JP2007250172A - Microactuator equipped with u-shaped frame and metal support frame, and manufacturing method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microactuator capable of maintaining a gap between the microactuator and a suspension tongue during an operation, and preventing the occurrence of inclination between the microactuator and the suspension tongue. <P>SOLUTION: The microactuator includes a U-shaped frame 252 and a metal support frame 254. The metal support frame 254 is attached to the U-shaped frame 252. The side arms 258 and 259 of the metal support frame 254 are mounted to the corresponding side arms 264 and 265 of the U-shaped frame 252. The bottom support plate 256 of the metal support frame 254 is mounted to the bottom support plate 262 of the U-shaped frame 252. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information recording disk drive device, and more particularly to a microactuator applied to a head gimbal assembly (HGA) of a disk drive device.

  A disk drive device is often used as a device for recording data using a magnetic medium. This disk drive apparatus is an apparatus for selectively recording / reproducing data from / on a magnetic medium by a movable recording / reproducing head provided above the magnetic medium.

  Conventionally, users have requested disk drive devices to have higher recording density, faster recording / reproducing operations, and higher accuracy. For this reason, manufacturers of disk drive devices, for example, reduce the track width and track pitch of the magnetic disk and indirectly increase the recording capacity of the track of the magnetic disk, thereby increasing the recording density of the magnetic disk drive device. We have been intensively developing. However, in order to perform a recording / reproducing operation quickly and with high accuracy for a disk drive device that has been increased in density with an increase in track density, high accuracy has been required for position control for the recording / reproducing head. . However, it has become extremely difficult to quickly and accurately arrange a recording / reproducing head on a track of a magnetic disk using conventional techniques as the track density increases. With such an increase in track density, a technique for improving the recording / reproducing head positioning control has been studied.

  Each manufacturer employs a second driver (i.e., microactuator) to improve the positioning control of the recording / reproducing head. This microactuator is driven together with one main driver to improve the recording / reproducing head positioning accuracy and speed up the operation. A disk drive equipped with this microactuator is called a two-driver system.

  Conventionally, various two-driver systems have been developed in order to increase the speed of the recording / reproducing operation and to realize the high-precision positioning control of the recording / reproducing head on the high-density magnetic disk. Such a two-driver system includes a voice coil motor (VCM) that is one main driver and a microactuator (for example, a piezoelectric element microactuator) that is one sub-driver. The voice coil motor is controlled by a servo control system, which rotates the drive arm. The drive arm is equipped with a recording / reproducing head, which positions the recording / reproducing head on a specific track of the recording medium. A piezoelectric element (PZT element) microactuator is used together with a voice coil motor driver, thereby realizing a rapid recording / reproducing operation and a high-precision recording / reproducing head positioning control. That is, the voice coil motor driver coarsely adjusts the positioning of the recording / reproducing head with low accuracy, and the piezoelectric element microactuator finely adjusts the positioning of the recording / reproducing head with respect to the recording medium with high accuracy. By using these two drivers, information can be recorded / reproduced from a high-density magnetic disk quickly and accurately.

  Conventionally, a microactuator used for positioning a recording / reproducing head has a configuration having a piezoelectric element. Such a piezoelectric element microactuator has an electronic circuit structure that drives the piezoelectric element so as to selectively expand or contract the piezoelectric element on the microactuator. Since the piezoelectric element microactuator has such a structure, the microactuator can be driven by the expansion or contraction or expansion of the piezoelectric element, and the recording / reproducing head can be operated. The operation of the recording / reproducing head can adjust the position of the recording / reproducing head more quickly and with higher accuracy than a magnetic disk drive unit using only a voice coil motor driver. Such a conventional piezoelectric element microactuator is disclosed in many patent documents. For example, the invention of Patent Document 1 “actuator for micro-positioning of head element, head gimbal assembly including the actuator, disk device including the head gimbal assembly, manufacturing method of the actuator, and manufacturing method of the head gimbal assembly” The invention of Patent Document 2 is disclosed in “a head gimbal assembly including a micropositioning actuator, a disk device including the head gimbal assembly, and a method of manufacturing the head gimbal assembly”. In addition, as conventional examples of other piezoelectric element microactuators, for example, Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 filed in the United States are also disclosed.

  FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a conventional disk drive unit. A magnetic disk 101 is mounted on a spindle motor 102 and is rotated by driving the spindle motor 102. A head gimbal assembly 100 is mounted on the voice coil motor arm 104. The head gimbal assembly 100 includes a microactuator 105 having a slider 103, and a recording / reproducing head is disposed on the slider 103. The voice coil motor controls the operation of the voice coil motor arm 104, and further controls the movement of the slider 103 from one track to another track on the surface of the magnetic disk 101. Thus, the recording / reproducing head can record / reproduce information with respect to the magnetic disk 101. When the disk drive unit is driven, lift is generated by the air flow generated between the slider 103 including the recording / reproducing head and the rotating magnetic disk 101. This lift is applied to the suspension of the head gimbal assembly 100, and when the magnitude of the elastic force is the same and the directions are opposite, they are balanced with each other. As a result, the voice coil motor arm 104 maintains a constant flying height on the surface of the magnetic disk 101 as it rotates.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a head gimbal assembly 100 of a magnetic disk drive device having the two drivers in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the slider 103 cannot realize quick and accurate positioning control due to inherent errors of the voice coil motor and the head stack assembly, thereby affecting the accuracy performance of the recording / reproducing head for recording and reproducing information from the magnetic disk. Was exerting. Therefore, the piezoelectric microactuator 105 is increased to improve the position control accuracy of the slider and the recording / reproducing head. Specifically, the piezoelectric microactuator 105 adjusts the position of the slider 103 with a smaller width than the voice coil motor to compensate for the resonance error of the voice coil motor or the head suspension assembly. The piezoelectric microactuator 105 can be applied to a smaller track pitch, and improves the track density (TPI value, the number of tracks per inch) of the disk drive device by 50%, and seek time and positioning of the magnetic head. Time can be shortened. Thereby, the piezoelectric microactuator 105 can greatly increase the surface recording density of the recording disk.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conventional piezoelectric element microactuator 105 includes a U-shaped ceramic frame having two ceramic beams (or side arms) 107, and a piezoelectric element is mounted on each ceramic beam 107. Has been. The ceramic beam 107 fixes and supports the magnetic head 103 at the center thereof, and moves the magnetic head 103 by the operation of the ceramic beam 107. The piezoelectric element microactuator 105 is physically connected to the suspension tongue 114 of the suspension 113. The piezoelectric element microactuator 105 is fixed to suspension traces 110 located on both sides of the ceramic beam 107 via three electrical connection balls 109 (gold ball soldering or solder ball soldering; GBB or SBB). Further, the slider 103 is attached to the suspension trace 110 by four metal balls 108 (GBB or SBB).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a general process for mounting the slider 103 to the piezoelectric element microactuator 105. As shown in the figure, the slider 103 is partially connected to a predetermined position 106 of the two ceramic beams 107 by an epoxy 112. By being connected in this way, the operation of the slider 103 depends on the operation of the ceramic beam 107 of the piezoelectric element microactuator 105. The piezoelectric element 116 is mounted for each ceramic beam 107 of the piezoelectric element microactuator 105, and controls the operation of the slider 103 when the piezoelectric element 116 is excited. Specifically, when a voltage is applied through the suspension trace 110, the piezoelectric element 116 is expanded and contracted, and the two ceramic beams 107 of the U-shaped microactuator frame are curved in the same lateral direction. Accordingly, the magnetic head 103 moves in the lateral direction on the track of the magnetic disk, thereby adjusting the position of the recording / reproducing head with high accuracy. With this method, fine adjustment of the position of the slider 103 can be controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the load beam 160 of the suspension 113 includes a dimple 162 that contacts the suspension tongue 114. A parallel gap 170 is formed between the suspension tongue 110 and the microactuator 105, whereby the piezoelectric element microactuator 105 can smoothly displace the slider 103 when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element. . This gap 170 is critical in the operation of the microactuator and the performance of the head gimbal assembly.

  7 to 8 are diagrams showing the tilt problem of the conventional microactuator design structure. Due to manufacturing problems, the microactuator 105 may creep or tilt when the slider floats on the magnetic disk. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the microactuator 105 is inclined to the suspension tongue 114, the gap 170 is reduced, and as shown in FIG. 8, when the microactuator 105 is inclined to the back surface of the suspension tongue 114. , The gap 17 becomes larger. In the normal case, the static angle of the slider (head static angle) changes (see FIGS. 7 and 8). However, if it is worse, the microactuator 105 and the suspension tongue are tilted due to the inclination of the microactuator 130. Interference will occur during 114. Either of the above two cases affects the performance of the microactuator, causing a read / write error of the slider, causing a static problem, affecting the flying performance of the slider, and the head / disk system. To prevent damage or damage to the microactuator.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned system, since the U-shaped ceramic frame is included, the brittleness of the ceramic material affects the impact resistance (for example, the vibration-proof performance is insufficient). In the conventional design, it is difficult to control the parallel gap between the microactuator and the suspension tongue in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, conventional designs are difficult to apply to small sliders. Further, in the conventional design, since the slider is mounted on the inner surface of the side arm of the microactuator, the slider mounting process becomes difficult.
JP 2002-133803 A JP 2002-074871 A US Pat. No. 6,671,131 U.S. Patent No. 6,700,749

  In view of the conventional problems as described above, development of a head gimbal assembly and a disk drive unit for solving this problem has been desired.

  The present invention provides a microactuator for use in a head gimbal assembly that includes a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame. The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element attached to each side arm. Each piezoelectric element is excited to cause selective actuation of the side arm. The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports the slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to the suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the top support plate and the bottom support plate. . In addition, the metal support frame is attached to the corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and the metal support frame is attached to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame so that the bottom support plate of the metal support frame is mounted to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame. It is characterized by being attached to.

  The present invention also provides a head gimbal assembly that includes a microactuator, a slider, and a suspension that supports the microactuator and the slider. Here, the microactuator includes a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame. The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element attached to each side arm. Each piezoelectric element is excited to cause selective actuation of the side arm. The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports the slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to the suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the top support plate and the bottom support plate. . In addition, the metal support frame is attached to the corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and the metal support frame is attached to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame so that the bottom support plate of the metal support frame is mounted to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame. Attach to.

  Further, the present invention provides a micro-actuator, a slider, a head gimbal assembly including a micro-actuator and a suspension supporting the slider, a drive arm connected to the head gimbal assembly, a magnetic disk, and a spindle motor for driving the magnetic disk. A disk drive unit comprising The head gimbal assembly includes a microactuator, a slider, and a suspension that supports the microactuator and the slider. The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element attached to each side arm. Each piezoelectric element is excited to cause selective actuation of the side arm. The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports the slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to the suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the top support plate and the bottom support plate. . In addition, the metal support frame is attached to the corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and the metal support frame is attached to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame so that the bottom support plate of the metal support frame is mounted to the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame. Attach to.

  The present invention also includes a step of attaching a first frame structure including a piezoelectric element to a second frame structure to form a microactuator, a step of attaching the microactuator to a suspension, and electrically connecting the piezoelectric element and the suspension. A step of connecting, a step of testing a piezoelectric performance of the piezoelectric element, a step of attaching the slider to the microactuator, a step of electrically connecting the slider and the suspension, and a test of the performance of the slider There is provided a method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly including a step and a step of performing a final inspection.

  The present invention further includes a step of mounting the first frame structure on the suspension, a step of mounting the second frame structure including the piezoelectric element on the first frame structure of the suspension to form a microactuator, and the piezoelectric element and the suspension. A step of electrically connecting, a step of performing a piezoelectric performance test on the piezoelectric element, a step of attaching the slider to the microactuator, a step of electrically connecting the slider and the suspension, and the performance of the slider A method for manufacturing a head gimbal assembly is provided that includes a step of performing a test and a step of performing a final inspection.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In the attached drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.
An object of the present invention is to provide a microactuator having an appropriate structure for maintaining a parallel gap between the microactuator and the suspension of the head gimbal assembly while the slider is driven using the microactuator. . By maintaining the parallel gap between the microactuator and the suspension of the head gimbal assembly in this way, the performance characteristics of the disk drive unit can be enhanced.

