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 method of manufacturing magnetic heads comprises the step of: fabricating a magnetic head substructure by forming components of a plurality of magnetic heads on a single substrate, wherein 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. In the substructure first resistor elements and second resistor elements are formed. Each of the first resistor elements has a resistance that varies depending on the location of an end of an MR element located in a medium facing surface along the direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface. Each of the second resistor elements has a resistance that varies depending on the location of an end face of a track width defining portion located in the medium facing surface along the direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises a top pole layer incorporating a throat height defining layer and a yoke portion layer. The throat height defining layer is formed as follows. A magnetic layer to be a track width defining portion is formed on a recording gap layer. Next, the magnetic layer is selectively etched through the use of a mask so as to form an end portion of the magnetic layer for defining the throat height. Next, a nonmagnetic layer is formed to fill the etched portion of the magnetic layer while the mask is left unremoved. Next, the yoke portion layer is formed. Using the track width defining portion as a mask, the magnetic layer, the recording gap layer and a portion of the bottom pole layer are etched.

Abstract: The invention is directed to improvement of a write element of a thin film magnetic head. In said 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. One of the first coil and the second coil is fitted into the space between coil turns of the other, insulated from the coil turns of the other by a second insulating film, and the first and second coils are connected to each other so as to generate magnetic flux in the same direction. One of said first coil and said second coil has a side surface being adjacent to the pole portion with the second insulating film and another side surface being adjacent to the back gap portion with the second insulating film, and each of said side surfaces has a taper angle making the sectional shape of the coil narrower in the lower part and wider in the upper part. The upper surfaces of said first and second coils form the same plane.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises a top pole layer incorporating 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. The length of the intermediate layer is greater than the length of the throat height defining layer, and the length of the yoke portion layer is greater than the length of the intermediate layer, each of the lengths being taken in the direction orthogonal to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic heads comprises the step of: fabricating a magnetic head substructure by forming a plurality of components of the magnetic heads on a single substrate, wherein 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. In the step of fabricating the substructure, a plurality of indicators are formed, each of the indicators serving as a reference for indicating the location of a region ABS in which the medium facing surfaces of the magnetic heads are to be formed.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, a bottom pole layer is formed and a thin-film coil is formed on the bottom pole layer. A recording gap layer is then formed on the pole portion of the bottom pole layer. Next, the recording gap layer and a portion of the bottom pole layer are selectively etched through the use of a mask so as to form an end portion of the recording gap layer for defining the throat height. Next, a nonmagnetic layer is formed to fill the etched portions of the recording gap layer and the bottom pole layer while the mask is left unremoved. Next, the mask is removed, and the top surfaces of the recording gap layer and the nonmagnetic layer are flattened by polishing. A top pole layer is formed on the flattened top surfaces of the recording gap layer and the nonmagnetic layer.

Abstract: The invention is directed to improvement of a thin film magnetic head of a magnetic recording apparatus. The magnetic head includes a write element, in which 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. One of the first coil and the second coil is fitted into the space between coil turns of the other, insulated from the coil turns of the other by a second insulating film, and the first and second coils are connected to each other so as to generate magnetic flux in the same direction. One of the first coil and the second coil has a side surface being adjacent to the pole portion with the second insulating film and another side surface being adjacent to the back gap portion with the second insulating film, and each of the side surfaces has a taper angle making the sectional shape of the coil narrower in the lower part and wider in the upper part.

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-encasing layer made of a nonmagnetic material is disposed on an underlying layer made of a nonmagnetic conductive material. The encasing layer has a groove that penetrates. A pole layer is disposed in the groove. The pole layer is formed by plating through feeding a current to the underlying layer. A polishing stopper layer made of a nonmagnetic conductive material is disposed on the top surface of the encasing layer. The polishing stopper layer indicates the level at which polishing for controlling the thickness of the pole layer is stopped. The polishing stopper layer has an opening that penetrates, and the edge of the opening is located directly above the edge of the groove located in the top surface of the encasing layer.

Abstract: A magnetic head comprises a pole layer that allows a magnetic flux corresponding to a magnetic field generated by a coil to pass therethrough and that generates a write magnetic field for writing data on a recording medium by using the perpendicular magnetic recording system. The pole layer includes a track width defining portion having an end face located in a medium facing surface. An underlying layer is disposed below the track width defining portion. The end face of the track width defining portion located in the medium facing surface has a width that decreases as the distance from a side close to a substrate decreases. The width of the underlying layer taken in the medium facing surface is equal to or smaller than the length of the side close to the substrate. The underlying layer is made of a material whose etching rate of ion beam etching is higher than that of a magnetic alloy making up the pole layer.

Abstract: A high-speed fluidic device has a friction roller type speed-increasing mechanism, an electric motor, and a high-speed fluidic machine, wherein: the friction roller type speed-increasing mechanism includes a housing, a low-speed side member having an outer ring provided at one end portion thereof, a high-speed side shaft rotatably supported by the housing so as to be eccentric to the low-speed side member and the outer ring, at least one guide roller rotatably supported between the outer ring and the high-speed side shaft, and at least one movable roller rotatably supported between the outer ring and the high-speed side shaft; the electric motor drives the friction roller type speed-increasing mechanism; and the high-speed fluidic machine is connected to the high-speed side shaft so as to be driven by the high-speed side shaft.

Abstract: A pole layer has an end located in a medium facing surface, the end having: a first side close to a substrate; a second side located opposite to the first side; a third side connecting an end of the first side to an end of the second side; and a fourth side connecting the other end of the first side to the other end of the second side. The second side defines a track width. The end of the pole layer located in the medium facing surface has a width that decreases toward the first side. The pole layer is disposed in a groove of a pole-layer-encasing layer made of a nonmagnetic insulating material, with a nonmagnetic conductive film provided between the encasing layer and the pole layer. The pole layer incorporates: a first layer located closer to the surface of the groove; and a second layer located farther from the surface of the groove.

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 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 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: In a method to manufacture a bar in which a row of slider sections are aligned, a wafer block is made from a wafer in which rows of slider sections are aligned. The wafer block is bonded to a dummy block on a support plate. Next, a processing step and a cutting step are repeated. The processing step is to perform specific processing on the medium facing surfaces of a row of slider sections in the medium facing surface of the wafer block bonded to the support plate. The cutting step is to cut the wafer block together with the support plate such that the row of slider sections whose medium facing surfaces have received the specific processing are separated from the wafer block to be the bar.

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 thin-film magnetic head comprises a medium facing surface, a bottom pole layer, a top pole layer, a coupling portion, a recording gap layer, and a thin-film coil. The coupling portion is disposed away from the medium facing surface and couples the bottom pole layer to the top pole layer. The recording gap layer is disposed between the pole portion of the bottom pole layer and the pole portion of the top pole layer. The bottom pole layer incorporates: a first layer disposed to face toward the thin-film coil; a second layer, a third layer and a fourth layer that are disposed near the medium facing surface; and a coupling layer disposed away from the medium facing surface and coupling the bottom pole layer to the top pole layer.

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.