JP6029007B2 - Suspension board, suspension, suspension with head and hard disk drive - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, and a hard disk drive. In particular, an actuator element mounted in a head region is prevented from being contaminated by an adhesive for a slider, and the head slider is a slider. The present invention relates to a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, and a hard disk drive that can prevent interference with wiring passing through a mounting area.

  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 an electric signal is passed through each wiring so that the magnetic head slider writes or reads data to or 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 problem, there is known a dual actuator type suspension in which a VCM actuator and a PZT microactuator (Dual Stage Actuator: DSA) cooperate to move a magnetic head slider to a desired track. 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 such a dual actuator type suspension, there is known a suspension in which a piezo element is disposed in a head region of a suspension substrate together with a head slider. In this case, the accuracy of displacement of the head slider by the piezo element can be improved.

  Incidentally, the head slider is mounted on the head region of the suspension substrate using an adhesive for the slider (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, a spacer constituting a part of the insulating layer and the protective layer is formed in the slider mounting region where the head slider is mounted, and the head slider is supported by this spacer.

JP 2007-305270 A

  However, in the suspension in which the piezo element is mounted in the head region together with the head slider, the slider adhesive may leak around the head slider and reach the piezo element. In this case, there is a problem that the slider adhesive contacts the piezo element and the piezo element is contaminated by the adhesive. In this case, there is also a problem that the expansion / contraction operation of the piezo element may be hindered.

  When the piezo element is mounted in the head region together with the head slider, the suspension board wiring is disposed in the slider mounting region where the head slider is mounted. In this case, as shown in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to support the head slider with the spacer by interfering with the wiring passing through the slider mounting area in the spacer that forms part of the insulating layer or the protective layer. Become.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and prevents the actuator element mounted in the head region from being contaminated by the adhesive for the slider. It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension substrate, a suspension, a suspension with a head, and a hard disk drive that can prevent interference with wiring passing through the head.

  The present invention relates to a suspension substrate on which a telescopic actuator element for displacing the head slider is mounted in a head region where the head slider is mounted using an adhesive for the slider, a metal support layer, and the metal support layer An insulating layer provided on the insulating layer; a wiring layer provided on the insulating layer, the wiring layer having a plurality of wires passing through a slider mounting region on which the head slider is mounted; and on the insulating layer A plurality of spacers for supporting the head slider at positions different from the wirings in a plan view in the slider mounting region. A spacer wiring portion formed by the wiring layer, including a spacer wiring portion that includes a wiring layer opening and is formed in a frame shape in plan view. The wiring portion is covered with the second protective layer via the first protective layer, and the upper surface of the portion of the second protective layer located above the spacer wiring portion is formed of the first protective layer. The spacer is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the portion located above the wiring from the metal support layer, the spacer is a filling recess having a shape corresponding to the wiring layer opening, and the slider adhesive is A suspension substrate having a filling recess to be filled is provided.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the first protective layer and the second protective layer are formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening, thereby forming the filling concave portion. It may be.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the first protective layer is formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening, and the second protective layer is provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view. The filling recess may be formed by the first protective layer and the second protective layer opening formed in a concave shape having the second protective layer opening formed.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the first protective layer has a first protective layer opening provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view, and the second protective layer includes the first protective layer. A second protective layer opening provided so as to overlap the first protective layer opening in a plan view, and the filling by the wiring layer opening, the first protective layer opening, and the second protective layer opening; A recess may be formed.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the insulating layer has an insulating layer opening provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view, and the wiring layer opening and the first protective layer opening. The filling recess may be formed by the second protective layer opening and the insulating layer opening.

  In the suspension substrate described above, a metal support layer protection part may be provided in a portion of the metal support layer exposed by the insulating layer opening.

  In the suspension substrate described above, a wiring layer protection portion is provided in a portion of the spacer wiring portion exposed by the first protection layer opening and the second protection layer opening. Also good.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the spacer wiring portion may be conductively connected to the metal support layer through a conductive connection portion that penetrates the insulating layer.

  In the suspension substrate described above, the first protective layer or the second protective layer may extend to an inner surface of the spacer wiring portion that defines the wiring layer opening.

  Furthermore, in the suspension substrate described above, the spacers may be separated from each other in plan view.

