US 6,266,868 B1Granted

Method of manufacturing a combination thin film magnetic head

AssigneeTDK Corporation

InventorYoshitaka Sasaki

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In a method of efficiently and promptly mass-producing a combination type thin film magnetic head having accurately defined short throat height, apex angle, and MR height or the like and capable of reducing the saturation and leakage of magnetic flux even if a magnetic pole portion is miniaturized, a recessed portion is formed in a surface of a substrate, while a first magnetic layer constituting a lower shield for the GMR element is used as a mask. A second magnetic layer is formed along an inner wall of the recessed portion. A thin film coil is formed thereon in an isolated state, and a surface is flattened to constitute a common unit for manufacturing combination type thin film magnetic heads. A number of common units are manufactured and stocked without any relationship to users' specifications. Afterwards, according to user's specification, a third magnetic film connected with the second magnetic film and constituting a bottom pole is formed so as to have a thick portion adjacent to the air bearing surface and a thick portion adjacent to the second magnetic layer. After a step formed between these portions is buried with an insulating spacer layer and a surface is flattened, a flat fourth magnetic layer constituting a write gap layer and a top pole is formed. Finally, the air bearing surface is polished, while the step between the thick and thin portions of the third magnetic film is used as a reference position of throat height zero.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a combination thin film magnetic head having a magnetorcsistive reading thin film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive element, and an inductive writing thin film magnetic head stacked on each other, comprising the steps of:

forming a recessed portion in a major surface of a substrate;
forming a first magnetic layer extending along the major surface of the substrate from an end surface constituting an air bearing surface to a position near an edge of the recessed portion;
forming a second magnetic layer extending along a part of an inner surface of the recessed portion such that the second magnetic layer is magnetically isolated from the first magnetic layer;
forming a thin film coil constituting the inductive thin film magnetic head such that at least a part of the thin film coil is formed within the recessed portion to be isolated by an insulating layer;
forming a magnetoresistive element extending along a surface of the first magnetic layer such that the magnetoresistive element is electrically and magnetically isolated;
forming a third magnetic layer extending along a surface of the magnetoresistive element such that the third magnetic layer has a thick portion adjacent to the air bearing surface and a thin portion connected-to an edge of the second magnetic layer on the side of the air bearing surface;
forming an insulating spacer layer such that a step between the thick portion and the thin portion of the third magnetic layer is buried and a surface of the insulating spacer layer becomes coplanar with a surface of the thick portion;
forming a flat write gap layer on the coplanar surfaces of the thick portion of the third magnetic layer and the insulating spacer layer;
forming a flat fourth magnetic layer extending along a surface f the wlite gap layer, being opposed to the thick portion of the third magnetic layer, and being magnetically coupled to the second magnetic layer at a rear position apart from the air bearing surface;
and
polishing the air bearing surface.

8 more elements

A method of manufacturing a combination thin film magnetic head having a magnetoresistivc reading thin film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive element, and an inductive writing thin film magnetic head stacked on each other, comprising the steps of:

manufacturing and stocking a plurality of common thin film magnetic head units common to combination thin film magnetic heads having various characteristics, each of said units including a substrate having a recessed portion formed therein, a first magnetic layer extending along a surface of the substrate from an end face constituting an air bearing surface to a position near an edge of the recessed portion, a second magnetic layer extending along a part of an inner surface of the recessed portion such that the second magnetic layer is magnetically isolated from the first magnetic layer, and at least a part of the thin film coil constituting the inductive thin film magnetic head, said part of the thin film coil being formed in the recessed portion to be isolated by an insulating layer;
wherein the following steps are performed for a common thin film magnetic head unit in accordance with characteristics of a thin film magnetic head to be manufactured;
forming a magnetoresistive element extending along a surface of the first magnetic layer such that the magnetoresistive element is electrically and magnetically isolated;
forming a third magnetic layer extending along a surface of the magnetoresistive element such that the third magnetic layer has a thick portion adjacent to the air bearing surface and a thin portion connected to an edge of the second magnetic layer on the side of the air bearing surface;
forming an insulating spacer layer such that a step between the thick portion and the thin portion of the third magnetic layer is buried by the spacer layer and a surface of the insulating spacer layer becomes coplanar with a surface of the thick portion;
forming a flat write gap layer on the coplanar surface of the thick portion of the third magnetic layer and the insulating spacer layer;
forming a flat fourth magnetic layer extending along a surface of the write gap layer, being opposed to the thick portion of the third magnetic layer, and being magnetically coupled to the second magnetic layer at a rear position apart from the air bearing surface;
and
polishing the air bearing surface.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/277,845Filed 29 Mar 1999
Priority: JP 10-08670731 Mar 1998
Granted: 31 Jul 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G11B 5/3967
Using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures: composite structural arrangements of transducers,…
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
B82Y 25/00
Nanomagnetism
G11B 2005/3996
Using magneto-resistive devices or effects: large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices