JP2013182648A - Substrate for suspension, suspension, suspension having device, hard disk drive, and manufacturing method of substrate for suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate for suspension insusceptible to an effect of static electricity.SOLUTION: A substrate for suspension includes a metal support substrate, an insulation layer, a cable layer and a cover layer laminated in this order. Openings of the metal support substrate and the insulation layer have a disconnection portion of the cable layer. The openings are provided with the cover layer having a transfer portion formed by transferring a shape of the cable layer having existed at the disconnection portion.

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension substrate that is not easily affected by static electricity.

  In recent years, due to the spread of the Internet and the like, there has been a demand for an increase in the amount of information processing of personal computers and an increase in information processing speed. Increasing information transmission speed is required.

  A suspension substrate (flexure) used in an HDD is usually formed at one end portion, formed at a recording / reproducing element mounting area for mounting a recording / reproducing element such as a magnetic head slider, and at the other end portion. It has an external circuit board connection area for connecting to the external circuit board, and a wiring layer for connecting the recording / reproducing element mounting area and the external circuit board connection area. The suspension substrate usually has a basic structure in which a metal support substrate, an insulating layer, and a wiring layer are laminated in this order.

  For example, it is known that a plated portion is provided on the surface of the terminal portion of the wiring layer for the purpose of preventing deterioration and improving connection reliability. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a printed circuit board in which a part of a plating lead provided for power feeding is removed by etching when a plating part is provided by electroplating.

JP 2009-272549 A

  When a part of the wiring layer is removed to form a disconnection portion, the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer may be exposed from the cover layer as shown in FIG. 4 described later. If, for example, an external device comes into contact with the exposed end portion, static electricity is transmitted to an element such as a recording / reproducing element, and in the worst case, electrostatic damage of the element may occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a suspension substrate that is not easily affected by static electricity.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a metal support substrate, an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate, a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, and formed on the wiring layer are formed. A suspension substrate having a cover layer, wherein a disconnection portion of the wiring layer is formed in an opening portion of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer, and the opening portion is present in the disconnection portion. There is provided a suspension substrate characterized in that the cover layer having a transfer portion to which the shape of a wiring layer is transferred is formed.

  According to the present invention, since the cover layer having the transfer portion is formed in the disconnected portion, the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer is not exposed from the cover layer. Therefore, the suspension substrate can be hardly affected by static electricity.

  In the said invention, it is preferable that the said disconnection part is a disconnection part of the said wiring layer which has a plating part.

  The present invention also provides a suspension comprising the above-described suspension substrate and a load beam provided on the surface of the suspension substrate on the metal support substrate side.

  According to the present invention, by using the above-described suspension substrate, the suspension can be hardly affected by static electricity.

  The present invention also provides an element-equipped suspension comprising the above-described suspension and a recording / reproducing element disposed on the suspension.

  According to the present invention, by using the above-described suspension, a suspension with an element that is not easily affected by static electricity can be obtained.

  The present invention also provides a hard disk drive having the above-described suspension with an element.

  According to the present invention, a hard disk drive with higher functionality can be obtained by using the above-described suspension with an element.

  Moreover, in this invention, it has a metal support substrate, the insulating layer formed on the said metal support substrate, the wiring layer formed on the said insulating layer, and the cover layer formed on the said wiring layer A method for manufacturing a suspension substrate, comprising: an intermediate member preparing step of preparing an intermediate member in which the wiring layer is exposed in the opening of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer; and etching the wiring layer exposed in the opening A disconnection portion forming step of forming the disconnection portion, and forming the cover layer having the transfer portion to which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion is transferred. Provided is a method for manufacturing an industrial substrate.

  According to the present invention, by forming the cover layer and then forming the disconnection portion, the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer is not exposed from the cover layer. Therefore, a suspension substrate that is not easily affected by static electricity can be obtained.

  In the said invention, it is preferable to have the plating part formation process which forms a plating part in a part of said wiring layer before the said disconnection part formation process.

  The suspension substrate of the present invention has an effect of being hardly affected by static electricity.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic plan view explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic plan view explaining the disconnection part in this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the suspension of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the suspension with an element of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the hard disk drive of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate for suspensions of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the suspension substrate, suspension, suspension with element, hard disk drive, and manufacturing method of the suspension substrate of the present invention will be described in detail.

A. Suspension substrate The suspension substrate of the present invention includes a metal support substrate, an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate, a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, and a cover formed on the wiring layer. A suspension substrate having a layer, wherein the disconnection portion of the wiring layer is formed in an opening portion of the metal supporting substrate and the insulating layer, and the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion in the opening portion The cover layer having a transfer portion to which the shape is transferred is formed.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a suspension substrate of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of a suspension substrate, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In FIG. 1A, illustration of the insulating layer and the cover layer is omitted for convenience. A suspension substrate 100 shown in FIG. 1A includes a recording / reproducing element mounting region 101 formed at one tip portion, an external circuit board connection region 102 formed at the other tip portion, and a recording / playback device. A plurality of wiring layers 103a to 103d for electrically connecting the element mounting region 101 and the external circuit board connection region 102 are provided. The wiring layer 103a and the wiring layer 103b are a pair of wiring layers. Similarly, the wiring layer 103c and the wiring layer 103d are also a pair of wiring layers. One of the two pairs of wiring layers is a writing wiring layer, and the other is a reading wiring layer. As shown in FIG. 1B, the suspension substrate 100 includes a metal support substrate 1, an insulating layer 2 formed on the metal support substrate 1, and a wiring layer 3 formed on the insulating layer 2. And a cover layer 4 formed so as to cover the wiring layer 3.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a disconnection portion in the present invention. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2, FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3C is a schematic plan view of FIG. . As shown in FIG. 2, a broken portion 3 x of the wiring layer 3 is formed in the opening X of the metal support substrate 1 and the insulating layer 2. Also, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, a transfer in which the shape of the wiring layer (wiring layer before the disconnection portion 3x is formed) existing in the disconnection portion 3x is transferred to the opening X. A cover layer 4 having a portion 4x is formed.

According to the present invention, since the cover layer having the transfer portion is formed in the disconnected portion, the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer is not exposed from the cover layer. Therefore, the suspension substrate can be hardly affected by static electricity. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when a disconnected portion is formed in the opening of the cover layer 4, the end of the disconnected wiring layer may be exposed from the cover layer. Such an exposed end portion (residue portion) is likely to occur, for example, when a protective metal layer such as Ni exists between the wiring layer and the cover layer. The reason is that etching is difficult to proceed due to the presence of the protective metal layer. On the other hand, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3C, since the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer is not exposed from the cover layer, the suspension substrate can be hardly affected by static electricity. . As a result, there is an advantage that electrostatic breakdown or the like of the element can be prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, since the end of the disconnected wiring layer is protected by the insulating layer and the metal support substrate, even if the external device approaches from the metal support substrate side, the external device Further, there is an advantage that contact of the wiring layer can be prevented.
Hereinafter, the suspension substrate of the present invention will be described separately for the suspension substrate member and the suspension substrate configuration.

1. First, members of the suspension substrate of the present invention will be described. The suspension substrate of the present invention has at least a metal support substrate, an insulating layer, a wiring layer, and a cover layer.

  The metal support substrate in the present invention functions as a support for the suspension substrate. The material of the metal support substrate is preferably a metal having a spring property, and specific examples include stainless steel. Moreover, although the thickness of a metal support substrate changes with kinds of the material, it exists in the range of 10 micrometers-20 micrometers, for example.

