Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention comprises: a substrate; at least one magnetic head element formed on the substrate; an overcoat multilayer composed of a plurality of overcoat layers, formed on the substrate so as to cover the at least one magnetic head element; and at least one heating element to be heated at least during operation of the at least one magnetic head element, the at least one heating element provided in the overcoat multilayer, and a coefficient of thermal expansion of an overcoat layer located farthest from the substrate in the overcoat multilayer being smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of an overcoat layer located closest to the substrate in the overcoat multilayer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes at least one inductive write head element and at least one read magnetic head element, capable of controlling a spacing between a magnetic recording medium and the at least one magnetic read head element by heating. A gain SG (nm/° C.) of the spacing is greater than a spacing gain threshold SGTHLD (nm/° C.) defined by the following expression: SGLIMT=A*dPTP+B A=1.4642E?02*exp(?6.6769E?05*LRDMF) B=4.9602E?01*exp(?2.0423E?03*LRDMF) where dPTP represents an amount of change in protrusion (nm) of a top end of the at least one inductive write head element and/or the at least one read magnetic head element by heating, and LRDMF represents a line recording density (kFCI) at a frequency half of the maximum recording frequency.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head is formed on a support and is provided with a reproducing head part, a recording head part, and a heater for generating heat upon energization. A medium-opposing surface S of the magnetic head is polished while energizing the heater or recording head part.

Abstract: In the thin-film magnetic head of the present invention, the distance to a heat-generating layer is shorter from the end part on the side facing, a recording medium in a magnetoresistive device than from the end part on the side facing the recording medium in an electromagnetic transducer. Therefore, even when the thin-film magnetic head tilts so that its electromagnetic transducer side approaches the recording medium when floating up from the recording medium, the amount of thermal expansion caused by the heat from the heat-generating layer is greater in the magnetoresistive device than in the electromagnetic transducer. This reduces the gap between the magnetoresistive device and the recording medium, whereby a high reproducing output can be obtained.

Abstract: A precise positioning actuator to be fixed to a head slider provided with at least one head element, for precisely positioning the at least one head element includes a base, and a pair of movable arms extending from the base and having slider fixing portions to be fixed to side surfaces of the head slider at top end sections thereof. Each of the pair of movable arms includes an arm member and an actuator layer formed on a side surface of the arm member, for displacing the arm member in response to a drive signal applied thereto. The actuator layer is terminated on the side surface of the arm member at a frontward position form the slider fixing portion.

Abstract: The head slider in accordance with the present invention comprises a thin-film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive device and an electromagnetic transducer, and a heater adapted to generate heat upon energization. At least one of a reproducing bump, a recording bump, and a heater bump includes a bypass layer extending in a direction intersecting a bump extending direction, a first bump portion positioned closer to a pad-forming surface than is the bypass layer, and a second bump portion positioned on the side of the bypass layer opposite from the first bump portion. The first and second bump portions are displaced from each other in the bypass layer extending direction.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of reducing the amount of protrusion of a write shield layer, thereby preventing a collision with a recording medium, and thereby ensuring a recording operation with stability. A heat sink layer is disposed on the leading side of a thin film coil in order to dissipate heat produced by the thin film coil. When the thin film coil produces heat during the recording of information, priority is given to the guidance of the heat to the leading side of the thin film coil, namely, the side opposite to the position of the write shield layer, rather than the guidance of the heat to the trailing side of the thin film coil, namely, the position of the write shield layer, so as to dissipate the heat. Thus, the thin film magnetic head reduces the likelihood of the heat accumulating in the write shield layer, thus reduces the likelihood of the write shield layer expanding thermally, and thus reduces the amount of protrusion of the write shield layer.

Abstract: A precise positioning actuator to be fixed to a head slider provided with at least one head element, for precisely positioning the at least one head element includes a base, and a pair of movable arms extending from the base and having slider fixing portions to be fixed to side surfaces of the head slider at top end sections thereof. Each of the pair of movable arms includes an arm member and an actuator layer formed on a side surface of the arm member, for displacing the arm member in response to a drive signal applied thereto. The actuator layer is terminated on the side surface of the arm member at a frontward position from the slider fixing portion.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of preventing unintentional erasing of information during non-recording, thereby ensuring its magnetic operating characteristics with stability. A top read shield layer extends rearward relative to a back gap (or a back-gap rear-end position), and a write shield layer also extends rearward relative to the back gap. Thus, a stray external magnetic field generated from a voice coil motor or the like is more likely to be taken in by not only the top read shield layer but also the write shield layer, that is, the stray external magnetic field is less likely to converge on the top read shield layer. This reduces the likelihood of an undesired magnetic closed loop being formed between the top read shield layer and magnetic pole layer and a recording medium, and thus reduces the likelihood of unintentional overwriting of information taking place during non-recording due to the undesired magnetic closed loop.