  The present invention provides a suspension comprising a load beam, the above-described suspension substrate attached to the load beam, and the actuator element mounted on the suspension substrate.

  In the suspension described above, at least a part of the actuator element is disposed in the slider mounting region, and an upper surface of a portion of the second protective layer located above the spacer wiring portion is formed on the actuator element. It may be arranged on the same plane as the upper surface.

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

  The present invention provides a hard disk drive comprising the aforementioned suspension with a head.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the actuator element mounted in the head region from being contaminated by the slider adhesive, and to prevent the head slider from interfering with the wiring passing through the slider mounting region.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a suspension with a head according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a head region in the suspension according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing a cross section of the spacer in the suspension of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram in which the head slider is mounted in the cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the hard disk drive according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example (modified example 1) of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another modification (modification 2) of FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another modification (modification 3) of FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view showing a head region in the suspension according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a view showing a cross section of the head region of the suspension of FIG. 9 in a state where the head slider is mounted. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing spacers in the suspension of FIG.

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

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension with head 111 includes a suspension 101 and a head slider 112 mounted on the suspension substrate 1. Among them, the head slider 112 is for writing and reading data on a disk 123 (see FIG. 5) described later, and is mounted on the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1 using the slider adhesive 114. Thus, it is electrically connected to a head terminal (slider connection terminal) 41 to be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the head slider 112 has a read / write unit 112a for writing and reading data, and data is transferred by the read / write unit 112a. The read / write unit 112 a is disposed on the head terminal 41 side of the head slider 112.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension 101 includes a base plate 102, a load beam 103 attached on the base plate 102, a suspension substrate 1 attached on the load beam 103, and a pair mounted on the suspension substrate 1. Piezo element (actuator element) 104. Of these, the base plate 102 and the load beam 103 are both preferably made of stainless steel and 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 beam jig hole (not shown) corresponding to each jig hole 5 of the suspension substrate 1, and 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 5 of the suspension substrate 1 and the jig hole of the load beam 103 are arranged on the longitudinal axis (X) shown in FIG.

  Each piezo element 104 is configured as a stretchable piezoelectric element that displaces the head slider 112. That is, the piezo element 104 can be expanded and contracted in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 1, and the head slider 112 is displaced in the sway direction (the turning direction, the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 1).

  Although not shown, each piezo element 104 includes a pair of electrodes and a piezoelectric material portion that is interposed between the pair of electrodes and is made of a piezoelectric ceramic such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate). In the present embodiment, a pair of electrodes are formed on one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped piezoelectric material portion so as to be separated from each other. The piezoelectric material portions 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 Is designed to stretch. In this way, the piezo element 104 can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 1 by applying a predetermined voltage between the pair of electrodes.

  Such a piezoelectric element 104 is mounted on the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1 together with the head slider 112. In this case, the piezo element 104 can be brought close to the head slider 112, transmission loss of the stretching force of the piezo element 104 can be reduced, and the head slider 112 can be displaced with high accuracy. In this case, the amount of expansion / contraction of the piezo element 104 necessary for displacing the head slider 112 can be reduced, and the amount of power required for expansion / contraction of the piezo element 104 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the piezo elements 104 are disposed on both sides of the head slider 112 (on both sides of the longitudinal axis (X) in plan view, on both the left and right sides in FIG. 1). In this case, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the head region 2 in which the piezo element 104 and the head slider 112 are mounted.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the piezo element 104 is formed in an elongated shape along the longitudinal axis (X), and the expansion / contraction direction thereof is parallel to the longitudinal axis (X). 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 FIGS. 1 and 2, the suspension substrate 1 has a head region 2 where the head slider 112 is mounted and a tail region 3 where an FPC substrate (external connection substrate) 131 is connected. . The head region 2 is provided with a plurality of head terminals 41 connected to the slider terminals 112b (see FIG. 10) of the head slider 112, and the tail region 3 is provided with a plurality of tail terminals (externally connected) to the FPC board 131. Connection terminal) 42 is provided. The head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42 are connected to each other via a signal wiring 43 described later. The head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42 are preferably provided with a gold plating layer (not shown) in order to prevent corrosion.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 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 described later that are provided on the insulating layer 10. , 44, and a wiring layer 40. That is, the wiring layer 40 is laminated on the metal support layer 20 via the insulating layer 10. In addition, a first protective layer 50 is provided on the insulating layer 10 to cover the wirings 43 and 44 of the wiring layer 40, and the piezo element 104 and the head slider 112 are disposed above the first protective layer 50. It has become. 1 and 2, the first protective layer 50 is omitted for the sake of clarity.

  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 electrodes of the piezo element 104. . Among these, the signal wiring 43 connects the head terminal 41 and the tail terminal 42, and an electric signal is passed through the signal wiring 43, so that the head slider 112 receives data from the disk 123 (see FIG. 5). Is written or read.

  Further, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the wiring layer 40 includes a pair of first element connection terminals 45 connected to the element wiring 44. These first element connection terminals 45 are provided in an area other than the slider mounting area 2a described later in the head area 2, and a conductive adhesive (not shown) such as silver paste is applied to one electrode of the piezo element 104. )). A tail terminal 42 is connected to the first element connection terminal 45 via an element wiring 44, and a predetermined voltage is applied to one electrode of the piezo element 104.

  The wiring layer 40 further includes a pair of second element connection terminals 46. These second element connection terminals 46 are preferably electrically connected to the metal support layer 20 by, for example, conductive connection portions (vias, not shown) penetrating the insulating layer 10. Similarly to the first element connection terminal 45, the second element connection terminal 46 is electrically connected to the other electrode of the piezo element 104 by a conductive adhesive. In this way, the other electrode of the piezo element 104 is grounded.

  The metal support layer 20 has a tongue portion 21 that supports the head slider 112. In the present embodiment, the signal wiring 43 is disposed on the tongue portion 21 via the insulating layer 10. That is, a plurality of signal wirings 43 pass through the slider mounting area 2a. Here, the slider mounting area 2a means an area where the head slider 112 is mounted and overlaps the mounted head slider 112 in plan view. Further, the term “plan view” is used in the sense that the suspension substrate 1 is viewed from the stacking direction, and more specifically, the suspension substrate 1 is viewed as in the plan view shown in FIGS. Used in meaning.

  A plurality (four in FIG. 2) of spacers 60 that support the head slider 112 are provided on the tongue 21. These spacers 60 are arranged at different positions in plan view from the signal wiring 43 passing through the slider mounting region 2a described above.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 60 has a spacer wiring portion 47 formed by the wiring layer 40. The spacer wiring part 47 includes a wiring layer opening 47a and is formed in a frame shape in plan view. The spacer wiring part 47 is covered with the first protective layer 50, and the first protective layer 50 covering the spacer wiring part 47 is further covered with the second protective layer 80. That is, the spacer wiring part 47 is covered with the second protective layer 80 via the first protective layer 50, the spacer wiring part 47, a part of the first protective layer 50 that covers the spacer wiring part 47, 2 of the protective layer 80 and a portion covering the spacer wiring portion 47. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the spacer wiring part 47 is formed in a ring shape in plan view, but the planar shape of the spacer wiring part 47 is an arbitrary shape such as a rectangular shape. It can be. The spacer wiring portion 47 may be electrically independent without being connected to the signal wiring 43, the element wiring 44, or the metal support layer 20. For example, the spacer wiring portion 47 is grounded by being conductively connected to the metal support layer 20. You may make it make it.

  An upper surface 81a of a portion of the second protective layer 80 located above the spacer wiring portion 47 (spacer protective portion 81) is a portion of the first protective layer 50 located above the signal wiring 43 (wiring protective portion 51). The upper surface 51 a of the metal support layer 20 is disposed at a position higher than the tongue portion 21. That is, the upper surface 81 a of the spacer protection unit 81 is disposed closer to the head slider 112 than the upper surface 51 a of the wiring protection unit 51. Thus, a height difference (h) can be formed between the upper surface 81 a of the spacer protection part 81 and the upper surface 51 of the wiring protection part 51. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, the gap (g) between the lower surface 112c of the head slider 112 supported by the spacer 60 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection part 51 can be increased.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spacer 60 includes a filling recess 61 filled with the slider adhesive 114. The filling recess 61 is provided on the upper surface of the spacer 60 and is formed so as to open upward. When the filling recess 61 is filled with the slider adhesive 114 and the head slider 112 is placed on the spacer 60, the head slider 112 is adhered to the head region 2 as shown in FIG. Yes.

  The filling recess 61 of the spacer 60 has a shape corresponding to the wiring layer opening 47a. In other words, the filling recess 61 has a shape that follows the wiring layer opening 47a. More specifically, the first protective layer 50 and the second protective layer 80 are formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening 47a, whereby the filling concave portion 61 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spacers 60 are separated from each other in plan view. That is, when the mounted head slider 112 is removed, the spacer 60 is hardly separated so that a tool such as a spatula can be inserted.

  Here, 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. The thickness of the insulating layer 10 is preferably 5 μm to 30 μm, particularly 8 μm to 10 μm. 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.

  Each wiring 43 and 44 is configured as a conductor for transmitting an electrical signal, and the material of each wiring 43 and 44 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having desired conductivity. 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 1 micrometer-18 micrometers, especially 9 micrometers-12 micrometers, for example. 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, and the element connection terminals 45 and 46 have the same material and the same thickness as the wirings 43 and 44, respectively.

  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, aluminum, beryllium copper, or other copper alloys are used. It is preferable to use stainless steel. The thickness of the metal support layer 20 is preferably 10 μm to 30 μm, more preferably 15 μm to 20 μm. Thereby, the conductivity, rigidity, and elasticity of the metal support layer 20 can be ensured.

  As a material of the first protective layer 50, it is preferable to use a resin material, for example, polyimide. The material of the first protective layer 50 can be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. The thickness of the first protective layer 50 is preferably 2 μm to 30 μm, particularly 2 to 6 μm. The second protective layer 80 is preferably formed of the same material as the first protective layer 50 with the same thickness.

  Next, the hard disk drive 121 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The hard disk drive 121 shown in FIG. 5 has a case 122, a disk 123 that is rotatably attached to the case 122 and 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. Among them, the suspension with head 111 is attached to the case 122 so as to be movable, and the voice coil motor 125 for moving 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 a 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. It is connected. 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 in the above-described embodiment will be described.

  First, a laminate (not shown) having an insulating layer 10, a metal support layer 20 provided on one surface of the insulating layer 10, and a wiring layer 40 provided on the other surface of the insulating layer 10 is formed. prepare. Subsequently, the wiring layer 40 is etched into a desired shape, and the head terminal 41, the tail terminal 42, the wirings 43 and 44, the element connection terminals 45 and 46, and the spacer wiring part 47 are formed. Next, the first protective layer 50 covering the wirings 43 and 44 and the spacer wiring part 47 is formed on the insulating layer 10 in a desired shape. The protective layer 50 can be formed, for example, by applying liquid polyimide, drying, and etching. After the first protective layer 50 is formed, the second protective layer 80 is formed in the same manner as the first protective layer 50. Thereby, the spacer 60 is obtained. Subsequently, the insulating layer 10 is etched into a desired shape. Thereafter, the metal support layer 20 is etched into a desired shape and is subjected to outer shape processing, whereby the tongue portion 21 is formed. Thus, the suspension substrate 1 in the present embodiment is obtained.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the suspension 101 in the present embodiment will be described.

  First, the suspension substrate 1 obtained as described above 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. Subsequently, the load beam 103, the suspension substrate 1 and the beam jig hole (not shown) provided in the load beam 103 and the jig hole 5 (see FIG. 1) provided in the suspension substrate 1 are provided. The alignment is performed. Next, 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. In this case, an electrode (not shown) of the piezo element 104 is electrically connected to the first element connection terminal 45 and the second element connection terminal 46 of the suspension substrate 1 by a conductive adhesive (not shown). . The piezo element 104 is bonded to the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1 with a non-conductive adhesive (not shown).

  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, the slider adhesive 114 is filled into the filling recess 61 of the spacer 60. Subsequently, the head slider 112 is placed on the spacer 60. As a result, the head slider 112 is bonded to the spacer 60 by the slider adhesive 114. Thereafter, solder 113 (see FIG. 10) is supplied to the head terminal 41, and the head slider 112 is electrically connected to the head terminal 41. Thus, the suspension with head 111 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  The FPC board 131 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the tail region 3 of the obtained suspension 111 with head, and then the suspension 111 with head is attached to the case 122 of the hard disk drive 121. In this way, the hard disk drive shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

  When writing and reading data in the hard disk drive 121 shown in FIG. 5, 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 keeping a desired flying height on the disk 123 while performing a gimbal motion together with the tongue portion 21 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 electric 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 one electrode 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. 1) and the other The piezo element 104 extends. In this case, a predetermined voltage is input to the piezoelectric element 104 via the element wiring 44 and the first element connection terminal 45.