  Hereinafter, some embodiments of the microactuator applied to the head gimbal assembly will be described. Note that the microactuator described here is not limited to the structure of the head gimbal assembly shown in the figure, and can be applied to any disk drive device including the microactuator. That is, the present invention can be applied to other devices including any microactuator in other fields.

  9-14 illustrate a head gimbal assembly 210 that includes an exemplary embodiment piezoelectric microactuator 212 according to the present invention. The head gimbal assembly 210 includes a piezoelectric microactuator 212, a slider 214, and a suspension 216 for supporting the piezoelectric microactuator 212 and the slider 214.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the suspension 216 includes a substrate 218, a load beam 220, a hinge 222, a flexure 224, and internal and external suspension traces 226 and 227 located on the flexure 224. It is. The substrate 218 has a mounting hole 228 for fixing the suspension 216 to a drive arm of a voice coil motor (VCM) of the disk drive device. Note that the shape of the substrate 218 may vary depending on the arrangement and type of the disk drive device. The substrate 218 is made of a relatively hard material such as metal or a material having rigidity, so that the suspension 216 can be stably fixed to the drive arm of the voice coil motor.

  The hinge 222 is connected to the substrate 218 and the load beam 220 by a method such as welding. As shown in the figure, the hinge 222 has a hole 230 that faces the mounting hole 228 of the substrate 218. The hinge 222 includes a holding member 232 for supporting the load beam 220.

  The load beam 220 is fixed to the fixing member 232 of the hinge 222 by a method such as soldering. A dimple 234 that engages with the flexure 224 is formed in the load beam 220 (see FIG. 11). Further, the load beam 220 is provided with a lift-up tab 236, and the head gimbal assembly 210 can be lifted up from the magnetic disk by the lift-up tab 236, for example, when the magnetic disk rotates.

  The flexure 224 is attached to the hinge 222 and the load beam 220 by a method such as welding or overlapping. The flexure 224 includes a suspension tongue 238 for fixing the piezoelectric element microactuator 212 to the suspension 216 (see FIG. 12). The suspension tongue 238 is engaged with a dimple 234 on the load beam 220. The suspension traces 226 and 227 of the flexure 224 electrically connect the plurality of connection pads 240 (coupled with an external control system) to the piezoelectric elements 242 and 243 on the slider 214 and the piezoelectric element microactuator 212. Here, the suspension traces 226 and 227 can be applied with a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and have an appropriate number of conductive wires.

  As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, the connection pad 244 is directly connected to the internal suspension trace 226, and the internal suspension trace 226 is electrically connected to the connection pad 246 of the piezoelectric elements 242 and 243. . Similarly, pad 248 is directly connected to external suspension trace 227 to electrically connect external suspension trace 227 to connection pad 250 on slider 214.

  The disk drive apparatus has a voice coil motor, and the drive arm is controlled to rotate by the voice coil motor, and further, the drive of the head gimbal assembly 210 is controlled. Accordingly, the slider 214 and its recording / reproducing head are positioned on any particular track on the magnetic disk in the disk drive device by the head gimbal assembly 210. The piezoelectric microactuator 212 can realize quick and accurate positioning control of the disk drive device, and can also reduce seek time and positioning time during the slider operation. As a result, a two-drive system is formed by mounting the piezoelectric microactuator 212 in the disk drive device, and the voice coil motor performs low-precision position adjustment for the recording / reproducing head, and the piezoelectric microactuator is highly accurate. Perform proper position adjustment.

  12 to 14 are views showing the piezoelectric microactuator 212 after being separated from the slider 214 and the suspension 216. FIG. As shown in these drawings, the piezoelectric microactuator 212 includes two parts. Specifically, the piezoelectric microactuator 212 includes a U-shaped frame 252 having piezoelectric elements 242 and 243 and a metal support frame 254 for supporting the U-shaped frame 252.

