Automated head-gimbal assembly procedure for high-performance rigid media disk drives

摘要

The central operation in Head-Gimbal Assembly (HGA) involves bonding the magnetic read-wirite head to the loadbeam (suspension). Generally, the head is bonded onto a flexible gimbal, which is a part of the suspension assembly, using adhesives to obtain desired strength, crown, and conductive properties of the bond-joint. Currently, even though automated processes are utilized to perfomr the bonding operation, lack of understanding regarding the bonding process itself results in unmodeled parameters contributing to variabilities in process capability. Additionally, increasing sensitivities of critical design parameters affecting performance underscore the need for a clear understanding of the mechanics of head-suspension bonding. This paper attempts to study the mechanics of the bonding operation using matheratical models and analyses, and compares them to experimentally obtained results. Finite element and static force analyses are employed to model the mechanics, and the results are used to identify different system parameters.