Abstract: A removal apparatus for a semiconductor chip may include a stage configured to support a board on which the semiconductor chip is mounted by bumps, a laser configured to irradiate a laser beam into the board over an area larger than the semiconductor chip, and a picker configured to cause the laser beam to penetrate the semiconductor chip locally and to separate the semiconductor chip from the board. A method of removing a semiconductor chip from a board may include loading the board, on which the semiconductor chip is mounted by bumps, on a stage; irradiating a laser beam into the semiconductor chip to melt the bumps and to separate the semiconductor chip from the board; continuously irradiating the laser beam into the board on which solder pillars, that are residues of the bumps, remain to melt the solder pillars; and removing the solder pillars.

Abstract: A method of reclaiming a head suspension includes detaching a slider 225 from a tongue 221 of the head suspension and removing an adhesive 227 remaining on the tongue 221. Removing the adhesive 227 remaining on the tongue 221 includes feeding a solvent 243, which promotes the removal of the adhesive 227, to a part of the tongue 221 where the adhesive 227 remains and promoting the removal of the remaining adhesive 227 from the tongue 221 by applying physical energy to the adhesive remaining part on the tongue 221. The physical energy is produced by heating, supersonic vibration, and the like. The method easily removes the adhesive 227 from the tongue 221 without directly applying mechanical force to the tongue 221, thereby improving yields.

Abstract: A method of reworking a head suspension removes a slider from the head suspension by pressing a blade from a first side toward a second side in a longitudinal direction of the slider to solder ball bonding, stopping the second side of the slider in the longitudinal direction with a holding mechanism, and forcing the blade to bite and cut the solder ball bonding to remove the slider from the flexure. The solder ball bonding is cut without applying extra force to components of the head suspension except the slider. The method improves product yield.

Abstract: An apparatus for stripping metal from a cathode plate, the apparatus comprising stripping means adapted for positioning between the metal and the cathode plate in order to separate the metal from the cathode plate, and wherein movement of the stripping means is achieved through movement of a robotic arm.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) disk drive are described. The EAMR disk drive includes a media, a slider having a trailing face and an air-bearing surface (ABS), at least one distributed feedback (DFB) layer and EAMR transducer(s) on the slider. The DFB laser(s) each includes a plurality of quantum wells, a laser coupling grating, at least one reflector, and a cavity in the at least one DFB laser. The DFB laser(s) for providing energy to the media. The EAMR transducer(s) includes at least one waveguide, a write pole, at least one coil for energizing the write pole, at least one grating, and may include a near-field transducer. The grating(s) include a coupling grating for coupling the energy from the at least one DFB laser to the waveguide(s). The waveguide(s) direct the energy from the at least one grating toward the ABS.

Abstract: A method of surely removing a read/write slider from a flexure without large displacement of the slider, the slider attached to the flexure of the head suspension through an adhesive, comprises heating the slider so that the adhesive is heated through an adhered surface of the slider being in contact with the adhesive; and applying ultrasonic vibration to the slider so that the adhered surface of the slider vibrates at ultrasonic frequency with respect to the adhesive.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in an electric transformer uses a rigid fastening member during transportation which is uncoupled during its operation, leaving the live part of the transformer coupled to a tank through damper elements reducing vibration transmission from the live part to the tank, reducing the noise emitted by the transformer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer, a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer and a thin-film coil are laminated on a substrate. A method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head has a lower shield layer forming step. This step comprises a step of forming a first lower shield part in a lower shield planned area, including a planned line along the medium-opposing surface, a step of forming a partial lower seed layer having a partial arrangement structure in which the partial lower seed layer is arranged on a lower formation zone except a lower exception zone including the planned line, a step of forming a second lower shield part on the partial lower seed layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for detaching a head slider bonded onto a mounting plate of a suspension includes a platform on which a head gimbal assembly is mounted; a heating device for heating a joint section between the head slider and the suspension to decrease the bonding force; a latching part for latching the mounting plate at a position on a center line of the mounting plate in the lengthwise direction and/or at positions symmetric about the center line; and a clamp device for moving the head slider in a direction along the center line with the heating to detach the head slider from the mounting plate.

Abstract: A system and method for the production level screening of low flying magnetic heads in the manufacture of disk drive head disk assemblies (HDAs) is disclosed. A test disk is provided and has a plurality of bumps extending from at least one surface thereof to a predetermined height between 2 and 12 nanometers. The test disk is rotated to fly a head of a head gimbal assembly selected from the group adjacent the surface of the test disk. An interaction of the head with one or more of the plurality of bumps may be sensed and the head gimbal assembly may be screened out from the group in response to the sensing of the interaction.

