JP6108093B2 - Suspension board, suspension, suspension with element, and hard disk - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension board used in a hard disk drive (HDD), a suspension using the suspension board, a suspension with an element, and a hard disk.

  In recent years, due to the spread of the Internet and the like, there has been a demand for an increase in the amount of information processing of personal computers and an increase in information processing speed, and along with this, the capacity of hard disk drives (HDD) incorporated in personal computers has increased. Increasing information transmission speed is required.

  In general, a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a suspension substrate on which a magnetic head slider for writing and reading data to and from a disk storing data is mounted. The suspension substrate generally includes a metal support substrate having a spring property, an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate, and a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer.

The suspension substrate has a substantially rectangular shape, and has a head portion for mounting an element such as a magnetic head slider at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a tail portion for connecting to an external circuit at the other end. Yes.
The wiring layer has a connection terminal connected to the element in the head portion. With recent demands for miniaturization of hard disk drives, the size of the connection terminals tends to be small, and when the connection terminals of each of the plurality of wiring layers are arranged adjacent to each other, The interval (pitch) between the connection terminals tends to be narrow.

  More recently, a recording method called a heat assist method has been developed in order to meet the demand for increasing the recording density of hard disk drives. When the thermal assist method is adopted, for example, a thermal assist element such as an LED element is stacked on the magnetic head slider, and the suspension substrate includes a thermal assist element and a connection terminal connected to the magnetic head slider. Further connecting terminals are required. In such a case, the size of the connection terminal may be reduced, or the interval (pitch) between the adjacent connection terminals may be reduced.

JP 2001-143409 A

By the way, after the element is mounted on the suspension board, it is necessary to inspect the conduction between the element and the wiring layer of the suspension board. Conventionally, an inspection probe is directly brought into contact with a connection terminal to which an element is connected, but as described above, the connection terminal size is reduced and the pitch between adjacent terminals is reduced. As a result, it has been difficult to accurately bring the inspection probe into contact with the target connection terminal. Further, the metal support substrate may be removed at the position where the connection terminal is provided. In this case, the connection terminal is not strong enough, and there is a problem that the connection terminal is deformed by contact with the inspection probe.
As shown in FIG. 13, a suspension substrate is also proposed in which an inspection portion having a plurality of inspection terminals is provided continuously to the tail portion of the suspension substrate (Patent Document 1). In such a case, a terminal having a sufficient area and arrangement pitch for contacting the inspection probe can be used, but the inspection portion is not required after the inspection, and therefore can be removed after the inspection. It is designed to be provided. That is, normally, the inspection part is provided on the side opposite to the head part with respect to the tail part, thereby increasing the length of the suspension substrate in the longitudinal direction. Since a suspension substrate is usually made of a plurality of suspension substrates from a sheet-like material, the length (increase in area) of each suspension substrate is the number (surface) that can be manufactured from a single material. Means a decrease in productivity, and productivity decreases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a suspension substrate that can be easily inspected for continuity, a suspension using the suspension substrate, a suspension with an element, and a hard disk.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means.
That is, according to the first invention, a metal supporting board, an insulating layer, a wiring layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated, and has a head portion for mounting the element at one end in the longitudinal direction and is connected to an external circuit at the other end. A suspension substrate having a tail portion, wherein the wiring layer includes a terminal portion connected to the element in the head portion, and a pad exposed from the protective layer and electrically connected to the terminal portion. The suspension substrate is characterized in that the width of the pad portion is larger than the width of the terminal portion.

  A second invention is a suspension substrate according to the first invention, comprising a plurality of the terminal portions, wherein the width of the pad portions is longer than an arrangement pitch of the adjacent terminal portions. is there.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, a metal support substrate, an insulating layer, a wiring layer, a second insulating layer, a second wiring layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated, and has a head portion for mounting an element at one end in the longitudinal direction. A suspension substrate having a tail portion connected to an external circuit at an end, wherein the second wiring layer is exposed from the terminal portion connected to the element and the protective layer in the head portion, and A suspension board having a pad portion electrically connected to a terminal portion, wherein the pad portion has a width larger than the width of the terminal portion.

  In a fourth aspect of the invention, a metal support substrate, an insulating layer, a wiring layer, a second insulating layer, a second wiring layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated, and a head portion for mounting an element is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction. A suspension substrate having a tail portion connected to an external circuit at an end, wherein in the head portion, the wiring layer and the second wiring layer are electrically connected via an interlayer connection portion, and the wiring layer Has a terminal part connected to the element, the second wiring layer has a pad part exposed from the protective layer and electrically connected to the terminal part, and the width of the pad part is the terminal The suspension substrate is larger than the width of the portion.

