JP2014086118A - Substrate for suspension, suspension, suspension with head, hard disk drive, and method of manufacturing substrate for suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate for a suspension, which allows a head slider to be accurately displaced by preventing the elastic operation of an actuator element provided in a head area from being hindered and is easy to manufacture.SOLUTION: A substrate 1 for a suspension includes a metallic support layer 20, an insulating layer 10, a wiring layer 40 having a plurality of wires 43 passing an area other than a junction area 2b of a head slider area 2a, and a protection layer 50. A support pedestal 60 supporting a head slider 112 is conductive and is electrically connected to the metallic support layer 20. The support pedestal 60 has a placing surface 61 on which the head slider 112 is placed. A top surface 52a of a pedestal protection part 52 covering the placing surface 61 of the support pedestal 60 is located above a top surface 51a of a wiring protection part 51 covering a top surface 43a of the wires 43 in the head slider area 2a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, a hard disk drive, and a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate. The present invention relates to a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, a hard disk drive, and a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate that can be displaced with high accuracy.

  Generally, a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a suspension substrate (flexure) on which a magnetic head slider for writing and reading data to and from a disk storing data is mounted. The suspension substrate is formed to extend from a head region on which the magnetic head slider is mounted to a tail region connected to an FPC substrate (flexible printed circuit board), and a metal support layer and an insulating layer on the metal support layer And a wiring layer having a plurality of wirings stacked via each other, and by writing an electric signal through each wiring, data is written to or read from the disk.

  In such a hard disk drive, in order to move the magnetic head slider to a desired data track on the disk, a VCM actuator (voice coil motor) that rotates an actuator arm that supports the magnetic head slider is provided by a servo control system. I have control.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for an increase in disk capacity. In order to meet this demand, the density of the disk is increased and the width of the track is reduced. For this reason, it may be difficult to accurately align the magnetic head slider to a desired track by the VCM actuator.

  In order to cope with this, a dual actuator type suspension is known in which a VCM actuator and a PZT microactuator (Dual Stage Actuator: DSA) cooperate to move a magnetic head slider to a desired track (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). This PZT microactuator is composed of a piezo element (piezoelectric element) made of PZT (lead zirconate titanate), and expands and contracts when a voltage is applied to move the magnetic head slider minutely. In such a dual actuator type suspension, the VCM actuator roughly adjusts the position of the magnetic head slider, and the PZT microactuator finely adjusts the position of the magnetic head slider. In this way, the magnetic head slider is aligned with a desired track quickly and accurately.

  In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a piezoelectric element is mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate. In this case, since the piezo element can be disposed close to the head slider, it is possible to improve the accuracy of alignment of the head slider. The wiring passes under the head slider while being curved in a plane, and the expansion / contraction operation of the piezoelectric element is suppressed from being hindered by the rigidity of the wiring.

JP 2010-146631 A JP 2012-99204 A

  As described above, in the suspension substrate in which the wiring passes under the head slider, when the head slider comes into contact with the protective layer covering the wiring, this contact hinders the expansion / contraction operation of the piezo element, thereby There is a problem that it is difficult to displace well.

  In order to cope with this, in Patent Document 1, a polyimide second upper layer is further provided on a protective layer (polyimide first upper layer) laminated on a metal support layer via an insulating layer (polyimide lower layer) and a wiring layer. A head slider is placed on the second polyimide upper layer. However, when such a polyimide second upper layer is formed, a polyimide material is applied over the entire surface of the suspension substrate and then etched. Therefore, in order to form the polyimide second upper layer, there is a problem that many unnecessary polyimide materials are used, which is not preferable in terms of manufacturing efficiency.

  Moreover, in Patent Document 2, a gap is formed between the head slider and the protective layer covering the wiring by forming a thin region where the thickness of the insulating layer is reduced in a region below the head slider. The slider is prevented from contacting the protective layer. However, although such a suspension substrate can be manufactured by a specific manufacturing method such as an additive method, there is a problem that a manufacturing process becomes complicated and manufacturing efficiency decreases depending on other manufacturing methods such as a subtractive method.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and can prevent displacement of the actuator element provided in the head region from being hindered and can displace the head slider with high accuracy and is easy. It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, a hard disk drive, and a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate that can be manufactured.

  The present invention provides a head region in which a head slider and a telescopic actuator element that displaces the head slider are mounted, the head slider region covered by the mounted head slider, and the head slider region In a suspension substrate having a head region including a bonding region to which the head slider is bonded, a metal support layer, an insulating layer provided on the metal support layer, and provided on the insulating layer A wiring layer having a plurality of wires passing through a region other than the bonding region in the head slider region, a protective layer provided on the insulating layer and covering the wiring, and the head disposed on the protective layer A support pedestal for supporting the slider, the support pedestal having conductivity and electrically connected to the metal support layer, The holding pedestal has a mounting surface on which the head slider is mounted, and the protective layer covers a wiring protection portion that covers an upper surface of the wiring in the head slider region and the mounting surface described above of the support pedestal. And a pedestal protection part, and the upper surface of the pedestal protection part is disposed above the upper surface of the wiring protection part.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the mounting surface of the support pedestal is disposed above the upper surface of the wiring in the head slider region, and the wiring protection portion and the pedestal protection portion of the protective layer are the same. It is preferable that it has thickness of.