  The insulating layer in the present invention is formed on a metal support substrate. The material of the insulating layer is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties, and examples thereof include a resin. Examples of the resin include polyimide resin, polybenzoxazole resin, polybenzimidazole resin, acrylic resin, polyether nitrile resin, polyether sulfone resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polyethylene naphthalate resin, and polyvinyl chloride resin. Of these, polyimide resin is preferred. It is because it is excellent in insulation, heat resistance and chemical resistance. In addition, the material of the insulating layer may be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. The thickness of the insulating layer is, for example, preferably in the range of 5 μm to 30 μm, more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 12 μm.

  The wiring layer in the present invention is formed on the insulating layer. The material of the wiring layer is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity, but for example, a metal can be cited, and copper (Cu) is particularly preferable. Moreover, the material of the wiring layer may be rolled copper or electrolytic copper. The thickness of the wiring layer is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 18 μm, for example, and more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 12 μm.

  Examples of the wiring layer include a writing wiring layer, a reading wiring layer, a heat assist wiring layer, an actuator element wiring layer, a power supply wiring layer, a flight height control wiring layer, a ground wiring layer, and a noise shield. Examples thereof include a wiring layer and a wiring layer for preventing crosstalk.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the plating part is formed in the one part surface of a wiring layer. This is because the deterioration (corrosion or the like) of the wiring layer can be prevented by providing the plating portion. In particular, in the present invention, it is preferable that a plating portion is formed in the terminal portion of the wiring layer. Although the kind of plating part is not specifically limited, For example, Au plating, Ni plating, Ag plating, Cu plating etc. can be mentioned. Especially, it is preferable that Ni plating and Au plating are formed from the surface side of the wiring layer. The thickness of the plating portion is, for example, in the range of 0.1 μm to 4 μm.

  The suspension substrate of the present invention may have a cover layer that covers the wiring layer. By providing the cover layer, deterioration (corrosion etc.) of the wiring layer can be prevented. Examples of the material for the cover layer include those described above as the material for the insulating layer, and among them, a polyimide resin is preferable. The material of the cover layer may be a photosensitive material or a non-photosensitive material. The thickness of the cover layer on the wiring layer is preferably in the range of 2 μm to 30 μm, for example, and more preferably in the range of 2 μm to 10 μm.

2. Next, the configuration of the suspension substrate of the present invention will be described. One feature of the suspension substrate of the present invention is that a broken portion of the wiring layer is formed in the openings of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer. The kind of wiring layer in which the disconnection part is formed is not particularly limited, and may include any of the wiring layers described above. Especially, in this invention, it is preferable that a disconnection part is a disconnection part of the wiring layer which has a plating part. For example, if the plating wire is shared by a plurality of terminal portions, space can be saved. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), when the distance of disconnecting section 3x and _{L 1, L 1} is, for example, 10μm or more, preferably in the range of 10Myuemu～300myuemu, range 20μm~200μm More preferably, it is within. This is because, within the above range, it is possible to prevent the external device from coming into contact with the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer while achieving sufficient insulation.

  The opening in the present invention is usually an opening for etching the exposed wiring layer to form a disconnected portion. The positional relationship between the opening of the metal support substrate and the opening of the insulating layer is not particularly limited. However, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that it is formed inside the opening. That is, it is preferable that the end 21 of the insulating layer 2 in the opening protrudes beyond the end 11 of the metal support substrate 1 in the opening. This is because a short circuit between the wiring layer 3 and the metal supporting board 1 can be prevented.

Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is preferable that the end 21 of the insulating layer 2 in the opening protrudes from the end 31 of the disconnected wiring layer 3. Here, the end portion 31 of the wiring layer 3, the distance L ₂ between the end portion 21 of the insulating layer 2 is preferably but not limited, is, for example 3μm or more, within the range of 3μm~50μm It is more preferable that it is in the range of 10 μm to 25 μm. This is because within the above range, contact between the end of the wiring layer and the external device can be further prevented.

  In the present invention, usually, after forming the cover layer on the wiring layer, the wiring layer exposed from the opening is etched to form the disconnection portion. Therefore, a transfer portion to which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion is transferred is formed in the cover layer. The cover layer only needs to be formed so as to overlap the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer in plan view, and is preferably formed over the entire disconnected portion. Further, the cover layer may be formed so as to cover the entire opening in a plan view.

