Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a thermally assisted magnetic recording head element, a specimen is mounted on a table movable in a plane of a scanning probe microscope device, evanescent light is generated from a portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen, scattered light of the evanescent light is detected by moving the table in the plane while a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope having a probe is vertically vibrated in the vicinity of a surface of the specimen, and an intensity distribution of the evanescent light emitted from the portion of light emission of evanescent light or a surface profile of the portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen is inspected using position information of generation of the evanescent light based on the detected scattered light.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a thermal assist type magnetic head is configured to include a scanning probe microscope unit comprising a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of a tip portion thereof; a prober unit which provides an alternating current to a terminal formed on the thermal assist type magnetic head element; a scattered light detection unit which detects scattered light generated from the probe; and a signal process unit which detects defect by using an output signal from the scanning probe microscope unit by scanning the surface of the thermal assist type magnetic head element with the probe in a state that the magnetic field is generated and the near-field light is stopped, and an output signal from the scattered light detection unit by scanning the surface with the probe while near-field light is generated and the magnetic field is off.

Abstract: To detect both of near-field light and magnetic field generated by a thermal assist type magnetic head and to perform inspection of the head, a cantilever of a scanning probe microscope has a lever in which a probe is formed, a thin magnetic film formed on a surface of the probe, and fine particles or thin film of noble metal or an alloy including noble metal formed on a surface of the magnetic film. An inspection apparatus has the cantilever, a displacement detection unit to detect vibration of the cantilever, a near-field light detection unit to detect scattered light caused by near-field light generated from a near-field light emitter and enhanced on the surface of the probe of the cantilever, and a processing unit to process signals obtained by detection with the displacement detection unit and the near-field light detection unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a thermal assist type magnetic head is constituted by a scanning probe microscope means including a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of a tip portion thereof; a probe unit which provides an alternating current to a terminal formed on the thermal assist type magnetic head element and causes a pulse drive current or pulse drive voltage; a scattered light detection means which scans the near-field light emitting part with the probe to detect the scattered light generated from the probe in the generation region of the near-field light; an imaging means which image the thermal assist type magnetic head element; and a signal process means inspects the thermal assist type magnetic head element and an output signal outputted from the scanning probe microscope means by scanning with the probe while providing an alternating current to the terminal.

Abstract: To reliably detect scattered light generated in the near field light generation area in the inspection of a thermal assist type magnetic head (herein after refer to magnetic head), the present invention provides a magnetic head inspection apparatus including: a scanning probe microscope including a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of the tip; a probe unit for supplying alternating current to a terminal formed in a magnetic head element, so that the laser beam is incident on the near field light emitting part; an imaging unit for taking an image of the probe unit and the magnetic head element; a scattered light detection unit for detecting the scattered light generated from the probe present in the generation area of the near field light of the magnetic head element, through a pinhole; and a signal processing unit for inspecting the magnetic head element.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a thermal assist type magnetic head is configured to include a scanning probe microscope unit comprising a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of a tip portion thereof; a prober unit which provides an alternating current to a terminal formed on the thermal assist type magnetic head element; a scattered light detection unit which detects scattered light generated from the probe; and a signal process unit which detects defect by using an output signal from the scanning probe microscope unit by scanning the surface of the thermal assist type magnetic head element with the probe in a state that the magnetic field is generated and the near-field light is stopped, and an output signal from the scattered light detection unit by scanning the surface with the probe while near-field light is generated and the magnetic field is off.

Abstract: The magnetic head inspection method includes, exciting the cantilever of a magnetic force microscope at a predetermined frequency, the cantilever being provided with a magnetic probe on the end thereof, floating the magnetic probe over the writing head of the magnetic head and two-dimensionally scanning a search range, detecting the specific position of the writing head based on the search two-dimensional magnetic field intensity of the writing head with exciting state of the cantilever in the two-dimensional scan, setting a shape detection range smaller than the search range for detecting the shape of the writing head based on the specific position, and floating the magnetic probe over the writing head with exciting state of the cantilever, detecting the shape of the writing head by detecting the detection two-dimensional magnetic field intensity of the writing head in the two-dimensional scan.

Abstract: In order to enable inspection of the physical shape of a near-field light emitting portion of a thermal assist type magnetic head, a thermal assist type magnetic head device is placed on a table movable in a plane, a probe fixed to a cantilever scans a plane apart at a constant distance from the surface of the sample placed on the table while moving the table in a plane, the displacement of the cantilever is detected by applying light to the scanning cantilever and detecting reflected light from the cantilever, an atomic force microscope (AFM) image of the thermal assist type magnetic head device is formed using information about the detected displacement of the cantilever and positional information about the table, and the quality of a physical shape including the size or typical dimensions of the near-field light emitting portion is determined by processing the formed AFM image.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing this cantilever for the magnetic force microscope, a magnetic film is formed on a probe at a tip of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope. When a non-magnetic rigid protective film is formed around the probe, the film is formed from the front of the probe of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope at an angle (15° to 45°) and from the back of the probe of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope in two directions each at an angle in a range of (15° to 30°).

