Abstract: A method comprising: supplying a gas whose water concentration has been controlled to become smaller than 1 PPB, whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?21 atm by a water/oxygen molecule discharging apparatus into the interior of a reaction chamber and carrying out a dehydration/deoxidation process in the interior of said reaction chamber so as to control water vapor partial pressure to become lower than 10?10 atm; depositing a metal film on a substrate by supplying a carrier gas or a plasma excitation gas whose water concentration has been controlled to become smaller than 1 PPB, whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?21 atm into the interior of said reaction chamber; forming an insulating film on the wafer by oxidizing the metal film in a low-oxygen atmosphere whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?20 atm.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic write head capable of precisely narrowing a side gap is provided. A tip portion having a cross sectional geometry of an inverted trapezoid is formed in an opening portion of a non-magnetic layer and thereafter, the non-magnetic layer is etched with the tip portion as a mask. Thereby, a portion adjacent to the tip portion in a writing track width direction remains and an outermost edge portion of the tip portion in that direction is located on a plane which coincides with an etching face (side face) of the non-magnetic layer. When a gap layer is formed with a vapor phase growth such as a sputtering method to cover the side face of the non-magnetic layer and thereafter a side shield layer is formed adjacently to the tip portion therethrough, a thickness of the gap layer becomes extremely thin and is reproduced precisely. Therefore, the side gap is narrowed with high precision.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head includes: a magnetic pole; a pair of nonmagnetic side gap layers provided on both sides in a track-width direction of the magnetic pole; a nonmagnetic trailing gap layer provided on a trailing side of the magnetic pole; a magnetic shield layer so provided as to surround the magnetic pole with both of the nonmagnetic side gap layer and the nonmagnetic trailing gap layer in between; and a magnetic seed layer formed between the nonmagnetic trailing gap layer and the magnetic shield layer, and having a saturation magnetic flux density higher than that of the magnetic shield layer. The magnetic seed layer is not formed between the nonmagnetic side gap layer and the magnetic shield layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of easily and accurately forming a main magnetic-pole layer having a shape suitable for concentrating a magnetic flux is provided. A nonmagnetic layer having a recessed section (a first recessed section and a second recessed section) is formed, and then an additional nonmagnetic layer is formed on an inner surface of the recessed section. Then, a magnetic layer is formed in the recessed section formed with the additional nonmagnetic layer, and then the magnetic layer is cut to form an air bearing surface, so as to form the main magnetic-pole layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head capable of suppressing damage and corrosion of a magnetic pole to secure a stable writing performance is provided. A non-magnetic protruding layer protruding from a main magnetic pole layer (tip portion) toward an air bearing surface side is formed on both sides of the tip portion in a writing track width direction. The non-magnetic protruding layer is located closer to a recording medium than the tip portion during writing operation, and is more likely to be in contact with the writing medium instead of the tip portion. Since the protective film portion covering the tip portion hardly peels off (e.g., compared to the protective film portion covering the non-magnetic protruding layer), the tip portion is hardly damaged or corroded. Since the tip portion is protected physically and chemically by the non-magnetic protruding layer, deterioration of the soft magnetic characteristics of the tip portion is suppressed.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head in which unintended erasure of information at the time of non-writing can be suppressed while keeping the capability of writing is provided. The perpendicular magnetic write head includes a magnetic pole tip portion, a first yoke portion connected to the magnetic pole tip portion, having a width larger than that of the magnetic pole tip portion, and having a recess portion in a center region thereof, and a second yoke portion embedded in the recess portion. The magnetic pole tip portion and the first yoke portion are integrally formed with a vapor deposition method, and the second yoke portion is formed with a plating method. Since the saturation flux density of the magnetic pole tip portion formed with the vapor deposition method becomes higher than that of the yoke portion, a magnetic flux intake capacity of the magnetic pole tip portion is ensured.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head includes: a magnetic pole; a pair of nonmagnetic side gap layers provided on both sides in a track-width direction of the magnetic pole; a nonmagnetic trailing gap layer provided on a trailing side of the magnetic pole; a magnetic shield layer so provided as to surround the magnetic pole with both of the nonmagnetic side gap layer and the nonmagnetic trailing gap layer in between; and a magnetic seed layer formed between the nonmagnetic trailing gap layer and the magnetic shield layer, and having a saturation magnetic flux density higher than that of the magnetic shield layer. The magnetic seed layer is not formed between the nonmagnetic side gap layer and the magnetic shield layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of easily and accurately forming a main magnetic-pole layer having a shape suitable for concentrating a magnetic flux is provided. A nonmagnetic layer having a recessed section (a first recessed section and a second recessed section) is formed, and then an additional nonmagnetic layer is formed on an inner surface of the recessed section. Then, a magnetic layer is formed in the recessed section formed with the additional nonmagnetic layer, and then the magnetic layer is cut to form an air bearing surface, so as to form the main magnetic-pole layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head in which unintended erasure of information at the time of non-writing can be suppressed while keeping the capability of writing is provided. The perpendicular magnetic write head includes a magnetic pole tip portion, a first yoke portion connected to the magnetic pole tip portion, having a width larger than that of the magnetic pole tip portion, and having a recess portion in a center region thereof, and a second yoke portion embedded in the recess portion. The magnetic pole tip portion and the first yoke portion are integrally formed with a vapor deposition method, and the second yoke portion is formed with a plating method. Since the saturation flux density of the magnetic pole tip portion formed with the vapor deposition method becomes higher than that of the yoke portion, a magnetic flux intake capacity of the magnetic pole tip portion is ensured.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head capable of suppressing damage and corrosion of a magnetic pole to secure a stable writing performance is provided. A non-magnetic protruding layer protruding from a main magnetic pole layer (tip portion) toward an air bearing surface side is formed on both sides of the tip portion in a writing track width direction. The non-magnetic protruding layer is located closer to a recording medium than the tip portion during writing operation, and more likely to be in contact with the writing medium instead of the tip portion. Since the portion of the protective film covering the tip portion hardly peels off while the portion of the protective film covering the non-magnetic protruding layer is easy to peel off, the tip portion is hardly damaged or corroded. Since the tip portion is protected physically and chemically by the non-magnetic protruding layer, the deterioration of the soft magnetic characteristics of the tip portion is suppressed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic write head capable of precisely narrowing a side gap is provided. A tip portion having a cross sectional geometry of an inverted trapezoid is formed in an opening portion of a non-magnetic layer and thereafter, the non-magnetic layer is etched with the tip portion as a mask. Thereby, a portion adjacent to the tip portion in a writing track width direction remains and an outermost edge portion of the tip portion in that direction is located on a plane which coincides with an etching face (side face) of the non-magnetic layer. When a gap layer is formed with a vapor phase growth such as a sputtering method to cover the side face of the non-magnetic layer and thereafter a side shield layer is formed adjacently to the tip portion therethrough, a thickness of the gap layer becomes extremely thin and is reproduced precisely. Therefore, the side gap is narrowed with high precision.

