Abstract:
A method, related to manufacturing of head gimbal assembly (HGA) including the steps of soldering a first component on a HGA, while the HGA is mounted on an HGA mounting member and while a protective carrier bar of the HGA carrier is in a first position. The method further includes the steps of moving the protective carrier bar to a second position, and soldering a second component on the HGA while the protective carrier bar is in the second position.

Description:
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 13/898,262 filed on May 20, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,770,463, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to the field of hard disk component fabrication and more specifically, to head gimbal assembly fabrication. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In an energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) system, a small spot where data is to be written is locally heated to reduce the coercivity of the magnetic grains therein for the duration of the write operation, thereby allowing materials with increased magnetic anisotropy to be used, and greater areal storage density to be exploited. 
     A disk head gimbal assembly (HGA) for an EAMR system includes a suspension that holds a slider with a transducer and a flex cable assembly coupled to the slider. For EAMR applications, the HGA further includes a sub-mount coupled to a heat sink coupled to the suspension. The sub-mount comprises a near field transducer (NFT) to concentrate optical energy in the near field to dimensions smaller than the diffraction limit. The HGA further includes a laser diode coupled to the sub-mount and the suspension. 
     Solder jet bonding may be used during fabrication of EAMR HGAs. Typically, access to multiple sides of the HGA is needed to bond all the EAMR components. For example, access to the trailing edge of the slider may be needed for connecting the flex cable assembly to the slider and access to the back side of the HGA may be needed for connecting the sub-mount to a heat sink and connecting the laser diode to the sub-mount. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrates a conventional carrier  100  for fabricating HGAs  104 . The carrier  100  comprises a non-adjustable bar  101  and a row of mounting locations  102 —for example, a row of pins that fit in holes in the suspensions of HGAs  104 . A clamp bar  103  retains and aligns the HGAs  104  on mounting locations  102 . 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate view of a prior art head gimbal assembly (HGA) carrier. 
         FIGS. 2A-2K  illustrate an HGA carrier with adjustable protective bar. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiment of the present invention. It will be apparent however, to one skilled in the art that these specific details need not be employed to practice various embodiments of the present invention. In other instances, well known components or methods have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring various embodiments of the present invention. 
     The terms “leading” and “trailing” refer to the direction of flight of the slider. The term “bottom” refers to the side of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) that is opposite the air bearing surface (ABS). The term “top” refers to the side of an HGA that the ABS is disposed on. 
       FIGS. 2A-2K  illustrate a head gimbal assembly carrier with an adjustable protective bar. The carrier comprises a body  200  having a plurality of mounting members  203 , and an adjustable protective bar  205  that is movable between a first position (e.g.,  FIG. 2B ) and a second position (e.g.,  2 H). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting members  203  comprise a plurality of pins  203  coupled to a mounting bar  208 . The pins  203  fit within holes  226  in a suspension of an HGA  225  ( FIG. 2G ). A clamping bar  201  is attached to the body (for example, using a pneumatic hinge  202 ) and clamps the HGAs  225  to the carrier. The clamp bar includes a plurality of clamping locations  204  the clamping locations hold the HGAs  225  at corresponding alignment receptacles (not shown) on the body  200 . 
     The adjustable protective bar  205  is coupled to a pair of adjustment mechanisms  210  and  209 . The adjustments mechanisms  210  and  209  are operated simultaneously, either automatically or manually, to move the adjustable protective bar  205  from the first position to the second position, and back to the first position. 
       FIGS. 2D and 2E  illustrate adjustment mechanism  209 . In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment mechanism  210  comprises structures equivalent to the adjustment mechanism  209 . the adjustment mechanism  209  comprises a guide pin hole  215  in the body  200 . A guide pin  212  is coupled (for example, using a bolt  223 ) to the adjustable bar  205  and slides within the guide pin hole  215 . A spring  214  is disposed in the bottom of the guide pin hole  215 . The spring  214  contacts the guide pin  212  and biases the guide pin  212  in the extended position. 
     The adjustment mechanism  209  further comprises an adjustment pin  206 . The adjustment pin  206  is coupled to the guide pin  212  at location  220 . In one embodiment, the adjustment pin  206  is bonded to the guide pin  212 . For example, the distal end of the guide pin shaft  211  may be threaded and may screw into corresponding threads in hole  220 . In another embodiment, the adjustment pin  206  is coupled to the guide pin  212  in a manner allowing the adjustment pin  206  to be slightly pulled out from the guide pin  212 . For example, the adjustment pin  206  may slide through a hole  220  in the guide pin  212 , such that a tip of the adjustment pin  206  interfaces with a socket in the hole  215  to lock the guide bar  205  in the first or second position. To unlock the guide bar  205  from the first or second position, the adjustment pin  206  is pulled from the socket. 
     The adjustment pin  206  further comprises a socket  219  at its outer terminus. The socket  219  may provide an interface for an automated system to move the protective bar  205  from the first position to the second position and vice versa. 
     The adjustment pin  206  slides in a slot  210  that extends through the body  200  of the carrier. Sliding the adjustment pin  206  within the slot  210  moves the protective bar  205  from the first position to the second position and back. Additionally, a groove  218  in the body  200  of the carrier provides room for the protective bar  205  to slide into. 
     The adjustment mechanism  209  further comprises a locking mechanism. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a pair of indents  216 ,  217  on the guide pin  212  and a ball spring plunger  213  coupled to the body  200 . The ball spring plunger  213  comprises a plunger  222  coupled to a spring  221 . When the protective bar  205  is in the first position, the plunger  222  interfaces with the first indent  216  to lock the bar  205  in place. When the adjustment pin  206  is moved with sufficient force, the spring force of spring  221  is overcome and the plunger  222  is pushed out of the indent  216 , unlocking the bar  205 . When the protective bar  205  is moved into the second position, the plunger  222  interfaces with the second indent  217  to releasably lock the protective bar  205  in the second position. 
       FIGS. 2F and 2G  illustrate the HGA carrier assembly holding an HGA with the protective bar in the first position. While in the first position, the protective bar  205  extends beyond the leading tip of the HGA  225 . In the first position, the protective bar  205  prevents deformation, e.g., flexure bending, of mounting members  203  due to handling. Additionally, the protective bar  205  provides access to the top side  224  of the HGA for soldering. For example, during manufacturing, the trailing edge pads of the HGA  225  may be soldered. In a particular embodiment, the trailing edge pads are solder jet bonded while the protective bar  205  is in the first position. 
       FIGS. 2H and 2I  illustrate the HGA carrier assembly holding an HGA with the protective bar in the second position. In the second position, the protective bar  205  is retracted such that the HGA  225  extends beyond the distal edge of the protective bar  205 . In the second position, the protective bar  205  provides access to the underside  226  of the HGA  225 . The protective bar  205  may be placed into the second position to allow access for soldering components of the HGA or for inspection. For example,  FIGS. 2J and 2K  illustrate use of the protective bar  205  in the second position for solder jet bonding. The solder jet bonding machine  227  has access to the underside  226  of HGA  225  so the solder jet bonding machine capillary  228  can reach the bond Z-height target (for example, 150-250 microns). For example, in an EAMR HGA  225 , underside  226  solder jet bonding may comprise bonding the sub-mount and laser diode pads of an HGA  225 . After finishing solder and inspection, the adjustment pins  206 ,  207  are used to return the protective bar  205  to the extended, first position. 
     In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary features thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and figures are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.