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Technology Stocks : Disk Drive Sector Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stitch who wrote (5207)	1/11/1999 4:58:00 AM
From: Z Analyzer	Respond to of 9256

<< I had the impression NHK had also paid IBM for patent rights? >> My understanding is that IBM cannot license TSA to others without HTCH's consent other than in production for IBM consumption. It would be interesting to know whether IBM has the capability to produce (or have produced)leading edge TSA given HTCH's added patents and coming microactuation. Z

To: Stitch who wrote (5207)	1/11/1999 5:04:00 AM
From: Z Analyzer	Respond to of 9256

<<But then HTCH is likely still around 50% also.>> HTCH's assembly yields were 75% in the Sept qtr and likely higher now. Their biggest obstactle has been equipment down time. What is encouraging is that the now have seveal units with 300k per week output which is rouhgly where conventional is. Seems to leave plenty of margin potential if the average unit even appproaches this figure. Z

To: Stitch who wrote (5207)	1/11/1999 5:55:00 AM
From: Mark Oliver	Respond to of 9256

<<Does CAPS come with tails and do you see this as an advantage? What do you mean "tails"?>> <Are you talking about the method of termination?> Yes, I think this is termination, or at least completing the connection at the other side of the head. TSA was originally ending at the suspension. An add on flex circuit needed to complete the connection to termination was called a bridge flex. A TSA with the length to go all the way to termination without a bridge flex is said to have a tail. It causes a little problem because the stainless steel bottom layer of CAPS and TSA that makes the flexure must be etched away to make a more flexible circuit for the section after the suspension. Sorry, I'm just a layman, as you know, and I'm probably not saying it very well. Maybe you could explain what you mean by termination? Originally, the point about tails was to say a TSA with the tail is more expensive than without although the customer has added cost of buying and attaching a bridge flex. That was my reasoning on saying why a customer would agree to pay more for TSA when Lawrence said it was a scam. Perhaps a more expensive TSA with a tail is cheaper. I was also interested in the coil question because Innovex said it was relatively easier to work with wider strips of coil making it easier to add a tail in any length the customer wanted where as you had great difficulty using panels as yields fall when the TSA gets bigger. Regards, Mark