Abstract: The soft magnetic film takes its hard axis along the direction in which a magnetic field is generated and its easy axis along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the writer magnetic field. The magnetic bias film applies a magnetic bias along the easy axis to the soft magnetic film.

Abstract: An electroplated magnetic thin film consisting of an electroplated film of Fe—Co alloy containing Fe by an amount of 52–86 wt % and having a highly packed fine crystal grain structure, a flat and glossy surface, a high saturation magnetic flux density not less than 2.1 T, a low coercive force of 5–10 Oe, and being particularly suitable as a pole portion of a thin film magnetic head is proposed. The electroplated magnetic thin film is deposited on a substrate by an electroplating process with a pulsatory current or direct current having a current density of 3–120 mA/cm2 while using an electroplating bath containing one or both of sulfate salt and hydrochloric salt serving as supply sources of Fe ions and Co ions, saccharin sodium serving as a stress relaxation agent by an amount not less than 1 g/l, boric acid as a pH buffer agent, ammonium chloride as an electrically conductivity salt, and sodium lauryl sulfate as a surfactant.

Abstract: A first magnetic film is formed in a primary pattern which is larger than its definitive pattern and of which edges are located within frames to be used in a frame-plating method for the second magnetic film after forming the first pole portion and the gap film. Then, the second magnetic film is formed by the frame-plating method, and the first magnetic film is etched into the definitive pattern through the second magnetic film as a mask.

Abstract: The soft magnetic film takes its hard axis along the direction in which a magnetic field is generated and its easy axis along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the writer magnetic field. The magnetic bias film applies a magnetic bias along the easy axis to the soft magnetic film.

Abstract: A top pole layer in a write head includes, in a pole portion, a first layer having surfaces one of which is adjacent to a write gap layer, a second layer having surfaces one of which is adjacent to the other surface of the first layer, and a third layer having surfaces one of which is adjacent to the other surface of the second layer. The first to third layers have different saturation flux densities such that the closer the layer to the write gap layer, the higher saturation flux density.

Abstract: There is disclosed a soft magnetic thin film represented by a composition formula of Fea1·Cob1·Cc1·Od1. In this case, atomic % values of the a1 to d1 respectively satisfy the following: 51.0≦a1≦95.0, 5 0≦b1≦49.0, 0.5≦c1≦10.0, 0.5≦d1≦20.0, a1+b1+c1+d1=100 Thus, it is possible to improve a characteristic of a thin film magnetic head by achieving a high saturation magnetic flux density, suppressing an increase in an anisotropic magnetic field caused by increased concentration of oxygen, and preventing a reduction in permeability.

Abstract: A track width defining layer for defining a write track width of a thin-film magnetic head is made of a CoNiFe film formed through electroplating. The CoNiFe film contains 60 to 75 weight % cobalt, 10 to 20 weight % nickel, and 10 to 20 weight % iron, and has a crystal structure that is a mixture of a body-centered cubic structure phase and a face-centered cubic structure phase, in which Ib/If falls within the range of 0.3 to 0.7 inclusive where Ib represents the intensity of an X-ray diffracted from a (110)-plane of the body-centered cubic structure and If represents the intensity of an X-ray diffracted from a (111)-plane of the face-centered cubic structure. The pH of a plating bath for forming the CoNiFe film through electroplating is adjusted to 3.0 to 4.0 inclusive.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head that reduces side fringing and realizes stable recording properties on a narrow track. The method includes sequentially depositing a first magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer. The method also includes a step of forming a three-layer pole tip structure located between an ABS and a position at a predetermined height from the ABS by ion milling using no reactive gas the first magnetic layer, the non-magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer is made of a material having an etching rate, for the ion milling using no reactive gas, equal to or higher than that of a material for making the first and second magnetic layers.

Abstract: A first magnetic film is formed in a primary pattern which is larger than its definitive pattern and of which edges are located within frames to be used in a frame-plating method for the second magnetic film after forming the first pole portion and the gap film. Then, the second magnetic film is formed by the frame-plating method, and the first magnetic film is etched into the definitive pattern through the second magnetic film as a mask.