  In the suspension substrate described above, it is preferable that the support base penetrates the insulating layer and the wiring layer and is electrically connected to the metal support layer.

  In the suspension board described above, the wiring layer has an element connection terminal for grounding the actuator element, and the support base penetrates the insulating layer and the element connection terminal. Is preferred.

  Further, in the suspension substrate described above, the insulating layer has an insulating edge provided in the head slider region to expose the metal support layer, and the support pedestal covers the insulating edge. It is preferable that it is formed on the metal support layer.

  In the suspension substrate described above, it is preferable that the support base is made of nickel.

  The present invention includes a base plate, the above-described suspension substrate attached to the base plate via a load beam, and the actuator element mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate. To provide a suspension.

  The present invention provides a suspension with a head comprising the above-described suspension and a head slider mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate.

  The present invention provides a hard disk drive including the above-described suspension with a head.

  The present invention provides a head region in which a head slider and a telescopic actuator element that displaces the head slider are mounted, the head slider region covered by the mounted head slider, and the head slider region In a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate having a head region including a bonding region to which the head slider is bonded, a metal supporting layer, an insulating layer provided on the metal supporting layer, and the insulating layer And a wiring layer having a plurality of wirings that pass through a region other than the bonding region in the head slider region, and forming the wiring on the insulating layer of the multilayered body. Forming a protective layer for covering, and in the step of forming the laminated body, the head slice disposed on the protective layer. A support pedestal that supports the substrate, has conductivity, is electrically connected to the metal support layer, has a mounting surface on which the head slider is mounted, and forms the protective layer In the step of performing, the protective layer is formed to have a wiring protection portion that covers the wiring in the head slider region, and a pedestal protection portion that covers the mounting surface of the support pedestal. An upper surface is disposed above the upper surface of the wiring protection part. A method for manufacturing a suspension substrate is provided.

  In the suspension substrate manufacturing method described above, the step of forming the stacked body includes a step of forming a wiring layer through hole penetrating the wiring layer and an insulating layer through hole penetrating the insulating layer. Preferably, the method includes a step and a step of forming the support base in the wiring layer through hole and the insulating layer through hole.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the expansion / contraction operation of the actuator element provided in the head region from being hindered, and to displace the head slider with high accuracy and to easily manufacture the head slider.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a suspension with a head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a head region in the suspension with a head shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a hard disk drive including the suspension with a head shown in FIG. 5A to 5E are views showing an example of a method for manufacturing the suspension substrate of FIG. 6 (a) to 6 (c) are diagrams illustrating an example of a manufacturing method of the suspension substrate of FIG. 1 following FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG.

  A manufacturing method of a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, a hard disk drive, and a suspension substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings attached to the present specification, for the sake of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale, the vertical / horizontal dimension ratio, and the like are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual ones.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension with head 111 includes a suspension 101 and a head slider 112 mounted on the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1. Of these, the head slider 112 is for writing and reading data on a disk 123 (see FIG. 4) described later, and is bonded to the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1 described later using an adhesive. ing. The head slider 112 has a slider terminal 112b and is electrically connected to the head terminal 41 by solder 113 (see FIG. 3).

  The suspension 101 is mounted on the base plate 102, the load beam 103 attached on the base plate 102, the suspension substrate 1 attached to the load beam 103, and the head region 2 and connected to the suspension substrate 1. A piezo element (actuator element) 104. Of these, the base plate 102 and the load beam 103 are both preferably made of stainless steel and are fixed to each other by welding.

  The load beam 103 is attached to the metal support layer 20 (described later) of the suspension substrate 1 by welding. The load beam 103 is provided with a jig hole (not shown), and the suspension substrate 1 is aligned with the jig hole of the load beam 103 as shown in FIG. A jig hole 5 for performing the above is provided. Thus, when the load beam 103 is attached to the suspension substrate 1, the suspension substrate 1 and the load beam 103 can be aligned. The jig hole of the load beam 103 and the jig hole 5 of the suspension substrate 1 are arranged on the longitudinal axis (X) shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the piezo element 104 is configured to expand and contract in the longitudinal direction (P direction in FIG. 2), and the head slider 112 is displaced in the sway direction (swivel direction, arrow Q direction in FIG. 2). It is for making it happen. In addition, the piezo element 104 is disposed in the vicinity of the head slider 112. As shown in FIG. 3, each piezo element 104 includes a pair of electrodes 104a and a piezoelectric material portion 104b provided between the pair of electrodes 104a and made of a piezoelectric ceramic such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate). Have.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one electrode 104a of the pair of electrodes 104a is connected to a first element connection terminal 45 (described later) of the suspension substrate 1 via a conductive adhesive 105 (for example, silver paste). )It is connected to the. The first element connection terminal 45 is connected to the metal support layer 20 via a support base 60 (described later) and grounded. The other electrode 104 a is connected to a second element connection terminal 46 (described later) of the suspension substrate 1 via a conductive adhesive 105. The second element connection terminal 46 is connected to an element wiring 44 which will be described later, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the second element connection terminal 46 in order to expand and contract the piezo element 104.