  A fifth invention is the suspension substrate according to the fourth invention, wherein the terminal portion is exposed on the insulating layer side and covered on the second insulating layer side.

  According to a sixth invention, in the fourth or fifth invention, the suspension is characterized in that the pad portion and the interlayer connection portion are formed so as to overlap each other in the thickness direction of the suspension substrate. Substrate.

  According to a seventh invention, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, the terminal portion is formed to protrude from the metal support substrate, and the metal support substrate is provided below the pad portion. The suspension substrate.

  An eighth invention is the suspension substrate according to any one of the first to seventh inventions, wherein the surface of the pad portion has gold plating.

  A ninth invention is the suspension substrate according to any one of the first to eighth inventions, wherein the pad portion is formed at a position closer to a tip side than an element mounting region on which an element is mounted. It is.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is a suspension including the suspension substrate according to any one of the first to ninth aspects and a load beam.

  An eleventh aspect of the invention is a suspension with a head including the suspension of the tenth aspect of the invention and a magnetic head slider mounted on the suspension.

  A twelfth invention is a hard disk drive including the eleventh suspension with a head.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the suspension board | substrate with an easy continuity test | inspection, the suspension using the said suspension board | substrate, a suspension with an element, and a hard disk can be provided.

It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the board | substrate for suspensions in one Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged plan view which shows the detail of the head part in an example of the board | substrate for suspensions of one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the detail of the terminal part of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 1st Embodiment of this invention, a pad part, and those vicinity, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is a top view which shows the example of the shape of the pad part of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the detail of the terminal part of the board | substrate for suspension in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, a pad part, and those vicinity, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the detail of the terminal part of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, a pad part, and those vicinity, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the suspension of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the suspension with a head of this invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a hard disk drive of the present invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the conventional board | substrate for suspensions.

  The suspension substrate, suspension, suspension with element, and hard disk of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[Suspension substrate]
First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a first embodiment of a suspension substrate according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a schematic plan view of the suspension substrate, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross section in XX of Fig.1 (a). As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension substrate 10 includes a metal support substrate 2, an insulating layer 3 provided on the metal support substrate 2, a wiring layer 4 provided on the insulating layer 3, and a wiring layer 4. And a protective layer 7 provided on the surface. In FIG. 1A, illustration of the protective layer 7 is omitted for explanation. Further, in FIG. 1A, since the wiring layer 4 is shown in a simplified manner, for example, the wiring layer in the XX section is shown as one, but the number of wirings is not limited to this, for example, As shown in FIG.1 (b), two may exist in XX part, and you may have a two-layer structure of two each on the upper and lower sides. In the case of a two-layer structure, a second insulating layer and a second wiring layer are sequentially stacked on the wiring layer 4 described above, and a protective layer is provided on the second wiring layer.

  One end of the wiring layer 4 extends to the element mounting region 13 of the head portion 11, and the other end extends to the external circuit connection region 14 of the tail portion 12. In the wiring layer 4, a terminal portion connected to an element mounted in the element mounting area 13 is formed in the vicinity of the element mounting area 13 of the head portion 11.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing details of the head portion 11 in FIG. Also in FIG. 2, illustration of the protective layer 7 is abbreviate | omitted similarly to Fig.1 (a). As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of wiring layers 4 (4 a to 4 d) extending from the tail portion along the longitudinal direction of the suspension substrate 10 are located on the side of the element mounting region 13 (the element mounting region 13 and the head portion 11). And extends from the element mounting region 13 to the distal end side in the longitudinal direction of the suspension substrate (opposite to the tail portion 12), and then the element mounting region 13 The terminal portions 41 (41 a to 41 d) are formed around the periphery of the element mounting region 13 so as to detour along the outer periphery of the element mounting region 13.

  Furthermore, pad portions 45 (45 a to 45 d) are provided in the wiring layer 4 at positions separated from the terminal portions 41. The protective layer is opened above the pad portion 45, and the pad portion 45 is exposed from the protective layer. In FIG. 2, the pad portion 45 is formed on the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the suspension substrate with respect to the element mounting region 13 (on the side opposite to the tail portion 12). It may be formed in another place. However, when the pad portion 45 is disposed at a position as shown in FIG. 2 (the front end side in the longitudinal direction of the suspension substrate with respect to the element mounting region 13), the terminal portion 41 is mounted on the element mounting region. There is an effect of releasing heat generated when connecting to the connection terminal with solder or the like. As a result, it is possible to prevent the insulating layer 3 and the protective layer 7 from being affected by heat.

  Next, details of the configuration of the terminal portion 41 and the pad portion 45 will be described.

