Abstract: A magnetoresistive head reproduces information recorded on a recording medium with high recording density, suppressing generation of Barkhausen noise. A magnetoresistive effect element in the head is a flat multi-layer film in which a free magnetic layer is set to a lowest layer. The head also includes a non-magnetic substrate, an insulating layer contacting a center portion of a lower surface of a substrate side of the free magnetic layer, and a pair of electrode layers. The electrode layers are formed with the insulating layer in between, contacting both edge portions of the free magnetic layer. The electrodes are formed with the same surface height as the surface height of the insulating layer. A pair of magnetic wall control layers suppress movement of a magnetic wall of the free magnetic layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistance head of the present invention comprises the steps of forming an organic film on a multilayered film constituting a magnetoresistance device, forming an upper film formed of resist or inorganic film on the organic film, patterning the organic film and the upper film, cutting into edges of the organic film patterns from edges of the upper film patterns inwardly to such an extent that particles of the thin film being formed on the upper film and the multilayered film do not contact to side portions of the organic film patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magneto-resistance effect type head for reproducing, with a high sensitivity, information recorded at a high recording density on a recording medium while inhibiting occurrence of the Barkhausen noise, including a magneto-resistance effect element comprised of a multi-layer film containing a free magnetic layer having its magnetization direction changing in correspondence with an external magnetic field, an insulating film, a non-magnetic underlying layer formed on the insulating film, and one pair of magnetic domain-wall control layers formed on the underlying layer in its in-face direction with a predetermined spacing therebetween, for inhibiting movement of magnetic domain wall of the free magnetic layer, in such a configuration that the free magnetic layer has its both ends directly stacked on the pair of the magnetic domain-wall control layers and also has its middle part directly stacked on the underlying layer.

Abstract: A tunnel magneto-resistive head includes a tunnel magneto-resistive film including an antiferromagnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, a tunnel insulating layer and a free magnetic layer; hard layers disposed at both sides of the tunnel magneto-resistive film for applying a bias magnetic field to the free magnetic layer; and deactivated parts having an insulating property, provided as both end parts of the antiferromagnetic layer and/or the fixed magnetic layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistance head of the present invention comprises the steps of forming an organic film on a multilayered film constituting a magnetoresistance device, forming an upper film formed of resist or inorganic film on the organic film, patterning the organic film and the upper film, cutting into edges of the organic film patterns from edges of the upper film patterns inwardly to such an extent that particles of the thin film being formed on the upper film and the multilayered film do not contact to side portions of the organic film patterns.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetoresistive effect type of head for preferably reproducing information recorded on a recording medium with high recording density suppressing generation of Barkhausen noise. The magnetoresistive effect type of head has a magnetoresistive effect element offering a resistive change according to intensity of an external magnetic field, for detecting a magnitude of a resistance of the magnetoresistive effect element to detect intensity of a magnetic field. The magnetoresistive effect element consists of a flat multi-layer film in which a free magnetic layer changing in a direction of a magnetization in accordance with the external magnetic field is set up to a lowest layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magneto-resistance effect type head for reproducing, with a high sensitivity, information recorded at a high recording density on a recording medium while inhibiting occurrence of the Barkhausen noise, including a magneto-resistance effect element comprised of a multi-layer film containing a free magnetic layer having its magnetization direction changing in correspondence with an external magnetic field, an insulating film, a non-magnetic underlying layer formed on the insulating film, and one pair of magnetic domain-wall control layers formed on the underlying layer in its in-face direction with a predetermined spacing therebetween, for inhibiting movement of magnetic domain wall of the free magnetic layer, in such a configuration that the free magnetic layer has its both ends directly stacked on the pair of the magnetic domain-wall control layers and also has its middle part directly stacked on the underlying layer.

Abstract: A planar thin-film magnetic head including a lower magnetic pole having a first end portion and a second end portion, and an upper magnetic pole having a first end portion magnetically joined to the first end portion of the lower magnetic pole and a second end portion. A gap is defined between the second end portion of the lower magnetic pole and the second end portion of the upper magnetic pole. The thin-film magnetic head further includes a coil having a center positioned in the vicinity of the gap and spirally formed so as to pass between the upper magnetic pole and the lower magnetic pole. The coil is embedded in an insulating layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistance head of the present invention comprises the steps of forming an organic film on a multilayered film constituting a magnetoresistance device, forming an upper film formed of resist or inorganic film on the organic film, patterning the organic film and the upper film, cutting into edges of the organic film patterns from edges of the upper film patterns inwardly to such an extent that particles of the thin film being formed on the upper film and the multilayered film do not contact to side portions of the organic film patterns.

Abstract: A recess with a slanted wall is provided on a substrate, a magnetic yoke layer is formed so that the end of the magnetic yoke layer covers the slanted wall, and the recess is filled with a filling layer. Flat working is performed until a portion of the substrate is removed so that the magnetic yoke layer appears on the flat worked surface of the substrate, and the width of the magnetic yoke layer appearing on the top flat surface is almost determined by the thickness of the magnetic yoke layer, which defines the width of a core of a magnetic head. Thus, a narrow core width of a magnetic head is provided.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive head is provided with a substrate, a lower shield layer made of a Fe-system magnetic material and provided above the substrate, and a non-magnetic insulator layer provided above the lower shield layer. The non-magnetic insulator layer has a function of suppressing deterioration of surface roughness of the lower shield layer when subjected to an annealing process under a magnetic field in order to improve magnetic characteristics of the lower shield layer to desired magnetic characteristics.

Abstract: A magnetic head of the invention comprises a substrate, upper and lower magnetic films forming a magnetic circuit on the substrate, the magnetic circuit having a narrow portion in width and forming a gap at the end of the magnetic circuit for interacting with a recording medium, and a coil surrounding the magnetic circuit and buried in an insulation layer between the upper and lower magnetic films. The magnetic head of the invention is characterized in that the magnetic films further comprise a magnetic anisotropy having components of an in-plane (parallel to the magnetic film surface) magnetic anisotropy Hp and a perpendicular (vertical to the magnetic film surface) magnetic anisotropy Hv, and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy Hv is given to the magnetic film by anyone among utilization of an inverse magnetostriction effect, an induced magnetic anisotropy and a crystalline magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head for perpendicularly recording and reproducing is disclosed. The magnetic head comprises a main magnetic pole of a thin film, a spiral coil of an electrically conductive film disposed on one side of the main magnetic pole, a first auxiliary magnetic pole of a thin film covering the coil, and a second auxiliary magnetic pole disposed on the other side of the main magnetic pole, forming a substrate or being formed on a non-magnetic substrate. The distributed magnetic leakage path between the main magnetic pole and the second auxiliary magnetic pole plays an important role in the present invention. When the second auxiliary magnetic pole is properly arranged, the magnetic flux flowing through two magnetic paths and interlinking the coil, are cancelled by each other and edge noise due to magnetic flux generated at the second auxiliarly magnetic pole by a magnetic transition of the recording medium is minimized.