Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of suppressing an occurrence of a track erase, decreasing an influence on a magnetoresistive element caused by a magnetic flux generated from a thin film coil, and further decreasing the parasitic capacity. The thin film magnetic head has, in order in a stacked direction, a first magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive element, a second magnetic shield layer, a third magnetic shield layer, a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer. A width in a track width direction of at least one of the first and the second magnetic shield layers is smaller than widths in a track width direction of the third magnetic shield layer and the return yoke layer.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head comprises a lower magnetic shield layer and an upper magnetic shield layer which are mutually opposed in the layering direction, a magnetoresistance effect element having a free layer, and a bias-applying layer which applies a bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistance effect element. The free layer is positioned between the lower magnetic shield layer and the upper magnetic shield layer, and is positioned on the side of the media-opposed surface. The bias-applying layer has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion and the second portion are positioned at a distance in the track width direction so as to enclose the magnetoresistance effect element therebetween. The third portion is positioned either between the magnetoresistance effect element and the lower magnetic shield layer or between the magnetoresistance effect element and the upper magnetic shield layer, and connects the first portion and the second portion.

Abstract: Producing a thin film magnetic head includes forming a pair of openings in a predetermined region of a TMR layer formed on a lower magnetic shield layer; forming a pair of bias-applying layers in the pair of openings so that an upper surface thereof is located above an upper surface of the TMR layer; laminating a metal layer that covers the upper surface of a portion located between the pair of bias-applying layers in the TMR layer and the upper surface of the pair of bias-applying layers; forming a resist layer across the upper surface of a portion located above the pair of bias-applying layers in the metal layer and the upper surface of a portion located above the TMR layer in the metal layer; and etching a part of the TMR layer and a part of the pair of bias-applying layers with the resist layer being as a mask.

Abstract: A resist pattern for lift-off is formed on a first film composed of one or more layers deposited on a substrate. The first film is patterned by dry-etching using the resist pattern as a mask. Subsequently, a second film is deposited with presence of the resist pattern on the first film. Then, the resist pattern for lift-off is removed for conducting lift-off. Subsequently, the resulting substrate is etched. In the etching, the substrate is dry-etched using etching particles which are oriented at an incident angle set in a range of 60 ° to 90 ° relative to the normal direction of the substrate.

Abstract: An MR effect element that can obtain the sufficient back flux-guide effect under the condition of reducing the capacitance between the upper and lower electrode layers is provided. The element comprises: an MR effect multilayer provided on the lower electrode layer; an insulating layer surrounding a rear side surface and side surfaces opposed to each other in track width direction of the MR effect multilayer; and an upper electrode layer provided on the MR effect multilayer and the insulating layer, the insulating layer having a concave portion filled with a portion of the upper electrode layer, the concave portion positioned near the rear side surface of the MR effect multilayer, and a bottom point of a concave of the concave portion positioned at the same level or a lower level in stacking direction compared to an upper surface of the free layer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower magnetic shield layer, an MR multi-layered structure formed on the lower magnetic shield layer so that current flows in a direction perpendicular to surfaces of laminated layers, an insulation layer formed to surround the MR multi-layered structure, an additional metal layer laminated on at least the MR multi-layered structure, an upper electrode layer made of a soft magnetic material laminated on the additional metal layer and the insulation layer, and an upper magnetic shield layer laminated on the upper electrode layer. The additional metal layer has a multi-layered structure including a nonmagnetic metal layer and a soft magnetic layer laminated on the nonmagnetic metal layer, and has a length along a track-width direction of the MR multi-layered structure larger than a width of a magnetization-free layer in the MR effect multi-layered structure.

Abstract: A tunneling magneto-resistive element includes: a tunneling magneto-resistive film including an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, a barrier layer and a free layer; and a lower magnetic shielding film disposed below the tunneling magneto-resistive film with respect to a lamination direction. The barrier layer is constituted of magnesium oxide. The lower magnetic shielding film has a multi-layer structure including a crystalline layer and an amorphous layer disposed above the crystalline layer with respect to the lamination direction. The crystalline layer contains at least one crystal grain having a grain size of 500 nm or more.

