Thin film piezoelectric micro-actuator for head gimbal assembly

Abstract

A thin film piezoelectric (PZT) micro-actuator is disclosed. Two thin film pieces of PZT are couple to a slider support frame. The slider support frame has a slider support connected by a leading beam to a base. The two thin film pieces of PZT connect the slider support to the base. Applied voltage causes the thin film pieces of PZT to contract or expand, moving the slider support in relation to the base. The thin film pieces of PZT can be single or multiple layers. The thin film PZT micro-actuator can be coupled to the suspension by anisotropic conductive film, with the thin film pieces of PZT between the slider support frame and the suspension. Alternately, the thin film PZT micro-actuator can be coupled to the suspension with the thin film pieces of PZT exterior to the slider support frame and the suspension.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly, comprising: 
 a slider having a magnetic head for reading and writing data onto and from a magnetic disk,    a suspension for providing the slider, a proximal portion of which is attached to an actuator arm of a coarse adjustment actuator for positioning the slider on the magnetic disk;    a micro-actuator disposed on the suspension for a fine adjustment of the slider;    a flexible circuit electrically coupled to the slider and the micro-actuator;    wherein the micro-actuator having a slider support frame coupled to the suspension with a slider support to hold the slider and a swing support to allow at least a horizontal swinging movement of the slider support; and    a position controller connecting the slider support frame to control the position of the slider.    
   
   
       12 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the slider support further comprises: 
 a first side beam and a second side beam disposed respectively on each side of the slider support to couple the position controller to the slider support frame.    
   
   
       13 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the swing support includes: 
 a base to couple the suspension; and    a leading beam connecting between the slider support and the base to support the horizontal swinging movement of the slider support.    
   
   
       14 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the leading beam has a narrower width than the slider support or the base.  
   
   
       15 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the positioning controller includes: 
 a first thin film piece of piezoelectric material coupled to the first side of the slider support frame; and    a second thin film piece of piezoelectric material coupled to the second side of the slider support frame.    
   
   
       16 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the positioning controller includes: 
 a first thin film piece of piezoelectric material coupled to the first side beam of the slider support; and    a second thin film piece of piezoelectric material coupled to the second side beam of the slider support.    
   
   
       17 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad electrically coupled to the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material;    a second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad electrically coupled to the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material; and    a micro-actuator grounding pad electrically coupled to the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material, and the suspension includes:    a first suspension electrical bonding pad coupled to a first micro actuator trace;    a second suspension electrical bonding pad coupled to a second micro actuator trace; and    a suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       18 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 an anisotropic conductive film to physically couple the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material to the suspension and to electrically couple the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the first suspension electrical bonding pad, the second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the second suspension bonding pad, and the micro-actuator grounding pad to the suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       19 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 an insulative adhesion material to physically couple the swing support to the suspension;    a bonding wire to electrically couple the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the first suspension electrical bonding pad, the second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the second suspension bonding pad, and the micro-actuator grounding pad to the suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       20 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material have matching polarities or opposing polarities.  
   
   
       21 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material have one or more layers.  
   
   
       22 . A magnetic head gimbal assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the first thin film piece and the second thin film piece include: 
 a first layer of ductile material;    a third and seventh layer of piezoelectric material above the first layer;    a second, fourth, sixth, and eighth layer of thin electric material surrounding the third and seventh layers; and    a fifth layer of an insulative adhesion material coupling the fourth layer to the sixth layer.    
   
   
       23 . A magnetic disk apparatus, comprising: 
 a disk to store information;    a magnetic head to read information to and write information from the disk;    a suspension to support the magnetic head, the suspension including a load beam flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the disk;    a coarse adjustment actuator to drive said suspension;    a micro-actuator for micro motion mounted in a micro-actuator mounting portion provided on said suspension; and    wherein the micro-actuator having a slider support frame disposed on the suspension with a slider support to hold the slider and a swing support to support at least a horizontal swinging movement of the slider support; and    a positioning controller connecting the slider support frame to control the position of the slider.    
   
   
       24 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the slider support further comprises: 
 a first and a second side beams disposed respectively on the both side of the slider support to couple the positioning controller to the slider support frame.    
   
   
       25 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the swing support having: 
 a base to couple to the suspension; and    a leading beam coupling the slider support to the base to support the horizontal swinging movement of the slider support.    
   
   
       26 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the width of the leading beam is narrower than the width of the slider support and the base.  
   
   
       27 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the positioning controller having: 
 a first thin film piece of piezoelectric material connecting to the first side of the slider support frame; and    a second thin film piece of piezoelectric material connecting to the second side of the slider support frame.    
   
   
       28 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the positioning controller comprises: 
 a first thin film piece of piezoelectric material connecting to the first side beam of the slider support; and    a second thin film piece of piezoelectric material connecting to the second side beam of the slider support.    
   
   
       29 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 a first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad electrically coupled to the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material;    a second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad electrically coupled to the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material; and    a micro-actuator grounding pad electrically coupled to the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material, and the suspension includes:    a first suspension electrical bonding pad coupled to a first micro actuator trace;    a second suspension electrical bonding pad coupled to a second micro actuator trace; and    a suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       30 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 an anisotropic conductive film to physically couple the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material to the suspension and to electrically couple the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the first suspension electrical bonding pad, the second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the second suspension bonding pad, and the micro-actuator grounding pad to the suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       31 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 an insulative adhesion material to physically couple the swing support to the suspension;    a bonding wire to electrically couple the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the first suspension electrical bonding pad, the second micro-actuator electrical bonding pad to the second suspension bonding pad, and the micro-actuator grounding pad to the suspension grounding pad.    
   
   
       32 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material have matching polarities, and the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad and the second micro-actuator bonding pad receive opposing electrical signals through the first and the second suspension electrical bonding pads.  
   
   
       33 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material have opposing polarities, and the first micro-actuator electrical bonding pad and the second micro-actuator bonding pad receive synchronous electrical signals through the first and the second suspension electrical bonding pads.  
   
   
       34 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first thin film piece of piezoelectric material and the second thin film piece of piezoelectric material have one or more layers.  
   
   
       35 . A magnetic disk apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first thin film piece and the second thin film piece include: 
 a first layer of ductile material;    a third and seventh layer of piezoelectric material above the first layer;    a second, fourth, sixth, and eighth layer of thin electric material surrounding the third and seventh layers; and    a fifth layer of an insulative adhesion material coupling the fourth layer to the sixth layer.