Abstract: A laminate coil for an integral n-phase motor (n is a natural number of 2 or more) having pluralities of coil poles formed by patterned conductor coils formed in a laminate constituted by pluralities of insulating layers, the laminate coil comprising input and output terminals formed on an outer surface of the laminate, a first connecting line connecting the input terminal to the coil poles, and second connecting lines series-connecting coil poles having the same polarity, the first and second connecting lines being formed by conductor patterns, and the coil poles being formed on pluralities of insulating layers sandwiched by the first and second connecting lines.

Abstract: A high-strength, low-temperature-sintered ceramic composition having a structure comprising a SrAl2Si2O8 crystal and an Al2O3 crystal, the SrAl2Si2O8 crystal being composed of hexagonal SrAl2Si2O8 alone or hexagonal SrAl2Si2O8 and monoclinic SrAl2Si2O8, and a peak intensity ratio represented by I101/(I101+I002)×100 being 5% or more in an X-ray diffraction measurement by a Cu—K? line, wherein I101 represents a peak intensity of a (101) plane of the hexagonal SrAl2Si2O8, and I002 represents a peak intensity of a (002) plane of the monoclinic SrAl2Si2O8.

Abstract: A pole layer has an end face located in a medium facing surface, allows a magnetic flux corresponding to a magnetic field generated by a coil to pass therethrough, and generates a write magnetic field for writing data on a recording medium by means of a perpendicular magnetic recording system. A shield incorporates: a first layer having an end face located in a region of the medium facing surface forward of the end face of the pole layer along the direction of travel of the recording medium; a second layer disposed in a region sandwiching the pole layer with the first layer; a first coupling portion coupling the first layer to the second layer without touching the pole layer; and a second coupling portion coupling the pole layer to the second layer and located farther from the medium facing surface than the first coupling portion.

Abstract: Data transferred from a host computer to a memory device is written into sectors whose addresses in a memory area are decoded by a decode table. Old data to be updated by the above data is erased or marked with erase flags. At a predetermined point of time, in order to create free areas, necessary data is evacuated to a primary memory media and unnecessary data indicated by erase flags is erased by a unit of predetermined memory size. Part of the memory media which has become defective is marked with a defect flag, and is replaced by an alternate area. In doing so, the decode table is rewritten to arrange the memory area.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider main body and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider main body has an air bearing surface, an air inflow end, and an air outflow end. The air bearing surface has a first part closer to the air outflow end, a second part closer to the air inflow end, and a border part between the first part and the second part. The second part is slanted against the first part so that the entire air bearing surface has a convex shape bent at the border part.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a semiconductor wafer is provided, in which a removal of slurry that is adherently remained on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer can be ensured without a need for employing an increased dimension of apparatus. An edge portion of a semiconductor wafer is polished while a back surface of the semiconductor wafer is chucked to a chucking unit of a first polishing unit, and then, the polished semiconductor wafer is dechucked from the chucking unit of the first polishing unit. Next, a predetermined gap is formed in a location above the chucking unit of the second polishing unit, and the semiconductor wafer is disposed therein. Water is discharged form the chucking unit of the second polishing unit to clean the back surface of the semiconductor wafer W. Thereafter, the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is chucked to the chucking unit of the second polishing unit, and then the semiconductor wafer is polished.

Abstract: A pole layer has an end that is located in a medium facing surface and that incorporates a first side closer to a gap layer and a second side opposite to the first side. A shield layer has an end that is located in the medium facing surface and that has an edge on a side of the gap layer. This edge includes: a first portion facing toward the first side, the gap layer being disposed in between; two second portions that are disposed on both sides of the first portion opposed to each other in the direction of the track width and that are disposed such that a difference in level is created between the first portion and each of the second portions; a third portion connecting an end of the first portion to one of the second portions; and a fourth portion connecting the other end of the first portion to the other one of the second portions.

Abstract: A magnetic head comprises a pole layer, a shield layer, a gap layer disposed between the pole layer and the shield layer, and a coil. The shield layer incorporates: a first layer disposed on the gap layer; a second layer disposed on the first layer; and a third layer disposed on the second layer. The first layer has an end face located in a medium facing surface. An end face of each of the second and third layers closer to the medium facing surface is located at a distance from the medium facing surface. A first nonmagnetic layer is disposed around the first layer. A second nonmagnetic layer is disposed between the medium facing surface and the end face of the second layer closer to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: Optical amplifier which can eliminate the need for an optical detection section before an external attenuating medium, can prevent SN degradation, and can reduce power required for pumping light. An attenuation amount detection section detects an amount of signal light attenuation caused by a variable optical attenuator and the external attenuating medium connected in series, by means of a front optical detection section provided before the variable optical attenuator and the external attenuating medium and a back optical detection section provided thereafter. An attenuation amount control section controls the variable optical attenuator such that the amount of signal light attenuation detected by the attenuation amount detection section is kept constant. A connection detection section detects a connection or disconnection of the external attenuating medium in accordance with the amount of signal light attenuation obtained when the amount of attenuation caused by the variable optical attenuator is minimized.

Abstract: Optical amplifier which can eliminate the need for an optical detection section before an external attenuating medium, can prevent SN degradation, and can reduce power required for pumping light. An attenuation amount detection section detects an amount of signal light attenuation caused by a variable optical attenuator and the external attenuating medium connected in series, by means of a front optical detection section provided before the variable optical attenuator and the external attenuating medium and a back optical detection section provided thereafter. An attenuation amount control section controls the variable optical attenuator such that the amount of signal light attenuation detected by the attenuation amount detection section is kept constant. A connection detection section detects a connection or disconnection of the external attenuating medium in accordance with the amount of signal light attenuation obtained when the amount of attenuation caused by the variable optical attenuator is minimized.