Abstract: In manufacturing the thin film magnetic head, the rear end face of the MR element and the rear end face of a resistive film pattern are determined with high precision using a mask pattern, in which a first opening and a second opening are collectively formed. The first and second openings are located side by side in a track-width direction. The first opening includes a first edge extending across the MR film in the track-width direction, and the second opening includes a second edge located at a given interval, as measured in a direction orthogonal to the track-width direction, from the first edge, and extending in the track-width direction. In the step of polishing for forming a magnetic-recording-medium-facing-surface, the amount of polishing is determined by monitoring the resistance change of the resistive film pattern, thereby reducing the dimension errors in the MR height when manufacturing the MR element.

Abstract: A reticle having a convex portion and a concave portion is used to form a convex portion and concave portion in the resist pattern for magnetic detection element and conductive layer, respectively. Then, with each resist pattern as a mask, unnecessary portions are removed to determine an initial height and to form a convex portion and concave portion in the magnetic detection element layer and in the conductive layer, respectively. Then, based on a ratio between widths of the convex portion and of the concave portion of the magnetic detection element layer, a deviation of the magnetic detection element layer is obtained, and a deviation of the conductive layer is obtained in a similar way, and based on these deviations the medium facing surface is ground with the conductive layer as a resistance sensor so that the height of the magnetic detection element layer be a desired value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new 18-residue homodimerized peptide, designated PIP [59-67] dimer (SEQ ID NO: 1), which is a mutant of the optimized anti-inflammatory peptide P-NT.II, the patent for which has recently been filed [1]. P-NT.II has the potential to modulate both the inflammatory and bone damaging components of rheumatoid arthritis, and was originally designed on the basis of the primary structure of the anti-inflammatory protein termed ‘Phospholipase Inhibitor from Python (PIP)’ [2]. Using solid phase chemistry, variants of P-NT.II were designed and examined for inhibitory activity against secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), a key enzyme involved in the inflammatory pathway, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that are involved in the remodeling and degradation of the extracellular matrix in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cancer. Among the family of mutants tested, the dimerized peptide was found to be the most potent inhibitor against sPLA2 as well as the human recombinant MMP-1.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head has an air bearing surface and comprises magnetic shield layers, an MR element, bias-applying layers, and a hard magnetic layer. Each of the magnetic shield layers has an end face forming the air bearing surface, and an end face located opposite to the end face. The MR element is located between the magnetic shield layers and on the end face side. The bias-applying layers are located between the magnetic shield layers and are arranged to apply a bias magnetic field to the MR element. The hard magnetic layer is located between the magnetic shield layers and on the end face side. A height of the hard magnetic layer is larger than ? and smaller than ½ of a height of each magnetic shield layer.

Abstract: A connector for a card includes first contact terminals that come in contact with first outer connection parts of a card to be fitted, and second contact terminals that come in contact with second outer connection parts of the card. Contact parts of the first contact terminals that come in contact with the first outer connection parts, and contact parts of the second contact terminals that come in contact with the second outer connection parts are formed to face directions orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: A fuel property determining apparatus is provided to a fuel vapor treatment apparatus. The fuel vapor treatment apparatus controls purging of mixture containing fuel vapor, which is generated in a fuel tank and temporarily adsorbed in a canister, into an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine operates. The fuel vapor treatment apparatus controls the purging on the basis of a fuel vapor state of the mixture. The fuel property determining apparatus includes a fuel vapor state determining unit for determining the fuel vapor state The fuel property determining apparatus further includes a fuel property determining unit for determining a fuel property, which is relevant to volatility of fuel, on the basis of change in the fuel vapor state, the change in the fuel vapor state being caused by the purging.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a ramp mechanism, a pair of magnetic head sliders each having an MR read head element, and a load/unload mechanism for retracting the pair of magnetic head sliders to the ramp mechanism under unloading states and for putting the pair of magnetic head sliders back to face front and back surfaces of the magnetic disk respectively under loading states. The ramp mechanism has head resting portions and a pair of permanent magnets. The pair of magnetic head sliders respectively resting in the head resting portions in a manner to face to each other during unloaded states. The pair of permanent magnets generates a closed loop magnetic field applied to the pair of magnetic head sliders rested in the respective head resting portions. The magnetic fields applied to the respective magnetic head sliders are in opposite directions along the track width of the magnetic head sliders.

