Abstract: A method for fabricating a read head for a magnetic disk drive having a read head sensor and a hard bias layer, where the read head has a shaped junction between the read head sensor and the hard bias layer. The method includes providing a layered wafer stack to be shaped. A single- or multi-layered photoresist mask having no undercut is deposited upon the layered wafer stack to be shaped. The layered wafer stack is shaped by the output of a milling source, where the shaping includes partial milling to within a partial milling range to form a shaped junction. A hard bias layer is then deposited which is in contact with the shaped junction of the wafer stack.

Abstract: Methods for creating a write head by forming a bump after the top pole is formed are provided. In one embodiment, a bottom pole is created out of a first layer. A non-magnetic gap material is applied to the surface of the wafer. A top pole is created out of a second layer. After creating the top pole, a bump is created. The bump is used to protect at least a portion of the first layer while etching to create a stray flux absorber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film magnetic head achieving improved recording performance by sharpening recording magnetic field gradient as much as possible. The thin film magnetic head has a return yoke layer disposed on a trailing side of a magnetic pole layer, and width W3 of an exposed surface of a lower TH specifying part in a TH specifying portion in the return yoke layer is equal to or larger than width W1 of an exposed surface of the magnetic pole layer (W3?W1), and is less than width W4 of an exposed surface of an upper TH specifying part (W3<W4). Since a part (magnetic flux) of a magnetic flux emitted from the exposed surface to the outside flows in the exposed surface while being spread a little in the width direction, spread of the magnetic flux is suppressed at the time of recording. Therefore, the recording magnetic field gradient near an air bearing surface is sharpened and recording performance is improved.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic head, including depositing a plurality of sensor layers, including a pinned magnetic layer, a spacer layer, a free magnetic layer, a bias spacer layer, and a bias layer, and thereafter removing outer portions of the spacer layer, the free magnetic layer, the bias spacer layer, and the bias layer. Inner electrical lead portions are deposited upon outer portions of the pinned magnetic layer, and a bias pinning layer is then deposited upon both the bias layer and the inner electrical lead portions. Outer electrical lead portions are thereafter deposited in electrical connection with the inner electrical lead portions. An alternative embodiment includes removing portions of the pinned magnetic layer prior to the deposition of the inner electrical lead portions.

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: A thermal flying height adjustment slider capable of being mounted on a small-sized thin film magnetic head slider is provided wherein terminals of an energizer serving as a heater prevent corrosion of pole pieces and the number of terminals is reduced. In one embodiment, one of terminals of the energizer serving as the heater is electrically connected to the lower pole piece, so that a relay terminal for a heating device is used also as the terminal for preventing the corrosion of pole pieces.

Abstract: In one particular example, a plurality of CPP type sensor layers are formed over a wafer and a mask without undercuts is formed over the plurality of CPP type sensor layers in a central region. With the mask without undercuts in place, an ion milling process is started to remove CPP type sensor layer materials left exposed by the mask without undercuts in end regions which surround the central region. The ion milling process is stopped at or near a spacer layer of the CPP type sensor layers. Insulator materials are then deposited in the end regions where the CPP type sensor layer materials were removed, followed by hard bias materials over the insulator materials. The mask without undercuts is then removed through use of a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) assisted lift-off process, which also planarizes the top surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a write pole for a perpendicular magnetic write head. The method includes forming a mask structure over a full film layer of magnetic write pole material. A layer of hard mask material such as conformally deposited alumina is then deposited full film over the mask and write pole material. An ion mill, such as in an Ar or CHF3 chemistry is then used to preferentially remove horizontally disposed portions of the alumina layer (hard mask layer), thereby forming vertical hard mask walls at the sides of the mask structure. An ion mill is then used to form the write pole, with the alumna side walls providing excellent masking for forming well defined write pole edges. A relatively gentle clean up process can then be performed to remove the remaining mask material and side walls.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetoresistive read head so that the pinned ferromagnetic layer is wider than the stripe height of the free ferromagnetic layer uses ion milling with the ion beam aligned at an angle to the substrate supporting the stack of layers making up the read head. The stack is patterned with photoresist to define a rectangular region with front and back long edges aligned parallel to the read head track width. After ion milling in two opposite directions orthogonal to the front and back long edges, the pinned layer width has an extension. The extension makes the width of the pinned layer greater than the stripe height of the free layer after the substrate and stack of layers are lapped. The length of the extension is determined by the angle between the substrate and the ion beam and the thickness of the photoresist.