  3A and 3B are diagrams showing the terminal portion 41, the pad portion 45, and the vicinity thereof. FIG. 3A is a plan view, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In FIG. 3A, illustration of the protective layer 7 is omitted as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3B, the metal support substrate 2, the insulating layer 3, the wiring layer 4, and the protective layer 7 are sequentially laminated, and the terminal portion 41 is formed at the end of the wiring layer 4. The terminal portion 41 may have a gold plating 8a on the surface. It is possible to prevent the terminal portion 41 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or causing a connection failure due to the passive film when connected to the element. The insulating layer 3 is formed below the terminal portion 41, but the metal support substrate 2 is not formed. That is, the insulating layer 3 and the terminal portion 41 are formed so as to protrude (overhang) from the metal support substrate 2. Thereby, when the terminal part 41 and the connection terminal of an element are connected with solder etc., it can prevent that the metal support substrate 2 also conduct | electrically_connects.

  A pad portion 45 is formed in the wiring layer 4 at a position separated from the terminal portion 41. The protective layer 7 is opened corresponding to the position where the pad portion 45 is formed, and the surface of the pad portion 45 on the protective layer 7 side is exposed outward. The pad portion 45 may have a gold plating 8b on the surface on the protective layer side. It is possible to prevent the pad portion 45 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or being affected by poor conduction due to the passive film in the conduction test described later. Since the insulating layer 3 and the metal supporting board 2 are formed below the pad portion 45, the pad portion 45 or other components located in the vicinity thereof are deformed by the probe used in the continuity test. Can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the width 45 w of the pad portion 45 is larger than the width 41 w of the terminal portion 41. As a result, even with respect to the terminal part 41 whose area has become so small that the inspection by the probe or the like is difficult due to the progress of the miniaturization of the suspension substrate, the probe part or the like is brought into contact with the pad part 45 instead of the terminal part 41 to conduct Inspection can be performed. When a plurality of terminal portions 41 are located close to each other, inspection at the terminal portions 41 may be difficult due to restrictions on the size of the inspection probe and the positioning accuracy of the apparatus. Even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, if the arrangement pitch between the adjacent pad portions 45 is designed to be wider than the arrangement pitch of the terminal portions 41, the pad portions can be used instead of the terminal portions 41. By bringing a probe or the like into contact with 45, a continuity test can be performed.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the pad portion 45 may be any shape that allows continuity inspection, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like as illustrated in FIG. The width 45w of the pad portion 45 is the diameter when the pad portion 45 is circular, and can be the width in the short direction of the pad portion 45 in other cases. Similarly, for the terminal portion 41, when the terminal portion 41 is circular, the width 41w of the terminal portion 41 is the diameter thereof, and in other cases, the width of the terminal portion 41 is the width in the short direction. Can do. The width 45w of the pad portion 45 is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the width 41w of the terminal portion. For example, it is preferably 1.5 to 3 times the width 41w of the terminal portion 41. In particular, when the width 41w of the terminal portion 41 is less than 30 μm, it is difficult to conduct a continuity test using a probe.
When the plurality of terminal portions 41 are located close to each other, the width 45w of the pad portion 45 is preferably larger than the arrangement pitch 41p of the plurality of terminal portions 41. By setting the width 45w of the pad portion 45 to such a size, a continuity test can be easily performed, and in addition, a highly reliable test can be performed. In addition, an increase in design constraints can be suppressed.

  Next, members used for the suspension substrate of the present embodiment will be described.

  The metal support substrate 2 used in the present embodiment functions as a support for the suspension substrate 10, and examples thereof include stainless steel. The thickness of the metal support substrate 2 varies depending on the type of the material, but may be in the range of 10 μm to 20 μm, for example.

  The insulating layer 3 used in the present embodiment is provided on the metal support substrate 2. The material of the insulating layer 3 is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties, and examples thereof include a resin. Examples of the resin include polyimide resin, polybenzoxazole resin, polybenzimidazole resin, acrylic resin, polyether nitrile resin, polyether sulfone resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polyethylene naphthalate resin, and polyvinyl chloride resin. Of these, polyimide resin is preferred. It is because it is excellent in insulation, heat resistance and chemical resistance. The material of the insulating layer 3 may be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. The thickness of the insulating layer 3 is, for example, preferably in the range of 5 μm to 30 μm, more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 12 μm.

  The wiring layer 4 used in this embodiment is provided on the insulating layer 3. The material of the wiring layer 4 is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity, and examples thereof include metals, and copper (Cu) is particularly preferable. The material of the wiring layer 4 may be rolled copper or electrolytic copper. The thickness of the wiring layer 4 is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, for example, and more preferably in the range of 9 μm to 12 μm.

  It is preferable that the surfaces of the terminal portion 41 and the pad portion 45 provided in the wiring layer 4 have gold plating 8a in order to prevent deterioration due to corrosion or the like. The thickness of the gold plating 8a is, for example, in the range of 0.1 μm to 4 μm.

