Thin film head slider fabrication process

A process for the fabrication of electromagnetic head assemblies from a wafer comprising rows of electromagnetic devices formed thereon, each row and the underlying portion of the wafer being a bar of head assembly units, which fabrication process comprises the steps of:

• anchoring the bar to a fixture with a side surface exposed,
• while the bar is anchored, forming head assemblies along the side surface of the bar;
• and,
• severing the individual head assemblies from the wafer.

A process for manufacturing electromagnetic head assemblies from a fabricated wafer which contains on one surface electromagnetic devices arranged in rows in identical orientation, said process comprising the steps of:

• removing a part of the wafer to expose the surface on which the poles of the electromagnetic devices in a first row terminate,
• fastening the wafer to a fixture in such a manner so that the exposed surface is susceptible to mechanical processing,
• lapping and grinding the exposed surface so that a desired throat height of the poles and a desired contour of the row are attained,
• parting the processed row into individual head assemblies, and,
• removing the head assemblies from the remainder of the wafer by a slice cut, thereby generating a smaller wafer with an exposed surface on which the poles of the electromagnetic devices on a row adjacent to the first row terminate.

A process for manufacturing electromagnetic head assemblies from a fabricated wafer which contains on one surface electromagnetic devices arranged in rows in identical orientation, said process comprising the steps of:

• removing a part of the wafer to expose the surface of one row, which surface being distal from the poles of the electromagnetic devices on the row;
• fastening the wafer to a fixture via the exposed surface of the row,
• separating the remainder of the wafer from the row, thereby leaving exposed the surface of the row on which the poles terminate and generating a smaller wafer;
• lapping and grinding the newly exposed surface of the row so that a desired throat height of the poles and a desired contour of the row are attained,
• parting the processed row into head assemblies, and,
• removing the head assemblies from the fixture.

A process for manufacturing electromagnetic head assemblies from a fabricated wafer which contains on one surface electromagnetic devices arranged in rows, the electromagnetic devices on a given row being in one orientation while those on the adjacent row being in an opposite orientation, said process comprising the steps of:

• slicing the wafer in such a manner to produce a plurality of identical double-row bars each having the poles of the electromagnetic devices on one row face those on the other row and further having two slice surfaces created by the slice,
• fastening one double-row bar onto a first fixture via a first slice surface and onto a second fixture via a second slice surface,
• separating the fastened double-row bar into two identical fastened single-row bars by a slice cut to expose the surfaces of the two single-row bars on which the poles exterminate,
• lapping and grinding the exposed surface of the two single-row bar so that a desired throat height of the poles and a desired contour of the two single-row bars are attained,
• parting the two processed single-row bars into head assemblies, and,
• removing the head assemblies thus formed from the first and the second fixtures.

A process for manufacturing electromagnetic head assemblies from a fabricated wafer which contains on one surface electromagnetic devices arranged in rows, the electromagnetic devices on a given row being in one orientation while those on the adjacent row being in an opposite orientation, said process comprising the steps of:

• slicing the wafer in such a manner to produce a plurality of identical double-row bars each comprising a first and a second single-row bars, the first single-row bar having the poles of the electromagnetic devices thereon distal from those on the second single-row bar and each single-row bar having a slice surface created by the slice;
• fastening one double-row bar onto a first fixture via the slice surface of the first single-row bar with the slice surface of the second single-row bar remaining exposed,
• lapping and grinding the exposed slice surface of the second single-row bar so that a desired throat height of the poles and a desired contour of the second single-row bar are attained,
• fastening the double-row bar onto a second fixture via the processed slice surface of the second single-row bar,
• removing the first fixture from the processed second single-row bar, thereby exposing the slice surface of the first single-row bar;
• lapping and grinding the newly exposed slice surface of the first single-row bar so that a desired throat height of the poles and a desired contour of the first single-row bar are attained,
• transversely parting and longitudinally slicing the processed double-row bar into head assemblies, and,
• removing the head assemblies from the second fixture.