Read head having conductive filler in insulated hole through substrate
View Patent ↗A novel read head includes a substrate having a trailing face and a leading face opposite the trailing face. The substrate includes a first hole therethrough that extends continuously from the trailing face to the leading face. The read head also includes a read transducer disposed on the trailing face, and a first plurality of electrically conductive trailing connection pads disposed on the trailing face. A first insulative layer is disposed on an inner surface of the first hole. A first electrically conductive filler is disposed in the first hole but is insulated from the substrate by the first insulative layer. A first electrically conductive leading connection pad is disposed on the leading face and is electrically connected to the first conductive filler.
1. A read head comprising:
a substrate having a trailing face and a leading face opposite the trailing face, the substrate including a first hole therethrough that extends continuously from the trailing face to the leading face;
a read transducer disposed on the trailing face;
a first plurality of electrically conductive trailing connection pads disposed on the trailing face;
a first insulative layer disposed on an inner surface of the first hole;
a first electrically conductive filler disposed in the first hole but insulated from the substrate by the first insulative layer;
a first electrically conductive leading connection pad disposed on the leading face and electrically connected to the first conductive filler.
2. The read head of claim 1 wherein the read transducer and the first plurality of electrically conductive trailing connection pads are insulated from the trailing face by a trailing face insulative layer.
3. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive leading connection pad is insulated from the leading face by a leading face insulative layer.
4. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first hole defines a hole longitudinal axis that is normal to the trailing face.
5. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first hole defines a hole diameter in the range 10 μm to 100 μm.
6. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first insulative layer defines a first insulative layer thickness in the range 0.05 μm to 0.1 μm.
7. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first insulative layer defines a first insulative layer thickness in the range 10 Å to 20 Å.
8. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first insulative layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
9. The read head of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises AlTiC or silicon.
10. The read head of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive leading connection pad comprises copper or gold.
11. The read head of claim 1 further comprising a write transducer merged with the read transducer.
12. The read head of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive filler comprises TiC.
13. The read head of claim 1 wherein the first hole defines a hole length in the range 500 μm to 1300 μm.
14. The read head of claim 13 wherein the hole length is equal to a distance between the leading face and the trailing face, measured normal to the trailing face.
15. The read head of claim 14 wherein the hole length is approximately 850 μm.
16. The read head of claim 15 wherein the hole length is approximately 1235 μm.
17. The read head of claim 1 wherein the substrate further includes a second hole therethrough that extends continuously from the trailing face to the leading face, and wherein the read head further comprises a second insulative layer disposed on an inner surface of the second hole, and a second electrically conductive filler disposed in the second hole but insulated from the substrate by the second insulative layer, and a second electrically conductive leading connection pad disposed on the leading face and electrically connected to the second conductive filler.
18. The read head of claim 17 wherein the substrate includes a plurality of holes therethrough that extend continuously from the trailing face to the leading face, the plurality of holes including the first and second holes, and wherein the read head includes a plurality of electrically conductive leading connection pads disposed on the leading face, the plurality of electrically conductive leading connection pads including the first and second electrically conductive leading connection pads.