  Examples of the wiring layer 4 used in the present embodiment include a write wiring layer, a read wiring layer, a heat assist wiring layer, an actuator wiring layer, a ground wiring layer, and a noise shield wiring. Layer, power supply wiring layer, flight height control wiring layer, sensor wiring layer, and the like.

  The protective layer 7 used in this embodiment is provided on the wiring layer 4. By providing the protective layer 7, deterioration (corrosion or the like) of the wiring layer 4 can be prevented. As a material of the protective layer 7, what was described as a material of the insulating layer 3 mentioned above can be mentioned, for example, Among these, a polyimide resin is preferable. The material of the protective layer 7 may be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension substrate in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal portion 41, the pad portion 45, and the vicinity thereof corresponding to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a material 10A in which a metal supporting board material 2A and an insulating layer material 3A are laminated is prepared.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the wiring layer 4 having the terminal portions 41 and the pad portions 45 is formed on the insulating layer material 3A. At this time, the pad portion 45 is formed so that the width of the pad portion 45 is larger than the width of the terminal portion 41. The wiring layer 4 may be formed by any known subtractive method or additive method.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the protective layer 7 having openings is formed so that the terminal portions 41 and the pad portions 45 of the wiring layer 4 are exposed. The opening can be formed by patterning simultaneously with the outer shape of the protective layer 7, for example, by photolithography, followed by etching.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the insulating layer material 3A is patterned and etched by a photolithography method to form the insulating layer 3 having a desired shape.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5E, the metal support substrate 2 is formed by patterning and etching the metal support substrate material 2A by photolithography. At this time, it is preferable to remove the metal support substrate 2 below the terminal portion 41.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (f), gold plating 8 a and 8 b are formed on the exposed surfaces of the terminal portion 41 and the pad portion 45. Examples of the method for forming the gold plating include, but are not limited to, electrolytic plating. Moreover, although not shown in figure, you may perform the external shape process of a metal support substrate, etc. as needed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the continuity test can be performed on the pad portion 45 even when the inspection at the terminal portion 41 is difficult, a suspension substrate having high electrical connection reliability can be obtained. Can be obtained.

Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the suspension substrate according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. 6A is a plan view, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 6A. As shown in FIG. 6, the suspension substrate in the present embodiment includes a metal support substrate 2, an insulating layer 3, a wiring layer 4, a second insulating layer 5, a second wiring layer 6, and a protective layer 7 stacked in this order. Terminal portions 61 are formed at the ends of the two wiring layers 6. In FIG. 6A, illustration of the protective layer 7 is omitted for explanation. In FIG. 6, the wiring layer 4 is not formed between the pad portion 65d and the terminal portion 61d, but the wiring layer 4 may be formed. The terminal portion 61 may have a gold plating 8c on the surface. It is possible to prevent the terminal portion 61 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or causing a connection failure due to the passive film when connected to the element. Further, the second insulating layer 5 and the insulating layer 3 are formed below the terminal portion 61, but the metal support substrate 2 is not formed. That is, the insulating layer 3, the second insulating layer 5, and the terminal portion 61 are formed so as to protrude (overhang) from the metal support substrate 2. Thereby, when the terminal part 61 and the connection terminal of an element are connected with solder etc., it can prevent that the metal support substrate 2 also conduct | electrically_connects.

  A pad portion 65 is formed in the second wiring layer 6 at a position separated from the terminal portion 61. The protective layer 7 is opened corresponding to the position where the pad portion 65 is formed, and the surface of the pad portion 65 on the protective layer 7 side is exposed outward. The pad portion 65 may have a gold plating 8d on the surface on the protective layer side. It is possible to prevent the pad portion 65 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or being influenced by poor conduction due to the passive film in the conduction test described later.

  According to the present embodiment, since the second insulating layer 5, the insulating layer 3, and the metal supporting board 2 are formed below the pad portion 65, the pad portion 65 and the vicinity thereof are compared with the first embodiment. The strength of the can be further improved. Thereby, it can further suppress that the pad part 65 or the other structural member located in the vicinity of it deform | transforms with the probe used in a continuity test.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the width 65 w of the pad portion 65 is larger than the width 61 w of the terminal portion 61. As a result, even with respect to the terminal portion 61 whose area has become so small that the inspection by the probe or the like is difficult due to the progress of miniaturization, the continuity test is performed by inspecting the probe by contacting the pad portion 65 instead of the terminal portion 61. Can be performed. When a plurality of terminal portions 61 are located close to each other, inspection at the terminal portions 61 may be difficult due to restrictions on the size of the inspection probe and the positioning accuracy of the apparatus. Even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, if the design is made such that the arrangement pitch between the adjacent pad parts 65 is wider than the arrangement pitch of the terminal parts 61, the pad parts instead of the terminal parts 61. It is possible to perform a continuity test by inspecting the probe with a probe or the like in contact with 65.