Abstract: A side-by-side read/write head includes a self-aligned trailing shield, where a rear edge of the trailing shield is defined by the same lithography/etching process used to define a rear edge of a read sensor. A plurality of read sensor layers and a pole tip structure adjacent the read sensor layers are formed over a wafer. A non-magnetic layer is deposited over the pole tip structure. A patterned resist is then formed over both the read sensor layers and the non-magnetic layer. With the patterned resist in place, read sensor materials of the read sensor layers are etched away so as to define the rear edge of the read sensor. Non-magnetic materials of the non-magnetic layer are simultaneously etched away so as to form an etched region which defines the rear edge for the trailing shield.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head is provided. In the manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head, an inorganic insulating layer is formed along at least a sidewall surface of each conductor part. A gap of each conductor part is filled by an organic insulating layer. An upper surface of the conductor part, a magnetic pole portion, and a connecting layer are grinded to be planar with an organic insulating layer and an inorganic insulating layer. During an upper surface of each conductor part is grinded, the inorganic insulating layer, which is hard, suppresses a shear drop of each conductor part by grinding.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic head includes forming a first pole and a flux shaping layer in spaced relation to the first pole. A nonmagnetic layer is formed adjacent the flux shaping layer and positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS) side of the flux shaping layer. A tapered recess is created in the nonmagnetic layer, the taper of the recess increasing (i.e., becoming deeper) towards the flux forming layer. The recess is filled with a magnetic material. A probe layer is formed such that it is in electrical communication with the magnetic material filling the recess.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head is provided. The method accurately defines a gap layer. The method includes forming a lower gap layer made of a non-magnetic material on a main magnetic pole layer. An upper gap layer is formed on the lower gap layer, the upper gap layer being made of the non-magnetic material. A resist layer is formed on the upper gap layer, and the resist layer is removed from an end surface. The upper gap layer not covered with the resist layer is removed, while exposing a new film surface by removing a surface oxidation layer of the resist layer. A return path layer is formed by plating on the exposed lower gap layer, the upper gap layer, and the resist layer through the plating underlayer.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a method for use in making a magnetic write head includes the steps of forming a first pole piece layer of a first pole piece; forming a patterned resist over the first pole piece layer; electroplating a pedestal over the first pole piece layer within a channel of the patterned resist; electroplating a metal gap layer over the pedestal within the channel of the patterned resist; forming a resist channel shrinking film over the patterned resist; baking the resist channel shrinking film over the patterned to thereby reduce a width of the channel; removing the resist channel shrinking film; electroplating a second pole piece within the reduced-width channel of the patterned resist; removing the patterned resist; and milling the pedestal, using the second pole piece as a mask, to form a central notched pedestal having side walls with angled slopes.

Abstract: A first magnetic shield layer of the read head sensor is deposited upon a slider substrate surface. A patterned photoresist is then photolithographically fabricated upon the first magnetic shield layer with openings that are formed alongside the location at which the read sensor will be fabricated. An ion milling step is performed to create pockets within the surface of the magnetic shield layer at the location of the openings in the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is then removed, and a fill layer is deposited across the surface of the magnetic shield layer in a depth greater than the depth of the pocket. Thereafter, a polishing step is conducted to remove portions of the fill layer down to the surface of the magnetic shield layer. A G1 insulation layer is deposited and a magnetic head sensor element is then fabricated upon the insulation layer.

Abstract: A method of making a perpendicular magnetic recording head for use in a data storage device includes forming a first pole layer, a second pole layer, a third pole layer, and a shield layer of a write section. The first pole layer, second pole layer, third pole layer, and shield layer are formed without using a chemical mechanical polishing process. The method next includes concurrently trimming the shield layer and a write pole that is defined by the third pole layer to a predetermined track width. In the trimming step, the shield layer is used as a mask for the write pole.

Abstract: A method of forming a magnetoresistive junction in a process of manufacturing a magnetoresistive memory cell includes providing a semiconductor substrate having at least one via contact layer on a main surface thereof, depositing a layered structure of magnetoresistive junction layers on the via contact layer, depositing an etch stop layer on the layered structure of magnetoresistive junction layers, depositing at least one hard mask layer on the etch stop layer, patterning and etching the hard mask layer to create a hard mask, removing of polymer residuals from the hard mask, etching of the etch stop layer, and etching the layered structure of magnetoresistive junction layers to create the magnetoresistive junction. The etching stops at the etch stop layer.

Abstract: A TMR sensor, a CPP GMR sensor and a CCP CPP GMR sensor all include a tri-layered free layer that is of the form CoFe/CoFeB/NiFe, where the atom percentage of Fe can vary between 5% and 90% and the atom percentage of B can vary between 5% and 30%. The sensors also include SyAP pinned layers which, in the case of the GMR sensors include at least one layer of CoFe laminated onto a thin layer of Cu. In the CCP CPP sensor, a layer of oxidized aluminum containing segregated particles of copper is formed between the spacer layer and the free layer. All three configurations exhibit extremely good values of coercivity, areal resistance, GMR ratio and magnetostriction.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a lapping guide. Selected portions of a magnetoresistive device wafer are bombarded with ions such that a magnetoresistive effect of lapping guides is reduced. The device is lapped, using the lapping guides to measure an extent of the lapping.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of inhibiting the occurrence of track erasing and improving the reliability of magnetic recording. Two taper surfaces are disposed on both sides of a return yoke layer. As no corner portion which may induce concentration of a magnetic flux exists on the both sides of the return yoke layer, even if the magnetic flux emitted from a pole layer is returned to the return yoke layer through a hard disk, a magnetic field strength is not locally and pronouncedly concentrated in proximity to the taper surfaces of the return yoke layer. Thereby, the concentration of the magnetic flux can be prevented, and the probability of the occurrence of unnecessary recording decreases, so the occurrence of track erasing can be inhibited, and the reliability of magnetic recording can be improved.

