Abstract: A suspension assembly is described. The suspension assembly including a static member or plate; a moving member or plate movable about an x-axis and a y-axis with respect to the static plate; a sensor mounting region on the moving plate; and one or more shape memory alloy (SMA) elements extending between and coupled to the static plate and moving plate. The SMA elements, when driven by a controller, move the moving plate and the sensor mounting region thereon about the x-axis and the y-axis with respect to the static plate.

Abstract: Devices including high-aspect ratio electroplated structures and methods of forming high-aspect ratio electroplated structures are described. A method for manufacturing metal structures includes providing a substrate having a metal base characterized by a height to width aspect ratio A/B and electroplating a metal crown on the base to form the metal structure with a height to width aspect ratio A/S greater than the aspect ratio A/B of the base.

Abstract: A method for forming a cutting tool includes masking a metal base with one or more masks, the one or more masks including at least one variable permeability mask, and chemically etching the masked metal base to form a blade of the cutting tool.

Abstract: An LED package and method of manufacture. An embodiment of the LED package includes a metal base having a cavity, a flexible circuit on the base, a dielectric layer in the cavity, and an LED chip having a bottom side facing the base and electrically coupled to the flexible circuit. The LED chip is powered by current flowing through the flexible circuit, and heat generated by the LED chip is conducted to the base through the flexible circuit and the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a cutting tool includes masking a metal base with one or more masks, the one or more masks including at least one variable permeability mask, and chemically etching the masked metal base to form a blade of the cutting tool.

Abstract: An assembly includes a support structure including attach structures. The suspension assembly includes a moving structure including attach structures and flexure arms configured to couple the moving structure to the support structure, the flexure arms are configured to enable movement of the moving structure with respect to the support structure. The suspension assembly includes optical-image stabilizer shape memory alloy wires, each coupled with and extending between one of the attach structures and one of the moving wire attach structures. The suspension assembly includes a lens holder mounted to the moving structure and a first pair of attach structures; and auto focus shape memory alloy wires, each wire coupled to the lens holder and coupled to and extending between attach structures of the first pair of attach structures configured to actuate the lens holder with respect to the moving structure.

Abstract: A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace. In embodiments the sensing element includes electrodes. In other embodiments the sensing element includes a strain gauge.

Abstract: A camera lens suspension assembly in comprises a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, a plurality of bearings and smart memory alloy wires. The support member includes a bearing plate portion, a plurality of static wire attach structures, and a plurality of mount regions, all formed from or on the support metal base layer. A printed circuit on the support metal base layer includes traces extending to each static wire attach structure. The moving member includes a moving plate portion, a plurality of elongated flexure arms extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion, and a plurality of moving wire attach structures, all in the moving metal base layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a camera lens optical image stabilization suspension assembly having a support member, a moving member movably coupled to the support member, and smart metal alloy wires coupled between the support and moving members. The moving member includes flexure arms that have integrated conductive traces.

Abstract: A method and system for stabilizing properties of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires in an optical image stabilization (OIS) suspension of the type having a first or support assembly and a second or moving assembly coupled with respect to one another by the SMA wires. Embodiments of the method comprise cyclically mechanically straining and de-straining the wires by moving the moving and support assemblies with respect to one another while heat is applied to the wires. The temperature, strain, and de-strain levels are configured to cause the wires to cyclically transition between austenite and martensite phases during the mechanical straining and de-straining.

Abstract: A camera lens suspension assembly comprises a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, a plurality of bearings and smart shape memory alloy wires. The bearings are between the support member and the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member. Each of the shape memory alloy wires is attached to and extends between a static wire attach structure formed in the support metal base layer and a moving wire attach structure formed in the moving metal base layer.

Abstract: Methods for producing flexible circuits can include creating treating a surface of the flexible circuit with at least one of an atmospheric plasma and a beam of ions. The atmospheric plasma is formed by directing a flow of gas between an electrode and the surface of the flexible circuit and generating a voltage between the electrode and the flexible circuit to create a plasma from the gas. A mean ion energy of the ions in the ion beam ranges from about 500 electron volts to about 1,500 electron volts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a camera lens optical image stabilization suspension assembly having a support member, a moving member movably coupled to the support member, and shape metal alloy wires coupled between the support and moving members. The moving member includes flexure arms that have integrated conductive traces.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a camera lens optical image stabilization suspension assembly having a support member, a moving member movably coupled to the support member, and smart metal alloy wires coupled between the support and moving members. The moving member includes flexure arms that have integrated conductive traces.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a suspension assembly having a support member, a moving member movably coupled to the support member, and shape metal alloy wires coupled between the support and moving members by attachment structures. In embodiments, the attachment structures include a first portion and a second portion configured to be crimped together. In embodiments, at least one of the first and second portions include an etched recess.

Abstract: A method for forming a cutting tool includes masking a metal base with one or more masks, the one or more masks including at least one variable permeability mask, and chemically etching the masked metal base to form a blade of the cutting tool.

Abstract: A chemically etched cutting tool includes a metal base having a first side and a second side, and a chemically etched blade on at least one side of the metal base, the chemically etched blade forming a cutting edge at the intersection of the first side of the chemically etched blade and the second side of the chemically etched blade. The first side of the chemically etched blade includes one or more concave portions and one or more convex portions with at least one inflection point between the concave portions and one or more convex portions. The second side of the chemically etched blade includes one or more concave portions and one or more convex portions with at least one inflection point between the concave portions and one or more convex portions.

Abstract: A camera lens suspension assembly in comprises a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, a plurality of bearings and smart memory alloy wires. The support member includes a bearing plate portion, a plurality of static wire attach structures, and a plurality of mount regions, all formed from or on the support metal base layer. A printed circuit on the support metal base layer includes traces extending to each static wire attach structure. The moving member includes a moving plate portion, a plurality of elongated flexure arms extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion, and a plurality of moving wire attach structures, all in the moving metal base layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments concern a method for manufacturing a disk drive head suspension component. Such methods can comprise providing a head suspension component comprising a layer of insulating material on a spring metal layer. Such methods can further comprise forming a strain gauge element and a trace seed layer by depositing a first metal on the insulating material layer, such as by sputtering. The strain gauge element and the trace seed layer can be formed simultaneously by the depositing of the first metal as part of the same process step. The first metal can be of a strain gauge class of metal having relatively high resistivity, such as constantan. Such methods can further comprise plating a second metal on the trace seed layer to form one or more traces.

Abstract: Various embodiments concern a method for manufacturing a disk drive head suspension component. Such methods can comprise providing a head suspension component comprising a layer of insulating material on a spring metal layer. Such methods can further comprise forming a strain gauge element and a trace seed layer by depositing a first metal on the insulating material layer, such as by sputtering. The strain gauge element and the trace seed layer can be formed simultaneously by the depositing of the first metal as part of the same process step. The first metal can be of a strain gauge class of metal having relatively high resistivity, such as constantan. Such methods can further comprise plating a second metal on the trace seed layer to form one or more traces.