Abstract:
A system and method are disclosed for the manufacture of a hard disk drive arm and the bonding of magnetic head to suspension on the drive arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to magnetic hard disk drives. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for manufacturing a hard disk drive arm and the bonding of magnetic head to suspension on the drive arm.  
           [0002]    Among the better known data storage devices are magnetic disk drives of the type in which a magnetic head slider assembly floats on an air bearing at the surface of a rotating magnetic disk. Such disk drives are often called ‘Winchester’-type drives. In these, one or more rigid magnetic disks are located within a sealed chamber together with one or more magnetic head slider assemblies. The magnetic disk drive may include one or more rigid magnetic disks, and the slider assemblies may be positioned at one or both sides of the magnetic disks.  
           [0003]    [0003]FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a typical hard drive as used in the art. The slider assembly  108  may be mounted in a manner which permits gimbaled movement at the free outer end of the arm  102  such that an air bearing between the slider assembly  108  and the surface of the magnetic disk  104  can be established and maintained. The drive arm  102  is coupled to an appropriate mechanism, such as a voice-coil motor (VCM)  106 , for moving the arm  102  across the surface of the disk  104  so that a magnetic head contained within the slider assembly  108  can address specific concentric data tracks on the disk  104  for writing information onto or reading information from the data tracks.  
           [0004]    [0004]FIG. 2 provides an illustration of a hard drive arm and magnetic head as used in the art. Typically, the magnetic head (slider)  202  is electrically connected to the head gimbal assembly (HGA) by bonding means, such as gold ball bonding (GBB), solder bump bonding (SBB), and ultrasonic welding. Typically, four connection points (balls)  204  are provided to electrically connect the magnetic head  202  to the suspension tongue/head gimbal assembly (HGA)  206 . Two of the balls  204  are for the ‘read’ operation, and two of the balls  204  are for the ‘write’ operation. To prevent the bonding balls  204  from hardening with the magnetic head  202  in an undesirable orientation, a fixture  208  is used to strongly clamp the suspension tongue  206  and head  202  to be physically stable for ball  204  application by a soldering tool  210 , etc. A base support  211  and a first clamping cover  220  stabilize the magnetic head  202 . A second clamping cover  221  stabilizes the suspension tongue  206 . A second base support (not shown) secures the load beam  212 . This fixture  208  is utilized to prevent a change in orientation of the head  202  by the force of the soldering tool  210  during application. However, the clamping force of the fixture  208  is often enough to deform the magnetic head  202  and suspension tongue  212  structure causing improper orientation(alignment). Further, the forces involved have a tendency to damage the head  202  surface as well as the head suspension dimple  214 .  
           [0005]    It is therefore desirable to have a system to enable magnetic head electrical bonding while avoiding the aforementioned problems, in addition to providing other advantages.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a typical hard drive as used in the art.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 provides an illustration of a hard drive arm and magnetic head as used in the art.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 illustrates a hard drive arm suspension, magnetic head, and head placement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 illustrates placement device design according to two different embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates placement device design according to three additional embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 illustrates placement device design according to three further embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 illustrates placement device design for ‘U’-shaped micro-actuator accommodation according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 illustrates the design of a simultaneous operation placement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 illustrates a hard drive arm suspension, magnetic head, and head placement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 a , in one embodiment, the placement device  305  has two vacuum tubes  301 , 304 . The first vacuum pipe (tube)  301  has a fixture  311  that mates to the magnetic head  321  of a hard drive. As shown in FIG. 3 b , in this embodiment, the first vacuum tube fixture  311  has a stepped  313  surface that mates with the head  321  in such a way that prevents rotational motion of the head  321  with respect to the placement device  305  (and thus, the suspension tongue  322 ). In one embodiment, the step  313  is between 100 micrometers and 280 micrometers. In one embodiment, the second vacuum tube has a fixture mate-able to the load beam  324 . Further, an alignment pin  303  is provided that is capable of being inserted into the tooling hole of the load beam  324  for ensuring proper alignment. In this embodiment, the placement device is secured to the magnetic head  321  and load beam  324  by sub-ambient pressure imposed by the first  301  and second  302  vacuum tubes, the first vacuum tube  301  applying suction force to the air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider/head  321  and the second vacuum tube  302  applying suction force to the load beam  324 .  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 illustrates placement device design according to two different embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b , the fixture  402  of the first vacuum tube has an integrated step  403  to prevent rotational (yaw)  406  and longitudinal  408  motion of the magnetic head  404  during bonding ball  410  application. In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4 c  and  4   d , the fixture  412  of the first vacuum tube has an externally-mounted step structure  413 . Further, FIGS. 4 b  and  4   d  illustrate the air inlets of the first and second vacuum tubes.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates placement device design according to three additional embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5 b , in one embodiment, an externally-mounted step structure  501  is provided with a side protrusion  502  to prevent transverse  503  motion (as well as longitudinal  504  and rotational  505  motion) of the magnetic head  508  (See FIG. 5 a ). As shown in FIG. 5 c , in another embodiment, an externally-mounted step structure  511  is provided with two side protrusions  512  to prevent transverse  513  motion (as well as longitudinal  514  and rotational  515  motion) of the magnetic head  508  (See FIG. 5 a ). As shown in FIG. 5 d , in yet another embodiment, an externally-mounted step structure  521  is provided with two side protrusions  522 . Further, in this embodiment, a notch  524  is provided in the step  521  to allow for arm component clearance.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 illustrates placement device design according to three further embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 b , in one embodiment, the first vacuum tube  602  has an ‘L’-shaped step structure  601  integrated in its mating surface to prevent transverse  603  motion (as well as longitudinal  604  and rotational  605  motion) of the magnetic head  608  (See FIG. 6 a ). As shown in FIG. 6 c , in another embodiment, the first vacuum tube  612  has a ‘U’-shaped step structure  611  integrated in its mating surface. As shown in FIG. 6 d , in yet another embodiment, the first vacuum tube  622  has a ‘U’-shaped step structure  621  integrated in its mating surface with a notch  623  provided to allow for arm component clearance.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 illustrates placement device design for ‘U’-shaped micro-actuator accommodation according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 7 b ,  7   c , and  7   d , in one embodiment, a first vacuum tube  702  has an externally-mounted step  704  and two side-mounted steps  706  to restrict the motion of a magnetic head  708  that is mounted in a micro-actuator, such as a ‘U’-shaped micro-actuator  710 . This embodiment accommodates the shape of such a micro-actuator  710  while preventing the motion of the head  708  and micro-actuator  710  during the bonding process.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 illustrates the design of a simultaneous operation placement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, multiple individual placement devices  802  are combined into one machine  804  in order to stabilize components of many hard drive load arms for simultaneous head bonding operations.  
         [0020]    Although several embodiments are specifically illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.