Abstract:
A method for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components includes supporting the components from carrier strips and/or other components by tab regions consisting substantially of a polyimide insulating layer. The components are detabbed by severing the insulating layer at the tab regions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of disk drive suspension components such as load beams and flexures. In particular, the invention is a structure and method for tabbing and detabbing the suspension components to carrier strips during manufacture. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Additive and subtractive processes for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components such as flexures and load beams are known. During these processes the suspension components are supported on a panel between strips of metal known as carrier strips. Relatively small strips of metal known as tabs connect the components to the carrier strips and to one another during the manufacturing process. During subsequent assembly processes the tabs are cut or otherwise severed to “detab” the components from the carrier strips. Fine metal particles can be produced during these detabbing processes and adhere to the suspensions. Although the suspensions are typically cleaned before being incorporated into disk drives, the cleaning processes are not always successful at removing all the particles. Unfortunately, the particles not removed during the cleaning processes can still come loose in the disk drives and interfere with the drive operation. There remains, therefore, a need for improvements that reduce or prevent the adverse consequences that can result from metal particles produced during detabbing operations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a suspension component manufacturing method and product that provide reduced amounts of metal particulate during suspension detabbing operations. The suspension components include a first metal layer and a polymer layer. One embodiment of the invention comprises forming the suspension components supported from a carrier strip and/or from each other by tabs including detab regions consisting of the polymer layer. The polymer layer is severed at the detab regions to detab the suspension components from the carrier strip and/or from other components. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a portion of a panel of suspension components including tabs in accordance with the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a detailed sectional view of one of the tabs shown in  FIG. 1 , taken at line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed sectional view of another one of the tabs shown in  FIG. 1 , taken at line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed sectional view of yet another one of the tabs shown in  FIG. 1 , taken at line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a detailed sectional view of still another one of the tabs shown in  FIG. 1 , taken at line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a detailed top view of a tab in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a detailed top view of a tab in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a detailed top view of a tab in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  is an illustration of a portion of a panel  6  of load beams  8  including poly tabs  10 A,  10 B,  10 C and  10 D in accordance with several embodiments of the present invention. Panel  6  is a structure for supporting the load beams during the manufacturing process and includes carrier strips  12  and  14 . The load beams  8  are connected to the carrier strips  12  and  14  by poly tabs  10 D and  10 C, respectively, and to one another by poly tabs  10 A and  10 B, in the illustrated embodiment. Load beams  8  (i.e., suspension components) include a mounting region  16 , spring or hinge region  18 , beam region  20  and headlift  22 . Load beams  8 , poly tabs  10 A,  10 B,  10 C and  10 D and carrier strips  12  and  14  include structures formed from one or more of a plurality of layers of material including a first metal layer  30  (the bottom layer indicated by cross hatching in  FIG. 1 ), a second metal layer  32  (the top layer in  FIG. 1 ) and an adhesive or insulating layer  34  between the first and second metal layers (indicated by stippling in  FIG. 1 ). In one embodiment of the invention, metal layers  30  and  32  are stainless steel or other spring metal layers, and insulation layer  34  is a polyimide layer. In other embodiments (not shown), one of the metal layers is stainless steel, and the other is a conductive material such as copper or copper alloy. In still other embodiments (not shown) the poly tabs are formed from other polymer materials such as conductive polymers. Furthermore, the poly tab need not be formed from a part of the suspension providing other electrical and/or mechanical functions. Instead, the poly tab can be provided as a separate structure solely for the tabbing function. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross sectional illustration of a hip tab  10 A extending from the beam region  20  of a load beam  8 . As shown, tab  10 A includes a pair of hip regions  40 A and  40 B on opposite sides of a detab region  42 . The tabs  10 A of adjacent load beams  8  are connected to one another by bridging portions  46 . Region  40 A is adjacent to the beam region  20  of the load beam  8 , and includes only the first metal layer  30  and the insulating layer  34 . Region  40 B also includes only the first metal layer  30  and the insulating layer  34 . Detab region  42  includes only the insulating layer  34 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the insulating layer  34  at the tab  10 A is continuous with the portions of the insulating layer on the beam region  20  of the load beam  8 . In other embodiments (not shown) the portions of the insulating layer  34  at the tab  10 A are discontinuous with portions of the insulating layer on either or both sides of the detab region  42 . The insulating layer  34  of hip region  40 A extends at least a sufficient distance onto the first metal layer  30  of the beam region  20  to provide sufficient strength for the tab  10 A to provide its support function. Similarly, the insulating layer  34  of hip region  40 B extends at least a distance onto the first metal layer  30  of the bridging portion  46  to provide sufficient strength for the tab to provide its support function. In other embodiments (not shown) the insulating layer  34  can extend from hip region  40 B over greater portions or all of the bridging portion  46 . In still other embodiments (not shown) portions of first metal layer  30  are removed from bridging portions  46 . 
