Electrostatic piggyback microactuators for head element positioning

Author

Mita, Makoto ; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi ; Fujita, Hiroyuki

Author_Institution

Inst. of Ind. Sci., Univ. of Tokyo, Japan

fYear

2002

fDate

27-29 Aug. 2002

Abstract

We propose a new type of 3/sup rd/ generation MEMS piggyback actuator mechanism, which is suitable for integration with a read/write head device. An SOI wafer is patterned into a multiple-plate electrostatic actuator (2 /spl mu/m gap) by a deep RIE process. Prototype actuators (2 mm /spl times/ 3 mm /spl times/ 0.6 mm) without a head device have been developed to test the electromechanical characteristics. Typical mechanical stroke of 0.5 microns with a voltage of DC 60 V and resonant frequency of 16 kHz have been obtained. An analytical model has predicted that a 0.15 micron displacement would be possible for 200 Gbit/in/sup 2/ model when the electrostatic gap is designed to be 0.5 micron.

Keywords

disc drives; electrostatic actuators; magnetic heads; position control; silicon-on-insulator; sputter etching; 0.15 micron; 0.5 micron; 0.6 mm; 16 kHz; 2 micron; 2 mm; 3 mm; 60 V; MEMS actuator mechanism; SOI wafer patterning; Si; deep RIE process; electromechanical characteristics; electrostatic gap; electrostatic piggyback microactuators; head element positioning; multiple-plate electrostatic actuator; read/write head device; Assembly; Electrodes; Electrostatic actuators; Fabrication; Magnetic heads; Microactuators; Micromechanical devices; Prototypes; Silicon; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Magnetic Recording Conference, 2002. Digest of the Asia-Pacific

Conference_Location

Singapore

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7509-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/APMRC.2002.1037652

Filename

1037652