Abstract: The present invention provides a method for sealing a metal housing member. A housing through hole is formed in a housing member for a lead wire sealing device. The housing member is provided with a housing through hole formed on the metal housing member and penetrates from a closed space to an open space. A resin coating layer is formed to cover a lower surface of the housing member. A metal surface exposed part is formed on a part of the resin coating layer. The circuit board having a board aperture is mounted on the metal surface exposed part via an adhesive layer while overlapping with the board aperture on the housing through hole. The lead wire is inserted in the housing through hole and the board aperture that are overlapped with each other. The sealing material is provided on the circuit board to cover the board aperture.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the same to provide a magnetic recording medium reducing medium noise and having excellent thermal stability. The magnetic recording medium includes a substantially amorphous seed layer and a polycrystal underlayer made of crystal grains having a substantially columnar structure, the polycrystal underlayer contacting thereto. In a boundary between the seed layer and the underlayer, fine grooves having a period up to as large as the magnetic layer crystal grain diameter are formed in the disc circumferential direction. Accordingly, the magnetic recording medium is allowed to have a grain shape with a value obtained by dividing the average grain diameter for the disc circumferential direction by the average grain diameter for the disc radial direction of no less than 0.5 and no more than 0.9, thus achieving simultaneously reduction of the medium noise and thermal stability.

Abstract: A shipping comb combined with a head stack assembly (HSA) which includes sliders recording data onto or reading data from disks, suspensions having the sliders thereon, and end-taps at front ends of the suspensions, the shipping comb preventing the HSA from being damaged, the shipping comb including a body unit having protruding suspension spacers which are each inserted between middle portions of a pair of suspensions having a pair of sliders facing each other to prevent a collision of the middle portions of the pair of suspensions, and a head unit having protruding end-tap spacers inserted between the end-taps of the pair of the suspensions to prevent a collision of the front ends of the pair of suspensions, and connected to a front end of the body unit with a hinge.

Abstract: A framing assembly with lower stiffness design and a method of manufacturing that framing assembly are disclosed. In one embodiment, a framing assembly pattern is cut from a piece of a thin planar material, such as metal. The pattern is then bent to form a framing assembly with a base piece, two arms, and supports for a connection plate. In an alternate embodiment, the base piece includes a rear support and a support base. In a further embodiment, excess material surrounding the pattern is cut away so as to allow the most efficient use of the material.

Abstract: A head including a write element for writing data to a magnetic media, and methods for its production are provided. A write element of the invention includes one or more of a recessed first pole, a heat sink layer, and a shortened yoke length. A method of the invention provides forming an anti-reflective layer before forming a mask layer. During photolithography the anti-reflective layer suppresses undesirable reflections off of features, such as vertical sidewalls, that otherwise limit how closely to such features portions of the mask layer can be formed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided to facilitate building of a disk stack for inclusion in a magnetic disk drive. A spindle is provided which comprises first and second disk contacts. A mechanism is provided to bias an inner diameter of a stack of plural disks toward both the first disk contact and the second disk contact. The spindle may comprise one or a pair of lateral protrusions. The apex of each such spindle lateral protrusions may comprise one or both of the disk contacts. In addition, or alternatively, the inner diameter of a disk, to be inserted over the spindle, may comprise one or a pair of lateral protrusions. The apexes of such disk lateral protrusions may comprise one or both of the first disk contact and the second disk contact.

Abstract: A method of assembly of a disk drive including providing a disk drive base. The method further includes providing a first VCM plate with an attached first magnet. The method further includes applying a holding force against the first VCM plate for holding the first VCM plate against the disk drive base. The method further includes providing a second VCM plate with an attached second magnet. The first and second VCM plates being cooperatively formed to engage each other with the first and second magnets facing towards each other with a magnetic attractive force. The method further includes engaging the second VCM plate with the first VCM plate while maintaining the holding force against the first VCM plate greater than the magnetic attractive force between the first and second magnets.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a load/unload ramp assembly which is interconnectable with a base plate of a dynamic load/unload-type disk drive. The load/unload ramp assembly generally includes a load/unload ramp and at least one base plate attachment cantilever. A fastener shaft is directed past each of the base plate attachment cantilevers and into a fastener receptacle on the base plate. A fastener head simultaneously exerts a force on each of the base plate attachment cantilevers that are engaged by the head to deflect such base plate attachment cantilevers toward the base plate, to in turn dispose the load/unload ramp assembly in forcible engagement with the base plate.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a base plate and a structural cover removably attached to the base plate to form an internal environment within the disc drive that is filled with a low density gas such as helium. A sealing cover is permanently attached to the base plate and the structural cover to form a hermetic seal for the low density gas. A first seal secured between the base plate and the removable structural cover permits short term operation of the disc drive with minimal leakage of the low density gas so that the drive can be tested prior to permanent attachment of the sealing cover.

