Patents by Inventor Michael C. Christenson

Michael C. Christenson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Disk drive head suspension structures having improved gold-dielectric joint reliability
    Patent number: 10748566
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Disk Drive Head Suspension Structures Having Improved Gold-Dielectric Joint Reliability
    Publication number: 20190267030
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Disk drive head suspension structures having improved gold-dielectric joint reliability
    Patent number: 10290313
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Disk Drive Head Suspension Structures Having Improved Gold-Dielectric Joint Reliability
    Publication number: 20180286438
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Method for manufacturing disk drive head suspension structures having improved gold-dielectric joint reliability
    Patent number: 9984708
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Disk Drive Head Suspension Structures Having Improved Gold-Dielectric Joint Reliability
    Publication number: 20180012621
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • Disk drive head suspension structures having improved gold-dielectric joint reliability
    Patent number: 9734852
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen
  • DISK DRIVE HEAD SUSPENSION STRUCTURES HAVING IMPROVED GOLD-DIELECTRIC JOINT RELIABILITY
    Publication number: 20170004854
    Abstract: A disk drive head suspension or flexure and method of manufacture. Embodiments include a portion such as a terminal pad or flying lead comprising a base layer, a dielectric layer on the base layer, a conductor layer, a seed layer between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and a noncorrosive metal layer on the seed layer side of the conductor layer. The seed layer has a strip that extends beyond the edge of the dielectric layer. The noncorrosive metal layer extends over the strip of the seed layer and into contact with the edge of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Michael C. Christenson, David M. Groschen