Using solid state deposition in the manufacture of data storage devices, and related devices and components thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to using solid state deposition to selectively and strategically manage one or more properties of one or more portions of a data storage device. Material deposited via solid-state deposition can be used to prepare a surface for subsequent treatment (e.g., welding), to join two or more substrates together, and/or to seal one or more joints or surfaces to control, e.g., the humidity in the interior of a data storage device. The present disclosure also involves related data storage devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A data storage device housing intermediate comprising:
 a) a first data storage device housing component having a first metallic substrate;   b) a second data storage device housing component having a second metallic substrate wherein at least a portion of the first metallic substrate is aligned with at least a portion of the second metallic substrate along a joint line, wherein the first metallic substrate is not physically attached to the second metallic substrate at the joint line; and   c) at least one solid-state, metallic deposition layer covering at least a portion of the first metallic substrate and/or at least a portion of second metallic substrate along at least a portion of the joint line.   
     
     
         2 ) The data storage device housing intermediate of  claim 1 , wherein the first data storage device housing component comprises a hard disk drive base and the second data storage device housing component comprises a hard disk drive final cover. 
     
     
         3 ) The data storage device housing intermediate of  claim 2 , wherein the hard disk drive base comprises a first metallic composition, wherein the hard disk drive final cover comprises a second metallic composition, wherein the at least one solid-state, metallic deposition layer comprises a third metallic composition, and wherein the first metallic composition, the second metallic composition, and the third metallic composition are all different from each other. 
     
     
         4 ) The data storage device housing intermediate of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one solid-state, metallic deposition layer comprises magnesium or alloys thereof. 
     
     
         5 ) The data storage device housing intermediate of  claim 2 , wherein the hard disk drive base is a cast hard disk drive base. 
     
     
         6 ) The data storage device housing intermediate of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one solid-state, metallic deposition layer comprises an aluminum alloy, and wherein the hard disk drive base an aluminum cast hard disk drive base. 
     
     
         7 ) A data storage device comprising:
 a) a housing, wherein the housing comprises at least a first substrate defining a data storage device interior and data storage device exterior, wherein the first substrate comprises a joint line between the first substrate and a second substrate that is physically secured to the first substrate; and   b) at least one solid-state deposition layer covering at least a portion of the joint line to seal the interior of the data storage device from the exterior along the portion of the joint line that is covered by the at least one solid-state deposition layer.   
     
     
         8 ) The data storage device of  claim 7 , wherein first substrate comprises a hard disk drive base and the second substrate is chosen from a hard disk drive process cover, a hard disk drive final cover, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 ) The data storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the second substrate comprises a hard disk drive process cover, wherein the hard disk drive process cover is physically secured to the hard disk drive base with gasket material, and wherein the data storage device does not include a hard disk drive final cover in a final data storage device. 
     
     
         10 ) The data storage device of  claim 7 , wherein first substrate is chosen from a hard disk drive base, a hard disk drive process cover, a hard disk drive final cover, and combinations thereof, and the second substrate comprises a fastener. 
     
     
         11 ) The data storage device of  claim 7 , wherein that at least one solid-state deposition layer covering at least a portion of the joint line seals the interior of the data storage device from the exterior along the portion of the joint line that is covered by the at least one solid-state deposition layer so that the interior has a relative humidity maintained at 40% or less at 25° C. for at least 6 months. 
     
     
         12 ) The data storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the first substrate is physically secured to the second substrate via a weld, and wherein the at least one solid-state deposition layer covers at least a portion of the weld. 
     
     
         13 ) The data storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the hard disk drive base is a cast hard disk drive base. 
     
     
         14 ) The data storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one solid-state deposition layer comprise and aluminum composition. 
     
     
         15 ) A data storage device comprising:
 a) a housing, wherein the housing comprises at least a first substrate a joint line between the first substrate and a second substrate; and   b) at least one solid-state deposition layer covering at least a portion of the joint line to physically couple the first substrate to the second substrate.   
     
     
         16 ) The data storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the first substrate comprises at least one through-hole; wherein the second substrate comprises a data storage device component positioned proximal to the through-hole, wherein the joint line is present between the first substrate and the data storage device component; and wherein the at least one solid-state deposition layer covers at least a portion of the joint line to physically couple the data storage device component to the first substrate. 
     
     
         17 ) The data storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the first substrate comprises a hard disk drive base, and wherein the data storage device component comprises a pass-through connector. 
     
     
         18 ) The data storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one solid-state deposition layer covering at least a portion of the joint line seals an interior of the data storage device from an exterior along the portion of the joint line that is covered by the at least one solid-state deposition layer. 
     
     
         19 ) The data storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the wherein the first substrate comprises a hard disk drive base, and wherein the second substrate is chosen from a hard disk drive process cover, a hard disk drive final cover, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 ) The data storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the joint line does not include adhesive, solder, a laser weld and a friction stir weld to physically couple the first substrate to the second substrate.