  When the piezo element 104 expands and contracts, the head slider 112 mounted on the head region 2 moves in the sway direction (the arrow Q direction in FIG. 1). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, since the gap (g) between the lower surface 112c of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection portion 51 is increased, the head slider 112 moves smoothly. Can do. 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 spacer 60 that supports the head slider 112 has the filling recess 61 filled with the slider adhesive 114 that is used when the head slider 112 is mounted. Thus, when the head slider 112 is mounted, the slider adhesive 114 can be prevented from leaking around the spacer 60. For this reason, the piezo element 44 mounted in the head region 2 can be prevented from being contaminated by the slider adhesive 114.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the upper surface 81 a of the portion (spacer protection portion 81) of the second protection layer 80 located above the spacer wiring portion 47 is above the signal wiring 43 of the first protection layer 50. It is arranged at a position higher than the tongue portion 21 of the metal support layer 20 from the upper surface 51a of the portion (wiring protection portion 51) located at the position. As a result, the mounted head slider 112 can be prevented from interfering with the signal wiring 43 passing through the slider mounting area 2a. For this reason, the head slider 112 can be stably held. Further, the gap (g) between the lower surface 112c of the head slider 112 and the upper surface 51a of the wiring protection portion 51 can be increased, and the head slider 112 can be smoothly moved when the piezo element 104 expands and contracts. it can. Therefore, the expansion / contraction operation of the piezo element 104 is prevented from being hindered, and the head slider 112 can be displaced with high accuracy.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the spacer wiring portion 47 is covered with the second protective layer 80 via the first protective layer 50. This can prevent the spacer wiring portion 47 from corroding.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the first protective layer 50 and the second protective layer 80 are formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening 47a. Thereby, the filling recess 61 of the spacer 60 can be easily formed.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the spacers 60 are separated from each other in plan view. Thus, after mounting the head slider 112, a tool such as a spatula can be inserted between the spacers 60, and the mounted head slider 112 can be easily removed. For this reason, when the mounted head slider 112 is a defective product, or when the head slider 112 is mounted out of position, the head slider 112 can be easily replaced, and the suspension 101 can be discarded. It can be avoided.

(Modification 1)
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the first protective layer 50 and the second protective layer 80 are formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening 47a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a form as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the first protective layer 50 is formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening 47a, and the second protective layer 80 is provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening 47a in plan view. Two protective layer openings 82 are provided. And the filling recessed part 61 is formed of the 1st protective layer 50 and the 2nd protective layer opening part 82 which were formed in the concave shape. According to the first modification, the depth of the filling recess 61 of the spacer 60 can be increased, the bonding area between the slider adhesive 114 and the spacer 60 is increased, and the adhesion of the head slider 112 is improved. Can be made. Further, since the spacer wiring part 47 is covered with the first protective layer 50, the spacer wiring part 47 can be prevented from corroding. Note that the opening overlapping in the plan view is not limited to the case where the entire area of the opening overlaps in the plan view. At least a part of the opening overlaps in the plan view, and the slider adhesive 114 is removed. It is used as a meaning including the case where it overlaps to such an extent that it can be substantially filled.

(Modification 2)
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the first protective layer 50 and the second protective layer 80 are formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening 47a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a form as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 7, the first protective layer 50 has a first protective layer opening 52 provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening 47a in plan view, and the second protective layer 80 has a first protective layer opening. It has the 2nd protective layer opening part 82 provided so that the part 52 might overlap with planar view. That is, the first protective layer opening 52 is disposed above the wiring layer opening 47 a, and the second protective layer opening 82 is disposed above the first protective layer opening 52. As a result, the wiring layer opening 47a, the first protective layer opening 52, and the second protective layer opening 82 communicate with each other, and the wiring layer opening 47a, the first protective layer opening 52, and the second protective layer opening 82 are communicated. Thus, the filling recess 61 is formed. In this case, the depth of the filling recess 61 of the spacer 60 can be increased, the amount of the slider adhesive 114 that can be filled in the filling recess 61 can be increased, and the adhesion of the head slider 112 can be improved.