Abstract: A method is provided for reclaiming a suspension from a disk drive head gimbal assembly (HGA). An ultrasonic probe is applied to the HGA's read/write head slider on a side opposite that of its solder balls. Ultrasonic oscillations are transmitted through the ceramic slider to the side with the solder balls. The oscillations break the brittle intermetallic compound of the slider balls and free the slider. The ultrasonic energy also weakens the epoxy adhesive between the slider and suspension. The method can be used with heat to further weaken the solder balls and adhesive.

Abstract: A shipping comb combined with a head stack assembly (HSA) which includes sliders recording data onto or reading data from disks, suspensions having the sliders thereon, and end-taps at front ends of the suspensions, the shipping comb preventing the HSA from being damaged, the shipping comb including a body unit having protruding suspension spacers which are each inserted between middle portions of a pair of suspensions having a pair of sliders facing each other to prevent a collision of the middle portions of the pair of suspensions, and a head unit having protruding end-tap spacers inserted between the end-taps of the pair of the suspensions to prevent a collision of the front ends of the pair of suspensions, and connected to a front end of the body unit with a hinge.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a disk drive is disclosed. After installing at least one disk into a base, a media cover is coupled to the base, wherein the media cover covers at least a portion of the disk. After coupling the media cover to the base, a head coupled to an actuator arm and a voice coil motor for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot is installed into the base. After installing into the base the head coupled to the actuator arm and the voice coil motor, the media cover is removed from the base. After removing the media cover from the base, a HDA cover is coupled to the base to form a head disk assembly (HDA).

Abstract: A method which enables easy removal of a magnetic head slider soldered to a suspension and easy reuse of the removed parts. In the method for removing the magnetic head slider, heat is applied to a suspension to which at least a part of the magnetic head slider is joined by solder so as to remove the magnetic head slider from the suspension. The heating is locally applied to the junction area of the magnetic head slider and the suspension, which is joined by the solder.

Abstract: A tool is designed to be attached to an actuator having a rotary fulcrum and heads on a tip end opposite to the rotary fulcrum. The tool includes a finger inserted between a first pair of mutually adjacent suspensions which are provided with heads having mutually opposing scanning surfaces, and a partitioning plate inserted between a second pair of mutually adjacent suspensions which are provided with heads having mutually opposing back surfaces that are on opposite ends from the scanning surfaces.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent deformation of a gimbal in detaching a head slider from a suspension. In an embodiment of the present invention, after a head slider has been mounted on a suspension, a test on the assembly is conducted. If a defect head slider is found in the test, the head slider is detached from the suspension. The head slider is discarded but the suspension is reused and a new head slider is mounted on the suspension. In detaching the head slider, a pin inserted in a through-hole on the center line of a gimbal tongue latches the gimbal tongue.

Abstract: A method of producing hard disk drives of reduced size including using a one or more MEMS spindle motors, and one or more magnetic heads. Each spindle motor includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor carries a film of magnetic film, and a head is arranged to communicate data with the magnetic film. The rotors are formed by MEMS technology. Rotor elements are formed within a substrate 4, and the substrate is subsequently cut to simulate the rotor elements, and turn them into rotors.

Abstract: A method is provided for reworking a head gimbal assembly (HGA). An ultrasonic probe is used to stress the connection between the slider component of an HGA to remove the slider from its mounting position.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting and merging a head stack assembly with a disc stack of a data storage device. The head stack assembly comprises a cantilevered flexure which supports a transducer at a distal end thereof. A carrier includes a carrier support surface arranged to contactingly support the distal end of the flexure. A merge tool is adapted to merge the transducer with a recording surface of the disc stack. The merge tool includes a merge support surface arranged to contactingly support a medial portion of the flexure while the carrier support surface is disposed between the merge support surface and the transducer. The transducer is merged by aligning the merge support surface with the medial portion of the flexure, and using the merge support surface to displace the distal end of the flexure from the carrier support surface and advance the transducer to a final position.

Abstract: Conventional liftoff processes used to define track width in magnetic read heads can produce an uneven etch-depth of dielectric materials around the sensor and cause shorting to the overlay top lead layer. This problem has been overcome by printing the images of track width and stripe height onto an intermediate layer to form a hard mask. Through this hard mask, the GMR stack can be selectively etched and then back-filled with a high-resistivity material by using newly developed electroless plating processes.