  The cover layer in the present invention may be formed linearly along the wiring direction in the opening, or may be formed so as to have a step portion along the wiring direction. As a specific example of the former, as shown in FIG. 3B, a cover layer 4 formed linearly (without changing in the thickness direction) along the wiring direction D can be cited. In this case, parallelism can be secured when an external connection device is mounted on the upper part of the cover layer (for example, parallelism of the recording / reproducing element can be secured when a disconnection portion is required in the recording / reproducing element mounting region). Have advantages. On the other hand, FIGS. 6A and 6B show the AA cross section and the BB cross section of FIG. 2, respectively, similarly to FIGS. 3A and 3B. As a specific example of the latter, a cover layer 4 formed so as to have a stepped portion U along the wiring direction D (so as to change in the thickness direction) as shown in FIG. it can. In this case, for example, there is an advantage that it is easy to cut by making the cut line for cutting the individual suspension substrate coincide with the disconnected portion. That is, since only the cover layer is present at the disconnection portion, the total thickness is thin, and the distance from the metal support substrate to the cover layer (thickness direction) is small, so that stress applied to the suspension substrate during cutting is small. There is an advantage that the suspension substrate is not easily deformed.

  Moreover, the installation position of the disconnection part in this invention is not specifically limited, Arbitrary places can be selected. As an example of the installation position of the disconnection part, as shown in FIG. 7A, for example, the disconnection part 3x provided on the plating wire 3c can be exemplified. More specifically, in the wiring layer having the routing portion 3a, the terminal portion 3b, and the plating wire 3c, the plurality of terminal portions 3b share the plating wire 3c, and the disconnection portion 3x is provided in the plating wire 3c. Yes. In this case, after forming the plating part, the disconnection part 3x is formed in the plating wire 3c, whereby each wiring layer becomes independent. In addition, as shown in FIG.7 (b), the disconnection part 3x may be provided in the aggregation point P where the some plating wire 3c connected to each terminal part 3b gathers. The type of the terminal portion 3b is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a terminal portion (flying lead) in which the surface on the cover layer side and the surface on the insulating layer side are exposed, or the surface on the cover layer side or the insulating layer. The terminal part which the surface of the side exposed may be sufficient. Further, the terminal part may be, for example, a terminal part connected to an external circuit board or a terminal part (test pad) connected to a test electrode.

  As another example of the installation position of the disconnection part, for example, as shown in FIG. 7C, a disconnection part 3x provided in the inter-terminal connection part 3d can be exemplified. More specifically, in the wiring layer having the routing portion 3a, the terminal portion 3b, the plated wire 3c, and the inter-terminal connection portion 3d, the disconnection portion 3x is provided in the inter-terminal connection portion 3d that connects the plurality of terminal portions 3b. Yes. Moreover, the disconnection part 3x is provided also in the plating wire 3c. Also in this case, by forming the disconnection portion 3x in the plating wire 3c and the inter-terminal connection portion 3d after forming the plating portion, each wiring layer becomes independent.

B. Suspension Next, the suspension of the present invention will be described. The suspension of the present invention includes the above-described suspension substrate and a load beam provided on the surface of the suspension substrate on the metal support substrate side.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the suspension of the present invention. A suspension 300 shown in FIG. 8 has the above-described suspension substrate 100 and a load beam 200 provided on the surface of the suspension substrate 100 on the metal support substrate side.

  According to the present invention, by using the above-described suspension substrate, the suspension can be hardly affected by static electricity.

  The suspension of the present invention includes a suspension substrate and a load beam. The suspension substrate in the present invention is the same as the content described in the above “A. Suspension substrate”, and therefore description thereof is omitted here. On the other hand, the load beam in the present invention is provided on the surface of the suspension substrate on the metal support substrate side. Although the material of the load beam is not particularly limited, for example, a metal can be used, and stainless steel is preferable.

