Abstract: A HSA of the present invention includes a voice coil; an E-block connected to the voice coil, which including at least one actuator arms; at least one HGAs, wherein each HGA is swaged on a tip of the respective actuator arm and includes a suspension having a flexure for supporting a slider thereon; and at least one support block formed on each actuator arm which having a supporting portion to support a tail end of the flexure so as to reduce or delete a displacement of the flexure. The invention also discloses a manufacturing method thereof and a disk drive unit with such an HSA.

Abstract: A Head Gimbal Assembly (HGA) of the invention includes a slider; a micro-actuator to adjust the position of the slider; and a suspension to support the slider and the micro-actuator. The micro-actuator includes two side arms; a load plate for supporting the slider, which is connected with at least one of the side arms; a pair of piezoelectric (PZT) elements connected with the side arms; and a support shaft coupled with the suspension, the support shaft being connected with the side arms and positioned between the PZT elements. The invention also discloses a disk drive unit using such a HGA.

Abstract: A HGA comprises a slider, a suspension to load the slider, a flying height controller for controlling flying height of the slider; and a flexible cable to be electrically connected with the slider and the flying height controller. In the present invention, the flying height controller comprises at least one piezoelectric piece disposed between the slider and the suspension. The HGA further comprises ACF to connect the flying height controller with the suspension and the flexible cable. The invention also discloses a disk drive unit with the HGA, a method for flying height control with the HGA, and a system for controlling flying height.

Abstract: An altitude sensor includes a support frame and a sensor unit mounted in the support frame. The support frame has an upper shield and a lower shield. The sensor unit includes a beam and a damper. The damper is configured to move up and down in response to the air flow, which drives the beam to move up and down accordingly. Distances from the damper to the upper shield and the lower shield are less than those from the beam to upper shield and the lower shield. The altitude sensor possesses super specific properties such as unlimited sensitivity to flying height because of no size constraints and unchanged sensitivity under a changing environment, a selfprotective mechanism to resist deformation in case of an accident, easy manufacture process as well as low production cost. The present invention also discloses an altitude sensor for use in a disk drive device and a disk drive device with the altitude sensor.

Abstract: An electromagnetic damping apparatus for locking an actuator for a head stack assembly including at least one read/write head thereon is provided. In certain example embodiments, the electromagnetic damping apparatus may comprise a magnetic element and a metal element that cooperate in response to an electromagnetic field created by a current (e.g. an eddy current) to lock the actuator in a predetermined position. One of said magnetic element and said metal element may be fixed, and the other one may be movable by said actuator. The damping apparatus may be operable to selectively apply the current to lock the actuator by preventing the magnetic element and the metal element from moving apart. Certain electromagnetic damping apparatuses may be used with a disk drive device.

Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a metal frame, PZT elements, and a rigid beam. The metal frame includes a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms extending vertically from respective sides of the top support. The top support includes a rotatable plate and connection arms that couple the rotatable plate to respective side arms. A PZT element is mounted to each of the side arms. Each PZT element is excitable to cause selective movement of the side arms. The rigid beam is mounted between the side arms at an end opposite the top support.

Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a frame, a first set of bonding pads provided to one end of the frame, a second set of bonding pads provided to an opposing end of the frame, and a trace integrated to the frame. The trace interconnects the first set of bonding pads and the second set of bonding pads.

Abstract: A micro-actuator of the invention includes a support base having two actuator side arms and a rotatable bottom plate positioned between the actuator side arms; wherein at least one of the actuator side arms having a back-turned extension in a first end thereof; a pair of connection elements that connects the rotatable bottom plate to the actuator side arms in a second end thereof, respectively; at least one PZT elements bonded to the actuator side arms in its length and the back-turned extension. The rotatable plate rotates in a first direction when the at least one PZT elements expand, and a second direction when the at least one PZT elements contract. The invention also discloses a HGA and disk drive unit with such a micro-actuator.

Abstract: A HGA includes a slider, a suspension to load the slider, and a particle filter device to fix in leading side of the slider. The particle filter device is made of power material or porous material. The HGA further comprise a micro-actuator to connect with the slider. Because the particle filter device is positioned on the leading edge of the slider that is a passage of the particles, so the particles generating from the components in the disk drive unit, such as the HGA will be catched by the particle filter device. Thus the particles will be prevented from flying on the disk and deposited on ABS of the slider, this will ensure the slider to read from/write to data information to the disk successfully and eliminate a possibility to damage the slider/the disk. A disk drive unit with such an HGA is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for improving the vibration/ mechanical shock-resistance of a hard disk actuator arm. A guide block is located behind the actuator arm's angular range of motion, preventing over-flexure/vibration during operation, and/or the drive's actuator screw head diameter is increased to minimize arm vibration.

