Abstract: A magnetoresistive device includes an MR element including a metal layer, and an insulating portion made of magnesium oxide and in contact with the MR element. A method of manufacturing the magnetoresistive device includes the step of removing an unwanted magnesium oxide film that is formed by the magnesium oxide in the process of forming the insulating portion. In this step, the unwanted magnesium oxide film is wet etched by using an etchant containing an aqueous ammonia solution.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device includes an MR element including a metal layer, and an insulating portion made of magnesium oxide and in contact with the MR element. A method of manufacturing the magnetoresistive device includes the step of removing an unwanted magnesium oxide film that is formed by the magnesium oxide in the process of forming the insulating portion. In this step, the unwanted magnesium oxide film is wet etched by using an etchant containing an aqueous ammonia solution.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a slider substrate and a write element. The slider substrate has an air bearing surface at one side thereof. The write element has a recording magnetic pole film. The recording magnetic pole film is disposed on a plane crossing the air bearing surface over the slider substrate and has a large-width portion and a small-width portion continuously arranged in the named order toward the air bearing surface. The small-width portion has a smaller width than the large-width portion. Of the large-width portion and the small-width portion, at least the small-width portion has a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is continuous with an upper end of the first portion and has both side faces inclined in such a direction as to increase the width. An external angle of the first portion formed by a plane parallel to a bottom face and the side face is larger than an external angle of the second portion formed by a plane parallel to the bottom face and the side face.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording head having a multilayer structure in which plural thin films are laminated and being a perpendicular recording type that applies a magnetic field perpendicularly to a magnetic recording medium and performs recording, includes a main magnetic pole exposed on an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium and guiding a magnetic flux toward the magnetic recording medium, a thin film positioned beneath the main magnetic pole from a perspective of a lamination direction and configuring a sensor or a heater configured to determine a distance from the magnetic recording medium of the thin film magnetic recording head, and a light-absorbing portion positioned between the main magnetic pole and the thin film.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording head having a multilayer structure in which plural thin films are laminated and being a perpendicular recording type that applies a magnetic field perpendicularly to a magnetic recording medium and performs recording, includes a main magnetic pole exposed on an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium and guiding a magnetic flux toward the magnetic recording medium, a thin film positioned beneath the main magnetic pole from a perspective of a lamination direction and configuring a sensor or a heater configured to determine a distance from the magnetic recording medium of the thin film magnetic recording head, and a light-absorbing portion positioned between the main magnetic pole and the thin film.

Abstract: In the present invention, provided is a method of forming a mask pattern by which a fine thin film pattern may be formed more easily with higher resolution and precision. In the method of forming a mask pattern, a photoresist pattern having an opening is formed on a substrate, then, an inorganic film is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the photoresist pattern and the inside of the opening, then the inorganic film on the upper surface of the photoresist pattern is removed by a dry etching process. Subsequently, an inorganic mask pattern is formed by removing the photoresist pattern. The inorganic mask pattern thus formed hardly produces an issue of deformation such as physical displacement even when it is heated in the dry etching process.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head includes processes of forming a polishing position sensor and a recording head portion alongside on one side of a wafer. The process of forming the recording head portion has a step of performing a photolithography process after applying an alkali soluble resin film and a photoresist film in the named order. The process of forming the polishing position sensor has a step of performing a photolithography process on the photoresist film while having only the photoresist film out of the alkali soluble resin film and the photoresist film.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a slider substrate and a write element. The slider substrate has an air bearing surface at one side thereof. The write element has a recording magnetic pole film. The recording magnetic pole film is disposed on a plane crossing the air bearing surface over the slider substrate and has a large-width portion and a small-width portion continuously arranged in the named order toward the air bearing surface. The small-width portion has a smaller width than the large-width portion. Of the large-width portion and the small-width portion, at least the small-width portion has a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is continuous with an upper end of the first portion and has both side faces inclined in such a direction as to increase the width. An external angle of the first portion formed by a plane parallel to a bottom face and the side face is larger than an external angle of the second portion formed by a plane parallel to the bottom face and the side face.

Abstract: The micropattern formation of the invention comprises forming a resist pattern, and then forming a carbon-containing film on the surface of the resist pattern, followed by ashing of the carbon-containing film and a portion of the resist surface constituting the resist pattern. Thus, the discharge state of ashing just after the initiation of discharge is so stabilized that the ashing rate distribution can be improved, and sensitive pattern slimming can be implemented with ease and high precision.

Abstract: When first and second near-field light-generating portions are irradiated with laser light or other energy rays, near-field light is generated at the tips of both the near-field light-generating portions. By means of the near-field light thus generated, a magnetic recording medium opposing the medium-opposing surface is heated, and the coercivity of the magnetic recording medium is lowered. Since at least a portion of the main magnetic pole is positioned within the spot region including the region between the first and second near-field light-generating portions, the tips of both the near-field light-generating portions and the main magnetic pole can be brought extremely close together, and high-density recording can be performed.

Abstract: The process of forming a plated film according to the invention is designed such that the surface asperities of the inorganic film formed by the tracing of a standing wave occurring at the inner wall surface of the first opening in the resist at the resist pattern-formation step are reduced or eliminated. It is thus possible to form, efficiently yet in a short period of time, a high aspect-ratio plated film portion having an aspect ratio of greater than 1. In addition, the formed plated film quality is extremely improved for the absence of pores (cavities).