  Here, the U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate 256 and a pair of side arms 258 and 259 extending from the bottom support plate 256. The U-shaped frame 252 can be formed from a metal material, a ceramic material, or other suitable material.

  The piezoelectric elements 242 and 243 are attached to the outer surfaces of the side arms 258 and 259 of the U-shaped frame 252. A plurality of connection pads 246 (for example, two) are installed on the piezoelectric elements 242, 243, and the piezoelectric elements 242, 243 and the internal suspension trace 226 are electrically connected. As each of the piezoelectric elements 242, 243, a thin film piezoelectric element, a ceramic piezoelectric element, a PMN-PT piezoelectric element, or the like can be applied, and a single layer structure or a multilayer structure can be used.

  The metal support frame 254 includes a top support plate 260, a bottom support plate 262 with an extended step structure 263, side arms 264 and 265 interconnecting the top support plate 260 and the bottom support plate 262, and It is the structure containing.

  As shown in the figure, a concave groove or gap 266 is formed between the side arms 264 and 265 corresponding to the top support plate 260 or between the side arms 264 and 265 corresponding to the bottom support plate 262. Yes. With such a structure, an effective length larger than that of the side arms 264 and 265 can be provided, and the side arms 264 and 265 can have a wider degree of freedom of operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the metal support frame 254 is attached to the U-shaped frame 252. At this time, the side arms 264 and 265 are disposed inside the corresponding side arms 258 and 259 via an epoxy adhesive or the like. Mounted on the surface. Further, the extending step structure 263 of the metal support frame 254 is attached to the bottom surface of the bottom support plate 256 of the U-shaped frame 252 via, for example, an epoxy adhesive. In the embodiment of the present invention, the U-shaped frame 252 is formed of a ceramic material. When the U-shaped frame 252 is attached to the metal material of the metal supporting frame 254, the metal supporting frame 254 is attached to the U-shaped frame 252 via an epoxy adhesive. Will be installed. Here, for example, when the U-shaped frame 252 and the metal support frame 254 are all made of a metal material, they can be attached by laser welding.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the bottom support plate 262 of the metal support frame 254 has an appropriate structure for connecting the piezoelectric microactuator 212 to the suspension 216. Specifically, the extending step structure 263 of the bottom support plate 262 is locally attached to the suspension tongue 238 of the flexure 224 by a method such as epoxy adhesive, resin, or welding. The piezoelectric connection pads 246 (for example, two connection pads) installed on the corresponding piezoelectric elements 242 and 243 are internally connected by an electric connection ball (gold ball soldering or solder ball soldering, GBB or SBB) 268. Electrically coupled to corresponding connection pads 244 of suspension trace 226. Thereby, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric elements 242 and 243 through the internal suspension trace 226.

  Here, since the extension step structure 263 is attached to the bottom surface of the bottom support plate 256 of the U-shaped frame 252, when the piezoelectric microactuator 212 is attached to the suspension tongue 238, the extension step structure 263 is connected to the suspension tongue 238. It can be placed between the U-shaped frames 252. With such a structure, in operation, the parallel gap 270 (see FIG. 11) between the piezoelectric microactuator 212 and the suspension tongue 238 is maintained, and the inclination of the microactuator between the piezoelectric microactuator 212 and the suspension tongue 238 is generated. Can also be prevented.

  Further, the top support plate 260 of the metal support frame 254 is formed in an appropriate structure for fixing the piezoelectric microactuator 212 to the slider 214. Specifically, the slider 214 is directly attached to the top support plate 260. Furthermore, a plurality of connection pads 250 (for example, six) on the slider 214 are connected to the connection pads 248 on the floating plate 272 using an electrical connection ball (gold ball soldering or solder ball soldering, GBB or SBB) 274. Make electrical connections. With this connection, the piezoelectric microactuator 212 is coupled to the slider 214, and the slider 214 and the recording / reproducing head are coupled to the external suspension trace 227 of the suspension 216.