The shape of the pad portion 65 in the present embodiment is not limited as long as the pad portion 45 in the first embodiment can be subjected to a continuity test, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like. can do. Also, the width 65w of the pad portion 65 is the diameter when the pad portion 65 is circular, similarly to the width 45w of the pad portion 45 in the first embodiment, and the pad portion 65 in other cases. The width in the short direction can be made. Similarly, for the terminal portion 61, when the terminal portion 61 is circular, the width 61w of the terminal portion 61 is the diameter thereof, and in other cases, the width of the terminal portion 61 is the width in the short direction. Can do. The width 65w of the pad portion 65 is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the width 61w of the terminal portion, but is preferably 1.5 to 3 times the width 61w of the terminal portion 61, for example. In particular, when the width 61w of the terminal portion 61 is less than 30 μm, it is difficult to perform a continuity test using a probe.
When the plurality of terminal portions 61 are located close to each other, it is preferable that the width 65 w of the pad portion 65 is larger than the arrangement pitch 61 p of the plurality of terminal portions 61. By setting the width 65w of the pad portion 65 to such a size, a continuity test can be easily performed, and in addition, a highly reliable test can be performed. In addition, an increase in design constraints can be suppressed.

  Next, members used for the suspension substrate of the present embodiment will be described.

  Since the metal support substrate 2, the insulating layer 3, and the wiring layer 4 used in this embodiment can be the same as those described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The second insulating layer 5 used in the present embodiment is formed on the wiring layer 4. As the material of the second insulating layer 5, the same material as that of the insulating layer 3 can be used. The thickness of the second insulating layer 5 is, for example, preferably in the range of 5 μm to 30 μm, more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 12 μm.

  The second wiring layer 6 used in the present embodiment is formed on the second insulating layer 5. As the material of the second wiring layer 6, the same material as that of the wiring layer 4 can be used. The thickness of the second wiring layer 6 is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, for example, and more preferably in the range of 9 μm to 12 μm.

  The surfaces of the terminal portion 61 and the pad portion 65 provided in the second wiring layer 6 preferably have gold platings 8c and 8d, respectively, in order to prevent deterioration due to corrosion or the like. The thickness of the gold plating 8c, 8d is, for example, in the range of 0.1 μm to 4 μm.

  Examples of the second wiring layer 6 used in the present embodiment include a write wiring layer, a read wiring layer, a heat assist wiring layer, an actuator wiring layer, a ground wiring layer, and a noise shield. Wiring layer for power supply, wiring layer for power supply, wiring layer for flight height control, wiring layer for sensor, and the like.

  The protective layer 7 used in this embodiment is provided on the second wiring layer 6. By providing the protective layer 7, the second wiring layer 6 can be prevented from being deteriorated (corrosion or the like). As the material of the protective layer 7, the same materials as those described in the first embodiment can be used.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension substrate in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal portion 61, the pad portion 65, and the vicinity thereof corresponding to FIG. 6B. First, as shown in FIG. 7A, a material 10A in which a metal supporting board material 2A and an insulating layer material 3A are laminated is prepared.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the wiring layer 4 is formed on the insulating layer material 3 </ b> A, and the second insulating layer 5 is formed on the insulating layer material 3 </ b> A and the wiring layer 4. The wiring layer 4 may be formed by any known subtractive method or additive method. 6B, the wiring layer 4 is not formed at the position shown in FIG. 7, but the wiring layer 4 may be formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the second wiring layer 6 having the terminal portion 61 and the pad portion 65 is formed on the second insulating layer 5. At this time, the pad portion 65 is formed to have a width larger than that of the terminal portion 61. The second wiring layer 6 may be formed by the same method as the wiring layer 4.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the protective layer 7 provided with openings so as to expose the terminal portions 61 and the pad portions 65 of the second wiring layer is formed. The opening can be formed by patterning simultaneously with the outer shape of the protective layer 7, for example, by photolithography, followed by etching.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7E, the insulating layer material 3A is patterned and etched by a photolithography method to form the insulating layer 3 having a desired shape.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7F, the metal support substrate 2 is formed by patterning and etching the metal support substrate material 2A by photolithography. At this time, it is preferable to remove the metal support substrate 2 below the terminal portion 61.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7G, gold plating 8c, 8d is formed on the exposed surfaces of the terminal portion 61 and the pad portion 65. Next, as shown in FIG. Examples of the method for forming the gold plating include, but are not limited to, electrolytic plating. Moreover, although not shown in figure, you may perform the external shape process of a metal support substrate, etc. as needed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when it is difficult to inspect at the terminal portion 61, the continuity inspection can be performed at the pad portion 65. Therefore, a suspension substrate with high electrical connection reliability can be obtained. Can be obtained.

Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the suspension substrate according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. 8A is a plan view, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 8A. As shown in FIG. 8, the suspension substrate in the present embodiment has a metal support substrate 2, an insulating layer 3, a wiring layer 4, a second insulating layer 5, a second wiring layer 6, and a protective layer 7 stacked in this order. Terminal portions 41 are formed at the ends of the layer 4. In FIG. 8A, illustration of the protective layer 7 is omitted for explanation. The terminal portion 41 may have a gold plating 8e on the surface. It is possible to prevent the terminal portion 41 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or causing a connection failure due to the passive film when connected to the element. Further, the metal support substrate 2 is not formed below the terminal portion 41. That is, the terminal portion 41 is formed so as to protrude (overhang) from the metal support substrate 2. Thereby, when the terminal part 41 and the connection terminal of an element are connected with solder etc., it can prevent that the metal support substrate 2 also conduct | electrically_connects.

  A pad portion 65 is formed on the second wiring layer 6. The terminal portion 41 and the pad portion 65 are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the main surface of the suspension substrate. The protective layer 7 is opened corresponding to the position where the pad portion 65 is formed, and the surface of the pad portion 65 on the protective layer 7 side is exposed outward. The pad portion 65 may have a gold plating 8f on the surface on the protective layer side. It is possible to prevent the pad portion 65 from being deteriorated due to corrosion or being influenced by poor conduction due to the passive film in the conduction test described later.

  The wiring layer 4 and the second wiring layer 6 are connected by an interlayer connection portion 9. In FIG. 8, vias penetrating the second insulating layer 5 are used as the interlayer connection portion 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the interlayer connection portion 9 may be formed so as to reach the wiring layer 4 from the second wiring layer 6 along the end portion (side surface) of the second insulating layer.

  In the present embodiment, vias penetrating the second insulating layer 5 are used as the interlayer connection portions 9, and the pad portions 65 and the interlayer connection portions 9 are formed so as to overlap each other in the thickness direction of the suspension substrate. Is preferred. The strength below the pad portion 65 can be further improved, and this can further suppress deformation of the pad portion 65 or other components located in the vicinity thereof due to the probe used in the continuity test.

  Similar to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, the width 65 w of the pad portion 65 is larger than the width 41 w of the terminal portion 41. As a result, even with respect to the terminal portion 41 whose area has become so small that the inspection by the probe or the like is difficult due to the progress of miniaturization, the continuity inspection is performed by inspecting the pad portion 65 in contact with the pad portion 65 instead of the terminal portion 41. Can be performed. When a plurality of terminal portions 41 are located close to each other, inspection at the terminal portions 41 may be difficult due to restrictions on the size of the inspection probe and the positioning accuracy of the apparatus. Even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, if the arrangement pitch between the adjacent pad portions 65 is designed to be wider than the arrangement pitch of the terminal portion 41, the pad portion instead of the terminal portion 41 is used. It is possible to perform a continuity test by inspecting the probe with a probe or the like in contact with 65.

The shape of the pad portion 65 in the present embodiment is not limited as long as the pad portion 45 in the first embodiment can be subjected to a continuity test, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like. can do. Also, the width 65w of the pad portion 65 is the diameter when the pad portion 65 is circular, similarly to the width 45w of the pad portion 45 in the first embodiment, and the pad portion 65 in other cases. The width in the short direction can be made. Similarly, for the terminal portion 41, when the terminal portion 41 is circular, the width 41w of the terminal portion 41 is the diameter thereof, and in other cases, the width of the terminal portion 41 is the width in the short direction. Can do. The width 65w of the pad portion 65 is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the width 41w of the terminal portion, but is preferably 1.5 to 3 times the width 41w of the terminal portion 41, for example. In particular, when the width 41w of the terminal portion 41 is less than 30 μm, it is difficult to conduct a continuity test with a probe.
When the plurality of terminal portions 41 are located close to each other, it is preferable that the width 65 w of the pad portion 65 is larger than the arrangement pitch 41 p of the plurality of terminal portions 41. By setting the width 65w of the pad portion 65 to such a size, a continuity test can be easily performed, and in addition, a highly reliable test can be performed. In addition, an increase in design constraints can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the insulating layer 3 side of the terminal portion 41 may be exposed and the second insulating layer 5 side may be covered. Such a terminal portion 41 is used when, for example, a thermal assist element such as an LED element is mounted in addition to a head slider as an element mounted on a suspension substrate. At this time, the terminal portion 41 is used for the thermal assist. Functions as a connection terminal for connecting to the element. When the second insulating layer 5 side (the upper side in the drawing) of the terminal portion 41 is covered, conventionally, a probe or the like for performing a continuity test on the terminal portion 41 cannot be brought into contact with the second insulating layer 5 side. However, according to the present embodiment, the continuity test can be performed by bringing a probe or the like into contact with the pad 65 from which the protective layer side (upper side in the drawing) is exposed from the protective layer side. Moreover, as the terminal part 41, the terminal part by which the 2nd insulating layer 5 side is covered and the terminal part by which the 2nd insulating layer 5 side is not covered may be mixed. Even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, the continuity test can be performed collectively by bringing the probe into contact with the pad portion 65 from the same direction.