  The piezoelectric material portions 104b of the pair of piezo elements 104 are formed to have polarization directions different from each other by 180 °. When a predetermined voltage is applied, one piezo element 104 contracts and the other piezo element 104 104 extends. That is, the piezo element 104 is configured as a piezoelectric element that can expand and contract in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 2 when a predetermined voltage is applied between the electrodes 104a.

  As shown in FIG. 1, such a piezo element 104 is formed in an elongated rectangular shape along the longitudinal axis (X), and its expansion / contraction direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis (X). ing. The piezo elements 104 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis (X) so that the expansion and contraction of each piezo element 104 is evenly transmitted to the head slider 112.

  Next, the suspension substrate 1 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension substrate 1 includes a head region (gimbal region) 2 on which the head slider 112 and the piezoelectric element 104 are mounted, and a tail region 3 to which an FPC substrate (external connection substrate) 131 is connected. ,have. The head region 2 is provided with a plurality of head terminals 41 connected to the head slider 112, and the tail region 3 is provided with a plurality of tail terminals (external connection substrate terminals) 42 connected to the FPC board 131. Yes. The head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42 are respectively connected by a plurality of signal wirings 43 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the head region 2 includes a head slider region 2 a covered by the head slider 112 and a joining region 2 b that is disposed in the head slider region 2 a and to which the head slider 112 is joined. Here, the head slider region 2a means a region of the suspension substrate 1 that overlaps the head slider 112 in plan view when the head slider 112 is mounted. The bonding region 2b means a region where an adhesive for bonding the head slider 112 to the head slider region 2a is applied. The signal wiring 43 does not pass through the junction region 2b. For this reason, the head slider 112 mounted in the head region 2 is prevented from being directly joined to the signal wiring 43, and the head slider 112 performs relative movement with respect to the signal wiring 43 by the expansion and contraction of the piezo element 104. Be able to.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the suspension substrate 1 includes a metal support layer 20, an insulating layer 10 provided on the metal support layer 20, and a plurality of wirings 43 and 44 provided on the insulating layer 10. And a protective layer 50 that is provided on the insulating layer 10 and covers the wirings 43 and 44. That is, the protective layer 50 is laminated on the metal support layer 20 via the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the head slider 112 described above is disposed on the protective layer 50 side (on the protective layer 50) of the suspension substrate 1, and the piezo element 104 is disposed on the metal support layer 20 side. . In FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective layer 50 is omitted for the sake of clarity.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the metal support layer 20 includes a metal support layer main body 21 and a tongue portion 22 that is disposed in the head region 2 and to which the head slider 112 is attached. The metal support layer main body 21 and the tongue portion 22 are connected by a pair of outer connecting portions 23. Further, the metal support layer main body 21 and the tongue portion 22 are also connected by a central connecting portion 24 disposed between the pair of outer connecting portions 23. The outer connecting portion 23 and the central connecting portion 24 have flexibility and prevent the pivot movement of the head slider 112 from being hindered, and prevent the expansion and contraction operation of the piezo element 104 from being hindered. doing. An accommodation opening 25 for accommodating the piezo element 104 is provided between each outer coupling portion 23 and the central coupling portion 24.

  The wiring layer 40 includes a plurality of wirings, that is, a signal wiring 43 including a pair of reading wirings and a pair of writing wirings, and a pair of element wirings 44 connected to the piezoelectric element 104. Among these, the signal wiring 43 connects the head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42, and when an electric signal flows through the signal wiring 43, the head slider 112 performs data transfer to the disk 123 (see FIG. 4). Write or read. The signal wiring 43 passes through a region other than the bonding region 2b in the head slider region 2a, that is, a region below the head slider 112 to be mounted. More specifically, the signal wiring 43 extending from the tail terminal 42 passes between a first element connection terminal 45 and a second element connection terminal 46 described later, and passes between the two first element connection terminals 45. , Extending toward the head terminal 41. On the other hand, the element wiring 44 extending from the tail terminal 42 is connected to the second element connection terminal 46, and applies a predetermined voltage to one electrode 104 a of the piezo element 104.

  The wiring layer 40 includes a first element connection terminal (element connection terminal) 45 connected to one electrode 104a of the piezo element 104, a second element connection terminal 46 connected to the other electrode 104a of the piezo element 104, have. Among these, the first element connection terminal 45 is for grounding the corresponding electrode 104a of the piezo element 104 and grounding the piezo element 104, and the metal support layer 20 via the support pedestal 60 described later. This is electrically connected to the tongue portion 22. As described above, the second element connection terminal 46 is for applying a predetermined voltage to the corresponding electrode 104a of the piezo element 104, and the element wiring 44 is connected to the second element connection terminal 46. Yes. The first element connection terminal 45 is disposed in the head slider region 2 a and is supported by the tongue portion 22. On the other hand, the second element connection terminal 46 is disposed closer to the tail region 3 than the head slider region 2 a and is supported by the metal support layer body 21.