Abstract: An existing disk drive storage enclosure is converted into a standalone network storage system by removing one or more input/output (I/O) modules from the enclosure and installing in place thereof one or more server modules (“heads”), each implemented on a single circuit board. Each head contains the electronics, firmware and software along with built-in I/O connections to allow the disks in the enclosure to be used as a Network-Attached file Server (NAS) or a Storage Area Network (SAN) storage device. An end user can also remove the built-in head and replace it with a standard I/O module to convert the enclosure back into a standard disk drive storage enclosure. Two internal heads can communicate over a passive backplane in the enclosure to provide full cluster failover (CFO) capability.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for coupling a replacement micro-actuator to a drive arm suspension after a micro-actuator, such as a defective micro-actuator, has been detached from the suspension.

Abstract: The invention is a method to salvage suspensions from defective head gimbal assembly units. At present the hard disk industry is undergoing rapid product cycles. The products are being upgraded faster and faster, and the ability for sliders to meet higher density requirement becomes more urgent. Therefore, the performance of a slider becomes more sensitive to signals. As the wafer manufacturing process produces a lower yield, a suspension salvage method is developed to recycle a damaged head gimbal assembly in order to minimize material loss.

Abstract: A method is provided for protecting a head element of a computer disk drive during rework operations by applying thioropolymeric protective coating or film to the head element after the disk drive has been opened. Application of the protective coating is preferably performed utilizing a solvent-mediated deposition process. Further aspects of the invention include the application of the protective coating to the head element prior to storage of the head element or prior to shipping the head element in order to facilitate rework of the head element or other components of the disassembled disk drive.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly, which is a component of a hard disk drive, has a bending portion that has elasticity and is bent at a predetermined angle under an unloaded condition, and a slider is bonded to a holding portion thereof by mounting the head gimbal assembly on a bonding jig in a state in which the bending portion is stretched. When the head gimbal assembly is separated from the bonding jig after bonding, the bending portion is not restored freely, so that the head gimbal assembly is caught by the bonding jig during the separating process and a locked state is sometimes established.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element on a suspension is mounted. This mounting includes electrically connecting the magnetic head slider with the suspension with ball bonding connections. Electrical property of the thin-film magnetic head element is inspected, and then the ball bonding connections are separated when it is judged that the thin-film magnetic head element has defective electrical property. Then, the magnetic head slider is detached from the suspension, and thereafter a new magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element is mounted on the suspension from which the magnetic head slider was detached.

Abstract: A manufacturing method achieves excellent magnetic recording characteristics by sequentially sputtering a non-magnetic under-layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a magnetic layer on a non-magnetic substrate in an atmosphere of H2O partial pressure of 2×10−10 Torr or lower. This process allows beneficial deposition of the magnetic layer and reduces raw materials costs. The magnetic layer includes ferromagnetic grains and non-magnetic grain boundaries. The intermediate layer has a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure. The manufacturing method allows manufacture of a high quality magnetic recording medium without a heating step thereby allowing use of lower cost materials, reduces manufacturing time, and increases savings.

Abstract: A method for detaching a suspension assembly adapted to support a head staked to an actuator arm of an actuator block of a disc drive. The method includes the steps of inserting an expandable device having an expandable flanged end, expanding a dimension of the inserted flanged end and moving the device to release the suspension assembly staked to the actuator arm.

Abstract: A method to salvage suspensions from defective head gimbal assembly units is presented. Because the performance of a slider becomes more sensitive to signals and the wafer manufacturing process produces a lower yield, a suspension salvage method is developed to recycle a damaged head gimbal assembly in order to minimize material loss. In one embodiment, the salvage method includes separating a gold ball from a bonding pad of the suspension, twisting off the slider attached to the suspension, and dissolving the remaining epoxy.

Abstract: Methods in accordance with the present invention can be used to assemble or rework a rotary actuator assembly for a media data storage device having one or more disks. One such method for assembling a rotary actuator assembly includes connecting at least one arm to a mounting block wherein the mounting block includes a bore and a spacer, the spacer having threaded holes on a top surface and a bottom surface in order to receive screws. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

Abstract: A method is provided for planarization of structures which minimizes step heights, reduces process steps, improves cleanliness, and provides increased ease of debond. Structures are placed with working surfaces facing down onto an adhesive layer such that structures remain fixed during heating. A bi-layer encapsulating film is used to achieve planarization. A carrier is bi-laminated with a thermoplastic film layer followed by a chemically inert protective polymer film layer that can withstand etch and cleaning processes. The thermoplastic layer is laminated on top of the carrier; the polymer layer is laminated on top of the joined thermoplastic layer and carrier. The carrier with bi-layer film is then placed onto the backside of the structures to resist chemical attack from the front side during photostrip and enable planarization. When heat is applied, the bi-layer encapsulating film melts and pushes the polymer layer into the gaps between structures thereby achieving complete planarization.