  In Modification 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the insulating layer may further include an insulating layer opening 11 provided so as to overlap with the wiring layer opening 47a in plan view. That is, the insulating layer opening 11 may be disposed below the wiring layer opening 47a. As a result, the wiring layer opening 47a and the insulating layer opening 11 communicate with each other, and the filling recess 61 is formed by the wiring layer opening 47a, the first protective layer opening 52, the second protective layer opening 82, and the insulating layer opening 11. Is formed. In this case, the depth of the filling recess 61 of the spacer 60 can be further increased, the amount of the slider adhesive 114 that can be filled in the filling recess 61 is increased, and the adhesion of the head slider 112 is further improved. be able to.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, a part of the metal support layer 20 is exposed through the insulating layer opening 11. For this reason, the gold plating layer (metal support layer protection part) 70 formed by giving gold plating may be provided in the part exposed by the insulating layer opening part 11 among the metal support layers 20. This can prevent the exposed portion of the metal support layer 20 from being corroded. Note that a nickel plating layer (not shown) formed by nickel plating may be interposed between the metal support layer 20 and the gold plating layer 70.

  In the second modification, a part of the spacer wiring part 47 is exposed by the first protective layer opening 52 and the second protective layer opening 82. Therefore, a gold plating layer (wiring layer protection portion) 71 formed by performing gold plating on the portion of the spacer wiring portion 47 exposed by the first protection layer opening 52 and the second protection layer opening 82. May be provided. As a result, the exposed portion of the spacer wiring portion 47 can be prevented from being corroded. Note that a nickel plating layer (not shown) formed by nickel plating may be interposed between the spacer wiring portion 47 and the gold plating layer 71.

  When the gold plating layer 71 is provided on the exposed portion of the spacer wiring portion 47, the spacer wiring portion 47 is conductively connected to the metal support layer 20 through a conductive connection portion (via) 90 that penetrates the insulating layer 10. Is preferred. This makes it possible to apply gold plating to the spacer wiring portion 47 using the spacer wiring portion 47 as a power supply electrode. Such a conductive connection 90 can be formed by, for example, nickel plating.

(Modification 3)
In the second modification described above, an example in which a part of the spacer wiring portion 47 is exposed by the first protective layer opening 52 and the second protective layer opening 82 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a form as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, the first protective layer 50 extends to the inner side surface 47b of the spacer wiring portion 47 that defines the wiring layer opening 47a. In this case, since it becomes unnecessary to provide the gold plating layer 71 and the like as shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to prevent the spacer wiring portion 47 from being corroded while suppressing the complication of the process of the suspension substrate 1. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the conductive connection portion 90 as shown in FIG. As a result, the planar area of the spacer 60 having the deep filling recess 61 can be reduced (compact).

  In the third modification, not the first protective layer 50 but the second protective layer 80 may extend on the inner side surface 47b of the spacer wiring portion 47 that defines the wiring layer opening 47a. Further, a gold plating layer (metal support layer protection part) 70 as shown in FIG. 7 may be provided on the exposed part of the metal support layer 20.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a suspension substrate, a suspension, and a suspension with a head according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The second embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is mainly different in that a part of the piezo element is arranged in the head slider mounting region, and the other structure is the same as that shown in FIGS. This is substantially the same as the first embodiment. 9 to FIG. 11, the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a part of the piezo element 104 is arranged in the head slider mounting region 2 a and is arranged below the head slider 112. That is, the piezoelectric element 104 is disposed between the head region 2 of the suspension substrate 1 and the head slider 112. In this case, since the head slider 112 is disposed on the piezo element 104, the piezo element 104 can be further brought closer to the head slider 112, and the transmission loss of the expansion / contraction force of the piezo element 104 can be reduced. The slider 112 can be displaced with high accuracy. Furthermore, in this case, the amount of expansion / contraction of the piezo element 104 necessary for displacing the head slider 112 can be reduced, and the amount of power required for expansion / contraction of the piezo element 104 can be further reduced. In this case, the read / write unit 112a for writing and reading data can be brought close to the disk 123 (see FIG. 5), and the accuracy of data transfer between the read / write unit 112a and the disk 123 is improved. Can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the piezo element 104 is interposed between a first electrode 104a and a second electrode 104b provided on surfaces facing each other, and between the first electrode 104a and the second electrode 104b, for example, PZT ( Piezoelectric material portion 104c made of piezoelectric ceramics such as lead zirconate titanate). Among these, the piezoelectric material portion 104c is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the upper surface 104d and the lower surface 104e have a surface area larger than the other four surfaces. The first electrode 104a is provided on the entire lower surface 104e of the piezoelectric material portion 104c by gold plating, and the second electrode 104b is provided on the entire upper surface 104d of the piezoelectric material portion 104c by gold plating. In this case, the process of forming the electrodes 104a and 104b can be simplified, and the electrodes 104a and 104b can be formed easily and inexpensively.