  Further, the wiring layer 40 has a wiring pedestal portion 47 through which a support pedestal 60 described later passes. The wiring base 47 is disposed in the head slider area 2a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating layer 10 is provided with a terminal opening 11 that exposes the element connection terminals 45 and 46 to the piezoelectric element 104 side. A plating layer 70 formed by performing nickel (Ni) plating and gold (Au) plating in this order on the portion of the element connection terminals 45 and 46 exposed to the terminal opening 11 is provided. This prevents the element connection terminals 45 and 46 from being corroded. The head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42 are similarly provided with a plating layer 70.

  A conductive adhesive 105 is applied to the terminal opening 11, and the electrode 104 a of the piezo element 104 accommodated in the accommodation opening 25 is connected. The contact resistance between the element connection terminals 45 and 46 and the conductive adhesive 105 is reduced by providing the plating layer 70. The piezo element 104 is joined to the suspension substrate 1 by a non-conductive adhesive (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a support base 60 that supports the head slider 112 is provided in the head region 2. The support pedestal 60 has conductivity and is electrically connected to the tongue portion 22 of the metal support layer 30. Further, the support base 60 has a placement surface 61 on which the head slider 112 is placed. The mounting surface 61 is disposed above the upper surface (the surface on the head slider 112 side) 43a of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2a. In addition, the recessed part 64 is formed in the mounting surface 61 of the support base 60 shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the support pedestal 60 includes a pedestal penetrating portion 62 that penetrates the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer 40 (more specifically, the first element connection terminal 45 and the wiring pedestal portion 47), and a pedestal penetrating portion. And a base protrusion 63 that is formed integrally with the protrusion 62 and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the wiring layer 40. Of these, the pedestal penetrating portion 62 is formed in the insulating layer through hole 12 that penetrates the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer through hole 48 that penetrates the wiring layer 40. Since the base protrusion 63 protrudes above the wiring layer 40, the upper surface of the base protrusion 63, that is, the placement surface 61 is arranged above the upper surface 43 a of the signal wiring 43.

  In this way, the support pedestal 60 penetrates the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer 40 and is electrically connected to the tongue portion 22. In the present embodiment, five support pedestals 60 are provided in the head region 2, and two of the support pedestals 60 are provided through the first element connection terminals 45. The two support bases 60 can ground the first element connection terminal 45. Further, the remaining three support bases 60 are provided through the wiring base 47. The three support bases 60 can ground the wiring base 47.

  The support pedestal 60 is covered with a protective layer 50. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the protective layer 50 includes a wiring protection part 51 that covers the upper surface 43 a of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2 a and a pedestal protection part 52 that covers the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 60. Have. Among these, the upper surface 52 a of the base protection unit 52 is disposed above the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51. That is, the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 are separated from each other, and a gap (g) is formed between the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51. In the present embodiment, the protective layer 50 is formed so as to cover the base protrusion 63.

  The wiring protection part 51 and the base protection part 52 have the same thickness. That is, when the wiring protection part 51 and the base protection part 52 have the same thickness, the mounting surface 61 of the support base 60 is disposed above the upper surface 43a of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2a. Thus, the upper surface 52 a of the base protection unit 52 can be disposed above the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51. Here, the same is not limited to the same in a strict sense, but is used to include a manufacturing error or the like that can be regarded as substantially the same.

  Next, materials constituting each layer of the suspension substrate 1 will be described in detail.

  The material of the insulating layer 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having a desired insulating property. For example, it is preferable to use polyimide (PI). Note that the material of the insulating layer 10 can be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. Moreover, it is preferable that the thickness of the insulating layer 10 is 5 micrometers-10 micrometers. As a result, the insulation performance between the metal support layer 20 and the wirings 43 and 44 can be ensured, and loss of the rigidity of the suspension substrate 1 as a whole can be prevented.

  The wirings 43 and 44 of the wiring layer 40 are configured as conductors for transmitting electrical signals, and the materials of the wirings 43 and 44 are particularly limited as long as they have a desired conductivity. However, it is preferable to use copper (Cu). In addition to copper, any material having electrical characteristics similar to pure copper can be used. Here, it is preferable that the thickness of each wiring 43 and 44 is 5 micrometers-18 micrometers. As a result, it is possible to ensure the transmission characteristics of the wirings 43 and 44 and to prevent the flexibility of the suspension substrate 1 as a whole from being lost. The head terminal 41, the tail terminal 42, the element connection terminals 45 and 46, and the wiring pedestal 47 have the same material and the same thickness as the wirings 43 and 44, and constitute the wiring layer 40.

  The material of the metal support layer 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has desired conductivity, elasticity, and strength. For example, stainless steel, 42 alloy, aluminum, beryllium copper, or other copper Alloys can be used, and among these, stainless steel is preferred. The thickness of the metal support layer 20 is preferably 15 μm to 20 μm. As a result, the conductivity, rigidity, and elasticity of the metal support layer 20 can be ensured.

  As a material of the protective layer 50, it is preferable to use a resin material, for example, polyimide. The material of the protective layer 50 can be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. The thickness of the protective layer 50 is preferably 3 μm to 10 μm on the wirings 43 and 44 and the mounting surface 61 of the support base 60.

