Abstract: A process for reactive ion etching or ion milling of an air bearing slider comprises the steps of mechanical alignment of unetched slider rows with active transducer devices onto an alignment fixture; positioning a layer of thermally conductive adhesive between the rows and a substrate; heating the adhesive through the substrate such that the adhesive bonds the rows to the substrate while encapsulating the rows; removing the alignment fixture; patterning and etching the exposed planarized slider surfaces; stripping the resist and cutting the rows into individual sliders while still bonded to the substrate; stripping the adhesive with an organic solvent. This process increases tolerance to manufacturing variability, minimizes damage and contamination of the transducer devices, and decreases the cycle time and production costs.

Abstract: A method for depositing a conductive metal onto a dielectric substrate is provided. The method includes obtaining a metal sheet having a roughened surface that has the following parameters:R.sub.a =0.05-0.08 mil,R.sub.max =0.20-0.55 mil,S.sub.m =1.00-3.00 mil,R.sub.p =0.20-0.35 mil, andsurface area=0.90-1.20 square milswherein R.sub.a is the average roughness and the arithmetic mean of the departures from horizontal mean line profile;R.sub.max is the maximum peak-to-valley height;S.sub.m is the mean spacing between high spots at the mean line;R.sub.p is the maximum profile height from the mean line; andsurface area is the area under the surface profile from each measurement using a Talysurf S-120 profilometer;The sheet is laminated to the dielectric substrate surface by pressing the roughened surface of the metal sheet against the surface of the substrate and then removed from the substrate.

Abstract: Multilayer rigid flex printed circuits are fabricated from a novel basestock composite comprising two copper conducting sheets, bonded to insulator layers comprised of fiberglass sheets impregnated with an adhesive such as epoxy, wherein the insulator layers are both affixed to Kapton layers wherein said Kapton layers are not coextensive with the borders of the insulator layers. The basestock composite can then be imaged and etched on the conductor layers to form conductor patterns, laminated or coated with a coverlay of dielectric material, and the basestock can be cut at a point internal to its borders and into the Kapton layers thereby separating two imaged and etched conductor layers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved methods for fabricating and mounting an array of M.times.N mirrors on an array of M.times.N electrodisplacive actuators to thereby form an array of M.times.N electrodisplacive actuated mirrors for use in an optical projection system, wherein M and N are integers. In accordance with the present invention, there are provided two methods, one of the methods comprising the steps of: forming a separation layer on a substrate; providing a supporting layer on the separation layer; bonding the array of M.times.N actuators on the supporting layer; removing the separation layer so as to disengage the substrate; patterning the supporting layer into an array of M.times.N supporting members; and forming a light reflecting metallic layer on top of each of the supporting members to thereby provided the array of M.times.N electrodisplacive actuated mirrors.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming inter-electrode spacers useful in flat panel display devices which comprises placing a mold on a first electrode plate. The mold has openings with corresponding diameters. The mold is coated with a conformal film which lines the openings, thereby decreasing the diameters of the openings. The openings are filled with a glass material. The conformal film is selectively removed, and the mold is separated from the electrode.