  Thus, since the slider 214 is directly mounted on the top support plate 260 (not the side arm), the assembly of the head gimbal assembly is further facilitated. It should be noted that the structure of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 can be changed so as to be applied to a slider having a smaller size. Therefore, based on this piezoelectric microactuator, the head gimbal assembly can be manufactured more easily, and the cost can be reduced.

  Also in the above embodiment, each external suspension trace 227 has a curved portion 276. Such a structure relaxes the stress generated by the rigidity of the external suspension trace 227 when the piezoelectric element microactuator 212 is operated, and thus the piezoelectric microactuator 212 is operated more smoothly.

  15 and 16 (a) to 16 (d) are diagrams showing the main steps of the manufacturing and assembling process of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 in the embodiment of the present invention. When the process is started (step 1 in FIG. 15), the U-shaped frame 252 is attached to the metal support frame 254 as shown in FIG. 16A (step 2 in FIG. 15). Next, as shown in FIG. 16B, the assembled U-shaped frame 252 and metal support frame 254 are mounted on the suspension 216 (step 3 in FIG. 15). After the mounting, the piezoelectric elements 242, 243 and the suspension 216 are electrically connected (step 4 in FIG. 15), and the performance inspection of the piezoelectric elements is performed (step 5 in FIG. 15). Next, as shown in FIG. 16C, the slider 213 is mounted on the metal support frame 254 of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 (step 6 in FIG. 15). Further, as shown in FIG. 16D, after the slider 214 is mounted, the slider 214 and the suspension 216 are electrically connected (step 7 in FIG. 15), and performance inspection is performed on the slider (FIG. 15). Step 8). Finally, the above-described assembly is inspected (Step 9 in FIG. 15), thereby completing the manufacturing and assembly process (Step 10 in FIG. 15).

  FIGS. 17 and 18A to 18D are diagrams showing the main steps of manufacturing and assembling the piezoelectric microactuator 212 in another embodiment of the present invention. When the process is started (step 1 in FIG. 17), the metal support frame 254 is attached to the suspension 216 as shown in FIG. 18A (step 2 in FIG. 17). Next, as shown in FIG. 18B, the U-shaped frame 252 is mounted on the metal support frame 254 of the suspension 216 (step 3 in FIG. 17). After the mounting, the piezoelectric elements 242, 243 and the suspension 216 are electrically connected (step 4 in FIG. 17), and the performance inspection of the piezoelectric element is performed (step 5 in FIG. 17). Next, as shown in FIG. 18C, the slider 214 is mounted on the metal support frame 254 of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 (step 6 in FIG. 17). Further, as shown in FIG. 18D, after the slider 214 is mounted, the slider 214 and the suspension 216 are electrically connected (step 7 in FIG. 17), and a performance test is performed on the slider (step in FIG. 17). 8). Finally, the above assembly is inspected (step 9 in FIG. 17), thereby completing the manufacturing and assembly process (step 10 in FIG. 17).

  19 and 20 are diagrams showing a piezoelectric microactuator 312 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the metal support frame 354 of the piezoelectric microactuator 312 has a structure different from that of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 described above. Since the other parts of the piezoelectric microactuator 312 are almost the same as the parts of the piezoelectric microactuator 212, the same reference numerals are assigned to the parts of the piezoelectric microactuator 212 here, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the metal support frame 354 includes a top support plate 360 and an extension step structure 363, and includes a bottom support plate 362 and side arms 364 and 365 that interconnect the top support plate 360 and the bottom support plate 262. It is the structure containing these. The top support plate 360 includes a rotatable plate 380 and curved connection arms or bridges 382 and 484 for connecting the rotary plate 380 and the side arms 364 and 365. It is. With such a structure, when the piezoelectric elements 242, 243 are excited during use, the rotating plate 380 rotates around the center of gravity.

  In this embodiment, the U-shaped frame 252 is formed of a ceramic material. When the U-shaped frame 252 is mounted on the metal material of the metal support frame 354, the metal support frame 254 is mounted on the U-shaped frame 252 via an epoxy adhesive. Will be. Here, for example, when the U-shaped frame 252 and the metal support frame 354 are all formed of a metal material, they can be attached by laser welding.

