Abstract: A method of producing a thin film magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a second lower magnetic pole layer in a part on a first lower magnetic pole layer; forming, over the entire wafer surface, an insulating layer so as to be thicker than the thickness of the second lower magnetic pole layer in the stacking direction, the insulating layer being less likely to be etched than the second lower magnetic pole layer; carrying out a planarizing process by CMP on the entire wafer surface until the second lower magnetic pole layer is exposed; forming a concave portion including the second lower magnetic pole layer and the insulating layer by ion beam etching on the entire wafer surface; forming a recording gap layer over the entire wafer surface; and forming a first upper magnetic pole layer in the upper magnetic pole layer so as to fill the concave portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic head which can be kept in stable contact with a magnetic tape and has improved production efficiency, a manufacturing method therefor, and a magnetic tape device. The magnetic head according to the present invention includes a substrate and two auxiliary members, having a tape bearing surface to be in sliding contact with a magnetic tape. Reproducing and recording elements in alignment with each other along a tape running direction are arranged in the substrate along a tape width direction. The two auxiliary members are joined to two ends, respectively, of the substrate, constituting the tape bearing surface together with the substrate. The substrate or the two auxiliary members are formed with slopes extending from join-faces between the substrate and the two auxiliary members to the tape bearing surface to make clearances for the magnetic tape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head with a heater. A thin-film magnetic head includes a substrate, a magnetic read head element that has a shield area and is formed on the substrate, a magnetic write head element that has a pole area and is formed on the opposite side of the substrate with respect to the magnetic read head element, an overcoat layer that covers the magnetic read head element and the magnetic write head element and is formed on the substrate, a heater that heats at least during the magnetic read head element or the magnetic write head element in operation and is formed in the overcoat layer, and a slit area that splits the shield area in a shield length direction and is made of lower thermal conductivity material than the one of the shield area.

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: Provided is a multichannel thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of read head elements neighboring with each other, each of which includes shield layers having a desired stable magnetic-domain structure. The head comprises at least one read head part comprising a plurality of read head elements aligned in the track width direction, wherein each of the plurality of read head elements comprises a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer, and the at least one read head part comprises: a lower shield part comprising a plurality of the lower shield layers aligned in the track width direction; and an upper shield part comprising a plurality of the upper shield layers aligned in the track width direction, and wherein dummy shield layers are provided respectively on both sides of at least the lower shield part.

Abstract: A method is presented for grinding a surface of an elongate bar having a plurality of thin film magnetic elements aligned in a line, each of the thin film magnetic elements having a magnetoresistive sensor for reading a magnetic record from a recording medium and an inductive electromagnetic transducer for writing a magnetic record into the recording medium in a stacked structure, the surface of the bar being a grind surface so that it can be formed into an air-bearing surface by means of the grinding. The method has steps of providing first resistive films on the grind surface in advance along a first longitudinal line parallel to a longitudinal direction of the bar, and providing second resistive films on the grind surface in advance along a second longitudinal line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bar.

Abstract: A multi-channel head includes at least one head chip. The head chip has a plurality of elements and at least one bonding interface, and the head chip has at least one element on one side of the bonding interface and at least one element on the other side of the bonding interface.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin-film magnetic head comprises a lower magnetic pole layer forming step of forming a lower magnetic pole layer; a lower magnetic pole projection forming step of forming the lower magnetic pole layer with a lower magnetic pole projection; a gap layer forming step of laminating a nonmagnetic gap layer on the lower magnetic pole projection; and an upper magnetic pole forming step of forming an upper magnetic pole on the nonmagnetic gap layer. The lower magnetic pole projection forming step forms the lower magnetic pole projection by simultaneously etching an area including parts adjacent to a part to become the lower magnetic pole projection on both sides in a track width direction and a part adjacent to the part to become the lower magnetic pole projection on the side opposite from a medium-opposing surface in a surface of the lower magnetic pole layer.

Abstract: A method of producing a thin film magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a second lower magnetic pole layer in a part on a first lower magnetic pole layer; forming, over the entire wafer surface, an insulating layer so as to be thicker than the thickness of the second lower magnetic pole layer in the stacking direction, the insulating layer being less likely to be etched than the second lower magnetic pole layer; carrying out a planarizing process by CMP on the entire wafer surface until the second lower magnetic pole layer is exposed; forming a concave portion including the second lower magnetic pole layer and the insulating layer by ion beam etching on the entire wafer surface; forming a recording gap layer over the entire wafer surface; and forming a first upper magnetic pole layer in the upper magnetic pole layer so as to fill the concave portion.