Abstract: The thin-film magnetic head of the present invention comprises an MR sensor wherein a first ferromagnetic layer in which a magnetization direction is fixed with respect to external magnetic fields, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes with respect to the external magnetic fields are stacked, and wherein a sense current flows substantially parallel to the stacked layer surface.

Abstract: The thin-film patterning method for a magnetoresistive device comprises forming a functional layer on a substrate; forming a first mask layer above the functional layer; forming a patterned resist on the first mask layer; etching the first mask layer by using the resist; removing the resist; forming a second mask layer by atomic layer deposition, the second mask layer covering a step defined by an edge of the first mask layer; dry-etching the second mask layer in a thickness direction of the substrate so as to leave the second mask layer on a side face of the step; removing the first mask layer so as to expose the functional layer under the first mask; and dry-etching the functional layer by using the second mask layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect sensor includes a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer having a total thickness of at least 10 nm. The sensor has insulating films disposed on both side surfaces of the spin valve film. The sensor has hard magnetic films disposed on the insulating films for applying a biasing magnetic field to the free layer. Each hard magnetic film extends toward the free layer in a vicinity of the spin valve film, such that as each hard magnetic film extends toward the spin valve film, a cross-sectional area thereof in a plane perpendicular to the layer width direction becomes progressively smaller. Each hard magnetic film has, in a plane parallel to the air bearing surface, a first boundary line which at least partially faces the free layer and substantially defines an end point of the hard magnetic film in the layer width direction.

Abstract: A formation method for a patterned material layer comprising a step of exposing a composite layer to light in a predetermined pattern, the composite layer including a first photosensitive resin layer, a protective film, and an upper resin layer; a step of partly removing the exposed composite layer so as to form an opening exposing the substrate and form a groove along the main surface of the substrate on a side face of the opening by depressing the end portion of the upper resin layer on the substrate side, thereby forming a resist frame comprising the composite layer formed with the opening; a step of forming a vacuum coated layer having a material pattern part formed on the substrate in the opening and a part to lift off formed on the resist frame, by vacuum coating process; and a step of removing the part to lift off together with the resist frame, so as to yield a patterned material layer.

Abstract: A method of producing a thin film magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a pair of openings in a predetermined region of a TMR layer formed on a lower magnetic shield layer; forming a pair of bias-applying layers in the pair of Openings so that an upper surface thereof may be located above an upper surface of the TMR layer; laminating a metal layer that covers the upper surface of a portion located between the pair of bias-applying layers in the TMR layer and the upper surface of the pair of bias-applying layers; forming a resist layer across the upper surface of a portion located above the pair of bias-applying layers in the metal layer and the upper surface of a portion located above the TMR layer in the metal layer; and etching a part of the TMR layer and a part of the pair of bias-applying layers with the resist layer being as a mask.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of suppressing an occurrence of a track erase, decreasing an influence on a magnetoresistive element caused by a magnetic flux generated from a thin film coil, and further decreasing the parasitic capacity. The thin film magnetic head has, in order in a stacked direction, a first magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive element, a second magnetic shield layer, a third magnetic shield layer, a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer. A width in a track width direction of at least one of the first and the second magnetic shield layers is smaller than widths in a track width direction of the third magnetic shield layer and the return yoke layer.