Custom 3M flexible circuits have been certified for high-volume production by Optimal Technologies Limited of Hong Kong for use in their small form factor flex suspension assembly (FSA). Optimal Technologies produces the flex suspension assemblies for a variety of hard disk drive (HDD) OEMs, including a major Asia-based HDD OEM which uses the small form factor assembly to build their 1-inch drives. The 3M circuit connects the read/write head to the drive electronics. They are available from the 3M Electronic Solutions Division.

Optimal Technology produces a number of high performance assemblies for the hard disk drive industry. Optimal Technology Limited is 51 percent owned by Magnecomp International Ltd. and 49 percent owned by SAE (HK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TDK, Japan.

Small form factor HDDs provide high-performance storage capacity for demanding hand-held devices such as MP3 music players, digital cameras, PDAs, laptops and digital video players. When compared to competing flash-based storage technology, the small form factor drives offer inexpensive mass storage. For more information about this and other 3M flexible circuit technologies for hard disk drive applications, visit http://www.3m.com/diskdrive.

About 3M Electronic Solutions Division

The 3M Electronic Solutions Division, headquartered in Austin, Texas, has numerous technologies and provides a wide range of products for the electronics market. It provides products and solutions to meet the electronic industry's challenges of protecting sensitive components and precisely delivering them to the assembly point, as well as flexible and multilayer microinterconnect packaging solutions; embedded capacitance laminate materials, copper and fiber interconnect systems; cables and cable assemblies; static control products, and test and burn-in sockets. The business is part of 3M Company, an $18 billion diversified technology company with leading positions in consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; health care; industrial; safety, security and protection services; transportation and other businesses. More information on 3M embedded capacitance materials is available on the Internet at http://www.3M.com/microinterconnect.

3M is a trademark of 3M Company.

3M Electronic Solutions Division, AustinMatt Fagan, 512-984-3277