Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and measuring organic materials present on components used in magnetic storage systems, such as an actuator coil. The component is heated on a hot plate, and a concave lens with a low surface energy coating is placed over the component. The contaminants volatilize and condense on the glass lens. The condensate is collected in solvent. The solvent is evaporated and the size of the residue is measured. A determination can be made whether the component is suitable for used in a magnetic storage system.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop implemented in all-digital components uses a stochastic approach to detect errors in phase position and relative velocity. Using a history circuit and an adjustment-intensity selection circuit appropriate corrections in phase and frequency are made. The history circuit keeps a running record of a series of binary results (0 or 1) as received from a phase comparator. History components collected include the number of consecutive oscillator periods in which the phase offset (0 or 1) has remained the same and the number of oscillator periods in which the phase offset count has not exceeded 1.

Abstract: A head disk assembly file has a tub-type basecasting with side walls, a floor and a pack of hard disks. The file also comprises an actuator having a set of head gimbal assemblies with magnetic heads. The actuator is secured to the file and is rotatable from a pre-merge position outside of the disks to an inner diameter position near the centers of the disks. A head merge tool comprising a merge comb with fingers interfaces with the file at a home position. In the home position, the merge comb is surrounded by but free of contact with the side walls, the floor and the head gimbal assemblies. The floor has a recess located beneath the merge comb. The recess extends from one side wall to the inner diameter of the disks and provides a clearance for a lowermost finger of the merge comb. A flexible cable extends from the actuator to the floor. A depression in the floor adjacent to the recess accommodates the flexible cable.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement to a clamp in a disk drive. Insertion holes are formed in the clamp, and screws are inserted into the insertion holes to fasten the clamp to the spindle. The bottom of the screw head contacts the clamp surface to apply a force to the clamp. However, the clamp does not contact the entire bottom surface of the screw head. Only a portion of the bottom surface of the screw head contacts the clamp to apply a force to the clamp. Since the force caused by tightening the screw is applied only to the area contacting the screw, the force diffuses in a non-contact area in an outer portion of the clamp. Therefore, disk distortion and deformation are decreased.

Abstract: An integrated suspension in a magnetic storage system having improved static attitude and stiffness control includes a rigid load member, a flexible member and a plurality of conductive leads integrally formed with the flexible member. The flexible member includes one or more pairs of tabs which protrude from the lateral edges of the flexible member. The pairs of tabs press against the conductive leads, and occupy a plane which is angled in relation to the horizontal axis of the flexible member. The conductive leads are oriented in the direction of the protruding tabs. The conductive leads are longer than the side edges of the flexible member, thereby forming a curve between the first pair of tabs and a second pair of tabs.

Abstract: The present invention is an integral magnetic head suspension and method for making the same. The integral suspension, with or without the head, contains integrated conductive circuits that have multiple cross overs for noise reduction. The suspension is fabricated completely on silicon (Si) wafers using semiconductor processes. A N+ silicon layer is disposed over a P- silicon wafer. The N+ silicon layer and the P- silicon wafer are thermally oxidized to generate a bottom silicon oxide layer opposite the N+ layer side of the wafer and a top silicon oxide layer on the N+ side of the wafer, and to drive the N+ silicon into the P- silicon wafer. A layer of polysilicon is disposed over the silicon oxide layer on top of the N+ silicon layer. One or more pairs of conductive traces having multiple cross-overs are fabricated on the layer of polysilicon. Optimally, a magnetic head is simultaneously fabricated on the suspension.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a hard disk drive in a computer system is disclosed. The method and apparatus reduce the hard disk's power consumption, enhance the performance of the computer system incorporating the hard disk, and maintain data consistency. The computer system has a cache and controls the power consumption of the local hard disk drive. A cache flush writes data from the cache to the disk. Disk accesses are detected. If no disk accesses were detected, the cache is flushed after a first predetermined period of time (T2) has elapsed since the last flush. If a disk has been accessed, the cache is flushed after a second predetermined period of time (T3 or T4) has elapsed since the last disk access. Even if the predetermined period of time (T3 or T4) since the last disk access has not elapsed, if disk access were detected, the cache is flushed after a predetermined number of disk accesses.

Abstract: To attach a suspension assembly to the actuator, the suspension is connected to a mount plate. The inner diameter of the swaging boss in this mount plate differs depending upon if it is on a lower or upper suspension of an actuator arm. After setting only the mount plates with bosses of a larger inner diameter and performing the first swage, the mount plates of the smaller inner diameter are set and a second swage is performed in a different direction. Even when performing this bidirectional swage, a boss caulked with the first swage is subjected to no deformation after a later swage and therefore a stable swage is possible.

Abstract: A base casting/cover for a magnetic storage system to minimize the impact of shocks and vibrations to the magnetic storage system. The base casting/cover of the present invention is weakened in the area to which the disk pack spindle shaft is attached, such that the pack bounce frequency and the spindle tilt frequency are separated by 20 Hz or more. The base casting/cover of the present invention is weakened by slits thereon in various configurations about the spindle shaft attachment area. The base casting/cover of the present invention further provides damping of the pack bounce frequency by covering the slits with an adhesive material.