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a thermally assisted magnetic recording head element, a specimen is mounted on a table movable in a plane of a scanning probe microscope device, evanescent light is generated from a portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen, scattered light of the evanescent light is detected by moving the table in the plane while a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope having a probe is vertically vibrated in the vicinity of a surface of the specimen, and an intensity distribution of the evanescent light emitted from the portion of light emission of evanescent light or a surface profile of the portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen is inspected using position information of generation of the evanescent light based on the detected scattered light.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a thermally assisted magnetic recording head element, a specimen is mounted on a table movable in a plane of a scanning probe microscope device, evanescent light is generated from a portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen, scattered light of the evanescent light is detected by moving the table in the plane while a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope having a probe is vertically vibrated in the vicinity of a surface of the specimen, and an intensity distribution of the evanescent light emitted from the portion of light emission of evanescent light or a surface profile of the portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen is inspected using position information of generation of the evanescent light based on the detected scattered light.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a magnetic head device inspects an effective track width of a write track of each of magnetic head devices formed on a row bar in order to measure a two-dimensional distribution of magnetic fields generated by the magnetic head devices formed on the row bar while the apparatus is not affected by an external environment. The apparatus has a tray unit, a stage unit, a sample receiving and delivering unit, a magnetic field measuring unit and an effective track width measuring unit on a vibration isolation unit that blocks a vibration from the outside of the apparatus. The tray unit, the stage unit, the sample receiving and delivering unit, the magnetic field measuring unit, the effective track width measuring unit and the vibration isolation table are covered with a sound insulation unit that blocks noise from the outside of the apparatus.

Abstract: Applying an alternating current to a magnetic head as a sample generates an alternate-current magnetic field from the sample. A cantilever includes a probe that is made of a magnetic material or is coated with a magnetic material. The cantilever is displaced when it approaches the sample. Detecting the displacement of the cantilever detects distribution of the magnetic field from the sample. It is possible to fast measure distribution of the magnetic field generated from the sample when a frequency of the alternating current applied to the sample differs from a resonance frequency of the cantilever.

Abstract: A magnetic head manufacturing method is provided. The method includes a wafer process, a rowbar process for slicing a bar-shaped rowbar from a wafer passing through the wafer process, and performing lapping, air bearing surface (ABS) formation, cleaning, and carbon protective film deposition processes on the rowbar, a write pole test process for measuring an effective track width of the magnetic heads in the bar-shaped rowbar by using a magnetic force microscope (MFM), a scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM), or a scanning magneto resistance effect microscope (SMRM), a read element test process for measuring electromagnetic conversion characteristics of each of read elements within the bar-shaped rowbar, a slider process for dividing up each of the magnetic heads and machining the bar-shaped rowbar into individual chip shape sliders, and a head gimbal assembly (HGA) process.

Abstract: A step portion for mounting a row bar is provided at a table stepping down from the face of the table, and by lowering a pair of hooks crossing over the step portion in its width direction, a row bar held by the hooks is mounted on the step portion. While interposing the row bar mounted on the step portion between a pair of hooks and a side face of the step portion, the side in longitudinal direction of the row bar and the bottom face thereof are butted to the bottom face and the standing up side face of the step portion to position two axes of the row bar among XYZ directions, successively, positioning of the row bar in one remaining direction along longitudinal direction of the row bar mounted on the step portion is performed by moving the table in the one remaining axial direction.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a thermally assisted magnetic recording head element, a specimen is mounted on a table movable in a plane of a scanning probe microscope device, evanescent light is generated from a portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen, scattered light of the evanescent light is detected by moving the table in the plane while a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope having a probe is vertically vibrated in the vicinity of a surface of the specimen, and an intensity distribution of the evanescent light emitted from the portion of light emission of evanescent light or a surface profile of the portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen is inspected using position information of generation of the evanescent light based on the detected scattered light.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing this cantilever for the magnetic force microscope, a magnetic film is formed on a probe at a tip of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope. When a non-magnetic rigid protective film is formed around the probe, the film is formed from the front of the probe of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope at an angle (15° to 45°) and from the back of the probe of the cantilever for the magnetic force microscope in two directions each at an angle in a range of (15° to 30°).

Abstract: A device for transporting a magnetic head, a device for inspecting a magnetic head, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic head are provided. The device for transporting a magnetic head is capable of freely changing a posture of a thin film magnetic head when transporting a row bar-shaped thin film magnetic head. The transporting device for transporting a slender rectangular plate-like, that is, row bar-shaped magnetic head, cut from a wafer is capable of performing vertical installation and horizontal installation. The transporting device for transporting a slender rectangular plate-like, i.e., row bar-shaped magnetic head, is capable of performing the vertical installation and horizontal installation, and changing the posture of the magnetic head from vertical installation into horizontal installation and from horizontal installation into vertical installation when transporting the magnetic head between processes.

Abstract: A magnetic head inspection device inspects the write track width of a thin film magnetic head in a phase as early as possible during the manufacturing process. A recording signal (excitation signal) is input from bonding pads to the thin film magnetic head in a rowbar, and the magnetic field generated by the write pole (element) included in the thin film magnetic head is observed directly by using a magnetic force microscope (MFM), a scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM), or a scanning magneto resistance effect microscope (SMRM) that performs a scanning motion at a position equivalent to the flying height of the magnetic head. In this manner, a shape of the generated magnetic field instead of the physical shape of the write pole (element) is measured; thus, a non-destructive inspection can be performed on the effective magnetic track width.

Abstract: A step portion for mounting a row bar is provided at a table stepping down from the face of the table, and by lowering a pair of hooks crossing over the step portion in its width direction, a row bar held by the hooks is mounted on the step portion. While interposing the row bar mounted on the step portion between a pair of hooks and a side face of the step portion, the side in longitudinal direction of the row bar and the bottom face thereof are butted to the bottom face and the standing up side face of the step portion to position two axes of the row bar among XYZ directions, successively, positioning of the row bar in one remaining direction along longitudinal direction of the row bar mounted on the step portion is performed by moving the table in the one remaining axial direction.