Patent ID: 8351743

Claim:
A suspension board with circuit comprising: a metal supporting board; an insulating base layer formed on an upper surface of the metal supporting board such that a formation region where an optical waveguide is to be formed is ensured on the metal supporting board; a conductive pattern formed on the insulating base layer; an insulating cover layer formed on the insulating base layer so as to cover the conductive pattern; the optical waveguide; a light emitting device; and a near-field light generation member, wherein the metal supporting board is provided with a magnetic head in a hard disk drive, and supports the magnetic head against an airflow caused when the magnetic head and a hard disk travel relatively to each other, while holding a minute gap between the magnetic head and the hard disk; the conductive pattern is formed on the insulating base layer for connecting an external circuit board and the magnetic head; the optical waveguide is optically connected to the light emitting device and the near-field light generation member; the light emitting device is a light source for allowing light to enter the optical waveguide, and the light emitting device is disposed on the metal supporting board at a location spaced apart from the magnetic head; the near-field light generation member is provided in order to allow near-field light to generate from the light emitted from the optical waveguide, and then apply the near-field light onto the surface of the hard disk to thereby heat a minute region of the surface thereof; and the optical waveguide is provided in the formation region directly on the upper surface of the metal supporting board separately from the insulating base layer, the conductive pattern, and the insulating cover layer, such that the optical waveguide extends along a direction in which the conductive pattern extends and is spaced apart from the insulating base layer, the conductive pattern, and the insulating cover layer.