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 PZT microactuator such as for a hard disk drive has a restraining layer bonded on its side that is opposite the side on which the PZT is mounted. The restraining layer comprises a stiff and resilient material such as stainless steel. The restraining layer can cover most or all of the top of the PZT, with an electrical connection being made to the PZT where it is not covered by the restraining layer. The restraining layer reduces bending of the PZT as mounted and hence increases effective stroke length, or reverses the sign of the bending which increases the effective stroke length of the PZT even further. The restraining layer can be one or more active layers of PZT material that act in the opposite direction as the main PZT layer. The restraining layer(s) may be thinner than the main PZT layer.

A head suspension assembly includes a support plate, a wiring member on the support plate, a head mounted on the wiring member and electrically connected to the wiring member, and a piezoelectric element mounted on the wiring member. The piezoelectric element has first and second electrodes electrically connected to the wiring member. The wiring member includes a metal layer, a base insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a cover insulating layer stacked in order. The cover insulating layer includes a pad opening through which the first electrode is connected to the conductive layer with a conducive adhesive therebetween. The base insulating layer includes a first region below the first pad opening and a second region below a side surface of the piezoelectric element. A thickness of the base insulating layer in the second region is less than a thickness of the base insulating layer in the first region.

A piezoelectric actuator assembly is described. The assembly including a first layer including a top and a bottom surfaces. The assembly including a second layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the second layer is disposed over the top surface of the first layer. The assembly including a third layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the third layer is disposed over the top surface of the second layer. The assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode. The third electrode is configured to be shorter than the second electrode such that the active PZT length of the second layer and the third layer is shorter than the active PZT length of the first layer.

A data storage system may utilize a gimbal test system to find open circuits and short circuits in a head gimbal assembly. The gimbal test system can have a gimbal flexure suspended between a load beam and a data storage medium with a flex circuit physically attached to the gimbal flexure to electrically connect a transducing head to a controller. The flex circuit can be tested with a test via that continuously extends through the flex circuit to a probe portion and a test pad located on an air bearing side of the gimbal flexure. The probe portion can be backed by the gimbal flexure along a plane perpendicular to a recording surface of the data storage medium.

A head suspension assembly includes a support plate, a wiring member on the support plate, a head mounted on the wiring member and electrically connected to the wiring member, and a piezoelectric element mounted on the wiring member. The piezoelectric element has first and second electrodes electrically connected to the wiring member. The wiring member includes a metal layer, a base insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a cover insulating layer stacked in order. The cover insulating layer includes a pad opening through which the first electrode is connected to the conductive layer with a conducive adhesive therebetween. The base insulating layer includes a first region below the first pad opening and a second region below a side surface of the piezoelectric element. A thickness of the base insulating layer in the second region is less than a thickness of the base insulating layer in the first region.

A hard disk drive head slider is configured with a material void, such as a chamfer, positioned at a virtual intersection of a leading edge (LE) face and a suspension face. The material void provides for avoidance of structural interference between an actuator that is mechanically coupled with the slider and the suspension flexure during actuator operation, thereby enabling the actuator to achieve a full desired stroke.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a read/write device for a hard-disk memory system. The read/write device includes a fixed structure; a membrane region including a first and a second membrane, which are constrained to the fixed structure, and a central portion, interposed between the first and second membranes; a first and a second piezoelectric actuator, mechanically coupled, respectively, to the first and second membranes; and a read/write head, which is fixed to the central portion of the membrane region. The first and second piezoelectric actuators can be controlled so as to cause corresponding deformations of the first and second membranes, said deformations of the first and second membranes causing corresponding movements of the read/write head with respect to the fixed structure.

A method of manufacturing a disk drive suspension includes applying an adhesive to an actuator mounting portion, increasing viscosity of the adhesive by emitting light to the adhesive applied to the actuator mounting portion, arranging the piezoelectric element on the adhesive having the increased viscosity, detecting a height of the piezoelectric element arranged on the actuator mounting portion, and correcting an irradiation condition of the light in accordance with the detected height of the piezoelectric element.

According to an embodiment, a bonding strength test device measures bonding strength between a flexure of a suspension of a hard disk drive and microactuators mounted on a gimbal of the flexure. The bonding strength test device includes a clamp, dummy, and device body. The clamp fixes the flexure. The dummy is adhered to the microactuators. The probe is engaged in the dummy. The device body measures a tensile load applied to the probe while the probe is pulled toward a direction to be apart from the flexure.