C. Next, the suspension with an element of the present invention will be described. A suspension with an element of the present invention includes the above-described suspension and a recording / reproducing element disposed on the suspension.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the suspension with an element of the present invention. The element-mounted suspension 400 shown in FIG. 9 includes the suspension 300 described above and the recording / reproducing element 301 mounted in the recording / reproducing element mounting region 101 of the suspension 300.

  According to the present invention, by using the above-described suspension, a suspension with an element that is not easily affected by static electricity can be obtained.

  The suspension with an element of the present invention includes at least a suspension and a recording / reproducing element. The suspension according to the present invention is the same as the content described in “B. Suspension” above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here. Further, the recording / reproducing element in the present invention is not particularly limited, but an element having a magnetism generating element is preferable. Specifically, a magnetic head slider can be mentioned. The suspension with an element of the present invention may have other elements such as a thermal assist element and an actuator element.

D. Next, the hard disk drive of the present invention will be described. The hard disk drive of the present invention has the above-described suspension with an element.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the hard disk drive of the present invention. A hard disk drive 500 shown in FIG. 10 includes the above-described suspension 400 with an element, a disk 401 on which data is written and read by the suspension 400 with an element, a spindle motor 402 that rotates the disk 401, and an element of the suspension 400 with an element. Arm 403 and voice coil motor 404, and a case 405 for sealing the above members.

  According to the present invention, a hard disk drive with higher functionality can be obtained by using the above-described suspension with an element.

  The hard disk drive of the present invention has at least a suspension with an element, and usually further includes a disk, a spindle motor, an arm, and a voice coil motor. Since the suspension with an element is the same as the content described in “C. Suspension with an element”, description thereof is omitted here. As other members, the same members as those used in a general hard disk drive can be used.

E. Next, a method for manufacturing a suspension substrate according to the present invention will be described. The suspension substrate manufacturing method of the present invention includes a metal support substrate, an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate, a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, and a cover formed on the wiring layer. An intermediate member preparing step of preparing an intermediate member in which the wiring layer is exposed in the opening of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer, and the exposure of the substrate from the opening A disconnection portion forming step of forming a disconnection portion by etching the wiring layer and forming the cover layer having a transfer portion to which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion is transferred. It is a feature.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the suspension substrate of the present invention. In FIG. 11, first, an intermediate member 110 in which the wiring layer 3 is exposed in the openings of the metal support substrate 1 and the insulating layer 2 is prepared (FIG. 11A, intermediate member preparation step). Next, the wiring layer 3 exposed from the opening is etched to form a disconnection portion, and the transfer in which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion (the wiring layer before the disconnection portion is formed) is transferred The cover layer 4 having the portion 4x is formed (FIG. 11B, disconnection portion forming step). Thereby, a suspension substrate is obtained.

According to the present invention, by forming the cover layer and then forming the disconnection portion, the end portion of the disconnected wiring layer is not exposed from the cover layer. Therefore, a suspension substrate that is not easily affected by static electricity can be obtained.
Hereinafter, the method for manufacturing a suspension substrate according to the present invention will be described step by step.

1. Intermediate member preparation step The intermediate member preparation step in the present invention is a step of preparing an intermediate member in which the wiring layer is exposed at the openings of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer. Specific examples of the intermediate member preparation step include a subtractive method and an additive method. Hereinafter, these methods will be described in detail.