Abstract: A head interconnect circuit for connecting transducer elements of a data head to drive circuitry including an alignment finger on a lead tip for aligning leads relative to connectors or solder pads for electrically connecting heads to drive circuitry. A method for connecting a head interconnect circuit to a printed circuit supported on an head actuator including aligning an alignment finger on the lead tip with a printed surface of a drive circuit for soldering leads on the lead tip to solder pads or connectors on the drive circuit.

Abstract: A method manufactures a head suspension for a disk drive. The method includes a first step of forming a semi-finished suspension (55) having a base plate (37), a rigid part (27) solidly joined with the base plate through a bridge (57), and a positioning hole (63) formed through the bridge. This positioning hole is aligned with a positioning hole (51) formed through part of a flexure (41). A second step of the method fixes a resilient material (31) to the base plate and rigid part of the semi-finished suspension so that the base plate may resiliently support the rigid part through the resilient material. A third step of the method aligns the positioning hole of the flexure with the positioning hole of the bridge and fixes the flexure to the rigid part. A fourth step of the method cuts off the positioning-hole-formed part of the flexure and the bridge including the positioning hole. This suspension is compact and the load beam and flexure thereof are correctly positioned to secure balance.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider and a method of fixing row bars, which realize improved fabrication accuracy without increasing manufacturing costs and can prevent adhesion of a foreign matter to a magnetic head slider. After forming a number of thin film magnetic head devices on a wafer by thin film process, the wafer is cut into a plurality of row bars. Before a rail is formed in a predetermined surface of each of the row bars by photolithography, a surface opposite to the surface to be processed of the row bar is bonded and fixed to a support substrate of a wafer shape. A protective film obtained by conducting a heat treatment on a polyimide precursor at temperature lower than temperature at which the polyimide precursor becomes polyimide is formed on the surface of the support substrate. A curing agent film containing a curing agent which promotes setting of the adhesive for bonding the row bars is formed on the surface of the protective film.

Abstract: A method for forming a head gimbal assembly in which the head gimbal assembly and a frame are formed from a continuous piece of laminated material comprised of a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. A plurality of electrical lines are formed in the third layer of the head gimbal assembly and a plurality of electrical line extensions are formed in the third layer of the frame. The slider is positioned at an angle to the frame and a plurality of termination pads on the slider are bonded to the electrical lines. The frame is partially separated from the head gimbal assembly and the relative position of the slider to the head gimbal assembly is changed by an amount sufficient to separate the plurality of electrical lines from the plurality of electrical line extensions.

Abstract: A method for assembling a slider suspension assembly for use in a disk drive is disclosed. A ceramic slider with an attached recording head is placed on a suspension and is held in alignment by soldering the electrical connections while the epoxy placed between the slider and the suspension hardens. The method results in a much more economical process which does not require the number of expensive tools needed to carry out the conventional process.

Abstract: A method for merging the disc pack, E-block and magnet of a disc drive, the disc pack conveyed to a first selected position in a merge assembly station and moved to a merge slide assembly where calibration measurements of disc pack height and squareness are made at a reference position. The merge slide assembly moves the disc pack from the reference position to a shuttled position, the E-block is moved to an E-block nest assembly where the load arms of the E-block are spread in response to the calibration measurements, and the discs of the disc pack are interweaved between opposing read/write heads of the E-block. A magnet slide assembly positions the magnet to straddle the E-block. The disc pack, E-block and magnet are moved together, maintaining the merged interrelationship, to the basedeck and fastened to the basedeck.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly, which is a component of a hard disk drive, has a bending portion that has elasticity and is bent at a predetermined angle under an unloaded condition, and a slider is bonded to a holding portion thereof by mounting the head gimbal assembly on a bonding jig in a state in which the bending portion is stretched. When the head gimbal assembly is separated from the bonding jig after bonding, the bending portion is not restored freely, so that the head gimbal assembly is caught by the bonding jig during the separating process and a locked state is sometimes established.

Abstract: A device for detaching a suspension assembly, adapted to support a head, staked to an actuator arm of an actuator block of a disc drive. The device includes an expandable device operable between an insertion dimension and a deswaging dimension having a flanged end defining a deswaging surface for forcing the stake from a hole of the actuator arm. In the insertion dimension, the device being sized for insertion through channels of tubular stakes for placement relative to an extended end of the stake. The device being expanded to the deswaging dimension, so that the deswaging surface of the flanged end aligns with an end surface of the stake for removing the stake from the actuator block.