Abstract: A magnetic head in which the size of MR height is controlled precisely, a head gimbal assembly and a hard disk drive which are mounted with such a magnetic head, and a method of making a magnetic head in which the size of MR height is controlled precisely. The magnetic head in accordance with the present invention is a magnetic head comprising a slider substrate and a magnetic head part provided on the slider substrate; wherein the magnetic head part comprises, seeing from a medium-opposing surface side, a magnetism detecting element; an upper magnetic shield layer arranged on the magnetism detecting element; an electrode layer separated in a track width direction from the upper magnetic shield layer; and a conductor layer, arranged closer to the slider substrate than are the upper magnetic shield layer and electrode layer, extending in the track width direction so as to be in contact with the upper magnetic shield layer and electrode layer and forming a part of the medium-opposing surface.

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 parasitic capacity C4 generated between a slider substrate and the first shield layer with the first insulating layer as a capacity layer is made substantially equal to a parasitic capacity C2 occurring between a lower magnetic layer and the second shield layer with the third insulating layer as a capacity layer. Preferably, a connection is made between the lower magnetic layer and the slider substrate by a resistance of preferably 100 (?) or lower. Thus, it is possible to provide a thin-film magnetic head that can hold back deterioration in a reproducing device and the occurrence of errors due to crosstalk between a recording device and the reproducing device and extraneous noises.

Abstract: The magnetic sensor comprises a spin-valve GMR including a free layer having an elongated form as seen in a laminating direction and a permanent magnet layer having an elongated form as seen in the laminating direction. The permanent magnet layer is arranged in parallel with the free layer.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider includes at least one thin-film magnetic head formed on a trailing surface of the magnetic head slider, and an ABS to be faced a magnetic disk in operation. At least a part of the ABS is made of a giant magnetostrictive material.

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: Timely and proper flying height adjustment is achieved using a controller, which is designed for a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus that does not use a magnetic head having a heating element for flying height adjustment without any modification. A head amplifier includes a write amplifier for applying a write current to a write head element, a read amplifier for amplifying a read voltage output from a read head element and outputting a read signal, a heating element driver for applying a heat generating current to at least one heating element for adjusting a flying height, and a heat controller for controlling the heating element driver.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head with an MR read head element, includes an MR film deposition step of depositing on a lower magnetic shield layer an MR multi-layered film, a first patterning step of patterning the deposited MR multi-layered film for defining a track width using a first mask, a first lift-off step of depositing at least an insulation film and a magnetic domain control film under a state where the first mask used the first patterning step is remained and removing the first mask to form a magnetic domain control layer, a second patterning step of patterning the MR multi-layered films for defining a width in a height direction that is perpendicular to a track-width direction to form a MR multi-layered structure, and a upper shield layer deposition step of depositing an upper magnetic shield layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat-assisted magnetic recording method which can efficiently and locally heat the magnetic recording medium without a head which needs a great task in manufacture process. A heat-assisted magnetic recording method is provided, which comprises steps of: heating a portion of a magnetic recording layer included in a magnetic recording medium by generating an eddy current with applying a high-frequency magnetic field to said portion or a portion near said portion; applying a write magnetic field to at least a part of said portion on a state temporarily reducing a coercive force of said portion; and writing data to said magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: There is provided a charging member cleaning roller including: a core body; and an elastic layer that is provided on a peripheral surface of the core body and includes a polyurethane foam obtained from at least a polyester polyol, a foam stabilizer, and a catalyst. Moreover, there is provided a charging member cleaning roller including: a core body; and an elastic layer that is provided on a peripheral surface of the core body and includes a urethane foam having an open-cell structure, a resilience of approximately 15% to 30%, and a hardness of approximately 150N to 230N.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head provided with at least one MR read head element includes a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer, and an MR layer formed between the lower shield layer and the upper shield layer. A profile of the upper shield layer, appeared at an ABS, has obtuse or rounded upper corners at end edges of the upper shield layer along a track-width direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head which prevents leakage of magnetic fluxes from an edge area of a lower and/or an upper shield layers of a magnetoresistive effect read head element. The thin-film magnetic head have a magnetoresistive effect read head element that includes a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer, a magnetoresistive effect layer, which is formed between the lower shield layer and the upper shield layer, and a lower antiferromagnetic layer which is contacted with the lower shield layer only at an edge area of the lower shield layer.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an MR element in which current flows in a direction perpendicular to layer planes, includes a step of forming on a lower electrode layer an MR multi-layered film having a cap layer at a top thereof, a step of forming a mask on the cap layer of the MR multi-layered film, a step of patterning the MR multi-layered film by milling through the mask to form an MR multi-layered structure, a step of forming a magnetic domain control bias layer by using a lift off method using the mask, a step of, after forming the magnetic domain control bias layer, forming an additional cap layer on the cap layer and a part of the magnetic domain control bias layer, a step of planarizing a top surface of the additional cap layer and the magnetic domain control bias layer, and a step of forming an upper electrode layer on the planarized top surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive (MR) effect element which can effectively reduce a leakage of magnetic flux from a magnetic domain control layer, and a thin film magnetic head which has the MR effect element. The MR effect element has a pair of magnetic domain control layer, each of which magnetically connects a MR effect multilayered structure, and an additional york layer. Each end of the additional york layer is respectively connected with a magnetic domain control layer, and the additional york layer leads magnetic flux from one magnetic domain control layer to another magnetic domain control layer.

Abstract: A magnetic head assembly includes a magnetic head slider with an element-formed surface on which at least one MR read head element is formed, an ABS to be opposed in operation to a magnetic recording medium and a fixing surface that is the other side of the ABS, and a support for supporting the magnetic head slider. The fixing surface of the magnetic head slider is fixed to the support by at least cure-shrinkage resin material layer providing a contractive force when cured. The cure-shrinkage resin material layer has at least one strip-shaped pattern running along a track width direction.

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: An image forming apparatus including a toner accumulating member disposed nearer to the housing than the cleaning blade and the lower seal are, wherein the toner accumulating member accumulates the toner at a tip of the cleaning blade, the toner accumulating member has at least one opening, and the following condition is satisfied: 0%<S(O)/S(C)?50%, wherein S(O) is a total opening area obtained by summing areas of all openings, and S(C) is an area of a rectangle defined by two sides having the same length as a length of the cleaning blade in its longitudinal direction and two sides having the same length as a distance between the lower end of the toner accumulating member and a position at the same height on the toner accumulating member as the lower end of the cleaning blade.

Abstract: It is desired that highly efficient and highly sensitive sensors being extremely small size is provided in desired position, desired shape and size for a micro structure that causes the elastic deformation at least a part thereof. Moreover, it is also required that facilitating to assemble and adjust the components, miniaturizing and simplifying the detection circuit, and measuring a local displacement of a fine part of the micro structure. The disclosing micro structure is cantilever 1 which beam part 14 causes the elastic deformation. This cantilever 1 is provided with a sensor 12 detecting elastic deformation of beam part 14 by tunneling effect.

Abstract: This invention provides a tunneling effect element that has versatility and that does not receive the effects of drift due to differences in the thermal-expansion coefficient of the lower and upper electrodes, and is not easily affected by external magnetic fields. The disclosed tunneling effect element 1 comprises: an insulating layer 11 that forms a tunneling barrier, a lower electrode 12 that is conductive and is formed on the bottom surface of the insulating layer 11, an upper electrode 13 that is conductive and is formed on the top surface of the insulating layer 11, and a transmission member 5 that is formed around the insulating layer 11, lower electrode 12 and upper electrode 13, and transmits the behavior of the object to be detected to the insulating layer 11.

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.