(1) Subtractive method First, the intermediate member preparation process using the subtractive method will be described. As an example of the intermediate member preparation process using the subtractive method, a laminated member preparation process for preparing a laminated member in which a metal support member, an insulating member, and a conductor member are laminated in this order, and a wiring layer by etching the conductor member A wiring layer forming step to form, a metal supporting substrate forming step of etching the metal supporting member to form a metal supporting substrate having an opening, a cover layer forming step of forming a cover layer on the wiring layer, and the insulation And an insulating layer forming step of forming an insulating layer having an opening by etching the member.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, first, a laminated member in which the metal supporting member 1A, the insulating member 2A, and the conductor member 3A are laminated in this order is prepared (FIG. 12A). Next, the conductive member 3A is patterned by wet etching to form the wiring layer 3 (FIG. 12B). At this time, wet etching is simultaneously performed on the metal supporting member 1A to form the metal supporting substrate 1 having an opening. Next, the cover layer 4 is formed on the wiring layer 3 (FIG. 12C), and the insulating layer 2 having an opening is formed by performing wet etching on the insulating member 2A (FIG. 12D). ). Thereby, the intermediate member 110 is obtained. Thereafter, a plated portion (not shown) is formed in a state where the opening is protected by the resist 5 (FIG. 12E). Thereby, it can prevent that a plating part is formed in the wiring layer 3 exposed from an opening part, and formation of a disconnection layer becomes easy. Finally, the suspension substrate 100 is obtained by performing wet etching on the wiring layer 3 exposed from the opening (FIG. 12F). In this manufacturing method, a suspension substrate similar to that shown in FIG.
Hereinafter, the intermediate member preparation process using the subtractive method will be described for each process.

(I) Laminated member preparation step The laminated member preparation step is a step of preparing a laminated member having a metal supporting member, an insulating member formed on the metal supporting member, and a conductor member formed on the insulating member. It is.

  In the subtractive method, a metal supporting board is obtained by etching the metal supporting member of the laminated member, an insulating layer is obtained by etching the insulating member of the laminated member, and the conductive member of the laminated member is etched. A wiring layer is obtained. The laminated member may be a commercially available three-layer material, or may be obtained by sequentially forming an insulating member and a conductor member on a metal support member.

(Ii) Wiring layer forming step The wiring layer forming step is a step of etching the conductor member to form a wiring layer.

  Examples of the method for forming the wiring layer include a method in which a resist pattern is formed on a conductor member using a dry film resist (DFR) or the like, and the conductor member exposed from the resist pattern is wet-etched. The type of etching solution used for wet etching is preferably selected as appropriate according to the type of conductor member. For example, when the material of the conductor member is Cu, an iron chloride-based etching solution or the like can be used.

(Iii) Metal support substrate forming step The metal support substrate forming step is a step of etching the metal support member to form a metal support substrate having an opening. The metal support substrate forming step and the wiring layer forming step may be performed simultaneously or separately, but the former is preferable. This is because the process can be simplified.

  Examples of a method for forming a metal support substrate include a method of forming a resist pattern on a metal support member using a dry film resist (DFR) or the like, and wet etching the metal support member exposed from the resist pattern. Can do. The type of etching solution used for wet etching is preferably selected as appropriate according to the type of conductor member. For example, when the material of the metal support member is stainless steel, an iron chloride-based etching solution or the like can be used. .

(Iv) Cover layer forming step The cover layer forming step is a step of forming a cover layer on the wiring layer.

  The method for forming the cover layer is not particularly limited, and is preferably selected as appropriate according to the material of the cover layer. For example, when the material of the cover layer is a photosensitive material, a patterned cover layer can be obtained by exposing and developing the cover layer formed on the entire surface. When the cover layer material is a non-photosensitive material, a predetermined resist pattern is formed on the surface of the cover layer formed on the entire surface, and a portion exposed from the resist pattern is wet-etched to form a patterned cover. A layer can be obtained.

(V) Insulating layer forming step The insulating layer forming step is a step of etching the insulating member to form an insulating layer having an opening.

  Examples of the method for forming the insulating layer include a method of forming a resist pattern on the insulating member using a dry film resist (DFR) or the like, and wet etching the insulating member exposed from the resist pattern. . The type of etchant used for wet etching is preferably selected as appropriate according to the type of insulating member. For example, when the material of the insulating member is a polyimide resin, an alkaline etchant or the like can be used.

