Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording is disclosed. The method comprising: a first step of depositing a non-magnetic film over and around the main magnetic pole, and subsequently polishing and planarizing the non-magnetic film, wherein the non-magnetic film is made of a non-magnetic material which exhibits a lower ion milling rate than that of a magnetic metal material which constitutes the main magnetic pole; a second step of etching the surface by use of ion milling at a first angle relative to a stacked direction of the magnetic head, to form a stepped portion in which the main magnetic pole is lower from the non-magnetic film around the main magnetic pole; and a third step of etching the stepped portion, by use of ion milling, at a second angle relative to the stacked direction, wherein the second angle is larger than the first angle.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of minimizing the possibility of erasing recorded information without intention at the time of recording information is provided. A pole layer has a structure in which a main pole layer disposed on a leading side and an auxiliary pole layer disposed on a trailing side are laminated. Even if a part of a magnetic flux contained in the auxiliary pole layer is directly emitted from an air bearing surface to outside not via the main pole layer, as the magnetic flux is contained in the magnetic layer, the magnetic flux is not easily emitted from the air bearing surface to the outside directly. Therefore, an unnecessary perpendicular magnetic field is not easily generated by the magnetic flux. Thereby, a recording medium is not easily magnetized again by the unnecessary magnetic field, so information recorded on the recording medium is not easily erased without intention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of assuring recording characteristics by determining throat height with high precision. A TH specifying layer is formed so as to extend to a position P1 while being adjacent to a gap layer, and an auxiliary insulating layer is similarly formed so as to extend from the position P1 while being adjacent to the gap layer and specify throat height on the basis of the position P1. After that, a main insulating layer is formed so as to cover a thin film coil on the auxiliary insulating layer, and a yoke layer is formed so as to extend while being partially on the TH specifying layer. The throat height is determined accurately and stably on the basis of the position P1 by the auxiliary insulating layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of minimizing the possibility of erasing recorded information without intention at the time of recording information is provided. A pole layer has a structure in which a main pole layer disposed on a leading side and an auxiliary pole layer disposed on a trailing side are laminated. Even if a part of a magnetic flux contained in the auxiliary pole layer is directly emitted from an air bearing surface to outside not via the main pole layer, as the magnetic flux is contained in the magnetic layer, the magnetic flux is not easily emitted from the air bearing surface to the outside directly. Therefore, an unnecessary perpendicular magnetic field is not easily generated by the magnetic flux. Thereby, a recording medium is not easily magnetized again by the unnecessary magnetic field, so information recorded on the recording medium is not easily erased without intention.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head with as high performance as possible. A magnetic pole layer is formed so as to have a laminate structure in which an auxiliary magnetic pole layer (including an adjacent portion and a nonadjacent portion) extending from a first flare point to the rear and a main magnetic pole layer (including a front end portion and a rear end portion) extending from an air bearing surface to the rear through the first flare point are laminated in this order. As (1) a recording track width is controlled with high precision through forming the main magnetic pole layer with high precision, (2) recording is stably performed by an increase in the amount of magnetic flux contained in the main magnetic pole layer, and (3) information recorded on a recording medium is stably maintained through preventing information erasing without intention, the thin film magnetic head can achieve higher performance.

Abstract: A write head of a magnetic head for vertical magnetic recording comprises: a coil; a main pole layer that allows the magnetic flux corresponding to the magnetic field generated by the coil to pass therethrough and generates a write magnetic field; an auxiliary pole layer; a gap layer provided between the main pole layer and the auxiliary pole layer; and a yoke layer for magnetically coupling the main pole layer to the auxiliary pole layer. The main pole layer has a flat top surface. In the main pole layer the position in which the thickness starts to increase is located between the medium facing surface and the position in which the width starts to increase.