  The first element connection terminal 45 of the wiring layer 40 is electrically connected to the first electrode 104a of the piezo element 104 via a conductive adhesive (for example, silver paste) 105a. As a result, a predetermined voltage is applied to the first electrode 104a.

  In the present embodiment, the first element connection terminal 45 is disposed in the slider mounting region 2a. In this way, the head slider 112 is mounted on the piezo element 104. In the present embodiment, the element wiring 44 connected to the first element connection terminal 45 passes through the slider mounting area 2a.

  The second element connection terminal 22 connected to the second electrode 104 b of the piezo element 104 is formed by the metal support layer 20. That is, the second element connection terminal 22 extends upward from the tongue portion 21 and is connected to the second electrode 104 b of the piezo element 104. The second element connection terminal 22 and the second electrode 104b of the piezo element 104 are electrically connected via a conductive adhesive (for example, silver paste) 105b, and the second electrode 104b is grounded. The second element connection terminal 22 can be formed by bending the metal support layer 20. In FIG. 10, the second element connection terminal 22 is bent at two locations.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a support pedestal 65 that supports the piezo element 104 is provided on the tongue 21. The support pedestal portion 65 can be formed by the first protective layer 50.

  In the present embodiment, the front end portion 2b of the head region 2 is bent with respect to the tongue portion 21 by a folding line L shown in FIG. Since the metal support layer 20 is not formed at the bent tip 2b, it can be easily bent. In this way, the head terminal 41 can be brought close to the slider terminal 112b of the head slider 112 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface of the spacer 60 is arranged on the same plane as the upper surface 104f of the piezo element 104 to be mounted. That is, the upper surface 81a (see FIG. 11) of the second protective layer 80 located above the spacer wiring portion 47 (the spacer protective portion 81) is the upper surface of the piezoelectric element 104 (the upper surface of the second electrode 104b) 104f. They are arranged on the same plane. Here, “identical” is not limited to the same meaning in a strict sense, but is used to include a case where it can be regarded as substantially the same including manufacturing errors and the like.

  The spacer 60 can have the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. However, in the spacer 60 in the present embodiment, since the head slider 112 is disposed on the piezo element 104, the thickness of the second protective layer 80 is increased as shown in FIG. Such a second protective layer 80 is preferably formed using, for example, a dry film having a desired thickness. Alternatively, the second protective layer 80 may be formed by applying a resin material having a high viscosity (for example, polyimide) on the first protective layer 50. By increasing the viscosity, the second protective layer 80 can be applied thickly on the first protective layer 50. In this way, the height of the spacer 60 can be increased, and the upper surface 81a of the spacer protection part 81 can be arranged on the same plane as the upper surface 104f of the piezo element 104.