(Vi) Plating part formation process In this invention, it is preferable to have the plating part formation process which forms a plating part in a part of wiring layer before a disconnection part formation process.

  The plating part is usually formed by an electrolytic plating method. For example, examples of the electrolytic Ni plating bath include a watt bath and a sulfamic acid bath. Examples of the electrolytic Au plating bath include a gold cyanide bath and an acidic gold bath.

(2) Additive method Next, the intermediate member preparation process using the additive method will be described. As an example of the intermediate member preparing step using the additive method, a metal supporting member preparing step for preparing a metal supporting member, an insulating layer forming step for forming an insulating layer on the metal supporting member, and wiring on the insulating layer A wiring layer forming step for forming a layer; a cover layer forming step for forming a cover layer on the wiring layer; a metal supporting substrate forming step for etching the metal supporting substrate to form a metal supporting substrate having an opening; And an insulating layer opening forming step of forming the opening by etching the insulating layer.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, first, a metal support member 1A is prepared (FIG. 13 (a)). Next, a patterned insulating layer 2 having no opening is formed on the surface of the metal support member 1A (FIG. 13B). Next, a seed layer (not shown) is formed on the insulating layer 2, and the wiring layer 3 is formed on the seed layer (FIG. 13C). Next, the cover layer 4 is formed on the wiring layer 3 (FIG. 13D). Thereafter, wet etching is performed on the metal support member 1A to form the metal support substrate 1 having an opening (FIG. 13E). Next, wet etching is performed on the insulating layer 2 to form an opening (FIG. 13F). Thereby, the intermediate member 110 is obtained. Thereafter, a plated portion (not shown) is formed in a state where the opening is protected by the resist 5 (FIG. 13G). Finally, the suspension substrate 100 is obtained by performing wet etching on the wiring layer 3 exposed from the opening (FIG. 13H). In this manufacturing method, the same suspension substrate as that obtained by using the subtractive method described above can be obtained.

  Other examples of the intermediate member preparing step using the additive method include a metal supporting member preparing step for preparing a metal supporting member, and an insulating layer forming step for forming an insulating layer having an opening on the metal supporting member, A wiring layer forming step of forming a wiring layer on the metal supporting member exposed from the opening; a cover layer forming step of forming a cover layer on the wiring layer; and a metal having an opening by etching the metal supporting substrate. The process which has a metal support substrate formation process which forms a support substrate can be mentioned.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, first, a metal support member 1A is prepared (FIG. 14 (a)). Next, a patterned insulating layer 2 having an opening is formed on the surface of the metal support member 1A (FIG. 14B). Next, a seed layer (not shown) is formed on the metal support member 1A exposed from the opening, and the wiring layer 3 is formed on the seed layer (FIG. 14C). Next, the cover layer 4 is formed on the wiring layer 3 (FIG. 14D). Next, a plating part (not shown) is formed in a state where the part where the plating part is not formed is protected by the resist 5 (FIG. 14E). Since the wiring layer 3 is not exposed, it is not necessary to protect the wiring layer 3, but a resist 5 is incidentally formed to protect other parts. Next, wet etching is performed on the metal support member 1A to form the metal support substrate 1 having an opening (FIG. 14F). Thereby, the intermediate member 110 is obtained. Finally, the suspension substrate 100 is obtained by performing wet etching on the wiring layer 3 exposed from the opening (FIG. 14G). In this manufacturing method, a suspension substrate similar to that shown in FIG.