  The material of the support pedestal 60 is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity, but the support pedestal 60 is preferably formed of, for example, nickel or copper. Preferably it is formed. In this case, it is advantageous in the manufacturing process. That is, when a ground terminal (not shown) for grounding the head slider 112 is provided in the head region 2, a ground via (not shown) for connecting the ground terminal and the metal support layer 20 is provided. ) May be provided. Such a ground via is usually made of nickel. For this reason, in the process of forming the ground via, the support pedestal 60 can be formed, and the manufacturing process can be prevented from becoming complicated. The thickness of the base protrusion 63 of the support base 60 is preferably 1 to 20 μm. In this case, the gap between the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 can be set to 1 to 20 μm.

  Next, the hard disk drive 121 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A hard disk drive 121 shown in FIG. 4 is attached to a case 122, a disk 123 that is rotatably attached to the case 122, stores data, a spindle motor 124 that rotates the disk 123, and a desired flying height on the disk 123. And a suspension 111 with a head including a head slider 112 that writes and reads data to and from the disk 123. Of these, the suspension with head 111 is movably attached to the case 122, and a voice coil motor 125 that moves the head slider 112 of the suspension with head 111 along the disk 123 is attached to the case 122. Yes. The suspension with head 111 is attached to the voice coil motor 125 via an arm 126, and is connected to an FPC board 131 (see FIG. 1) connected to a control unit (not shown) that controls the hard disk drive 121. ing. In this way, an electrical signal is transmitted between the control unit and the head slider 112 via the suspension board 1 and the FPC board 131.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension substrate 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, the case where it manufactures by a subtractive method is demonstrated as an example.

  First, the 1st laminated body 81 which has the metal support layer 20, the insulating layer 10 provided on the metal support layer 20, and the wiring layer 40 provided on the insulating layer 10 is prepared (FIG. 5 (a). )reference). In this case, first, the metal support layer 20 is prepared, and the insulating layer 10 is formed on the metal support layer 20 by a coating method using non-photosensitive polyimide. Subsequently, nickel, chromium and copper are sequentially formed on the insulating layer 10 by a sputtering method to form a seed layer (not shown). Thereafter, the wiring layer 40 is formed by copper plating using the seed layer as a conductive medium. Thus, the 1st laminated body 81 which has the insulating layer 10, the metal support layer 20, and the wiring layer 40 is obtained.

  After the first stacked body 81 is prepared, the wiring layer 40 and the metal support layer 20 are etched (see FIG. 5B). In this case, a patterned resist (not shown) is formed using a dry film by a photofabrication technique, and exposed portions of the wiring layer 40 and the metal support layer 20 are ferric chloride aqueous solution or the like. Etched with a corrosive solution. In this way, the wiring layer 40 and the metal support layer 20 having a desired shape are formed. That is, in the wiring layer 40, the wirings 43 and 44, the element connection terminals 45 and 46, the wiring base 47, the head terminal 41, the tail terminal 42, and the wiring layer through hole 48 are formed. Further, in the metal support layer 20, an accommodation opening 25 is formed at a portion corresponding to the terminal opening 11 of the insulating layer 10 to be formed later. Thereafter, the resist is removed.

  After the etching process of the wiring layer 40 and the metal support layer 20, the insulating layer through-hole 12 is formed in the insulating layer 10 (see FIG. 5C). In this case, a patterned resist (not shown) is first formed, and the exposed portion of the insulating layer 10 is etched to form the insulating layer through-hole 12. Here, the method of etching the insulating layer 10 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to perform wet etching. In particular, the etching solution is preferably selected as appropriate according to the type of material of the insulating layer 10. For example, when the insulating layer 10 is formed of a polyimide resin, an alkaline etching such as an organic alkaline etching solution is used. A liquid can be used. After the etching is performed, the resist is removed.

  After the insulating layer through-hole 12 is formed, the support base 60 is formed (see FIG. 5D). In this case, first, a patterned resist (not shown) is formed. Subsequently, the portion exposed from the resist is subjected to acid cleaning, and the portion is subjected to nickel plating by an electrolytic plating method to form the support base 60. Thereafter, the resist is removed.

  Thus, the 2nd laminated body (laminated body) 82 which has the metal support layer 20, the insulating layer 10, the wiring layer 40, and the support base 60 is obtained.

  After the support pedestal 60 is formed, a protective layer 50 having a desired shape is formed on the insulating layer 10 of the second stacked body 82 to cover the wirings 43 and 44 of the wiring layer 40 and the support pedestal 60 (FIG. 5). (See (e)). In this case, non-photosensitive polyimide is applied onto the insulating layer 10, the wiring layer 20, and the support base 60 using a die coater, and dried to form the protective layer 50. Subsequently, a patterned resist (not shown) is formed, the exposed portion of the protective layer 50 is etched, and the protective layer 50 is thermally cured. In this way, a protective layer 50 having a desired shape having the wiring protection part 51 and the pedestal protection part 52 is obtained. The method for etching the protective layer 50 is not particularly limited as in the method for etching the insulating layer 10, but wet etching is preferably performed. In particular, the etching solution is preferably appropriately selected according to the type of material of the protective layer 50. For example, when the protective layer 50 is formed of a polyimide resin, an alkaline etching such as an organic alkaline etching solution is used. A liquid can be used. Thereafter, the resist is removed.