  Next, members used for the suspension substrate of the present embodiment will be described.

  As the metal supporting substrate 2, the insulating layer 3, the wiring layer 4, the second insulating layer 5, the second wiring layer, and the protective layer 7 used in this embodiment, the same materials as those described in the second embodiment are used. Therefore, the description is omitted.

  The interlayer connection portion 9 used in the present embodiment is provided so as to penetrate the second insulating layer 5 and connect to the wiring layer 4 and the second wiring layer 6. The material of the second wiring layer 6 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having a desired conductivity. For example, a metal can be used, and among these, copper (Cu) is preferable. The shape of the interlayer connection portion 9 can be, for example, a cylindrical shape, and the diameter thereof can be, for example, 50 to 150 μm. The shape may be any shape such as a conical shape, a quadrangular shape, or a triangular shape.

  The surfaces of the terminal portion 41 provided in the wiring layer 4 and the pad portion 65 provided in the second wiring layer 6 preferably have gold platings 8e and 8f, respectively, in order to prevent deterioration due to corrosion or the like. The thicknesses of the gold platings 8e and 8f are, for example, in the range of 0.1 μm to 4 μm.

  Examples of the wiring layer 4 and the second wiring layer 6 used in the present embodiment include a write wiring layer, a read wiring layer, a heat assist wiring layer, an actuator wiring layer, and a ground wiring. Layer, noise shield wiring layer, power supply wiring layer, flight height control wiring layer, sensor wiring layer, and the like.

  The protective layer 7 used in this embodiment is provided on the second wiring layer 6. By providing the protective layer 7, the second wiring layer 6 can be prevented from being deteriorated (corrosion or the like). As the material of the protective layer 7, the same materials as those described in the first embodiment can be used.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension substrate in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal portion 41, the pad portion 65, and the vicinity thereof corresponding to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 9A, a material 10A in which a metal supporting board material 2A and an insulating layer material 3A are laminated is prepared.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, the wiring layer 4 having the terminal portions 41 is formed on the insulating layer material 3 </ b> A, and the second insulating layer 5 is formed on the insulating layer material 3 </ b> A and the wiring layer 4. To do. The wiring layer 4 may be formed by any known subtractive method or additive method. The second insulating layer 5 is provided with an interlayer connection opening 90. The interlayer connection opening 90 can be formed by patterning, for example, by photolithography, followed by etching, and can be formed simultaneously with the formation of the outer shape of the second insulating layer 5.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, a second wiring layer 6 having a pad portion 65 on the second insulating layer 5 and an interlayer connection portion 9 for connecting the wiring layer 4 and the second wiring layer 6 are provided. Form at the same time. At this time, the pad portion 65 is formed so that the width of the pad portion 65 is larger than the width of the terminal portion 41. The second wiring layer 6 and the interlayer connection portion 9 may be formed by the same method as that for the wiring layer 4.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9D, the protective layer 7 provided with openings so as to expose the terminal portions 41 and the pad portions 65 of the second wiring layer is formed. The opening can be formed by patterning simultaneously with the outer shape of the protective layer 7, for example, by photolithography, followed by etching.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9E, the metal support substrate 2 is formed by patterning and etching the metal support substrate material 2A by photolithography. At this time, it is preferable to remove the metal support substrate 2 below the terminal portion 41.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9F, the insulating layer material 3A is patterned and etched by a photolithography method to form the insulating layer 3 having a desired shape. At this time, the surface on the insulating layer 3 side of the terminal portion 41 is exposed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9G, gold plating is performed on the exposed surfaces of the terminal portion 41 and the pad portion 65. Examples of the gold plating method include, but are not limited to, electrolytic plating. Moreover, although not shown in figure, you may perform the external shape process of a metal support substrate, etc. as needed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when it is difficult to inspect at the terminal portion 41, the continuity inspection can be performed at the pad portion 65. Therefore, a suspension substrate with high electrical connection reliability can be obtained. Can be obtained.

[suspension]
Next, the suspension of the present invention will be described. A suspension according to the present invention includes the above-described suspension substrate and a load beam.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the suspension of the present invention. A suspension 210 shown in FIG. 10 includes the suspension substrate 10 described above, a load beam 201 provided on the back surface side (the metal support substrate 2 side) of the suspension substrate 10, and a base plate (not shown). Is. The load beam and base plate can be the same as the load beam and base plate used for general suspensions.