Abstract: A main pole layer of a magnetic head includes a first portion disposed at a distance from a medium facing surface, and a second portion that is smaller in thickness than the first portion and disposed between the first portion and the medium facing surface. The step of forming the main pole layer includes the steps of forming a plating layer such that one of ends of the plating layer closer to the medium facing surface is located at a position that coincides with the position of one of ends of the first portion closer to the medium facing surface; forming a first nonmagnetic layer to cover the plating layer; polishing the first nonmagnetic layer and the plating layer; forming a space by removing the plating layer; forming a magnetic layer, which will be the main pole layer, in the space and on the top surface of the first nonmagnetic layer; forming a second nonmagnetic layer to cover the magnetic layer; and polishing the second nonmagnetic layer and the magnetic layer.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head which enables both ensuring overwrite characteristics and preventing an adverse effect resulting from side erase, such as degradation in an output signal. An exposed surface of a magnetic pole portion layer is configured to have the shape of an asymmetric inverted trapezoid corresponding to a remaining region which remains after removing a width increasing region in the shape of a right triangle from a rectangular region on the side of a side edge. The side edge of the exposed surface is caused to correspond to the side on which a magnetic flux emitted from the magnetic pole portion layer onto a target track of a hard disk causes information to unintentionally overwrite existing information recorded on an adjacent track. This configuration allows preventing the exposed surface from extending to the adjacent track, thus preventing the adverse effect resulting from side erase.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of securing recording characteristics even in the case where a return pole layer is disposed on a medium-outgoing side of the pole layer. The return yoke layer is disposed on a trailing side of the pole layer, and a neck height NH is within a range of NH?W1 (a width of a front end portion in a main pole layer)+0.05 ?m, and a height ratio (a ratio of the neck height NH to a throat height TH) NH/TH is within a range of 0.5<NH/TH<1.6. Thereby, the neck height NH and the height ratio NH/TH which have an influence on the recording characteristics can become appropriate, so even if the thickness of the gap layer is 0.2 ?m or less to bring the return yoke layer closer to the pole layer, overwrite characteristics can be secured.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of minimizing the possibility of erasing recorded information without intention at the time of recording information is provided. A pole layer has a structure in which a main pole layer disposed on a leading side and an auxiliary pole layer disposed on a trailing side are laminated. Even if a part of a magnetic flux contained in the auxiliary pole layer is directly emitted from an air bearing surface to outside not via the main pole layer, as the magnetic flux is contained in the magnetic layer, the magnetic flux is not easily emitted from the air bearing surface to the outside directly. Therefore, an unnecessary perpendicular magnetic field is not easily generated by the magnetic flux. Thereby, a recording medium is not easily magnetized again by the unnecessary magnetic field, so information recorded on the recording medium is not easily erased without intention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of assuring recording characteristics by determining throat height with high precision. A TH specifying layer is formed so as to extend to a position P1 while being adjacent to a gap layer, and an auxiliary insulating layer is similarly formed so as to extend from the position P1 while being adjacent to the gap layer and specify throat height on the basis of the position P1. After that, a main insulating layer is formed so as to cover a thin film coil on the auxiliary insulating layer, and a yoke layer is formed so as to extend while being partially on the TH specifying layer. The throat height is determined accurately and stably on the basis of the position P1 by the auxiliary insulating layer.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head which has a thin film coil for generating a magnetic flux and a magnetic pole layer for emitting the magnetic flux generated by the thin film coil toward a recording medium. The magnetic pole layer having a stacked structure including a main magnetic pole layer, an auxiliary magnetic pole layer, and a non-magnetic pole layer. The main magnetic pole layer is disposed so as to be exposed in a recording medium facing surface which faces the recording medium. The auxiliary magnetic pole layer has one end face recessed from the recording medium facing surface and which is disposed so as to face a part of the main magnetic pole layer. The non-magnetic layer is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the main magnetic pole layer and the auxiliary magnetic pole layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording is disclosed. The method comprising: a first step of depositing a non-magnetic film over and around the main magnetic pole, and subsequently polishing and planarizing the non-magnetic film, wherein the non-magnetic film is made of a non-magnetic material which exhibits a lower ion milling rate than that of a magnetic metal material which constitutes the main magnetic pole; a second step of etching the surface by means of ion milling at a first angle relative to a stacked direction of the magnetic head, to form a stepped portion in which the main magnetic pole is lower from the non-magnetic film around the main magnetic pole; and a third step of etching the stepped portion, by means of ion milling, at a second angle relative to the stacked direction, wherein the second angle is larger than the first angle.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of minimizing the possibility of erasing recorded information without intention at the time of recording information is provided. A pole layer has a structure in which a main pole layer disposed on a leading side and an auxiliary pole layer disposed on a trailing side are laminated. Even if a part of a magnetic flux contained in the auxiliary pole layer is directly emitted from an air bearing surface to outside not via the main pole layer, as the magnetic flux is contained in the magnetic layer, the magnetic flux is not easily emitted from the air bearing surface to the outside directly. Therefore, an unnecessary perpendicular magnetic field is not easily generated by the magnetic flux. Thereby, a recording medium is not easily magnetized again by the unnecessary magnetic field, so information recorded on the recording medium is not easily erased without intention.