  After the protective layer 50 is obtained, the insulating layer 10 is trimmed into a desired shape, and the terminal opening 11 that exposes the element connection terminals 45 and 46 is formed (see FIG. 6A). In this case, the etching process can be performed in the same manner as the etching process for forming the insulating layer through-hole 12 shown in FIG. After the etching is performed, the resist is removed.

  After the outer shape processing of the insulating layer 10, a plating layer 70 is formed on the element connection terminals 45 and 46 (see FIG. 6B). In this case, first, a patterned resist (not shown) is formed. Subsequently, the portion exposed from the resist is subjected to acid cleaning, and nickel plating and gold plating are sequentially performed on the portion by electrolytic plating to form a plating layer 70. At this time, the plating layer 70 is similarly formed on the head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42 (see FIG. 1). The plating method is not limited to the electrolytic plating method, and an immersion plating method, a jig plating method, or the like can also be used. Thereafter, the resist is removed.

  After the plating layer 70 is formed, the metal support layer 20 is trimmed (see FIG. 6C). In this case, first, a patterned resist (not shown) is formed. Subsequently, for example, a portion of the metal support layer 20 exposed from the resist is etched by an iron chloride-based etching solution, and the metal support layer 20 is processed into a desired shape. That is, the metal support layer main body 21, the tongue portion 22, the outer connecting portion 23, the central connecting portion 24, and the like are formed. Thereafter, the resist is removed.

  In this way, the suspension substrate 1 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension 101 using the suspension substrate 1 obtained as described above will be described.

  First, the above-described suspension substrate 1 is attached to the base plate 102 via the load beam 103 by welding. In this case, first, the load beam 103 is fixed to the base plate 102 by welding, then, a jig hole (not shown) provided in the load beam 103 and a jig hole 5 provided in the suspension substrate 1. Thus, alignment of the load beam 103 and the suspension substrate 1 is performed. Thereafter, the metal support layer 20 of the suspension substrate 1 is welded, and the load beam 103 and the suspension substrate 1 are joined and fixed to each other.

  Next, the piezo element 104 is mounted on the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1. In this case, first, the conductive adhesive 105 is applied to the terminal opening 11 of the insulating layer 10. Subsequently, the piezoelectric element 104 is accommodated in the accommodation opening 25. As a result, the electrode 104 a of the piezo element 104 is connected to the conductive adhesive 105. Next, a non-conductive adhesive (not shown) is applied. Thereafter, the conductive adhesive 105 and the non-conductive adhesive are cured. As a result, the piezo element 104 is bonded to the suspension substrate 1.

  In this way, the suspension 101 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  Thereafter, the head slider 112 is mounted on the obtained suspension 101. In this case, first, an adhesive is applied to the joining region 2 b of the head region 2, and the head slider 112 is joined to the head region 2. Subsequently, the head terminal 41 and the slider terminal 112 b of the head slider 112 are connected by solder 113. Thus, the suspension with head 111 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  Further, the suspension with head 111 is attached to the arm 126 of the hard disk drive 121, and the FPC board 131 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the tail terminal 42 of the suspension board 1 to obtain the hard disk drive 121 shown in FIG. It is done.

  When writing and reading data in the hard disk drive 121 shown in FIG. 4, the disk 123 is rotated by the spindle motor 124, and the head slider 112 of the suspension with head 111 is moved along the disk 123 by the voice coil motor 125. At this time, the head slider 112 floats while maintaining a desired flying height on the disk 123 while performing a pivot motion together with the tongue 22 under the influence of the airflow generated by the rotation of the disk 123. In this state, data is exchanged between the head slider 112 and the disk 123. During this time, an electrical signal is transmitted between the head slider 112 and a control unit (not shown) connected to the FPC board 131 via the suspension board 1 and the FPC board 131. Such an electrical signal is transmitted between the head terminal 41 (see FIG. 1) and the tail terminal 42 by each signal wiring 43 in the suspension board 1.

  When moving the head slider 112, the voice coil motor 125 roughly adjusts the position of the head slider 112, and the piezo element 104 finely adjusts the position of the head slider 112. That is, by applying a predetermined voltage to the electrode 104a of the piezo element 104, one piezo element 104 contracts in the direction along the longitudinal axis (X) (the direction of arrow P in FIG. 2) and the other piezo element 104 Element 104 expands. In this case, a predetermined voltage is input to the piezoelectric element 104 via the element wiring 44, the second element connection terminal 46, and the conductive adhesive 105.