  According to the present invention, a suspension having high electrical connection reliability can be obtained by using the suspension substrate described above.

[Suspension with head]
Next, the head suspension according to the present invention will be described. The suspension with a head of the present invention includes the above-described suspension and a magnetic head slider mounted on the suspension.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the suspension with a head according to the present invention. A suspension with head 310 shown in FIG. 11 has the above-described suspension 210 and a magnetic head slider 301 mounted on the element mounting region 213 of the suspension 210.

  Since the suspension 210 is the same as described above, the description thereof is omitted here. The magnetic head slider 301 can be the same as the magnetic head slider used in a general suspension with a head.

  According to the present invention, a suspension with a head having high electrical connection reliability can be obtained by using the above-described suspension substrate.

[Hard disk drive]
Next, the hard disk drive of the present invention will be described. The hard disk drive of the present invention includes the above-described suspension with a head.

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the hard disk drive of the present invention.
A hard disk drive 410 shown in FIG. 12 is mounted on a case 401, a disk 402 that is rotatably attached to the case 401, stores data, a spindle motor 403 that rotates the disk 402, and a desired flying on the disk 402. A suspension 310 with a head is provided so as to be close to each other while maintaining a height, and includes a slider for writing and reading data to and from the disk 402. Among these, the suspension with head 310 is attached to the case 401 so as to be movable, and the voice coil motor 404 for moving the slider of the suspension with head 310 along the disk 402 is attached to the case 401. The suspension with head 310 is attached to the voice coil motor 404 via an arm 405.

  Note that the suspension with a head is the same as that described above, so description thereof is omitted here. As other members, the same members as those used in a general hard disk drive can be used.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment in this invention was shown, said embodiment is an illustration and this invention is not limited to said embodiment. What has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and exhibits the same effects is included in the technical scope of the present invention in any case. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Metal support substrate 3 ... Insulating layer 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d ... Wiring layer 5 ... 2nd insulating layer 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d ... 2nd wiring layer 7 ... Protective layer 8a, 8b, 8c 8d, 8e, 8f ... Gold plating 9 ... Interlayer connection part 10 ... Suspension substrate 11 ... Head part 12 ... Tail part 13 ... Element mounting area 14 ... External circuit connection area 41, 61 ... Terminal part 45, 65 ... Pad part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 90 ... Opening for interlayer connection 201 ... Load beam 210 ... Suspension 213 ... Element mounting area 301 ... Magnetic head slider 310 ... Suspension with head 401 ... Case 402 ... Disk 403 ... Spindle motor 404 ... Voice coil motor 405 ... Arm 410 ... Hard disk drive

Claims (11)

A metal supporting board, an insulating layer, a wiring layer , a second insulating layer, a second wiring layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated, and has a head portion for mounting the element at one end in the longitudinal direction and an external circuit at the other end. A suspension substrate having a tail portion to be connected,
The second wiring layer includes a terminal portion connected to the element in the head portion, and a pad portion exposed from the protective layer and electrically connected to the terminal portion;
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein a width of the pad portion is larger than a width of the terminal portion. A metal supporting board, an insulating layer, a wiring layer, a second insulating layer, a second wiring layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated, and has a head portion for mounting the element at one end in the longitudinal direction and an external circuit at the other end. A suspension substrate having a tail portion to be connected,
In the head part,
The wiring layer and the second wiring layer are electrically connected via an interlayer connection portion,
The wiring layer has a terminal portion connected to the element;
The second wiring layer has a pad portion exposed from the protective layer and electrically connected to the terminal portion;
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein a width of the pad portion is larger than a width of the terminal portion . The suspension substrate according to claim 2 , wherein the terminal portion is exposed on the insulating layer side and covered on the second insulating layer side. In the thickness direction of the substrate for suspension, characterized in that it is formed at a position between the pad portion and the interlayer connection portions overlap, suspension substrate according to claim 2 or claim 3. A plurality of said terminal portions, wherein a width of said pad portion, characterized in longer than the arrangement pitch of the terminal portions adjacent the substrate for suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The terminal portion is formed so as to protrude from the metal supporting board, below the pad portion is characterized by having the metal supporting board, a suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 5 substrate. The suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the surface of the pad portion has gold plating. The suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the pad portion is formed at a position closer to a tip side than an element mounting region on which an element is mounted. A suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a suspension, characterized in that it comprises a load beam. A suspension with a head, comprising: the suspension according to claim 9; and a magnetic head slider mounted on the suspension. A hard disk drive comprising the suspension with a head according to claim 10 .

Images