Patent ID: 8303792

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a flying lead in an additive hard disk drive suspension circuit, the method comprising: applying a dielectric onto a sheet of stainless steel; sputtering onto the dielectric at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and chromium; electrodepositing in a predetermined pattern signal traces, the signal traces having a copper alloy comprising tin, iron, and copper over the sputtered metal, the alloy being electrodeposited from an electrolytic bath comprising: copper sulfate in a concentration within a range of about 60-340 g/l; ferrous sulfate in a concentration within the range of about 6-20 g/l; stannous sulfate in a concentration within the range of about 0.15-0.7 g/l; and chloride ions of less than 0.1 mg/1; wherein the electrodeposition proceeds: using a pulsed current having a peak amplitude within the range of 18-22 amperes per square foot; in an electrodeposition bath having a temperature within the range of 20-25° C.; and with a current that is selected to achieve a tin content of the alloy within the range of 200-700 ppm; applying an insulator over the signal traces; baking the insulator at a temperature of less than 200°; etching away sufficient stainless steel, dielectric, and insulator so as to leave at least portions of the signal traces unsupported thereby, the unsupported portions of the signal traces defining flying leads; electrodepositing nickel onto the flying leads; and electrodepositing gold onto the nickel; whereby a suspension circuit having a flying lead is produced.