Abstract: The present invention accommodates, in an integrated suspension assembly for a magnetic disk storage system, tolerances in the lead and slider position in a manner to maintain gimbal integrity, minimize static attitude variation and reduce stress build up in the lead. In one aspect of the present invention, the nominal lead position and slider position are chosen such that the distance between them in an overlapping interference manner is no more than (a+b), the sum of the extreme tolerance a of the lead position and extreme tolerance b of the slider position. This is to ensure at least line to line contact between the slider and the leads, in an interference type contact configuration. In another aspect of the present invention, the ends of the leads are coated with a layer of solder material which can be reflowed to form a solder joint bonding the contacting leads to the slider.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new tab structure for a head suspension assembly in a magnetic storage system. In the prior art method of assembly, a harness temporarily holds a wire assembly. The present invention eliminates the need for the harness, thereby reducing the number of parts and steps as well as improving productivity and quality. A flexure of a suspension assembly must be manufactured very precisely. The present invention provides a new tab structure either integral with or separate from the flexure. Wires bridge over to an extension on the tab structure at a predetermined distance from the end of the load beam. Positioning holes, using the extreme flatness of the tab structure, align the wires with the bonding pads of a head. The suspension assembly is subsequently bonded to the head, and the unwanted tab structure is removed to complete the head suspension assembly.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transducer suspension system for a data storage disk drive device having electrical wires strung along the top surface of the suspension, by bending the wires around the distal end of the suspension and connecting the wires to electrical pads on the transducer slider below. The height of the wires is reduced by swiping the wires in a lateral direction using a two-finger member. The swipe operation bends the wires down to reduce the overall height and reduces the stress created by the wires in the electrical pad bonds and allows the slider gimbal the freedom to move.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved slider-suspension electrical interconnect assembly and a method of manufacturing the same. The novel integrated suspension may be assembled from separate pieces, including a load beam, a flexure and a mounting plate. The load beam provides rigid structural support of the flexure. The flexure includes a flexible member and conductive leads integrally formed thereon. The flexible member has a gimbal area to which a slider is attached. At least one transducer is attached to the slider for reading data from and writing data to a disk surface. Each of the conductive leads terminates at one end on contact pads on the end face of the slider for electrical connection to the transducer. At the slider termination end, the conductive leads comprise an altered and an unaltered section. The altered section of the conductor has a lower yield strength than the conductor surrounding the altered section, and has a more uniform grain structure than the unaltered section.

Abstract: A disk drive magnetic actuator latch mechanism for use in hard disk drives. The present invention discloses a latch mechanism which includes a latch lever having a magnetic member attached to or molded into each end of the lever. The lever is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin in the vcm assembly. The magnet member located on the latch lever tail is positioned between the vcm magnets when the mechanism is in the latched state. The unlatching force is provided by the presence of the magnetic member in the vcm gap, as the attraction of the member in the vcm field resists rotation of the latch lever.

Abstract: A recording media comprises in cross-section, a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a recording section, a second dielectric layer and a reflector layer. The recording section comprises a plurality of thin magneto-optic recording layers interspersed with thin separating dielectric layers. The multiple magneto-optic layers act to average out the transition errors and results in improved signal to noise ratio performance.

Abstract: A multilayered suspension having a slider end and a termination end, the suspension being suitable for use in an information storage system slider-suspension assembly is provided. The suspension comprises a conductive lead structure having at least one conductor line contained in a patterned conductive layer formed over one or more layers. The conductive lead structure is suitable on the slider end for connection to transducer leads of a slider, and on the termination end for connection to arm-electronics termination pads. The suspension further comprises a fixture, formed from one or more layers, being substantially in the same plane as the termination end of the conductive lead structure and having one or more anchor tabs laminated to a layer of the conductive lead structure. The fixture is suitable for aligning the conductor lines to the termination pads by rotating the termination end of the conductive lead structure in the plane of the termination end.

Abstract: MR heads having MR sensors are protected against damage caused by electrostatic discharge or the presence of electrostatically charged fields. A shunt is provided across the adjacent conductive leads or traces to the MR sensor at a point that is immediately adjacent their termination on the MR head. A solder bridge may be used for the shunt. The solder shunt is removed prior to putting the integrated suspension on which the MR head is mounted into operation in a magnetic disk drive system. The solder shunt is removed by reflowing the solder and drawing the reflowed solder away from the leads to break electrical connection of the shunt across the adjacent leads to the MR sensor. To facilitate removing the shunt by reflowing the solder, at least one solder lobe of a chosen geometry is placed adjacent a lead.

Abstract: An integrated suspension for a disk drive having electro-static discharge protection using either physical barriers or suspension structures which substantially reduces or eliminates the possibility of electrostatic discharge to the suspension conductive lines through physical contact with another charged object. The various embodiments of this invention include a suspension structure having a flange member extending from its surface, a suspension structure wherein the electrical lead lines are recessed in a channel, a suspension where the electrical lead lines are covered by an enclosing metal member, and a suspension where the electrical lead lines are covered by a conformal insulating layer.

Abstract: A disk drive comprises a disk recording medium; an actuator traveling on the surface of the disk recording medium; a lock device vertically movable for locking the actuator when located upward or for releasing the actuator when located downward, composed of an elastic plate spring; a first magnetic-field supply for latching the lock device to the lower position by the action of a first magnetic force; a second magnetic-field supply for latching the lock device to the upper position by the action of a second magnetic force; and a lock device motor to move the lock device to the upper position when a first current supplied or as to move the lock device to the lower position when the second current different from the first current is supplied.

Abstract: A disk drive has an improved electrical interconnect assembly for coupling one or more conductive paths leading from a read/write head with the conductive terminals of a flexible cable. The improved interconnect assembly includes an interconnect tab with a plurality of interconnect pads attached thereto. The interconnect tab is connected to a suspension assembly containing a planar suspension member which is located and secured on the actuator arm such that the interconnect tab extends beyond the peripheral edge of the actuator arm. The interconnect tab is inclined toward the side of the actuator arm opposite the side on which the suspension assembly is mounted. The end of the inclined interconnect tab extends to a distance from the planar suspension member approximately equal to half the thickness of the actuator arm. The flexible conductive cable has conductive paths connected to an array of terminals which is oriented at an incline wherein each terminal is aligned with a corresponding interconnect pad.