Abstract: Provided is a method for testing a head element that enables proper evaluation of the head element based on a characteristic of the head element under high-temperature and high-stress conditions. The testing method can be performed on a thin-film magnetic head including a head element and a heating element capable of applying a heat and stress to the head element, or performed on a row bar or a substrate wafer on which a plurality of the head elements and a plurality of the heating elements are disposed. The testing method comprises the steps of: causing the heating element to generate heat to apply a heat and stress to the head element; and measuring a characteristic of the head element under the heat and stress to evaluate the head element.

Abstract: A multi-channel head includes a substrate, a plurality of write elements arranged in a track width direction above the substrate in a lamination direction, and a plurality of read elements arranged in the track width direction above the plurality of write elements in the lamination direction. At least one of the plurality of write elements is offset from the others in the lamination direction. All the plurality of read elements are located higher than an uppermost one of the plurality of write elements in the lamination direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head with a heater. A thin-film magnetic head includes a substrate, a magnetic read head element that has a shield area and is formed on the substrate, a magnetic write head element that has a pole area and is formed on the opposite side of the substrate with respect to the magnetic read head element, an overcoat layer that covers the magnetic read head element and the magnetic write head element and is formed on the substrate, a heater that heats at least during the magnetic read head element or the magnetic write head element in operation and is formed in the overcoat layer, and a slit area that splits the shield area in a shield length direction and is made of lower thermal conductivity material than the one of the shield area.

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 method is presented for grinding a surface of an elongate bar having a plurality of thin film magnetic elements aligned in a line, each of the thin film magnetic elements having a magnetoresistive sensor for reading a magnetic record from a recording medium and an inductive electromagnetic transducer for writing a magnetic record into the recording medium in a stacked structure, the surface of the bar being a grind surface so that it can be formed into an air-bearing surface by means of the grinding. The method has steps of providing first resistive films on the grind surface in advance along a first longitudinal line parallel to a longitudinal direction of the bar, and providing second resistive films on the grind surface in advance along a second longitudinal line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bar.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus which permits switching between a moving-image shooting mode and a still image shooting mode and is provided with an automatic focusing device for focus adjustment by detecting a high frequency component of a video signal to use it as a focus evaluating signal, the focusing action of the automatic focusing device is arranged to be restarted when the moving-image shooting mode is switched to the still-image shooting mode.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use with an image recording device which records images on a recording medium. The image recording device has (i) structure for detecting one of a remaining amount and a used amount of recording medium capacity, and (ii) a display for displaying the amount of recording medium capacity detected by the detecting structure. The apparatus for use with such an image recording device includes image recording mode-setting structure for setting an image recording mode of the image recording device to one of a first mode and a second mode. A processor is provided for causing the display to display the amount of recording medium capacity as a first value in the first image recording mode and as a second, different, value in the second image recording mode. Preferably, the display displays either frames or recording time for the recording medium.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use with an image recording device which records images on a recording medium. The image recording device has (i) structure for detecting one of a remaining amount and a used amount of recording medium capacity, and (ii) a display for displaying the amount of recording medium capacity detected by the detecting structure. The apparatus for use with such an image recording device includes image recording mode-setting structure for setting an image recording mode of the image recording device to one of a first mode and a second mode. A processor is provided for causing the display to display the amount of recording medium capacity as a first value in the first image recording mode and as a second, different, value in the second image recording mode. Preferably, the display displays either frames or recording time for the recording medium.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus with operation modes including a normal-resolution mode and a high-resolution mode has the capability of automatically adjusting the focus by driving a part of an imaging optical system wherein the minimum amount of movement in driving the part of the imaging optical system is set to a value which differs between the normal-resolution mode and the high-resolution mode.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is provided with a standard-resolution photographing mode for performing photography with a standard resolution and a high-resolution photographing mode for performing photography with a high resolution. In the image pickup apparatus, when the high-resolution photographing mode is selected, an optical low-pass filter is retracted from an optical path and a fixed iris is inserted into the optical path to prevent a degradation in image quality.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information processing method of generating image data and additional data paired with the image data and capable of searching image data at high speed. Photographic time at which image data is photographed is compared with a predetermined time range (S1, S2, S3, S4). Event information corresponding to the predetermined time range in which its photographic time is included is added to the image data (S5) and stored. An image data search operation is performed on the basis of the stored event information.