary amount of data throughput needed to support the data stream efficiently. The data stream's throughput is the amount of data that the stream requires per unit time. The system monitors all supported data streams to determine when a particular data stream has terminated, at which time resources dedicated to the data stream are released and become available to support other data streams. The cache for each supported data stream is maintained at as full a level as possible, with the cache for the “least full” data stream given priority for refresh.

Abstract: A voice coil for a disk drive includes a spiral formation of winding of an electrically conductive material. This formation has a generally triangular shape with an open center. First and second active leg portions of the formation curve inward of it, and an inactive leg portion curves outward of it. The cross-sectional area of the coil varies along its length with the segments in the inactive leg portion having a smaller cross-sectional area than those of the active leg portions. The voice coil is a laminate with the conductive layer disposed between two electrically insulating layers. It lies fixedly secured to a surface of a base member of the disk drive's actuator. The method of making this laminate includes securing the conductive layer to an insulating layer, removing selected portions of the conductive layer to form the coil, and covering the conductive layer with another insulating layer.

Abstract: An accelerometer includes a capacitive sensing device and circuitry. The capacitive sensing device has electrode structures spaced by a gap for relative movement in response to a force applied to the capacitive sensing device to produce a displacement of the electrode structures. A liquid is disposed in the gap between the electrode structures. The circuitry is coupled to the capacitive sensing device for determining from the displacement an electric signal indicative of acceleration of the applied force.

Abstract: A positioner (20) for a disk drive (10) that includes a magnet assembly (52), a conductor assembly (54), and a control system (22) is provided herein. The magnet assembly (52) includes a pair of magnet arrays (56A) (56B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates (75A) (75B). The conductor assembly (54) includes a coil array (78). The coil array includes a first portion (84) and a second portion (86) that are positioned substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (43) of an E-block (16). The control system (22) directs current to electrically excite the first and second portions (84) (86) to generate a first force F1 and a second force F2 which are (i) parallel to the longitudinal axis (43) of the E-block (16), and (ii) equal in magnitude and directionally opposite to better position a data transducer (50) on a target track (32) of a storage disk (28).

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly includes providing a semiconductor chip, a metal base, an insulative base and a conductive trace, wherein the chip includes a conductive pad, the metal base is disposed on a side of the insulative base that faces away from the chip, the conductive trace includes a contact terminal that extends through the insulative base, and the pad is exposed through an opening that extends through the metal base and the insulative base and is spaced from the contact terminal, then forming a connection joint that contacts and electrically connects the conductive trace and the pad, and then removing a portion of the metal base that contacts the contact terminal. Preferably, the opening extends through an insulative adhesive that attaches the chip to the conductive trace.

Abstract: A manufacturing process for reducing magnetic spacing loss in a magnetic recording head. The recession of the transducer relative to the substrate at the air bearing surface is decreased by applying a coating of sacrificial material such as diamond-like carbon to the upper surfaces of the substrate, the transducer, and the encapsulation material such as alumina prior to final kiss lapping. The recession due to the alumina being softer than the substrate is greatly reduced since the DLC is kiss-lapped.

Abstract: A disk drive provides manufacture test processing of itself after it is installed and operating within a computer system. The tests include flaw mapping, embedded runout compensation and final drive verification and do not interfere with normal operations of the disk drive.

Abstract: A method of making an optoelectronic semiconductor package device includes attaching a conductive trace to a semiconductor chip using a transparent adhesive, wherein the chip includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface includes a light sensitive cell and a conductive pad, then forming an encapsulant that covers the lower surface, and then forming a connection joint that contacts and electrically connects the conductive trace and the pad.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head for reading and writing information with respect to a rotating disk medium includes a pad having a working surface which contacts the recording medium. The pad has a leading edge and a trailing edge with the leading edge facing in the general direction of relative motion between the head and the medium. The ledge has a narrower width than the trailing edge so as to reduce the effort of debris accumulation at the disk-head interface. The narrower leading edge allows the head to deflect oncoming debris as the head traverses the surface of the rotating magnetic medium.

Abstract: A disk drive (10) including one or more storage disks (12) and a head stack assembly (14) is provided herein. The head stack assembly (14) includes an actuator assembly (16) and a plurality of transducer assemblies (18). The actuator assembly (16) moves the transducer assemblies (18) relative to the storage disks (12). Each transducer assembly (18) includes a slider (22), a load beam (24) and a head suspension (26) that secures the slider (22) the load beam (24). Preferably, the slider (22) includes an air bearing surface (27) and one or more pads (28). Importantly, the head suspension (26) maintains the slider (22) at a negative pitch static attitude. As a result thereof, the slider (22) is less likely to tip during shutdown and/or after vibration.

Abstract: A method of connecting a conductive trace to a semiconductor chip includes providing a semiconductor chip, a conductive trace and a metal base, wherein the chip includes a conductive pad, and the conductive trace is disposed between the metal base and the chip, then forming a through-hole that extends through the metal base and exposes the conductive trace and the pad, then forming a connection joint that contacts and electrically connects the conductive trace and the pad in the through-hole, and then etching the metal base, thereby reducing contact area between the metal base and another material. Preferably, the through-hole extends through an insulative adhesive that attaches the conductive trace to the chip, and etching the metal base reduces contact area between the metal base and the connection joint.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor package device includes attaching a semiconductor chip to a metallic structure using an insulative adhesive, wherein the chip includes a conductive pad, the metallic structure includes first and second opposing surfaces and a lead, the adhesive is disposed between the first surface and the chip, the lead includes a recessed portion, a non-recessed portion and opposing outer edges between the first and second surfaces that extend across the recessed and non-recessed portions, and the recessed portion is recessed relative to the non-recessed portion at the second surface, forming an encapsulant that contacts the chip, the first surface, the outer edges and the recessed portion, wherein the encapsulant completely covers the chip, the outer edges and the recessed portion without completely covering the non-recessed portion, and forming a connection joint that electrically connects the lead and the pad.