Abstract: Steps for clamping storage media to a motor hub to form a data storage device include; securing the disc clamp with a mounting tool, which subsequently expands a central mounting aperture of the disc clamp for assembly of the disc clamp to the motor hub. Upon eschewing the mounting tool from the disc clamp, the motor hub constrains the disc clamp to develop a clamp force that is imparted on the storage media by an annular rib of the disc clamp to clamp the disc to the motor hub. The disc clamp is generally disc shaped and includes a central mounting aperture and a peripheral portion that includes the annular rib extending in a radial direction from the central mounting aperture. The annular rib pressingly engages the storage media to clamp storage media to the motor hub.

Abstract: A base plate and load beam for an HG assembly are formed in series, stacked, and transferred by a transfer system in the form of the stacked-layer series to undergo the necessary assembly processes such as layer joining, slider attachment, and electrical connections between the terminals thereon. When uncompleted HG assemblies are transferred for each of the manufacturing processes, the uncompleted HG assembly is mounted on the assembly jig such as a tray or a block for transference. For this reason, assembling jigs, the number of which is at least equal to the number of the uncompleted HG assemblies remaining at the respective assembly processes would be needed. Accordingly, the efficiency of work space is reduced, and a rise in manufacturing cost is brought about by the need for the assembling jigs.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for supporting a read/write device in an information storage device having an actuator arm having at least one tower protruding from a first surface of the actuator arm, a loadbeam having at least one tower receiving means for receiving the at least one tower, wherein the at least one tower is shaped to extend into the at least one tower receiving means when the loadbeam is joined with the actuator arm, and wherein the tower and tower receiving means are configured such that deforming the at least one tower when within the at least one tower receiving means provides a deformation interference between the at least one tower and the at least one tower receiving means that reduces movement of the tower receiving means relative to the tower.

Abstract: A method for loading single head in a hard disk drive includes the following steps: mounting a head assembly (30) in a baseplate (10) of a hard disk drive, the head assembly comprising an actuator arm (32), a suspension (34) and a HGA, the baseplate engaging a motor (110) and the HGA is positioned close to the motor; biasing the suspension by a mounting tool (50) from the original position, the mounting tool comprising a cantilever arm (52), a pressing head (54) and a supporting rod (56), wherein, the mounting tool rotates to the suspension and gets down to press the suspension; mounting a disk (90) on the motor in the baseplate; and releasing the pressing head from the suspension, loading the HGA of the head assembly to a parking zone of the disk.

Abstract: A head suspension or head suspension component for supporting a head slider over a rigid disk in a dynamic storage device and a method of manufacturing. The head suspension includes a head suspension component and a compliant locating feature formed within the head suspension component. The compliant locating feature includes a plurality of spring beam tabs defined by an aperture and positioned to extend toward an opening. The compliant feature is preferably configured to receive a tapered cylindrical pin through the opening for precisely locating the head suspension component relative to a desired reference while the spring beam tabs are engaged by the tapered pin. The head suspension component may include two or more compliant locating features, and the head suspension may include two or more components that each include one or more compliant locating features.

Abstract: A slider (2?) with a reduced fly height is disclosed. The slider includes a small micropad (66) on the lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?). A sensor region (62) of a head (61) that is carried by the slider (2?) protrudes into the micropad (66). The fluid pressure acting on an air bearing surface system (26) on the lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) is insufficient to dispose the entire lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) in spaced relation to its corresponding disk (136) during the initial portion of the very first operation of the disk drive. The micropad (66) is thereby burnished, and continues to burnish until the air bearing surface system (26) assumes a position relative to the disk (136) that allows the fluid pressure acting on the air bearing surface system (26) to dispose the entire lower surface (22?) of the slider (2?) in spaced relation to the disk (136).

Abstract: The present invention provides a tray for holding components having first and second sides, wherein the first side has at least one first component receptacle for engaging said component; and the second side has at least one component engaging member, and further wherein the first component receptacle and the component engaging member are aligned such that when multiples of the tray are stacked upon each other the first component receptacle and the component engaging member will cooperate to restrain the motion of the component relative to the tray. In such an embodiment the component will have first and second engagement surfaces and the first component receptacle will engage the first component engagement surface and the component engaging member will engage the second component engagement surface.

