According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a first head actuator, a second head actuator, and a wiring board unit connected to the first head actuator and the second head actuator. The wiring board unit includes a flexible printed wiring board including a base portion and at least two extension portions extending from the base portion, and each of the extension portions includes a joint portion provided with connection pads and a cutting work trace portion. One joint portion is attached to a first actuator block, and the connection end portion of a first wiring member is joined to the connection pads. Another joint portion is attached to a second actuator block, and the connection end portion of a second wiring member is joined to the connection pad.

According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate having a distal end portion and a base end portion, a wiring member having a gimbal portion and provided on the support plate, and a magnetic head mounted on the gimbal portion. In the gimbal portion, the wiring member includes a head mounting region where the magnetic head is mounted, and an etching region including a recess located and formed at least partially in the head mounting region. The magnetic head is bonded to the head mounting region of the wiring member by an adhesive filled in the head mounting region and the recess.

A head gimbal assembly for a hard disk drive includes a slider, a load beam, a gimbal, and a flexure. The gimbal is disposed between the load beam and the slider. The gimbal is configured to provide motive support to the slider as the slider moves in proximity to a media surface. The flexure is disposed between the gimbal and the slider. The flexure includes an electrical trace ribbon configured to provide electrical signal pathways to and from active components of the head gimbal assembly.

According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate, a trace member on the support plate and a drive element mounted on the trace member. The trace member includes a metal plate, and a multilayered member on the metal plate. The multilayered member includes a first insulating layer, a conductive layer stacked on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer stacked on the conductive layer. The multilayered member includes a mount portion on which the drive element is mounted, and a branching portion arranged along the mount portion with a gap therebetween. At least one portion of the branching portion is formed into a thin portion having a thickness less than other portions of the multilayered member.

According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate, a trace member on the support plate and a drive element mounted on the trace member. The trace member includes a metal plate, and a multilayered member on the metal plate. The multilayered member includes a first insulating layer, a conductive layer stacked on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer stacked on the conductive layer. The multilayered member includes a mount portion on which the drive element is mounted, and a branching portion arranged along the mount portion with a gap therebetween. At least one portion of the branching portion is formed into a thin portion having a thickness less than other portions of the multilayered member.

Embodiments of disk drive head suspensions are described that include a spring metal layer. The spring metal layer includes a base region, support arms extending from the base region, and a slider mounting region. The slider mounting region includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a pair of motor openings. The motor openings are configured to receive motors such that the longitudinal axes of the motors are non-parallel with the longitudinal axis of the slider mounting region. The suspensions include traces that include a base portion on the base region of the spring metal layer, a spring metal-unsupported portion extending from the base region to the slider mounting region, and a slider mounting portion extending from the spring metal-unsupported portion onto the slider mounting region. And, the suspensions include an insulating layer between portions of the spring metal layer and the conductor layer.

A disk device according to one embodiment includes a recording medium, a magnetic head, a wiring member, and a flexible printed circuit board. The magnetic head is configured to read/write information from/to the recording medium. The wiring member includes a plurality of first terminals, and a plurality of first wires that electrically connect the magnetic head to the first terminals. The flexible printed circuit board includes a surface, a plurality of second terminals located on the surface to be connected to the first terminals by means of a conductive adhesive, and a ground plane spaced apart from the second terminals in a direction along the surface.

A method of controlling a shape and size of at least one solder joint of a magnetic recording head that includes a trailing surface and a plurality of bond pads, wherein each bond pad comprises a base layer comprising a top surface and a top edge, the method including the steps of forming at least one solder dam by covering a portion of the top surface of the base layer of at least one of the bond pads with a coating layer that comprises a nonwettable, electrically conductive material positioned adjacent to the top edge of at least one of the bond pads, thereby defining a coated portion and an uncoated portion of the base layer, and applying solder material to the uncoated portion of the base layer adjacent to the solder dam so that the coating layer constrains movement of the solder material beyond the uncoated portion.

According to one embodiment, a microactuator includes a wiring substrate, and a piezoelectric element connected to first and second connecting pads of the wiring substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode provided on surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate. The first electrode includes a first electrode portion on an end portion on a first main surface. The second electrode includes a fifth electrode portion having an electrode end which faces the first electrode portion across a gap and provided on the first main surface. The piezoelectric element includes a protective insulating layer covering at lease an end portion of the fifth electrode including the electrode end.

Approaches to pre-forming solder bumps, such as for use in electrically connecting a head slider and a suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, involves applying a height stabilizer plate over a shared solder paste applied over a substrate housing electrode pads, and reflowing the solder paste with the plate applied to create solder bumps electrically coupled to the pads. Use of such a plate functions to stabilize and contain the solder paste and create uniform solder bumps across the series of pads, where the plate may be composed of a heat-resistant and anti-solder-wetting material. The solder bump pre-forming techniques generally enable solder bonding of extremely small electrical interconnection pads.