Abstract: Provided is a planarizing method in which a planarization with high flatness can be performed, without being restricted by the distribution of film thickness in the applied resist film. The planarizing method comprises the steps of: forming a resist film on a film to be planarized formed on a substrate; exposing the resist film with the amounts of exposure light in respective sections into which an area in which the film to be planarized is formed is divided, the amounts of exposure light being determined so as to realize film thicknesses to be left for planarization of the resist film in the respective sections; developing the exposed resist film, to form a resist film pattern with a controlled distribution of film thickness; and etching the resist film pattern and the film to be planarized, until eliminating the thickness amounts to be eliminated of the film to be planarized.

Abstract: Provided is a thin-film magnetic head in which the concentration of magnetic flux in the shield layer and the magnetic pole layer is suppressed. The thin-film magnetic head comprises a plurality of magnetic layers that have front surfaces reaching a head end surface on the ABS side. Further in this head, at least one of the plurality of magnetic layers has a shape in which: each of edges corresponding to both side surfaces extends so as to spread obliquely rearward with each other from an end of a straight edge in a track width direction corresponding to the front surface; and the front surface reaching the head end surface has a shape in which upper and lower corner portions in each of both end portions in the track width direction form obtuse angles or rounded shapes.

Abstract: An alignment method of mask patterns includes forming a first layer by transferring a first mask pattern onto a wafer, forming a second layer by transferring a second mask pattern onto the first layer, and particularly a first alignment step, forming the first layer, which performs alignment for minimizing offset between a center position of the wafer and a center position of the first mask pattern and a residual rotation error between the wafer and the first mask pattern and additional alignment for compensating an amount of possible deviation of superposition of the second layer pattern on the first layer pattern, and a second alignment step, forming the second layer, which performs only alignment for minimizing offset between a center position of the first layer pattern and a center position of the second mask pattern and a residual rotation error between the first layer pattern and the second mask pattern.

Abstract: A resist pattern processing apparatus comprises a stage for mounting a substrate having a patterned photoresist arranged on a surface thereof, a UV-emitting part for emitting UV rays to the stage, and an annular member for surrounding the whole periphery of the substrate. This allows the annular member to restrain ozone supplied near a mounting surface for the substrate on the stage from diffusing to the periphery of the stage, whereby the ozone concentration becomes even in the surface of the substrate mounted on the stage.

Abstract: There is a thin-film magnetic head provided, which comprises a perpendicular recording head portion including a thin-film coil adapted to generate a magnetic flux, and a main magnetic pole layer that extends rearward from a recording medium opposite plane facing a recording medium and has a main magnetic pole adapted to release a magnetic flux produced at the thin-film coil toward the recording medium. A given concave groove form that is more constricted as the lower end draws nearer is provided at or near the flare point of the front end of the main magnetic pole, so that the flow of the magnetic flux through the main magnetic pole is focused on the upper end edge (gap portion), thereby improving overwrite performance and holding back the occurrence of pole erasure.

Abstract: The micropattern formation of the invention comprises forming a resist pattern, and then forming a carbon-containing film on the surface of the resist pattern, followed by ashing of the carbon-containing film and a portion of the resist surface constituting the resist pattern. Thus, the discharge state of ashing just after the initiation of discharge is so stabilized that the ashing rate distribution can be improved, and sensitive pattern slimming can be implemented with ease and high precision.

Abstract: In the present invention, provided is a method of forming a mask pattern by which a fine thin film pattern may be formed more easily with higher resolution and precision. In the method of forming a mask pattern, a photoresist pattern having an opening is formed on a substrate, then, an inorganic film is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the photoresist pattern and the inside of the opening, then the inorganic film on the upper surface of the photoresist pattern is removed by a dry etching process. Subsequently, an inorganic mask pattern is formed by removing the photoresist pattern. The inorganic mask pattern thus formed hardly produces an issue of deformation such as physical displacement even when it is heated in the dry etching process.

Abstract: An alignment method of mask patterns in patterning processes includes forming a first layer by transferring a first mask pattern onto a wafer or a layer formed on the wafer, and forming a second layer by transferring a second mask pattern onto the first layer. The method particularly includes a first alignment step of performing, when forming the first layer, alignment for minimizing offset between a center position of the wafer and a center position of the first mask pattern and a residual rotation error between the wafer and the first mask pattern, and alignment based on an amount of deviation of superposition of the second layer pattern on the first layer pattern. The deviation is caused by linear expansion and contraction of a wafer and caused by an orthogonal error between a wafer and a mask pattern, and also the deviation is obtained by measuring in advance in pattering processes successively performed for a plurality of wafers.

Abstract: When first and second near-field light-generating portions are irradiated with laser light or other energy rays, near-field light is generated at the tips of both the near-field light-generating portions. By means of the near-field light thus generated, a magnetic recording medium opposing the medium-opposing surface is heated, and the coercivity of the magnetic recording medium is lowered. Since at least a portion of the main magnetic pole is positioned within the spot region including the region between the first and second near-field light-generating portions, the tips of both the near-field light-generating portions and the main magnetic pole can be brought extremely close together, and high-density recording can be performed.