Abstract: A disc centering device includes a base plate, a chuck which is installed on the base plate, a hub unit which is detachably engaged to the chuck and in which a plurality of discs are stacked, disc pushers which are slidably provided outside the hub unit, and include corresponding plate springs which center the discs by pushing circumferences of the discs, supporting units which support the corresponding plate springs with respect to the disc pushers so as to reinforce a restoring force of the plate springs after a disc centering of the discs, and a driving unit which slides the disc pushers simultaneously. Accordingly, even though the disc centering is continuously performed, a centering value can be maintained within a desired range (deviation), and deformation of discs can be prevented.

Abstract: A fixture with a shaped molding may hold a first micro-actuator part and a second micro-actuator part in place for coupling while maintaining the structure of the first micro-actuator part. The first micro-actuator part and the second micro-actuator part may be a frame or a strip of piezoelectric material. A vacuum nozzle system embedded in the fixture may hold the first micro-actuator part in place. A mobile vacuum nozzle system may hold the second micro-actuator in place and positions the second micro-actuator part relative to the first micro-actuator part. A camera system may monitor the process. A dispense may apply epoxy between the first and second micro-actuator part. An ultraviolet source may provide ultraviolet radiation for curing.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of achieving compatibility between preventing the occurrence of side erasing and securing overwrite characteristics. When a pole portion layer as a portion where a magnetic flux is emitted is formed, a photoresist pattern is formed so that two frame portions which determine an aperture have a different width from each other, and then the photoresist pattern is heated to deform the frame portions. Thereby, the width of the aperture is gradually reduced toward a seed layer. After that, a precursor pole portion layer is formed in the aperture of the photoresist pattern, and the precursor pole portion layer is polished so as to form an air bearing surface, thereby the pole portion layer is formed so that an exposed surface exposed to the air bearing surface has an asymmetrical inverted trapezoidal shape.

Abstract: A disk clamp is provided for securing one or more data storage disks to a disk drive without the need for screws. A preloading device is also provided for installing the disk clamp and removing the disk clamp after installation. The preloading device applies a load to the clamp to deflect the clamp, and allows a retaining ring to be positioned between the disk clamp and the hub of the disk drive. Preloading the disk clamp helps to reduce disk drive contamination, potential damage to the motor hub, and improves reworkability of the disk drive. The preloading device can be incorporated within a manually manipulated preloading device, or within an automated assembly process in which the preloading device is incorporated. Methods are also provided for clamp preloading and clamp installation.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods are provided for positioning and handling single-sided hard memory disks. A disk carrier is provided with ribs formed on the inside surface of opposing side walls. The ribs form disk receiving grooves or channels. The ribs further comprise an alternating pattern of large and small ribs. The large ribs separate pairs of disks from other pairs, the small ribs separate and maintain spacing of the two disks comprising each pair of disks.

Abstract: An integrated lead suspension includes a solder ball that is placed between a lead wiring pad provided on a flexure of the suspension, and a bonding pad provided on a slider of a head gimbal section. The lead wiring pad and bonding pad are soldered by melting the solder ball. As a result, there is provided a recessed section into which a solder ball is placed by way of surface raised sections, using gravitational force, in the vicinity of the center line of the surface of the lead wiring pad. In this way the position of the solder ball is not displaced from the center line when a bonding pad and lead wiring pad are connected by means of a solder ball.

Abstract: A system and method for an improved magnetic head arm assembly (HAA) is disclosed. The HAA includes three principal components, a head gimbal assembly (HGA), a flexible printed circuit (FPC) assembly, and an actuator coil assembly. The design allows for HAA rigidity, yet each of the components is designable and manufacturable independent of one another, in addition to other advantages over current methods.

Abstract: A micro-actuator that reduces suspension tongue stiffness and a method of manufacturing the micro-actuator are disclosed. In one embodiment, the micro-actuator has a base piece with two arms extending from the base piece. The electric contact pads for the arms are situated on the exterior of the arms at the end opposite the base piece. In one embodiment, the electric contact pads are electrically coupled to the same connection plate that the magnetic read/write head is coupled to, reducing the number of connection traces.