  In the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 14, it is preferable to continuously perform the metal support substrate forming step (FIG. 14 (f)) and the disconnection portion forming step (FIG. 14 (g)). Therefore, it is preferable to perform the plating part forming step (FIG. 14E) before forming the intermediate member 110. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, when the metal support substrate forming step (FIG. 15 (e)) and the disconnection portion forming step (FIG. 15 (g)) are performed separately, the plating portion forming step (FIG. 15 (f) )) May be performed between both steps. That is, the plating part forming step may be performed after the intermediate member preparing step. In addition, about each process in an additive method, since it is the same as that of the content described by each process in a subtractive method, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

2. Disconnection part formation process Next, the disconnection part formation process in this invention is demonstrated. The disconnection portion forming step in the present invention includes a transfer portion in which the disconnection portion is formed by etching the wiring layer exposed from the opening, and the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion is transferred. A step of forming the cover layer;

  The method for etching the wiring layer exposed from the opening is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include wet etching. The type of etching solution used for wet etching is preferably selected as appropriate according to the type of conductor member. For example, when the material of the conductor member is Cu, an iron chloride-based etching solution or the like can be used. Moreover, in this invention, you may perform the external shape process of a metal support substrate simultaneously with a disconnection part formation process.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention has substantially the same configuration and exhibits the same function and effect regardless of the case. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples.

[Example]
First, a laminated member having SUS304 (metal support member) having a thickness of 18 μm, a polyimide resin layer (insulating member) having a thickness of 10 μm, and an electrolytic copper layer (conductor member) having a thickness of 9 μm was prepared (FIG. 12A). . Next, a dry film resist was laminated on both surfaces of the laminated member to form a resist pattern. Next, etching was performed using a ferric chloride solution, and a resist film was removed after the etching. Thereby, a wiring layer was formed from the conductor member, and an opening was formed in the metal support member (FIG. 12B).

  Thereafter, a polyimide precursor solution was coated on the patterned wiring layer with a die coater, and a cover layer was formed by a predetermined patterning (FIG. 12C). Next, in order to pattern the insulating member, resist plate-making was performed, and the exposed polyimide resin was wet-etched to form an insulating layer having an opening (FIG. 12D). Next, the opening was protected with a resist, and a plated portion was formed on the terminal portion of the wiring layer by electrolytic Au plating (FIG. 12E). Finally, using the ferric chloride solution, etching of the wiring layer exposed from the opening and external processing of the metal support substrate were performed (FIG. 12 (f)). As a result, a suspension substrate was obtained.

  X ... opening, 1 ... metal support substrate, 2 ... insulating layer, 3 ... wiring layer, 3x ... disconnection part, 3a ... routing part, 3b ... terminal part, 3c ... plated wire, 3d ... inter-terminal connection part, 4 ... Cover layer 4x Transfer portion 5 Resist 21 End of insulating layer 31 End of wiring layer 100 Suspension substrate 101 Recording / reproducing element mounting area 102 External circuit board connection area 103: Wiring layer, 110: Intermediate member

Claims (7)

A suspension substrate having a metal support substrate, an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate, a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, and a cover layer formed on the wiring layer,
In the opening of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer, a disconnected portion of the wiring layer is formed,
The suspension substrate, wherein the cover layer having a transfer portion to which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnected portion is transferred is formed in the opening.   The suspension substrate according to claim 1, wherein the disconnection portion is a disconnection portion of the wiring layer having a plating portion.   3. A suspension comprising the suspension substrate according to claim 1 and a load beam provided on a surface of the suspension substrate on a metal support substrate side.   A suspension with an element, comprising the suspension according to claim 3 and a recording / reproducing element disposed on the suspension.   A hard disk drive comprising the suspension with an element according to claim 4. A method for manufacturing a suspension substrate, comprising: a metal support substrate; an insulating layer formed on the metal support substrate; a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer; and a cover layer formed on the wiring layer. There,
An intermediate member preparing step of forming an intermediate member in which the wiring layer is exposed at the opening of the metal support substrate and the insulating layer;
Forming a disconnection portion by forming the disconnection portion by etching the wiring layer exposed from the opening, and forming the cover layer having a transfer portion to which the shape of the wiring layer existing in the disconnection portion is transferred Process,
A method for manufacturing a suspension substrate, comprising:   The method for manufacturing a suspension substrate according to claim 6, further comprising a plating portion forming step of forming a plating portion in a part of the wiring layer before the disconnection portion forming step.

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