  When the piezo element 104 expands and contracts, the outer connecting portion 23 and the central connecting portion 24 of the metal support layer 20 are elastically deformed, and the head slider 112 mounted on the head region 2 moves in the sway direction (arrow Q direction in FIG. 2). To do. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the gap (g) is formed between the lower surface 112 a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51, so that the head slider 112 is connected to the wiring protection unit 51. It can move relatively. In this manner, the expansion / contraction operation of the piezo element 104 is prevented from being hindered, and the head slider 112 can be accurately aligned with a desired track of the disk 123.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the upper surface 52a of the pedestal protection unit 52 that covers the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 60 on which the head slider 112 is mounted has the upper surface 43a of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2a. It is arranged above the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 to be covered. Thus, a gap (g) can be formed between the lower surface 112 a of the head slider 112 supported by the support base 60 and the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51. For this reason, when the piezo element 104 expands and contracts, it is possible to prevent the expansion and contraction operation of the piezo element 104 from being hindered by contact between the head slider 112 and the wiring protection unit 51. As a result, it is possible to prevent the expansion / contraction operation of the piezo element 104 provided in the head region 2 from being hindered and to displace the head slider 112 with high accuracy.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 60 is disposed above the upper surface 43a of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2a, and the wiring protection part 51 and the pedestal protection part 52 of the protective layer 50 are arranged. Have the same thickness. As a result, the upper surface 52 a of the pedestal protection part 52 of the protective layer 50 can be disposed above the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection part 51. That is, when the wiring protective part 51 and the pedestal protective part 52 of the protective layer 50 have the same thickness, the upper surface 52a of the pedestal protective part 52 is changed by changing the height of the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 60. The gap (g) between the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 can be adjusted. The height of the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 60 can be easily adjusted by changing the plating conditions (for example, plating time) of nickel plating when the support pedestal 60 is formed. For this reason, the gap (g) between the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 can be adjusted easily. For example, when the bending in the thickness direction of the signal wiring 43 increases when the piezoelectric element 104 expands and contracts, the height of the mounting surface 61 of the support base 60 is easily increased so as to increase the gap (g). can do. In this case, contact between the head slider 112 and the wiring protection part 51 can be prevented more reliably.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the support pedestal 60 has conductivity, penetrates through the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer 40 (the first element connection terminal 45 and the wiring pedestal 47), and supports the metal. Connected to the tongue 22 of the layer 20. Thus, the support pedestal 60 can be electrically connected to the tongue 22 and the portion of the wiring layer 40 through which the support pedestal 60 passes can be grounded. For this reason, the portion of the wiring layer 40 through which the support base 60 passes can be prevented from becoming electrically unstable, and the electrical characteristics of the signal wiring 43 can be stabilized.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, of the five support bases 60, the two support bases 60 penetrate the first element connection terminals 45. As a result, not only the function of supporting the head slider 112 but also the function of grounding the piezo element 104 can be given to the two support bases 60, and the structure of the head region 2 can be simplified. it can.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the head slider 112 is placed on the placement surface 61 of the support pedestal 60 via the pedestal protection part 52 of the protective layer 50. This can prevent the electrically conductive support base 60 from being electrically connected to the head slider 112. Here, when the support pedestal 60 formed of nickel, which is a magnetic material, is electrically connected to the head slider 112, the ground current of the head slider 112 flows through the support pedestal 60, and thereby the disk of the hard disk drive 121. There is a possibility that the data written in 123 may be damaged. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, as described above, since the support base 60 and the head slider 112 are prevented from being electrically connected, the data on the disk 123 is prevented from being damaged. Can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the support pedestal 60 for enabling the gap (g) to be formed between the lower surface 112a of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 on the signal wiring 43, for example, It can be formed by metal plating such as nickel plating. For this reason, the suspension substrate 1 having the support base 60 can be easily manufactured. In particular, when the support base 60 is made of nickel, the same process as a ground via (not shown) for connecting a ground terminal (not shown) for grounding the head slider 112 to the metal support layer 20 is performed. Can be formed. In this case, complication of the manufacturing process can be prevented.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the head slider 112 is supported by the support base 60 that can reduce the planar area. Here, when a thin region is formed in the insulating layer 10 as shown in Patent Document 2, a cross section around the thin region is formed in a tapered shape. In this case, the plane area required for forming the thin area is increased, and the arrangement of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider area 2a and the support position of the head slider 112 can be restricted. However, according to the present embodiment, as described above, the head slider 112 is supported by the support base 60 that can reduce the plane area. As a result, it is possible to prevent the arrangement of the signal wiring 43 in the head slider region 2a from being restricted. Further, the arrangement of the support pedestal 60 can be provided with flexibility, and the support pedestal 60 can be pinpointed at a position effective for supporting the head slider 112.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the suspension substrate is manufactured by the subtractive method has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the suspension substrate can be manufactured by an additive method. In this case, for example, the first element connection terminal 45 and the wiring pedestal 47 are formed so as to enter the insulating layer through-hole 12, and the support pedestal 60 is formed on the first element connection terminal 45 and the wiring pedestal 47. A support base 60 electrically connected to the metal support layer 20 can be obtained. That is, the suspension substrate 1 according to the present invention can be manufactured not only by the subtractive method but also by the additive method, and can be easily manufactured by various methods.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment mentioned above, the base protrusion part 63 of the support base 60 demonstrated the example covered with the protective layer 50. As shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the mounting surface 61 of the base protrusion 63 is covered with the protective layer 50, and the side surface of the base protrusion 63 is exposed without being covered with the protective layer 50. May be.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment mentioned above, the example in which the five support bases 60 were provided was demonstrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of support bases 60 that support the head slider 112 can be arbitrarily set. Further, the two support pedestals 60 among the five support pedestals 60 are not limited to the example provided through the first element connection terminals 45, and the five support pedestals 60 are both the wiring pedestal portion 47. May be provided so as to pass through.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment mentioned above, the support base 60 demonstrated the example which penetrates the insulating layer 10 and the wiring layer 40. FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the support base 60 can be configured as shown in FIG.

