Head stack assembly including a ground conductive pad for grounding a slider to a gimbal
View Patent ↗A head stack assembly includes an actuator including an actuator arm, a load beam coupled to the actuator arm, and a gimbal coupled to the load beam. The gimbal is formed of an electrically conductive material. The head stack assembly further includes a dielectric layer disposed upon the gimbal. The head stack assembly further includes a slider supported by the gimbal. The head stack assembly further includes slider conductive pads disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the slider conductive pads and the gimbal. The slider conductive pads are electrically connected to the slider. The head stack assembly further includes a ground conductive pad disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the ground conductive pad and the gimbal. The ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the slider and the gimbal for electrically grounding the slider.
1. A head stack assembly for a disk drive, the head stack assembly comprising:
an actuator including an actuator arm;
a load beam coupled to the actuator arm, the load beam being formed of an electrically conductive material;
a gimbal coupled to the load beam, the gimbal being formed of an electrically conductive material;
a dielectric layer disposed upon the gimbal;
a slider supported by the gimbal, the slider including a leading end and an opposing trailing end;
slider conductive pads disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the slider conductive pads and the gimbal, the slider conductive pads being disposed at the trailing end, the slider conductive pads being electrically connected to the slider; and
a ground conductive pad disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the ground conductive pad and the gimbal, the ground conductive pad being disposed at the leading end, the ground conductive pad being electrically connected to the slider and the gimbal for electrically grounding the slider to the gimbal.
2. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the dielectric layer includes a dielectric layer opening formed through the dielectric layer, the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through an electrically conductive material disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
3. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through conductive epoxy disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
4. The head stack assembly of claim 3 wherein the conductive epoxy is a silver epoxy.
5. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through solder disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
6. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through gold plating disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
7. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the ground conductive pad is ball bonded to the slider.
8. The head stack assembly of claim 1 wherein the slider conductive pads and the ground conductive pad are metal traces formed upon the dielectric layer.
9. A disk drive comprising:
a disk drive base;
a magnetic disk rotatably coupled to the disk drive base;
a head stack assembly rotatably coupled to the disk drive base adjacent the disk, the head stack assembly including:
an actuator including an actuator arm;
a load beam coupled to the actuator arm, the load beam being formed of an electrically conductive material;
a gimbal coupled to the load beam, the gimbal being formed of an electrically conductive material;
a dielectric layer disposed upon the gimbal;
a slider supported by the gimbal, the slider including a leading end and an opposing trailing end;
slider conductive pads disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the slider conductive pads and the gimbal, the slider conductive pads being disposed at the trailing end, the slider conductive pads being electrically connected to the slider; and
a ground conductive pad disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the ground conductive pad and the gimbal, the ground conductive pad being disposed at the leading end, the ground conductive pad being electrically connected to the slider and the gimbal for electrically grounding the slider to the gimbal.
10. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the dielectric layer includes a dielectric layer opening formed through the dielectric layer, the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through an electrically conductive material disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
11. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through conductive epoxy disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
12. The disk drive of claim 11 wherein the conductive epoxy is a silver epoxy.
13. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through solder disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
14. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through gold plating disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
15. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the ground conductive pad is ball bonded to the slider.
16. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the slider conductive pads and the ground conductive pad are metal traces formed upon the dielectric layer.
17. A head gimbal assembly for a disk drive, the head gimbal assembly comprising:
a load beam formed of an electrically conductive material;
a gimbal coupled to the load beam, the gimbal being formed of an electrically conductive material;
a dielectric layer disposed upon the gimbal;
a slider supported by the gimbal, the slider including a leading end and an opposing trailing end;
slider conductive pads disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the slider conductive pads and the gimbal, the slider conductive pads being disposed at the trailing end, the slider conductive pads being electrically connected to the slider; and
a ground conductive pad disposed upon the dielectric layer with the dielectric layer interposed between the ground conductive pad and the gimbal, the ground conductive pad being disposed at the leading end, the ground conductive pad being electrically connected to the slider and the gimbal for electrically grounding the slider to the gimbal.
18. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the dielectric layer includes a dielectric layer opening formed through the dielectric layer, the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through an electrically conductive material disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
19. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through conductive epoxy disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
20. The head gimbal assembly of claim 19 wherein the conductive epoxy is a silver epoxy.
21. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through solder disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
22. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground conductive pad is electrically connected to the gimbal through gold plating disposed within the dielectric layer opening.
23. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the ground conductive pad is ball bonded to the slider.
24. The head gimbal assembly of claim 17 wherein the slider conductive pads and the ground conductive pad are metal traces formed upon the dielectric layer.