Abstract: A gimbal assembly of a single or dual stage actuator is provided with gold at a tongue/dimple interface where a dimple of a supporting loadbeam contacts a tongue on the gimbal assembly. Using gold at the tongue/dimple interface greatly reduces the amount of wear particles formed during assembly and operation of the microactuator. The tongue may include a gold coating on the tongue at the tongue/dimple interface, or the tongue may have a hole etched in a stainless steel layer at the tongue/dimple interface to expose a gold layer disposed below the stainless steel layer. The tongue portion of the tongue/dimple interface may also be formed from a gold-coated copper pad with a polymer coating over the gold.

Abstract: A gimbal assembly of a single or dual stage actuator is provided with gold at a tongue/dimple interface where a dimple of a supporting loadbeam contacts a tongue on the gimbal assembly. Using gold at the tongue/dimple interface greatly reduces the amount of wear particles formed during assembly and operation of the microactuator. The tongue may include a gold coating on the tongue at the tongue/dimple interface, or the tongue may have a hole etched in a stainless steel layer at the tongue/dimple interface to expose a gold layer disposed below the stainless steel layer. The tongue portion of the tongue/dimple interface may also be formed from a gold-coated copper pad with a polymer coating over the gold.

Abstract: A gimbal assembly of a dual-stage microactuator is provided with a remotely-located piezoelectric transducer (PZT) and at least one actuation strut connecting an asymmetrical amplification structure supporting the PZT to a tongue supporting a slider, such that the movement of the PZT over the asymmetrical amplification structure is amplified by the asymmetrical amplification structure and at least one actuation strut into rotation of the tongue and slider. A plurality of actuation struts connect opposing sides of the asymmetrical amplification structure with opposing sides of the tongue, which causes the tongue to rotate about a central portion of the tongue upon which a dimple of a supporting loadbeam contacts the tongue.

Abstract: An actuator is coupled between a head and a flexure, the actuator providing submicron positioning of the head while reducing undesirable vibrations of the flexure. The actuator includes a stator and a rotor, with a plurality of deformable elements coupled between the stator and the rotor. In one aspect the rotor, stator and deformable elements are constructed so that the rotor has a substantially fixed axis of rotation relative to the stator, and the actuation of a transducer in the head is magnified. In another aspect the rotor is coupled to the head so that the axis of rotation is substantially aligned with the center of mass of the head and rotor, increasing the frequency at which the actuator can move the head and reducing vibrations in the flexure caused by actuation of the head.

Abstract: An actuator is coupled between a head and flexure and gimbal elements, the actuator providing submicron positioning of the head while reducing undesirable vibrations of the flexure and gimbal elements. Such an actuator may have a frame that surrounds a cavity, the frame having an opening disposed adjacent to the head and a wall disposed on an opposite side of the frame from the opening. One or more active elements are disposed in the cavity and attached to the frame, the active element separated from the wall and having a dimension that varies in size in response to a control signal, with a moveable element coupled to the active element and to the head.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly for a disk drive. The head gimbal assembly includes a load beam defining a longitudinal axis. The head gimbal assembly further includes a flexure with a portion of said flexure being attached to said load beam. The head gimbal assembly further includes a slider including a read/write head. The head gimbal assembly further includes a collocated microactuator which connects between said flexure and said slider for providing pure or nearly pure lateral movement to said slider in a plane of motion that includes the longitudinal axis. The collocated microactuator is a shear mode piezoelectric motor and disposed between the slider and the load beam along an axis disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (10) for a disk drive (1), having a load beam (28), a flexure (30), a portion of the flexure (30) being attached to the load beam (28), a slider (20) which includes a read/write head (22), and a collocated microactuator (24) which connects between the flexure (30) and the slider (20). The collocated microactuator (24) is a shear mode piezoelectric motor (25) for providing pure or nearly pure lateral movement to the slider (20), thus providing secondary actuation for the head gimbal assembly (10).

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (10) for a disk drive (1), having a flexure (30) with a stationary portion (40) and at least one movable portion (42), a portion of the flexure (30) being attached to a load beam (28). A slider (20) containing a read/write head (22) is attached to one of the movable portions (40) of the flexure (30). The load beam (28) provides a center of rotation (54) for the slider (20) and one or more microactuators (24) connect between the stationary portion (40) of the flexure (30) and one of the movable portions (42, 44) for applying a moment which causes pure or nearly pure rotation of the slider (20) about the center of rotation (54). A disk drive (1) and an actuator arm (2) including the head gimbal assembly (10) are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic head suspension, includes a load beam and a gimbal that supports an air bearing slider, and which provides an electrical connection thereto. The gimbal includes a cantilevered tongue and resiliently deformable tangs that extend laterally from the tongue, within a clearance delineated in part by the tongue. When the tangs are in an unbiased state, they project below the geometric plane of the tongue for contacting the slider and for establishing electrical contact therewith. The tangs can deflect independently during bonding to the slider for maintaining independent spring force against the slider. In one embodiment, the electrical conductive path is connected to ground potential for discharging static electricity generated between the slider and a rotating magnetic disk.