  In other words, in the form shown in FIG. 7, the insulating layer 10 has the insulating edge 13 provided in the head slider region 2a so that the tongue 22 of the metal support layer 20 is exposed upward (on the head slider 112 side). A support base 65 having a mounting surface 61 is formed on the tongue 22 so as to cover the insulating edge 13. The support pedestal 65 having such a configuration is also preferably formed by nickel plating in the same manner as the support pedestal 60. Further, a pedestal protection part 52 of the protective layer 50 is formed on the mounting surface 61 of the support pedestal 65 in the same manner as in the present embodiment described above.

  Also in the form shown in FIG. 7, a gap (g) can be formed between the lower surface 112 a of the head slider 112 supported by the support base 65 and the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51, and the head region 2 can be formed. It is possible to prevent the expansion / contraction operation of the provided piezo element 104 from being hindered and to displace the head slider 112 with high accuracy. In addition, even when the deflection in the thickness direction of the signal wiring 43 increases when the piezo element 114 expands and contracts, by providing a support base 65 as shown in FIG. 7 in the head slider region 2a, an insulating edge portion is provided. 13 can be prevented from being peeled off from the tongue 22, and the adhesion of the insulating edge 13 to the tongue 22 can be improved.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the suspension substrate, the suspension, the suspension with a head, the hard disk drive, and the suspension substrate manufacturing method according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments. Instead, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Suspension board | substrate 2 Head area | region 2a Head slider area | region 2b Joint area | region 10 Insulating layer 12 Insulating layer through-hole 13 Insulating edge 20 Metal support layer 40 Wiring layer 43 Signal wiring 43a Upper surface 45 1st element connection terminal 48 Wiring layer through-hole 50 Protective layer 51 Wiring protector 51a Top surface 52 Base protector 52a Top surface 60 Support base 61 Placement surface 82 Second laminated body 101 Suspension 102 Base plate 103 Load beam 104 Piezo element 111 Suspension with head 112 Head slider 121 Hard disk drive

Claims (11)

A head region in which a head slider and a telescopic actuator element that displaces the head slider are mounted, the head slider region covered by the mounted head slider, and the head slider region disposed in the head slider region; In a suspension substrate having a head region including a bonding region to which a head slider is bonded,
A metal support layer;
An insulating layer provided on the metal support layer;
A wiring layer provided on the insulating layer and having a plurality of wires passing through a region other than the bonding region in the head slider region;
A protective layer provided on the insulating layer and covering the wiring;
A support pedestal for supporting the head slider disposed on the protective layer, the support pedestal having conductivity and electrically connected to the metal support layer,
The support pedestal has a mounting surface on which the head slider is mounted;
The protective layer includes a wiring protection portion that covers an upper surface of the wiring in the head slider region, and a pedestal protection portion that covers a placement surface of the support pedestal,
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the pedestal protection unit is disposed above an upper surface of the wiring protection unit. The mounting surface of the support pedestal is disposed above the upper surface of the wiring in the head slider region,
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the wiring protection portion and the pedestal protection portion of the protection layer have the same thickness.   The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the support base penetrates the insulating layer and the wiring layer and is electrically connected to the metal support layer. The wiring layer has an element connection terminal for grounding the actuator element;
The suspension substrate according to claim 3, wherein the support base passes through the insulating layer and the element connection terminal. The insulating layer has an insulating edge provided in the head slider region and exposing the metal support layer;
3. The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the support base is formed on the metal support layer so as to cover the insulating edge portion. 4.   6. The suspension board according to claim 1, wherein the support base is made of nickel. A base plate;
The suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, attached to the base plate via a load beam;
And the actuator element mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate. The suspension according to claim 7;
And a head slider mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate.   A hard disk drive comprising the suspension with a head according to claim 8. A head region in which a head slider and a telescopic actuator element that displaces the head slider are mounted, the head slider region covered by the mounted head slider, and the head slider region disposed in the head slider region; In a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate having a head region including a bonding region to which a head slider is bonded,
A metal support layer, an insulating layer provided on the metal support layer, and a wiring layer provided on the insulating layer and having a plurality of wirings passing through a region other than the bonding region in the head slider region. Forming a laminate having:
Forming a protective layer covering the wiring on the insulating layer of the laminate, and
In the step of forming the laminated body, the support pedestal that supports the head slider disposed on the protective layer, has conductivity, is electrically connected to the metal support layer, and the head slider is A support pedestal having a placement surface to be placed is formed,
In the step of forming the protective layer, the protective layer is formed to have a wiring protective part that covers the wiring in the head slider region, and a pedestal protective part that covers the mounting surface of the support pedestal,
A method for manufacturing a suspension substrate, wherein the upper surface of the pedestal protection portion is disposed above the upper surface of the wiring protection portion.   The step of forming the laminated body includes a step of forming a wiring layer through hole penetrating the wiring layer, a step of forming an insulating layer through hole penetrating the insulating layer, the wiring layer through hole and the insulating layer. The method for manufacturing a suspension substrate according to claim 10, further comprising: forming the support pedestal in a through hole.

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