Abstract: A head stack assembly comb (154) for maintaining the heads (44) of a head stack assembly (26) in spaced relation is disclosed. The head stack assembly comb (154) includes a comb body (158) and a latch (218). The comb body (158) engages an upper surface of an uppermost actuator arm (30a) in the head stack assembly (26). The latch (218) engages a lower surface of this same actuator arm (30a). When installing the comb (154), the comb (154) is pivoted relative to the head stack assembly (26). This brings the latch (218) into engagement with the noted actuator arm (30a) and causes the latch (218) to pivot in a first direction against a spring (214), and then in the opposite direction by the action of the spring (214) on the latch (218) to engage the latch (218) with the lower surface of the noted actuator arm (30a).

Abstract: A method for centering and securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a chamfer and a countersink on the top of the spindle motor shaft center. During the hard disk drive assembly process, a disk centering tool engages and uses these features to locate and center the disks that are installed on the spindle motor. The features are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the media disks with respect to the hub and the spindle motor. The present design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. As a result, the overall part cost is reduced and the manufacturing yield is improved.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the pitch static attitude of a slider in an integrated lead suspension head gimbal assembly. The integrated lead suspension includes a load beam, a mount plate, a hinge and a flexure made out of a multi-layer material. Localized heating is applied to the outrigger leads during the process of forming flexure legs to set a stable pitch static attitude, which does not change, by subsequent thermal exposures.

Abstract: A voice coil and actuator yoke assembly is fabricated by deforming the coil to exactly fit the inner perimeter and thickness of the yoke. The comb is placed in a tool that registers the comb with the yoke against the same flat surfaces that will squash the coil. The tooling is closed and placed in an appropriate loading device and the coils are squashed to the precise thickness of the yoke. This eliminates the in-plane tolerances of the current process for bonding a coil into the yoke. The coil perimeter expands as the coil is squashed to form an intimate press fit with the yoke. A low viscosity, high Tg adhesive is then applied to the coil. The low viscosity of the adhesive allows capillary action to fill the voids between the wires and bond the coil to the yoke.

Abstract: A method for creating a hard drive includes installing a slider in a disk drive having at least one disk lubricated with a first stage lubricant. The slider is designed to be in contact with the disk at initial use. The slider is burnished. A second stage lubricant is added to the disk after the burnishing step. The first stage lubricant provides less lubrication than the second stage lubricant, allowing the slider to be burnished in a controllable manner during the burnishing step. The second stage lubricant then provides lubrication to the disk during use by the end consumer.

Abstract: A method for forming a base plate in which the base plate is stamped out of a sheet of metal. One of a relief surface and a boss are formed in the base plate by press working the base plate.

Abstract: A method producing a limiter and flexure configuration that includes a flexure that has a first section attached to the load beam, and a second section defining a slider mounting section and a frame that defines an aperture into which the slide mounting section extends in a direction towards the first section, and terminating in an end that interacts with the free end of the limiter. The aperture is sized and positioned to provide a clearance allowing the limiter to freely move through the aperture such that the limiter is free to be bent from the first position to the second position and to extend through the aperture after the flexure assembly has been attached to the load beam. The limiter is bent from the first position to the second position, extending through the aperture, after the flexure assembly has been attached to the load beam.

Abstract: An integrated lead suspension includes a solder ball that is placed between a lead wiring pad provided on a flexure of the suspension, and a bonding pad provided on a slider of a head gimbal section. The lead wiring pad and bonding pad are soldered by melting the solder ball. As a result, there is provided a recessed section into which a solder ball is placed by way of surface raised sections, using gravitational force, in the vicinity of the center line of the surface of the lead wiring pad. In this way the position of the solder ball is not displaced from the center line when a bonding pad and lead wiring pad are connected by means of a solder ball.

Abstract: An integrated lead suspension includes a solder ball that is placed between a lead wiring pad provided on a flexure of the suspension, and a bonding pad provided on a slider of a head gimbal section. The lead wiring pad and bonding pad are soldered by melting the solder ball. As a result, there is provided a recessed section into which a solder ball is placed by way of surface raised sections, using gravitational force, in the vicinity of the center line of the surface of the lead wiring pad. In this way the position of the solder ball is not displaced from the center line when a bonding pad and lead wiring pad are connected by means of a solder ball.

Abstract: The method of making a thin-film magnetic head in accordance with the present invention forms a cover layer on an insulating layer about a magnetoresistive film so as to eliminate a protrusion riding on the magnetoresistive film. Then, the protrusion can be eliminated by etching. The part of insulating layer clad with the cover layer is not etched. This can prevent short-circuit from occurring because of thinning the insulating layer.