Abstract: In the head slider of the present invention, recording and reproducing electrode pads and heater electrode pads are attached to the same surface of an overcoat layer. The heater electrode pads are located on both sides of a group constituted by the recording and reproducing electrode pads. As a consequence, leads for the heater are located between respective leads for recording and reproducing head parts, whereby crosstalk can be prevented from occurring between the leads for the recording and reproducing head parts.

Abstract: The heaters in the respective thin-film magnetic head in the bar are electrically connected to its neighbors, and a variable resistor is connected to each of the heaters in parallel. The resistance of each of the variable resistors is varied depending on the amount that the medium-opposing surface (ABS) of the thin-film magnetic head is to project. Also, the medium-opposing surface of the thin-film magnetic head in the magnetic head bar is polished while energizing all the heaters by the same power supply.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head is formed on a support and is provided with a reproducing head part, a recording head part, and a heater for generating heat upon energization. A medium-opposing surface S of the magnetic head is polished while energizing the heater or recording head part.

Abstract: A write head of a magnetic head for vertical magnetic recording comprises: a coil; a main pole layer that allows the magnetic flux corresponding to the magnetic field generated by the coil to pass therethrough and generates a write magnetic field; an auxiliary pole layer; a gap layer provided between the main pole layer and the auxiliary pole layer; and a yoke layer for magnetically coupling the main pole layer to the auxiliary pole layer. The main pole layer has a flat top surface. In the main pole layer the position in which the thickness starts to increase is located between the medium facing surface and the position in which the width starts to increase.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head has at least either an electromagnetic transducer or a magnetoresistive device, and a sheet-shaped heater for generating heat when energized. The heater has a heating part and a lead part connected in series to the heating part. The lead part has a sheet resistance lower than that of the heating part.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of securing recording characteristics even in the case where a return pole layer is disposed on a medium-outgoing side of the pole layer. The return yoke layer is disposed on a trailing side of the pole layer, and a neck height NH is within a range of NH≦W1 (a width of a front end portion in a main pole layer)+0.05 &mgr;m, and a height ratio (a ratio of the neck height NH to a throat height TH) NH/TH is within a range of 0.5<NH/TH<1.6. Thereby, the neck height NH and the height ratio NH/TH which have an influence on the recording characteristics can become appropriate, so even if the thickness of the gap layer is 0.2 &mgr;m or less to bring the return yoke layer closer to the pole layer, overwrite characteristics can be secured.

Abstract: A magnetic head part is constituted by a reproducing head part having a GMR device and a recording head part acting as an inductive electromagnetic transducer which are laminated on a support. The magnetic head part further comprises a heater. One of poles of the heater is electrically connected to a heater electrode pad disposed on a first surface of a head slider. The other pole is electrically connected to a substrate constituting the support, and is energized by way of a second surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A heater member is formed in structure including a heater layer with a low electrical resistivity and a cap layer with a higher electrical resistivity, an electrically conductive electrode film is formed thereon, and electrically conductive bumps are formed thereon by plating. Unnecessary part of the electrode film is removed using the bumps as a mask. The heater member generates heat to thermally expand a thin-film magnetic head, whereby the distance is reduced between a recording medium and, a magnetoresistive device and/or an electromagnetic conversion device. During removal of the electrode film part of the cap layer with the higher electrical resistivity in the heater member is removed together with the electrode film, which reduces the variation in the total resistance of the heater member.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head on a support includes an electromagnetic transducer for writing, a magnetoresistive device for reading, an overcoat layer and a heating element. The transducer and magnetoresistive device are disposed on the support. The overcoat layer is disposed at the opposite side of them from the support. The heating element is provided in the overcoat layer and generates heat when energized.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises at least one of a magnetoresistive device for reading and an electromagnetic transducer device for writing, and a heating element provided in the head body part. The heating element has an up portion meandering between an origin and a halfway point and a down portion meandering along the up portion from the halfway point to an end positioned in the vicinity of the origin, and adapted to generate heat when energized.

Abstract: A flying type thin-film magnetic head includes a write head element with a coil conductor and a yoke, a write current flowing through the coil conductor, an overcoat layer laminated on the write head element, and a heat-block layer formed in the overcoat layer and made of a material with a heat conductivity that is lower than a heat conductivity of the overcoat layer.