Abstract: A disc drive has a disc rotatable about an axis, a slider carrying a transducing head for transducing data with a disc, and a dual stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc. The dual stage actuation assembly includes a movable actuator arm and a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm. The suspension assembly includes a gimbal. The dual stage actuation assembly further includes a microactuator. The microactuator includes a stator having a top surface and a bottom surface wherein the gimbal is connected to the top surface of the stator. A rotor is operatively connected to the stator and the rotor supports the slider. A magnetic keeper structure is supported by the stator such that the rotor moves with respect to the magnetic keeper structure.

Abstract: A microactuation system selectively alters a position of a transducing head carried by a slider in a disc drive system with respect to a track of a rotatable disk having a plurality of concentric tracks. The microactuation system includes a head suspension having a first portion and a flexure for supporting the slider. A flexible beam extends from the first portion of the head suspension at one end to the flexure at the other end. An electroactive element is attached to the beam. The electroactive element bends in response to a control signal applied thereto. The beam is sufficiently compliant to permit movement of the first portion of the head suspension with respect to the flexure.

Abstract: A disc drive system includes a recording disc rotatable about an axis, a slider carrying a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, an a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider for positioning the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc. The dual-stage actuation assembly includes a coarsely movable support structure and a microactuator. The microactuator includes a microactuator frame attached to the support structure which includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is operatively attached to the slider an is movable with respect to the stator in a first horizontal plane parallel to the surface of the disc. A magnetic circuit is arranged to move the microactuator rotor and the slider in the first horizontal plane generally parallel to the surface of the disc, the circuit being partially formed on the microactuator frame and partially formed on the support structure.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly, particularly useful in a disc drive that incorporates a head/microactuator assembly and dynamic loading and unloading of the head/microactuator assembly into and out of operative engagement with a disc. The head suspension includes a gimbal that that mounts the head/microactuator assembly via the microactuator, and thus allows the head assembly to be microstepped by the microactuator. The gimbal further includes reverse bending features providing increased pitch attitude compliance, and limiting features which interact with cooperative lifting features on the rigid beam of the head suspension to control the static attitude extremes of the head assembly during dynamic unloading of the head/microactuator assembly from operative engagement with a disc.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for uniformly coating a magnet having a plurality of surfaces and includes a reaction chamber having a port for introducing the magnet into the reaction chamber. A heater is also included for heating the reaction chamber. Also, a carrier gas port is in fluid communications with the reaction chamber for introducing a carrier gas into the reaction chamber. In addition, a reactant gas port is in fluid communications with the reaction chamber for introducing a reactant gas into the reaction chamber. When the magnet and the carrier gas are introduced into the reaction chamber, the magnet becomes suspended in the reaction chamber. Also, when the reactant gas is introduced into the reaction chamber, the reactant gas causes all of the plurality of surfaces of the magnet to be uniformly coated.

Abstract: An integrated interface structure for a nested body to provide an electrical connection. The interface structure includes nested bond pads which electrically interface with leads. The nested bond pads are fabricated on a microstructure to provide an interface to drive circuitry for transducer elements of a slider or head supported by the microstructure.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a disc, a voice coil motor with an arm and a beam having a first end attached to the arm and a second end including a window frame and a gimbal region. A bridge of a gimbal strut underlies the gimbal region. A flex circuit is attached to the gimbal strut. A read/write head has a preload region under the bridge and a slider surface on the disc. A microactuator has a main body and has microactuator arms bonded to the read/write head and mount arms bonded to the bridge. The microactuator has electrical contacts connected to the flex circuit. The electrical contacts are disposed between the microactuator main body and the gimbal region.

Abstract: A suspension (22, 102, 2190) supports a slider assembly (20, 204) in a disc drive (10). The suspension (22, 102, 190) includes a longitudinal axis (48, 114, 210), a proximal mounting section (40, 106) for mounting to a rigid track accessing arm (24, 204), a distal mounting section (42, 108) for supporting the slider assembly (20, 204), and first and second laterally spaced suspension beams (44, 46, 110, 112, 206, 208) extending from the proximal mounting section (40, 106) to the distal mounting section (42, 108). The first and second suspension beams (44, 46, 110, 112, 206, 208) have inside and outside edges (66, 68, 124, 126) relative to the longitudinal axis (48, 114, 210) and are flat from the inside edges (66, 124) to the outside edges (68, 126). A first preload bend (80, 113, 214) is formed in the first and second suspension beams (44, 46, 110, 112, 206, 208) transverse to the longitudinal axis (48, 114, 210).

Abstract: A monocoque head suspension carries a read-write head on a distal end and is attachable at a proximal end to an actuator assembly. The monocoque head suspension includes a bottom skin and a top skin, and also a core positioned between the bottom and top skins. The core has voids therein that form hollow regions between the bottom and top skins. The core may be made of low-density material, such as photo-imageable epoxy or polyimide, deposited on the bottom skin, or may be a separately formed piece. The bottom skin and top skin may be made of a stainless steel material. The monocoque head suspension may be a component of an assembly to store data to a magnetic medium and read data from the medium.