Abstract: A magnetic head comprises a pole layer, a gap layer, a shield layer, a nonmagnetic layer, and a coil. The shield layer incorporates: a first layer disposed on the gap layer; a second layer disposed on the first layer; a two-layered coupling layer disposed on a region of the pole layer where an opening of the gap layer is formed; and a third layer disposed to couple the second layer to the coupling layer. The first layer defines throat height TH. The nonmagnetic layer is disposed on a side of the first layer. The coil is disposed on the nonmagnetic layer on a side of the second layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic heads comprises the steps of: fabricating a magnetic head substructure by forming components of a plurality of magnetic heads on a single substrate so that a plurality of rows of pre-head portions that will be the respective magnetic heads later are aligned in the substructure; and fabricating the magnetic heads by separating the pre-head portions from one another through cutting the substructure. Indicator sections are formed in the substructure. The indicator sections include first indicators and second indicators. Widths of the first and second indicators are equal in an imaginary surface indicating a target location of the medium facing surfaces. One of the widths of the first and second indicators decreases while the other increases with shifts in position along the direction orthogonal to the medium facing surfaces.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head comprises the steps of forming a first pole layer, forming a gap layer on a pole portion of the first pole layer, and forming a second pole layer on the gap layer. The second pole layer incorporates a first layer adjacent to the gap layer, and a second layer including a track width defining portion. The step of forming the second pole layer includes the steps of: forming a magnetic layer for forming the first layer on the gap layer; forming the second layer on the magnetic layer; and etching the magnetic layer to align with a width of the track width defining portion, so that the magnetic layer is formed into the first layer and the width of each of the first layer and the second layer taken in a medium facing surface is made equal to the track width.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording comprises a coil, a main magnetic pole layer for performing perpendicular recording, a write shield layer and a write gap layer, wherein the main magnetic pole layer comprises a main pole film portion and a yoke pole film portion. The write shield layer has a first shield film portion for determining a throat height, and the thickness of the first shield layer is smaller than the thickness of the yoke pole film portion.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises a bottom pole layer having a surface that faces toward a write gap layer. This surface incorporates a first surface including an end portion located in the air bearing surface, and a second surface located away from the air bearing surface. There is a difference in level between the first surface and the second surface, so that the second surface is located farther from the top pole layer than the first surface. A top pole layer incorporates a throat height defining layer, an intermediate layer, and a yoke portion layer. The yoke portion layer includes a track width defining portion for defining the track width. Each of the throat height defining layer, the intermediate layer, and the track width defining portion has a width equal to the track width.

Abstract: The invention is directed to improvement of a write element of a thin film magnetic head. In the write element, a first coil and a second coil are provided on a first insulating film formed on one surface of a first magnetic film and surround in a spiral form a back gap portion. A second yoke portion in the upper position comprises a wide portion, a narrow portion and a sloping flare portion. The wide portion has a flat surface and is connected to the first magnetic film by a back gap portion at the rear of the medium-facing surface. The narrow portion forms the second pole portion and the surface of the narrow portion being at a lower position than the surface of the wide portion. The sloping flare portion extends from the narrow portion to the wide portion, gradually increasing in width and its surface sloping upward away from the surface of the narrow portion to the surface of the wide portion.

Abstract: A pole layer incorporates: a first portion having an end face located in a medium facing surface; and a second portion having a thickness greater than that of the first portion. A surface of the first portion closer to a substrate is located farther from the substrate than a surface of the second portion closer to the substrate. A surface of the first portion farther from the substrate is located closer to the substrate than a surface of the second portion farther from the substrate. At least a portion of the pole layer is placed in an encasing groove formed in a region extending from a first encasing layer through a second encasing layer to a nonmagnetic metal layer.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head has a configuration in which a main magnetic pole film having a magnetic pole end portion on a medium opposing surface (ABS) side facing a magnetic disk, a write shield film facing the magnetic pole end portion so as to form a recording gap film on the medium opposing surface side, and a thin film coil wound around at least a part of the write shield film are laminated. Further, the thin film magnetic head has an upper yoke magnetic pole film whose size is larger than that of the main magnetic pole film at a part more distant from the ABS than the recording gap film, and this upper yoke magnetic pole film is bonded to the side of the main magnetic pole film close to the thin film coil. In the upper yoke magnetic pole film, an end portion on the ABS side is retracted in a direction apart from the ABS in accordance with an increase in film thickness which is measured from the surface of the main magnetic pole film.

Abstract: A pole layer has: a first portion having an end face located in a medium facing surface; and a second portion that is located farther from the medium facing surface than the first portion and has a thickness greater than that of the first portion. A surface of the first portion farther from a substrate is located closer to the substrate than a surface of the second portion farther from the substrate. The second portion has a front end face that couples the surface of the first portion farther from the substrate to the surface of the second portion farther from the substrate. A shield layer has a portion located between the front end face and the medium facing surface in a region closer to the substrate than the surface of the second portion farther from the substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic head comprises: an encasing layer made of a nonmagnetic material and having a groove that opens in the top surface; a nonmagnetic metal layer made of a nonmagnetic metal material, disposed on the top surface of the encasing layer, and having a penetrating opening that is contiguous to the groove; and a pole layer made of a magnetic metal material and encased in the groove of the encasing layer and in the opening of the nonmagnetic metal layer. The pole layer has an end face located in a medium facing surface, the end face having a first portion and a second portion that is located farther from a substrate than the first portion and connected to the first portion. The first portion has a width that decreases as the distance from the substrate decreases. The second portion has a uniform width that defines the track width. In the medium facing surface, the nonmagnetic metal layer exists on both sides of the second portion, the sides being opposed to each other in the direction of track width.