  Similar to the piezoelectric microactuator 212 described above, when the piezoelectric microactuator 312 is mounted on the suspension tongue 238, the extending step structure 363 is disposed between the suspension tongue 238 and the U-shaped frame 252. With such a structure, in operation, the parallel gap 270 (see FIG. 11) between the piezoelectric microactuator 312 and the suspension tongue 238 is maintained, and the microactuator is tilted between the piezoelectric microactuator 312 and the suspension tongue 238. Can also be prevented.

  The head gimbal assembly 210 including the piezoelectric microactuators 212 and 312 as described in the embodiment of the present invention can be used by being mounted on a disk drive device (HDD). Examples of the disk drive device include a device having the structure shown in FIG. Since the structure, operation, and manufacturing process of the disk drive apparatus are techniques well known to those skilled in the art, further description thereof will not be given here. The piezoelectric microactuators 212 and 312 can be applied to any disk drive device including a piezoelectric microactuator or any device including a piezoelectric microactuator. Specifically, the piezoelectric microactuators 212 and 312 can be used in a disk drive device having a high rotational speed.

  Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention has been described in detail. Of course, it is not limited to.

It is a perspective view of the conventional disk drive unit. It is a perspective view of the local part of the conventional disk drive unit shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the conventional head gimbal assembly. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a local part of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 3. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of inserting a slider into the microactuator of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 4 is a side view of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a side view of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 3, showing the inclination of the frame that reduces the gap between the microactuator and the suspension. FIG. 4 is a side view of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 3 and shows the inclination of the frame that increases the gap between the microactuator and the suspension. 1 is a perspective view of a head gimbal assembly including a piezoelectric microactuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a local perspective view of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a side view of a local portion of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the piezoelectric microactuator shown in FIG. 9 as viewed from the top after being taken out from the head gimbal assembly. It is the perspective view which looked at the piezoelectric microactuator shown in FIG. 13 from the bottom part. It is a flowchart regarding the manufacture and assembly process in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 16 is various perspective views for explaining the manufacturing and assembly process shown in FIG. 15. It is a flowchart regarding the manufacture and assembly process which concern on other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 18 is various perspective views for explaining the manufacturing and assembling process shown in FIG. 17. It is a disassembled perspective view of the head gimbal assembly containing the piezoelectric microactuator in other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a local part after the head gimbal assembly shown in FIG. 19 is assembled.

Explanation of symbols

210: head gimbal assembly, 212: microactuator, 214: slider, 216: suspension, 218: substrate
220: load beam, 222: hinge, 224: flexure, 226, 227: suspension trace,
234: dimple, 236: lift-up tab, 238: suspension tongue,
242, 243: Piezoelectric element,
252: U-shaped frame, 254: metal support frame, 256: bottom support plate, 258, 259: side arm,
260: Top support plate, 262: Bottom support plate, 263: Stretching step structure, 264, 265: Side arm 312: Piezoelectric microactuator

Claims (25)

A microactuator used in a head gimbal assembly,
It has a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame,
The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element that is attached to each side arm and selectively activates the side arm by excitation,
The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports a slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of the top support plate and the bottom support plate that are connected to each other. Including a side arm,
Here, a side arm of the metal support frame is attached to a corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and a bottom support plate of the metal support frame is attached to a bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame, A microactuator, wherein the metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame. The bottom support plate of the metal support frame has an extension step structure for connecting to the suspension, and the extension step structure maintains a substantially constant gap between the top support plate and the suspension when used. The microactuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The microactuator according to claim 2, wherein the extending step structure is sandwiched between the suspension and the U-shaped frame. The piezoelectric element is mounted on an outer surface of a side arm of the U-shaped frame, and a side arm of the metal support frame is mounted on an inner surface of a corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame. The microactuator according to claim 1. 2. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is a ceramic piezoelectric element, a thin film piezoelectric element, a PMN-PT piezoelectric element, or another piezoelectric element. A concave groove or a gap is formed between the top support plate and the side arm of the metal support frame, or between the bottom support plate and the side arm of the metal support frame. Item 2. The microactuator according to Item 1. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame by an epoxy adhesive. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the U-shaped frame is made of a metal or a ceramic material. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the U-shaped frame is made of a metal material, and the metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame by laser welding. 2. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the top support plate includes a rotation plate and a curved connection arm that connects the rotation plate to a side arm of the metal support frame. A head gimbal assembly comprising a microactuator, a slider, and a suspension for supporting the microactuator and the slider,
The microactuator includes a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame,
The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element that is attached to each side arm and selectively activates the side arm by excitation,
The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports a slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of sides that interconnect the top support plate and the bottom support plate. An arm, and
Here, the side arm of the metal support frame is mounted on the corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and the bottom support plate of the metal support frame is mounted on the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame. A head gimbal assembly, wherein a metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame. The bottom support plate of the metal support frame has an extension step structure for connecting to the suspension, and the extension step structure maintains a substantially constant gap between the top support plate and the suspension when used. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the head gimbal assembly is configured as described above. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12, wherein the extending step structure is sandwiched between the suspension and the U-shaped frame. The piezoelectric element is mounted on an outer surface of a side arm of the U-shaped frame, and a side arm of the metal support frame is mounted on an inner surface of a corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the piezoelectric element is a ceramic piezoelectric element, a thin film piezoelectric element, a PMN-PT piezoelectric element, or another piezoelectric element. A concave groove or a gap is formed between the top support plate and the side arm of the metal support frame, or between the bottom support plate and the side arm of the metal support frame. Item 12. The head gimbal assembly according to Item 11. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame by an epoxy adhesive. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the U-shaped frame is made of a metal or a ceramic material. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the U-shaped frame is made of a metal material, and the metal support frame is attached to the U-shaped frame by laser welding. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 11, wherein the top support plate includes a rotation plate and a curved connection arm that connects the rotation plate to a side arm of the metal support frame. A disk drive device comprising: a microactuator; a slider; a head gimbal assembly formed from a suspension for supporting the microactuator and the slider; a magnetic disk; and a spindle motor for driving the magnetic disk. There,
The microactuator includes a U-shaped frame and a metal support frame,
The U-shaped frame includes a bottom support plate, a pair of side arms extending from the bottom support plate, and a piezoelectric element that is attached to each side arm and selectively activates the side arm by excitation,
The metal support frame includes a top support plate that supports a slider of the head gimbal assembly, a bottom support plate that is connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of sides that interconnect the top support plate and the bottom support plate. An arm, and
Here, the side arm of the metal support frame is mounted on the corresponding side arm of the U-shaped frame, and the bottom support plate of the metal support frame is mounted on the bottom support plate of the U-shaped frame. A disk drive device comprising a metal support frame attached to the U-shaped frame. A method for manufacturing a head gimbal assembly comprising:
Attaching a first frame structure including a piezoelectric element to a second frame structure to form a microactuator;
Attaching the microactuator to a suspension;
Electrically connecting the piezoelectric element and the suspension;
Performing a piezoelectric performance test on the piezoelectric element;
Attaching a slider to the microactuator;
Electrically connecting the slider and the suspension;
Testing the performance of the slider;
Performing a final inspection, and a method for manufacturing a head gimbal assembly. The head gimbal according to claim 22, wherein the step of mounting the first frame structure including the piezoelectric element on the second frame structure includes mounting the U-shaped frame including the piezoelectric element on the metal support frame. Assembly manufacturing method. A method for manufacturing a head gimbal assembly comprising:
Attaching the first frame structure to the suspension;
Attaching a second frame structure including a piezoelectric element to the first frame structure of the suspension to form a microactuator;
Electrically connecting the piezoelectric element and the suspension;
Performing a piezoelectric performance test on the piezoelectric element;
Attaching a slider to the microactuator;
Electrically connecting the slider and the suspension;
Testing the performance of the slider;
Performing a final inspection, and a method for manufacturing a head gimbal assembly. 25. The method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly according to claim 24, wherein the first frame structure is a metal support frame, and the second frame structure is a U-shaped frame including a piezoelectric element.

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