Abstract: A thin film magnetic head has a configuration in which a main magnetic pole film having a magnetic pole end portion on a medium opposing surface (ABS) side facing a magnetic disk, a write shield film facing the magnetic pole end portion so as to form a recording gap film on the medium opposing surface side, and a thin film coil wound around at least a part of the write shield film are laminated. Further, the thin film magnetic head has an upper yoke magnetic pole film whose size is larger than that of the main magnetic pole film at a part more distant from the ABS than the recording gap film, and this upper yoke magnetic pole film is bonded to the side of the main magnetic pole film close to the thin film coil. In the upper yoke magnetic pole film, an end portion on the ABS side is retracted in a direction apart from the ABS in accordance with an increase in film thickness which is measured from the surface of the main magnetic pole film.

Abstract: On a surface of a bottom pole, a write gap film and first magnetic material film having a high saturation magnetic flux density are formed, and the first magnetic material film is etched to remain a portion extending from an air bearing surface to a throat height zero reference position and a first non-magnetic film is formed in a removed portion. The first non-magnetic material film is polished to obtain a flat surface which is coplanar with a surface of the first magnetic material film. A second magnetic material film having a high saturation magnetic flux density is formed on the flat surface. The second magnetic material film, first magnetic material film, write gap film and bottom pole are partially removed by RIE using a mask formed on the flat surface.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording according to the present invention comprises a coil to generate a magnetic field, and a main pole layer to perform the perpendicular recording using the magnetic field generated by said coil. The lower surface as to the layer-forming direction of said main pole layer has irregularities at the medium-facing surface side end.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a thin-film magnetic head having no ATE problem, a very narrow track width, an excellent O/W characteristic and a high switching speed. A lower pole film of a write element is provided on one face of a lower yoke film inside a trench portion provided in an inorganic insulating film. A gap film and an upper pole film are provided inside the trench portion on the lower pole portion. The trench portion has preferably an attached film made of an inorganic material on the inner wall faces facing the side faces of said lower pole film, said gap film and said upper pole film.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises first and second magnetic pole groups, magnetically connected to each other, having respective magnetic pole parts opposing each other on a side of a medium-opposing surface; a recording gap layer formed between the magnetic pole parts; and a thin-film coil insulated from the first and second magnetic pole groups and wound helically about at least one of them or flatly spirally wound about a junction connecting the first and second magnetic pole groups to each other; which are laminated on a substrate. The thin-film coil comprises a first conductor group having a plurality of inner conductor parts disposed between the first and second magnetic pole groups, and a second conductor group having a plurality of outer conductor parts disposed outside the second magnetic pole group or junction. The first conductor group has an insulating contact structure in which the inner conductor parts are in contact with each other by way of an insulating film.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises first and second magnetic pole groups, magnetically connected to each other, having respective magnetic pole parts opposing each other on a side of a medium-opposing surface; a recording gap layer formed between the magnetic pole parts; and a thin-film coil insulated from the first and second magnetic pole groups and helically wound about at least one of them; which are laminated on a substrate. The thin-film coil comprises a first conductor group having a plurality of inner conductor parts disposed between the first and second magnetic pole groups, a second conductor group having a plurality of outer conductor parts disposed outside the second magnetic pole group, and a connecting part group having a plurality of connecting parts for connecting the inner conductor parts to the outer conductor parts.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider section and an element section. The slider section has a first medium facing surface and an air inflow end. The element section has a second medium facing surface, an air outflow end, and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider section and the element section are produced separately, and bonded to each other so that the air inflow end and the air outflow end are disposed on opposite sides with the first and second medium facing surfaces in between.

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 system and method for an improved magnetic head arm assembly (HAA), reducing complexity of design and difficulty of manufacture, is disclosed.

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 the write element, a lower coil surrounds in a spiral form a back gap portion, arranged within a height of a lower pole. An upper coil is disposed above the lower coil, surrounding in a spiral form the back gap portion and arranged within a height of an upper pole. A gap film is at an intermediate level in the pole length that is defined by the height of the lower pole and the height of the upper pole.

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 thin film magnetic read/write head for use in magnetic data storage systems to enable writing of data to a magnetic data storage medium with the assistance of laser heating. The read/write head allows magnetic reading of data from the storage medium, and thermally assisted magnetic writing of data on the storage medium. A waveguide is provided in a write gap in the form of an optical circuit having a plurality of inputs and a single output at the air bearing surface (ABS) for concentrating laser light used for heating the storage medium during the write operation. The thermally assisted magnetic writing improves the thermal stability of the recorded data and usefulness thereof throughout a wide temperature range.

Abstract: The invention is directed to improvement of a write element of a thin film magnetic head. The first pole portion projects from a flat surface of a first yoke portion at a medium-facing surface side and having a reduced width at its upper end. The second pole portion faces the upper end of the first pole portion, having the same width as the upper end of the first pole portion, with the gap film interposed between the second pole portion and the upper end of the first pole portion. The first pole portion includes a magnetic film adjacent to the gap film, the magnetic film etched at both sides in width direction to have a narrowed portion having substantially the same width as the second pole portion, and a base portion connected to the narrowed portion, increasing in thickness toward the narrowed portion.

Abstract: An improved slider design is disclosed. The width of the slider is less than 0.7 mm. The slider may have a thickness of 0.18 mm and a length of 0.85 mm. The air-bearing surface of the slider may have a two-tiered U-shaped rail on the leading edge. A two-tiered main compression pad, straddled by two outlying compression pads, may extend from the trailing edge of the air-bearing surface.

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 thin-film magnetic head includes a bottom pole layer, a top pole layer, a recording gap layer, and a thin-film coil. The bottom pole layer has first to fifth layers. The third layer and the fifth layer constitute a coupling portion for establishing magnetic coupling between the bottom pole layer and the top pole layer. The thin-film coil has first to fifth layer portions each of which is made of a flat conductive layer of a single turn. The first to fifth layer portions are laminated, and connected in series to each other. The coupling portion has an end face facing toward the air bearing surface. The end face includes a curved surface convex toward the medium facing surface.

Abstract: The magnetic head in accordance with the present invention comprises first and second magnetic pole layers, a link part for magnetically linking the first and second magnetic pole layers, and a thin-film coil helically wound about at least one of the first and second magnetic pole layers. The thin-film coil comprises a plurality of inner conductor parts arranged in parallel with each other with an insulating film interposed therebetween, a plurality of first outer conductor parts located on the side of the first or second magnetic pole layer opposite from the side where the inner conductor parts are located, a plurality of second outer conductor parts located on the side of the first outer conductor parts opposite from the side where the inner conductor parts are located, and a plurality of connecting parts for connecting their corresponding inner conductor parts and first and second outer conductor parts.