  Further, the upper surface 81a of the portion of the second protective layer 80 positioned above the spacer wiring portion 47 (spacer protective portion 81) is higher than the upper surface of the portion of the first protective layer 50 positioned above the element wiring 44. The metal support layer 20 is disposed at a high position from the tongue portion 21. As a result, the mounted head slider 112 can be prevented from interfering with the element wiring 44 passing through the slider mounting region 2a, and the head slider 112 can be stably held. In addition, when the piezo element 104 expands and contracts, the head slider 112 can be moved smoothly, preventing the expansion and contraction operation of the piezo element 104 from being hindered, and the head slider 112 can be displaced with high accuracy.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, at least a part of the piezo element 104 is disposed in the slider mounting region 2a, and the portion of the second protective layer 80 located above the spacer wiring portion 47 (spacer protective portion). 81) is disposed on the same plane as the upper surface 104f of the piezo element 104. Thus, when the head slider 112 is mounted, the slider adhesive 114 can be prevented from leaking around the spacer 60 from the filling recess 61. For this reason, the piezo element 44 mounted in the head region 2 can be prevented from being contaminated by the slider adhesive 114. Further, the head slider 112 can be stably held by the spacer 60.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the suspension substrate, the suspension, the suspension with a head, and the hard disk drive according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the gist of the present invention. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined partially.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Suspension board | substrate 2 Head area | region 2a Slider mounting area | region 10 Insulating layer 11 Insulating layer opening part 20 Metal support layer 40 Wiring layer 43 Signal wiring 44 Element wiring 47 Spacer wiring part 47a Wiring layer opening part 47b Inner side surface 50 1st protective layer 51 Wiring protection part 51a Upper surface 52 First protective layer opening 60 Spacer 61 Filling recess 70, 71 Gold plating layer 80 Second protective layer 81 Spacer protective part 81a Upper surface 82 Second protective layer opening 90 Conductive connection part 101 Suspension 102 Base plate 103 Load beam 104 Piezo element 104f Upper surface 111 Suspension with head 112 Head slider 114 Adhesive for slider 121 Hard disk drive

Claims (14)

In a suspension substrate in which an extendable actuator element that displaces the head slider is mounted in a head region where the head slider is mounted using an adhesive for the slider,
A metal support layer;
An insulating layer provided on the metal support layer;
A wiring layer provided on the insulating layer, the wiring layer having a plurality of wirings passing through a slider mounting region on which the head slider is mounted;
A first protective layer provided on the insulating layer and covering the wiring,
A plurality of spacers for supporting the head slider are provided at positions different from the wiring in a plan view in the slider mounting area,
The spacer is a spacer wiring portion formed by the wiring layer, includes a wiring layer opening, and has a spacer wiring portion formed in a frame shape in plan view,
The spacer wiring part is covered with a second protective layer through the first protective layer,
The upper surface of the portion of the second protective layer located above the spacer wiring portion is disposed higher than the upper surface of the portion of the first protective layer located above the wiring. ,
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the spacer includes a filling recess having a shape corresponding to the wiring layer opening, the filling recess being filled with the slider adhesive.   The said 1st protective layer and the said 2nd protective layer are formed in the concave shape so that it may enter in the said wiring layer opening part, By this, the said filling recessed part is formed, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Suspension substrate. The first protective layer is formed in a concave shape so as to enter the wiring layer opening,
The second protective layer has a second protective layer opening provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view,
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the filling recess is formed by the first protective layer and the second protective layer opening formed in a concave shape. The first protective layer has a first protective layer opening provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view,
The second protective layer has a second protective layer opening provided so as to overlap the first protective layer opening in plan view,
The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the filling recess is formed by the wiring layer opening, the first protective layer opening, and the second protective layer opening. The insulating layer has an insulating layer opening provided so as to overlap the wiring layer opening in plan view,
5. The suspension according to claim 4, wherein the filling recess is formed by the wiring layer opening, the first protective layer opening, the second protective layer opening, and the insulating layer opening. substrate.   The suspension substrate according to claim 5, wherein a metal support layer protection portion is provided in a portion of the metal support layer exposed by the insulating layer opening.   The wiring layer protection part is provided in the part exposed by the said 1st protective layer opening part and the said 2nd protective layer opening part among the said spacer wiring parts, The Claim 4 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The suspension substrate as described in 1.   The suspension substrate according to claim 7, wherein the spacer wiring portion is conductively connected to the metal support layer through a conductive connection portion that penetrates the insulating layer.   7. The suspension according to claim 4, wherein the first protective layer or the second protective layer extends to an inner surface of the spacer wiring portion that defines the wiring layer opening. substrate.   The suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the spacers are separated from each other in a plan view. Load beam,
The suspension substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 10, attached to the load beam,
A suspension comprising the actuator element mounted on the suspension substrate. At least a part of the actuator element is disposed in the slider mounting region,
The suspension according to claim 11, wherein an upper surface of a portion of the second protective layer located above the spacer wiring portion is disposed on the same plane as the upper surface of the actuator element. The suspension according to claim 11 or 12,
A suspension with a head, comprising: the head slider mounted on the suspension.   A hard disk drive comprising the suspension with a head according to claim 13.

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