Abstract: An assembly method and fixture for assembling a supporting disk of a motor rotor according to the invention is based on an “adjusting, and fixing” concept. A functional axis fixture and an adjusting axis fixture, which can match with each other for holding the supporting disk and the rotor, are first prepared. The functional axis of the supporting disk is aligned with the geometric axis of the functional axis fixture, and the geometric axis of the rotor is aligned with the geometric axis of the adjusting axis fixture. By engaging the functional axis fixture and the adjusting axis fixture, the functional axis of the supporting disk is aligned with the geometric axis of the rotor. Therefore, the bias and concentricity can be precisely controlled and improved.

Abstract: An existing disk drive storage enclosure is converted into a standalone network storage system by removing one or more input/output (I/O) modules from the enclosure and installing in place thereof one or more server modules (“heads”), each implemented on a single circuit board. Each head contains the electronics, firmware and software along with built-in I/O connections to allow the disks in the enclosure to be used as a Network-Attached file Server (NAS) or a Storage Area Network (SAN) storage device. An end user can also remove the built-in head and replace it with a standard I/O module to convert the enclosure back into a standard disk drive storage enclosure. Two internal heads can communicate over a passive backplane in the enclosure to provide full cluster failover (CFO) capability.

Abstract: A head suspension for a disk drive has a base plate (19) to be attached to a carriage of the disk drive and a load beam (21) consisting of a rigid part (27) and a resilient part (29), to apply load onto a slider. The rigid part and resilient part are separately formed. The rigid part is joined to a first side (29a) of the resilient part. The suspension also has a reinforcing plate (37) to hold and fix a second side (29b) of the resilient part between the reinforcing plate and the base plate. The base plate stably and resiliently supports the load beam. This suspension satisfies required characteristics.

Abstract: A method of enabling a reliable, motor-to-base merge process is designed for motors that are attached to a base with screws that mount from outside of the base. An assembly fixture receives the motor, which has a tooling hole for circumferentially locating the motor relative to the base. The assembly fixture closely receives the motor and has a tooling pin that engages the tooling hole to prevent rotation of the motor relative to the assembly fixture. During the motor-to-base merge process, the motor is inverted with the tooling pin in the tooling hole. The assembly fixture aligns the threaded screw holes in the motor with the mounting holes on the base.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a substrate, and a recording layer formed on the substrate having (a) a recording track band, and (b) recording cells regularly arrayed in the recording track band to form a plurality rows of sub-tracks. The recording cells included in each sub-track are formed apart from each other at a pitch P in the track direction. Nearest neighboring two recording cells, each positioned on adjacent two sub-tracks in the track band, are formed apart from each other at a pitch P/n in the track direction, where 2?n?5.

Abstract: A disc centering device includes a base plate, a chuck which is installed on the base plate, a hub unit which is detachably engaged to the chuck and receives discs and spacers to be stacked, disc pushers which are slidably provided outside the hub unit and include corresponding pressure members which center the discs by pushing circumferences of the discs, a driving unit which slides the disc pushers, and biasing units which are slidably provided outside the hub unit and push circumferences of the spacers. Accordingly, by performing a spacer biasing along with a disc centering, the accuracy of a centering is increased, thereby providing the discs having data recorded thereon with a uniform quality. Additionally, vibration of a rotation body can be minimized due to the simple configuration of the disc centering device. Furthermore, the productivity and manufacturability of HDDs are improved in view of the simplified maintenance and repair of the same.

Abstract: A robotic tool picks and places a clinging part in an assembly. Two gripper jaws each have gripper fingers spaced apart from each other by a central spacing. The gripper jaws are movable between a grip position and a release position. The robotic tool also has an ejector. The ejector has a part pusher that is cling resistant and movable in the central spacings between a retracted position, and an eject position in which the cling resistant part pusher ejects the clinging part.

Abstract: A multi-layer suspension comprised of a rectangular base plate section, a load beam and a flexure, said load beam can be further divided into a bending area adjacent to the base plate and a rigid area contiguous to said bending section, said suspension assembly is made up of three layers, wherein an adhesive layer is sandwiched between two stainless steel layers with parts of one of said stainless steel layers being etched off. The method for making such suspension including the steps of making three layer raw material, etching off parts of the stainless steel, etching off parts of the polyimide, and the forming and de-tab. The structure of multi-layer suspension of the present invention overcomes the problems of etching variations and misalignment exist in the traditional production of the suspension.

