Method and apparatus for cleaning disc drive components

Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Work handled in bulk or groups

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C134S031000, C134S037000, C134S149000, C134S157000, C134S902000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06609529

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to disc drive data storage devices. In particular the present invention relates to cleaning discs and wafers used in making disc drives.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In disc drive storage devices, as well as other technologically advanced devices such as LCD plates, there are surfaces that include micromechanical structures at or near the surfaces that are subject to damage. For example, discs have a thin layer of magnetic material at a sliding disc surface and read/write heads have various magnetic and insulating components formed at a sliding head surface. When particles adhere to the sliding surfaces, the particles can be broken loose by the sliding action and damage delicate micromechanical structures on one or both sliding surfaces.
Cleaning techniques are available for effectively removing larger particles. For example, burnish heads, ultrasonic and megasonic cleaning have been used. However, burnish heads can break up particles into smaller particles which also adhere to the sliding surface. Ultrasonic or megasonic cleaning would have to use unacceptable amounts of power in order to get high enough pressure gradients to remove small particles. As areal densities of disc drives increase, the critical dimension between sliding components is becoming smaller and approaching 5 nanometers in some applications. A method and apparatus are needed that can clean extremely small particles from micromechanical sliding surfaces without damaging the micromechanical structures that are at or near the sliding surfaces during the cleaning process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus adapted to clean an exposed surface of a microstructure device such as a disc or head for a disc drive. The apparatus includes a fixture with a mounting surface adapted to receive the microstructure device. A cleaning fluid covers the exposed surface.
A slider bearing coupled to a resilient mount flies over the exposed surface. A cleaning line on the exposed surface adjacent the slider bearing is subject to a flow of the cleaning fluid. The flow can be generated by relative motion between the microstructure device and the slider bearing or generated by a nozzle.
Additional features and benefits will become appararent with a careful review of the following detailed description and the corresponding drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3517642 (1970-06-01), David
patent: 3731291 (1973-05-01), Walsh
patent: 4489740 (1984-12-01), Rattan et al.
patent: 4558386 (1985-12-01), Kara
patent: 4889564 (1989-12-01), Kikuchi et al.
patent: 4916564 (1990-04-01), Fritsch
patent: 5119256 (1992-06-01), NakaMats
patent: 5136438 (1992-08-01), Wakatsuki et al.
patent: 5231622 (1993-07-01), Hayashi
patent: 5850321 (1998-12-01), McNeil et al.
patent: 6021785 (2000-02-01), Grutzediek et al.
patent: 6050276 (2000-04-01), Harada et al.
patent: 61-129721 (1986-06-01), None
patent: 62-008333 (1987-01-01), None
patent: 63-191311 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 1-149211 (1989-06-01), None
“Process for Substrate Cleaning”, by D. Mattox,Handbook of Thin Film Process Technology, pp. E1.0:1-E1.0:26, 1996.
Written Opinion dated Sep. 17, 2002 from the International Preliminary Examining Authority for International Application No. PCT/US01/17518 filed May 31, 2001.
“Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report or the Declaration”, PCT/US01/17518.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method and apparatus for cleaning disc drive components does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for cleaning disc drive components, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for cleaning disc drive components will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3077826

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.