Abstract: A disc drive has a disc rotatable about an axis, a slider carrying a transducing head for transducing data with a disc, and a dual stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc. The dual stage actuation assembly includes a movable actuator arm and a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm. The suspension assembly includes a gimbal. The dual stage actuation assembly further includes a microactuator. The microactuator includes a stator having a top surface and a bottom surface wherein the gimbal is connected to the top surface of the stator. A rotor is operatively connected to the stator and the rotor supports the slider. A magnetic keeper structure is supported by the stator such that the rotor moves with respect to the magnetic keeper structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc drive that includes a base and a disc rotatably attached to the base. The disc drive further includes an actuator assembly that is attached to the base such that the actuator assembly is in an actuating relationship with respect to the base and the rotating disc. A servo drive controls the movement of the actuator arm assembly during track follow-and-seek operations of the disc drive. The actuator assembly includes a shell and a support structure that is attached to the shell. Adding the support structure to the shell increases the stiffness-to-mass ratio of the actuator assembly in comparison to the shell alone. The increased stiffness-to-mass ratio elevates the resonance frequency of the actuator assembly such that the resonance frequency of the actuator assembly falls outside the range of operating frequencies of the servo drive without significantly increasing the mass of the actuator assembly.

Abstract: A dual-stage actuation assembly for a disc drive includes a movable actuator arm controlled by an actuator motor. A suspension assembly is supported by the actuator arm, and includes a flexure. A microactuator is also provided, including a stator attached to the flexure and a rotor supporting the slider, the rotor being movable with respect to the stator in a first horizontal plane generally parallel to a surface of the disc. A vertically arranged magnetic circuit is formed, which in an exemplary embodiment includes a bottom ferromagnetic keeper, a plurality of magnets, a patterned conductive coil and atop ferromagnetic keeper, those elements being vertically arranged in different horizontal planes. The magnets are operable to move laterally and thereby cause movement of the microactuator rotor in the first horizontal plane generally parallel to the surface of the disc in response to circulation of a current through the patterned conductive coil.

Abstract: A microactuator for a disc drive includes a stator attached to the disc drive support structure, a rotor operatively attached to a slider, the rotor being movable with respect to the stator in a first horizontal plane generally parallel to the surface of the disc, and a vertically arranged magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit is arranged in a plurality of planes substantially parallel to the first horizontal plane so as to move the microactuator rotor and the slider in the first horizontal plane with a stroke of at least 2 micro-meters in response to a current of no greater than 100 milli-Amps provided to the magnetic circuit.

Abstract: A system for mounting head suspensions to actuator head mounting arms in a disc drive. The mounting system includes transverse features in the distal ends of the actuator head mounting arms that cooperate with appropriately formed mounting features welded to or cooperative with the head suspensions. To minimize the effects of dimensional tolerance extremes, the head suspension mounting system includes horizontal slots in the actuator head mounting arms, extending from the transverse features at the distal ends of the actuator head mounting arms back toward the actuator pivot, which serve to vertically divide each actuator head mounting arm into a pair of cooperative cantilever beams, or spring elements. Various embodiments of the transverse features and cooperative mounting features on the head suspension, as well as variations for mounting single head suspensions at the top and bottom of an array of head suspensions, are disclosed.

Abstract: A disc drive has a recording disc rotatable around an axis, a slider supporting a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, and a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc. The dual-stage actuation assembly includes a movable actuator arm, a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm and including a flexure, a tongue supporting the slider, and a microactuator. The microactuator includes a rotor attached to the tongue and a stator attached to the flexure and operatively connected to the rotor to radially move the rotor with respect to the stator. At least one beam is attached between the slider bond pad and the stator.

Abstract: A microactuator suspension supports a slider. The microactuator suspension has at least a first resilient support extending from a slider attachment pad to a suspension arm attachment pad. The slider attachment pad forms a clip which contacts the slider on side faces of the slider, and the microactuator adds little or nothing to the vertical thickness of the head gimbal assembly. The suspension arm attachment pad attaches to the gimbal with an attachment bridge which is longitudinally balanced relative to the gimbal point and relative to the air bearing centroid of the slider. The resilient supports may be beams having ends which are longitudinally spaced relative to the gimbal point, to the air bearing centroid, and to the attachment bridge to minimize moments and localized stresses on the beams. Dual beam and multiple beam arrangements are provided.

Abstract: A disc drive having a recording disc rotatable about an axis, a slider supporting a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, and a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a select radial track of the disc. The dual-stage actuation assembly includes a movable actuator arm, a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm including the flexure, a slider bonding pad supporting the slider and a microactuator. The microactuator includes a rotor attached to the slider bonding pad and a stator attached to the flexure. A beam structure operatively connects the rotor to the stator so as to permit movement of the rotor with respect to the stator. The beam structure includes a first beam pair element and a second beam pair element.

Abstract: A microactuator finely positions a transducing head carried by a slider adjacent a select radial track of disc. A frame of the microactuator includes a motor for altering the position of the slider and a closed bonding tub extending upward from the bottom of the microactuator having a bonding surface to engage the top surface of the slider. The closed bonding tub is formed from the microactuator frame such that there is a tub bottom having a bonding surface, sidewalls and an open sidewall.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a disc, a voice coil motor with an arm and a beam having a first end attached to the arm and a second end including a window frame and a gimbal region. A bridge of a gimbal strut underlies the gimbal region. A flex circuit is attached to the gimbal strut. A read/write head has a preload region under the bridge and a slider surface on the disc. A microactuator has a main body and has microactuator arms bonded to the read/write head and mount arms bonded to the bridge. The microactuator has electrical contacts connected to the flex circuit. The electrical contacts are disposed between the microactuator main body and the gimbal region.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated coil-on-keeper assembly for use in a magnetic circuit to actuate a microactuator. The assembly is formed on a keeper substrate by patterning an insulator layer, plating at least one coil layer and patterning another insulator layer on top of each coil layer. The keeper substrate is etched to form the top keeper of the coil-on-keeper assembly.