Abstract: A method of configuring a hard disk drive with a transparent cover allows the elements of the disk drive to be observed while they are in operation. The cover also can be tinted with different colors or made somewhat translucent for further differentiation. In addition, decorations and/or various patterns, such as a diffraction grating pattern, may be placed or formed on the cover, the hub, and/or the actuator to further emphasize particular aspects of the disk drive. A flashing device can also be used to accentuate the rotational motion of the disk and/or hub.

Abstract: A system for enabling a reliable, motor-to-base merge process is designed for motors that are attached to a base with screws that mount from outside of the base. An assembly fixture receives the motor, which has a tooling hole for circumferentially locating the motor relative to the base. The assembly fixture closely receives the motor and has a tooling pin that engages the tooling hole to prevent rotation of the motor relative to the assembly fixture. During the motor-to-base merge process, the motor is inverted with the tooling pin in the tooling hole. The assembly fixture aligns the threaded screw holes in the motor with the mounting holes on the base.

Abstract: A slider burnishing method is introduced, in which the slider is brought into a predetermined surface contact with the rotating disk for a specified period. The predetermined surface contact end the specified time period are selected together with the surface condition of the rotating hard disk, such that smoothened slider surface is abrasively formed. The smoothened slider surface is substantially parallel to the disk surface and thus provides reduced contact pressure during eventual operational contacting. In addition, the smoothened slider surface creates a constant gap together with the disk surface, which enhances the aerodynamic properties of the air bearing surface and stabilizes a small fly height.

Abstract: A hard disk hub has a disk-mounting face formed at one end as a truncated conical surface of revolution symmetric about the hub axis. A cylindrical inner hub member is coaxial with the hub body outside diameter and the surrounding mounting face. The inner hub member is adapted to receive a planar disk with a central mounting hole with disk inside diameter fitted around it. The mounting face is disposed at a hub conning angle (?/2+/??) relative to the hub axis. Hub conning angle ? is selected so that a disk mounting force F applied to an inner disk portion surrounding the central mounting opening bends a portion of the disk interior to the hub inside diameter to conform contiguous facing relationship with the conical disk-mounting face. This interior bending portion reduces or eliminates the tendency of the outer disk portion to form an excessive conning angle ?.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor having a decreased electrical profile due to a confining of the device sense current within a conductive nanoconstriction. The MR sensor includes a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) stack and a layer of high resistivity material within the GMR stack. The layer of high resistivity material includes a nanoconstriction precursor. When a punch current is applied at the nanoconstriction precursor, a conductive nanoconstriction is formed through the layer of high resistivity material at the nanoconstriction precursor.

Abstract: Thermal pole tip protrusion is caused by materials in and around head slider expanding during write operations till they protrude, leading to contact with the rotating disk surface, altering the flying height and often wearing down part of the disk surface. While well known that read-write heads expand during writing, the inventors who recognized this situation's significance, particularly as flying height decreases and data rates increase, both required for high areal density disk drives. The inventors realized that they could detect the problem at the spin stand level by testing head gimbal assemblies to reliably, and inexpensively, predict the tendency for thermal pole tip protrusion. This leads to selection of head gimbal assemblies, which do not have the thermal pole tip protrusion tendency. The selected head gimbal assemblies have better reliability, as do actuators and disk drives made with the selected head gimbal assemblies.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for actively controlling the gram load on a disk drive suspension assembly and to a disk drive using the present disk drive suspension assembly. The gram load can be actively changed by changing the applied voltage to one or more multi-layer piezoelectric actuators attached to the head suspension. The active gram control system allows the gram load to be changed on a non-permanent basis and to control the gram load to a much finer scale than can be accomplished using conventional techniques. By attaching the first and second ends of the piezoelectric actuator to discrete locations on the load beam, while the portion of the piezoelectric actuator between the first and second ends remains unattached to the load beam, a force non-parallel to the load beam can be applied to the head suspension.

Abstract: A method of limiting movement of a head suspension away from a disk surface, the head suspension used for supporting a head slider over the disk surface in a rigid disk drive, the method comprising the steps of providing a load beam for use in a head suspension, the load beam having a mounting region, a rigid region and a spring region located between the mounting region and rigid region; forming a shock limiter from the same piece of material as the spring region of the load beam, the shock limiter comprising a cantilevered portion overlapping an overlapped portion of the head suspension; forming a head suspension from the load beam; and mounting the head suspension in a bard disk drive suspending a head slider over the surface of the disk, such that when an impact load causes the head suspension to move away from the surface of the disk, the shock limiter limits such movement