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.

A data storage device can employ a gimbal tongue flexure suspended from a load beam with a transducing head mounted to the gimbal tongue flexure. The transducing head can be separated from a magnetic recording medium by an air bearing. At least one active or non-active damper may be positioned on a strut of the gimbal tongue flexure.

An apparatus includes a slider which includes a slider body with a leading edge and a trailing edge and a plurality of slider bond pads disposed at the trailing edge. The slider bond pads are configured to align opposite to suspension trace bond pads on a suspension to form a solderable gap between the slider bond pads and the suspension trace bond pads.

An apparatus includes a slider which includes a slider body with a leading edge and a trailing edge and a plurality of slider bond pads disposed at the trailing edge. The slider bond pads are configured to align opposite to suspension trace bond pads on a suspension to form a solderable gap between the slider bond pads and the suspension trace bond pads.

An apparatus includes a slider body with a first portion formed of a first insulating material and a second portion formed of a second insulating material that is different from the first insulating material. The second portion of the slider body is at a trailing edge of the slider body and the second portion includes a bearing surface and a top surface opposite the bearing surface. A plurality of bond pads are disposed on the top surface of the second portion such that an entire bottom surface of each of the plurality bond pads is attached to the top surface of the second portion.

A method for programming a head gimbal assembly. The method includes building a plurality of transducers into a slider, and testing the plurality of transducers to select one of the plurality of transducers for field operation. The method also includes providing an interconnect assembly having a plurality of traces with at least one of the plurality of traces having a plurality of electrically coupled bond pads. One of the plurality of bond pads is bonded electrically to the selected transducer out of the plurality of transducers, and the other bond pads of the plurality of bond pads are not electrically coupled to any of the plurality of transducers.

According to one embodiment, an actuator assembly includes a head actuator including an actuator block having a first surface, a second surface intersecting the first surface, and a first groove provided on the second surface, and a suspension assembly supporting a magnetic head and a wiring board including a plate arranged on the first surface, a flexible printed circuit board provided on the plate, and an IC chip provided on the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the plate comprises a first engaging portion engaging with the first groove.

A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric microactuator having a wrap-around electrode includes forming a piezoelectric element having a large central electrode on a top face, and having a wrap-around electrode that includes the bottom face, two opposing ends of the device, and two opposing end portions of the top face. The device is then cut through the middle, separating the device into two separate piezoelectric microactuators each having a wrap-around electrode.

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.

A flexure includes a metal base, a circuit member, and an actuator. The circuit member includes a base insulating layer, a conductor layer, and a cover insulating layer. The conductor layer includes a second pad, and a reference hole, which is an example of a portion to be protected, in a tongue portion. A second end portion of the actuator is fixed to the second pad via an adhesive. The circuit member includes a wall portion. The wall portion is formed between the second pad and the reference hole. A height of the wall portion is greater than a height of the second pad.