Abstract: A micro-actuator includes a metal frame having two side arms, a top support arm and a bottom support arm respectively connected with the top ends of the two side arms. The two side arms are in parallel with and spaced from each other a distance adapted to hold a slider therebetween that is mounted on the top support arm. An isolation layer is coupled with each side arm of the metal frame; and a piezoelectric element is bonded with the isolation layer. When operating the micro-actuator, an electric sparking problem will not occur for existence of the isolation layer. The invention also disclose a method of manufacturing the micro-actuator, a HGA and disk drive unit with the micro-actuator.

Abstract: The present bonded structure uses metal ball to bond or weld the respective bonding surfaces of electrical pads which are arranged to face the same direction. The structure can be controlled visually and thus enables a high connection quality of no short circuit. In addition, the bonding operation of the bonded structure is carried out without using pressure, thus it will not damage surroundings of the electrical components. Accordingly, the manufacture yield is significantly improved and the cost is prominently reduced. The present invention also discloses a bonding method and a head gimbal assembly and a head stack assembly and a drive unit using the bonded structure.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a disk drive unit that includes a micro-actuator, a slider and a suspension to load the slider and the micro-actuator. The micro-actuator is provided with a vibration canceller that counteracts forces generated by activation of the micro-actuator when making fine head position adjustments. The vibration canceller incorporates PZT elements that generate counteracting forces in the bottom plate of the micro-actuator to cancel the vibration generated by the micro-actuator, thereby providing improved resonance performance for a disk drive unit.

Abstract: A method of testing a performance of a HGA including a magnetic head and a micro-actuator for precisely positioning the magnetic head with respect to a magnetic medium is disclosed. The key of the method is to obtain three track center values under conditions of no driving the micro-actuator, driving the micro-actuator in a positive direction using an operating DC voltage, and driving the micro-actuator in a negative direction using the operating DC voltage respectively, and finally do calculation of the three track center values, thus successfully obtains the displacement performance of the micro-actuator in a simple way. The method is capable of testing the HGA's performance under lower operating voltage by moving the slider by a predetermined distance toward an off-track direction, which accordingly assists to identify three track center values and thereby ensures the method an accurate measurement.

Abstract: A HGA includes a load beam having a dimple formed thereon; a flexure including a suspension tongue and a support plate connected with the suspension tongue; and a slider having a leading edge and trailing edge opposite to the leading edge. The slider is mounted on the flexure such that the slider is supported by the dimple at the center of the slider. The leading edge is attached on the suspension tongue and trailing edge is attached on the support plate. A weight-balance structure is formed on the suspension tongue of the flexure to balance the weight of the HGA between a portion from the trailing edge to the slider center and another portion from the leading edge to the slider center. The invention also discloses various methods of manufacturing HGA with the balanced weight.

Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a support frame including a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support. The leading beam includes weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use. A first PZT element is mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and a second PZT element is mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports. The first and second PZT elements are excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use.

Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame. The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support, and a PZT element mounted to each of the side arms. Each PZT element is excitable to cause selective movement of the side arms. The metal support frame includes a top support adapted to support a slider, a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the bottom support and the top support. The metal support frame is mounted to the U-shaped frame such that the side arms of the metal support frame are mounted to respective side arms of the U-shaped frame and the bottom support of the metal support frame is mounted to the bottom support of the U-shaped frame.

Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a support frame integrated with a suspension flexure of the head gimbal assembly, a block, and a pair of PZT elements. The support frame includes a bottom support, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the bottom support and the top support. The side arms extend vertically from respective sides of the bottom support and the top support. The block is mounted to the bottom support to provide resonance balance. Each PZT element is mounted to a respective side arm of the support frame and a respective side of the block. The PZT elements are excitable to cause selective movement of the side arms.

Abstract: A suspension for a HGA includes a flexure having a tongue region and an out trigger. The out trigger has a pair of rigid beams and a pair of spring beams. The pair of spring beams enables the flexure to possess favorable flexibility and assists a slider to have enough displacement. The pair of rigid beams provides the flexure enough stiffness which not only successfully prevents the HGA with the out trigger from suspension deformation and dimple separation, but also assists to improve shock performance of the HGA. Furthermore, such configuration of the suspension provides the slider a good static performance and thus improves dynamic performance of the HGA. The present invention also discloses a HGA with the suspension, a manufacturing method of the HGA, and a drive unit with such HGA.

Abstract: A micro-actuator used in HGA of the disk drive unit is provided. The micro-actuator comprises a metal frame which includes a base piece and two opposite arms extending from the base piece, in which at least two pieces of thin film PZT are attached to the side surface(s) of each one of said two opposite arms respectively in such a manner that the displacement of each arm is increased due to the superposition effect when each arm displaces together with the thin film PZT attached thereon in response to drive signal(s) applied to the thin film PZT. Since at least two pieces of thin film PZT are attached on the side surface(s) of each arm, an increased displacement of the arms can be achieved due to the superposition effect.