Abstract: Systems for interconnecting magnetic heads of storage devices in a test assembly are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a probe assembly for coupling a read head to a cavity gimbal assembly, the probe assembly including a plurality of conductive probes each including a body section including two substantially flat side surfaces and a bottom surface including a pad configured to be soldered to a corresponding pad of a laminated flexure of the cavity gimbal assembly, a spring section including an elongated arm extending away from the body section, the elongated arm shaped to make conductive contact with a pad on a trailing face of the read head, and a non-conductive adhesive layer attached to at least one of the two side surfaces, where each of the plurality of the conductive probes is attached to an adjacent one of the conductive probes by one of the adhesive layers.

Abstract: A suspension assembly includes a read head clamp attached to a flexure that includes structural, dielectric, and conductive layers. The clamp includes a cantilevered clamping arm sized so that its distal end is positioned to contact a leading face of a read head. The clamp also includes a wall positioned to face a trailing face of the read head. Each of a plurality of conductive probes defined in the structural layer is electrically connected to a corresponding one of a plurality of conductive traces defined in the conductive layer, by a plurality of conductive vias through the dielectric layer. Each of the plurality of conductive probes is bent out of the flexure plane and is positioned to contact the trailing face of the read head. A method for temporarily holding a read head is also disclosed.