Abstract: A main pole layer of a magnetic head includes a first portion disposed at a distance from a medium facing surface, and a second portion that is smaller in thickness than the first portion and disposed between the first portion and the medium facing surface. The step of forming the main pole layer includes the steps of forming a plating layer such that one of ends of the plating layer closer to the medium facing surface is located at a position that coincides with the position of one of ends of the first portion closer to the medium facing surface; forming a first nonmagnetic layer to cover the plating layer; polishing the first nonmagnetic layer and the plating layer; forming a space by removing the plating layer; forming a magnetic layer, which will be the main pole layer, in the space and on the top surface of the first nonmagnetic layer; forming a second nonmagnetic layer to cover the magnetic layer; and polishing the second nonmagnetic layer and the magnetic layer.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head with as high performance as possible. A magnetic pole layer is formed so as to have a laminate structure in which an auxiliary magnetic pole layer (including an adjacent portion and a nonadjacent portion) extending from a first flare point to the rear and a main magnetic pole layer (including a front end portion and a rear end portion) extending from an air bearing surface to the rear through the first flare point are laminated in this order. As (1) a recording track width is controlled with high precision through forming the main magnetic pole layer with high precision, (2) recording is stably performed by an increase in the amount of magnetic flux contained in the main magnetic pole layer, and (3) information recorded on a recording medium is stably maintained through preventing information erasing without intention, the thin film magnetic head can achieve higher performance.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of ensuring the strength of a perpendicular magnetic field and improving recording performance. A bottom pole portion layer and a top pole portion layer constituting a part of a main magnetic pole are formed so that a cross sectional area of a complex including front end portions of the bottom pole portion layer and the top pole portion layer is smaller than a cross sectional area of a complex including rear end portions thereof, and a width of a top edge in an exposed surface is larger than a width of a bottom edge, and is equal to or larger than a width of the exposed surface in a middle position between the top edge and the bottom edge. In recording, magnetic fluxes flowing in a main magnetic pole are focused toward an air bearing surface, and are concentrated on the front end portion of the top pole portion layer which is a main emitting portion of the magnetic fluxes, so sufficient magnetic fluxes can be supplied to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A write head of a magnetic head for vertical magnetic recording comprises: a coil; a main pole layer that allows the magnetic flux corresponding to the magnetic field generated by the coil to pass therethrough and generates a write magnetic field; an auxiliary pole layer; a gap layer provided between the main pole layer and the auxiliary pole layer; and a yoke layer for magnetically coupling the main pole layer to the auxiliary pole layer. The main pole layer has a flat top surface. In the main pole layer the position in which the thickness starts to increase is located between the medium facing surface and the position in which the width starts to increase.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of securing recording characteristics even in the case where a return pole layer is disposed on a medium-outgoing side of the pole layer. The return yoke layer is disposed on a trailing side of the pole layer, and a neck height NH is within a range of NH≦W1 (a width of a front end portion in a main pole layer)+0.05 &mgr;m, and a height ratio (a ratio of the neck height NH to a throat height TH) NH/TH is within a range of 0.5<NH/TH<1.6. Thereby, the neck height NH and the height ratio NH/TH which have an influence on the recording characteristics can become appropriate, so even if the thickness of the gap layer is 0.2 &mgr;m or less to bring the return yoke layer closer to the pole layer, overwrite characteristics can be secured.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises first and second magnetic layers, a gap layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, and a thin-film coil at least a part of which is disposed between the first and second magnetic layers. The second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer, a yoke portion layer, and a coupling portion. The yoke portion layer is magnetically connected to the rear end surface of the pole portion layer and both side surfaces of the pole portion layer in the width direction. The rear end surface of the pole portion layer and the side surfaces of the pole portion layer in the width direction are each inclined relative to the direction perpendicular to the surface of the pole portion layer that faces the gap layer.