     FIG. 3  is a cross sectional illustration of a transition tab  10 B extending from the mounting region  16  of a load beam  8 . As shown, tab  10 B includes a pair of transition regions  50 A and  50 B on opposite sides of a detab region  52 . The tabs  10 B of adjacent load beams  8  are connected to one another by bridging portions  54 . Region  50 B is adjacent to the mounting region  16  of the load beam  8  and includes only the first metal layer  30  and the insulating layer  34 . Region  50 A includes only the second metal layer  32  and the insulating layer  34 . Detab region  52  includes only the insulating layer  34 . The insulating layer  34  of transition region  50 B extends onto the first metal layer  30  of the mounting region  16  at least a distance that provides sufficient strength for the tab  10 B to provide its support function. Similarly, the insulating layer  34  of transition region  50 A extends at least a distance onto the second metal layer  32  of the bridging portion  54  to provide sufficient strength for the tab  10 B to provide its support function. In other embodiments (not shown) the insulating layer  34  can extend from transition region  50 A over greater portions or all of the bridging portion  54 . In still other embodiments (not shown) portions of second metal layer  32  are removed from bridging portions  54 . 
     FIG. 4  is a cross sectional illustration of a full capture tab  10 C extending from the carrier strip  14  to the mounting region  16  of a load beam  8 . As shown, tab  10 C includes a pair of capture regions  60 A and  60 B on opposite sides of a detab region  62 . Region  60 A is adjacent to the carrier strip  14  of the panel  6  and includes first and second metal layers  30  and  32  and insulating layer  34 . Region  60 B is adjacent to the mounting region  16  of the suspension  8  and also includes the first and second metal layers  30  and  32  and the insulating layer  34 . Detab region  62  includes only the insulating layer  34 . The insulating layer  34  of region  60 B extends onto the first metal layer  30  of the mounting region  16  at least a distance that provides sufficient strength for the tab  10 C to provide its support function. Similarly, the insulating layer  34  of region  60 A extends at least a distance onto either or both of the metal layers  30  and  32  to provide sufficient strength for the tab  10 C to provide its support function. 
     FIG. 5  is a cross sectional illustration of a shoulder tab  10 D extending between the headlift  22  of a load beam  8  and carrier strip  12 . As shown, tab  10 D includes a pair of shoulder regions  70 A and  70 B on opposite sides of a detab region  72 . Region  70 A is adjacent to the headlift  22  of the suspension  8 , and includes only the second metal layer  32  and the insulating layer  34 . Region  70 B also includes only the second metal layer  32  and the insulating layer  34 . Detab region  72  includes only the insulating layer  34 . The insulating layer  34  of shoulder region  70 A extends at least a distance onto the second metal layer  32  of the carrier strip  12  to provide sufficient strength for the tab  10 D to provide its support function. Similarly, the insulating layer  34  of shoulder region  70 B extends at least a distance onto the second metal layer  32  of the headlift  22  that provides sufficient strength for the tab  10 D to provide its support function. In other embodiments (not shown) the insulating layer  34  can extend from shoulder regions  70 A and/or  70 B over greater portions or all of the second metal layer  32 . 
   Panels  6  of load beams  8  having tabs such as  10 A- 10 D can be manufactured using known or otherwise conventional additive and/or subtractive processes (e.g., photolithography, wet and dry etching and deposition processes). During the assembly of the load beams  8  with other suspension components (not shown), the insulating layer  34  at the detab regions  42 ,  52 ,  62  and  72  of tabs  10 A- 10 D, respectively, can be cut, fractured (e.g., by pulling) or otherwise severed to separate the load beams from carrier strips  12  and/or  14  and one another. Conventional or otherwise known processes and equipment such as blades and laser ablating can be used during these separation operations. An important advantage of these tabs and separation approaches is that they can result in lower metal particle production than conventional metal tabs and associated separation processes. The possibility of metal particle contamination and associated complications on the suspensions and disk drives into which they are incorporated is thereby also reduced. 
     FIG. 6  is a detailed illustration of a portion of a load beam  108  suspended from another suspension component or a panel (neither of which is shown in the figure) by a poly tab  110  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The load beam  108  and poly tab  110  are formed from a laminate including a first metal layer  130 , a second metal layer  132  and an adhesive insulating or other polymer layer  134  between the first and second metal layers. Tab  110  includes a pair of hip regions  140 A and  140 B on opposite sides of a detab region  142 . Region  140 A is adjacent to the beam region  120  of the load beam  108 , and includes only a tab  141  in the first metal layer  130  extending from the load beam and the insulating layer  134 . Region  140 B also includes only the first metal layer  130  and the insulating layer  134 . Detab region  142  includes only the insulating layer  134 . As shown, the width of the insulating layer  134  of the tab  110  at regions  140 A,  140 B and  142  is greater than the width of the tab  141  and first metal layer  130  at regions  140 A and  140 B, respectively. The surface area of the insulating layer  134  overlaying the first metal layer  130  at regions  140 A and  140 B is sufficient to secure the insulating layer to the metal layer at these regions, while the greater width of the insulating layer provides greater tab support strength in the detab region  142 . 
     FIG. 7  is a detailed illustration of a portion of a load beam  208  suspended from another suspension component or a panel (neither of which is shown in the figure) by a poly tab  210  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The width of the insulating layer  234  of the tab  210  at hip regions  240 A and  240 B and detab region  242  is less than the width of the first metal layer  230  at the hip regions. Other than this difference, load beam  208  and tab  210  can be substantially the same or similar to those of load beam  108  and tab  110  described above in connection with  FIG. 6 , and similar reference numbers are used to identify similar features in the drawings. 
     FIG. 8  is a detailed illustration of a portion of a load beam  308  suspended from another suspension component or a panel (neither of which are shown in the figure) by a poly tab  310  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The load beam  308  and poly tab  310  are formed from a laminate including a first metal layer  330 , a second metal layer  332  and an adhesive insulating or other polymer layer  334  between the first and second metal layers. Tab  310  includes a pair of hip regions  340 A and  340 B on opposite sides of a detab region  342 . Region  340 A is adjacent to the beam region  320  of the load beam  308 , and includes only a tab  341  in the first metal layer  330  extending from the load beam and the insulating layer  334 . Region  340 B also includes only the first metal layer  330  and the insulating layer  334 . Detab region  342  includes the first metal layer  330  and the insulating layer  334 . As shown, the first metal layer  330  includes an aperture or window  345  at the detab region  342 , and the insulating layer  334  is a strip extending across the window. The insulating layer  334  has a width that is less than the width of the window  345  in the illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments (not shown), the insulating layer  334  can have a width equal to or greater than the width of the window  345 . The insulating layer  334  at the detab region  342  of tab  310  provides substantial support, enabling the size of the metal layer  330  in the tab region to be minimized. 
   Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although shown in connection with load beams having two layers of metal separated by an insulating layer, the tabs can be used with other suspension components (e.g., flexures) and components having other structures (e.g., structure having only a single metal layer and insulating material detab regions, or structures formed from stainless steel, polyimide and copper alloy layers). Any portion or region of tabs  10 A- 10 D can also be combined with other portions or regions of other tab embodiments. Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiments of the detab regions have only the described insulating layers, other embodiments (not shown) can include other layers of material (e.g., adhesives, covercoats, other polymers) that can be severed along with the insulating layer without providing metal particles or other debris that can compromise the operation of the suspension component or the disk drive into which it is incorporated.