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STMicroelectronics to present MEMS microactuator for dual servo disk drives at Diskcon 2001 |
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ST at Diskcon USA 2001, September 19-20, 2001 Booth #2733, San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA -  San Jose, CA., September 14, 2001 - At Diskcon USA 2001 at the San Jose Convention Center next week, STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) will be presenting a prototype rotational microactuator produced using MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) technology. Designed to position the read/write head with more precision, the microactuator device allows the number of tracks per inch to be increased, improving areal density.ST's MEMS microactuator is based on an electrostatic actuation approach where voltages applied to a stator and rotor cause angular movements of the rotor. In the disk drive application the read/write head is attached to this rotor through special design and packaging that protects the moving parts from contamination but allows movement. Compared to electromagnetic actuation, ST's electrostatic solution avoids magnetic fields close to the disk surface. Thanks to the optimized electromechanical design, the ST actuator provides a 1µm stroke applying voltages of just +/-10V. The design also assures a high degree of linearity, simplifying the drive software. Due to the structure, the rotational actuator design is intrinsically shock proof and allows the resonance frequency to be selected in the design phase. MEMS technology brings the economy of scale of silicon wafer processing technology to a broad range of electro-mechanical, fluidic and optical components. The basic silicon micromachining steps used in MEMS fabrication are identical or similar to those used in silicon chip manufacture, so existing production equipment and know-how can be applied to make these new components. At Diskcon, ST will also be presenting the company's complete hardware and software solutions for hard disk drive design. STMicroelectronics is one of the world's leading producers of silicon components for hard disk drives and optical disk drives, offering a complete range of products covering all of the functions of the drive. The company also provides complete drive solutions, including all of the firmware. Thanks to a strong technology portfolio, broad range of data storage IP and experience in large system-on-chip design, ST is ideally positioned to develop next generation solutions with a higher level of integration. For more information: www.st.com/datastorage About STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics is the world's third largest independent semiconductor company. The Company shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 2000, the Company's net revenues were $7,813.2 million and net earnings were $1,452.1 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com. |
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