Abstract: A magnetic write head and method for bulk fabrication of the same are provided. A trench is formed in a nonmagnetic substrate. A first magnetically permeable layer is deposited in the trench of the substrate. An optional first insulating layer is deposited in the trench. A conducting circuit is defined in the trench. The conducting circuit creates the magnetic flux. An optional second insulating layer is deposited in the trench. Writer gaps are patterned and then a second magnetic layer is added over the second insulating layer. The substrate is divided to form individual write heads.

Abstract: Problems such as thermal pole tip protrusion result from thermal mismatch between the alumina and pole material during the writing process. This, and similar problems due to inadequate heat dissipation, have been overcome by dividing the bottom shield into two pieces both of which sit on top of a non-magnetic heat sink. Heat generated by the coil during writing is transferred to the non-magnetic heat sink whence it gets transferred to the substrate. With this approach, the head not only benefits from less field disturbance due to the small shield but also improves heat dissipation from the additional heat sink.

Abstract: Methods for creating a ground path between a stainless steel suspension and a copper trace layer in an integrated lead assembly of a disk drive suspension. The invention prevents electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage by providing a means for grounding a lead to a controlled ground potential. Although the lead and suspension are generally separated by an insulating layer such as a polymide layer, connection between the lead and suspension can be made by, for example, creating an opening in the insulation layer and depositing a conductive material such an electrically conductive glue, solder or some other material through the opening to connect the two electrically conductive layers. A rivet may also be used to connect the two electrically conductive layers through a through hole that extends through both electrically conductive layers and the electrically insulating layer.

Abstract: Using a beam of xenon ions together with a suitable mask, a GMR stack is ion milled until a part of it, no more than about 0.1 microns thick, has been removed so that a pedestal, having sidewalls comprising a vertical section that includes all of the free layer, has been formed. This is followed by formation of the longitudinal bias and conductive lead layers in the usual way. Using xenon as the sputtering gas enables the point at which milling is terminated to be more precisely controlled.

Abstract: A method is presented for fabricating a write pole for a magnetic recording head, wherein a photoresist layer is formed on a wafer stack. A target P2 pole configuration is provided, and a photomask having a pattern is produced, and the pattern is transferred to the photoresist to create a patterned photoresist having at least one photoresist channel. A layer of photoresist channel shrinking film used to produce a reduced width photoresist channel in an expanded photoresist. A P2 pole tip is formed within the reduced width photoresist channel. The P2 pole tip is then compared to the target P2 pole configuration to identify distortions, which are then used to produce a distortion-corrected photomask. The distortion-corrected photomask is then used to produce a distortion-corrected expanded photoresist, which is then used to produce a distortion-corrected P2 pole tip.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magneto-resistive device is provided for reducing a degradation in device characteristics due to annealing. The method includes the steps of depositing constituent layers, which make up a magneto-resistive layer on a base, patterning one or more layers of the constituent layers, forming an insulating layer in a region in which the one or more layers of the constituent layers have been removed by the patterning. For forming the insulating layer, the insulating layer is deposited while irradiating an ion beam of a gas mainly containing a rare gas toward the base after the step of patterning.

Abstract: An improved mold, for use in the formation of a perpendicular magnetic write head, is described, together with a process for its manufacture. Conventional alumina is replaced by tantalum in the yoke portion of the mold. When both the tantalum and the alumina areas are simultaneously subjected to reactive ion etching, sloping sidewalls are obtained in the alumina area (write pole tip portion) whereas the sidewalls are almost vertical in the tantalum (yoke) area, resulting in a uniform neck height.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording includes a nonmagnetic conductive elevation layer disposed under a main magnetic pole layer. The nonmagnetic conductive elevation layer and the main magnetic pole layer forms a trapezoidal shape converging toward an auxiliary magnetic pole layer, viewed from a face opposing a recording medium. The thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording includes an auxiliary magnetic pole layer, the main magnetic pole layer, and a nonmagnetic insulating layer disposed therebetween at a surface facing the recording medium.

Abstract: There is provided a thin film magnetic head, with letting a distance of a portion, where a width of a track portion in an upper magnetic pole changes, from a flying plane from a medium be Ly, and letting a distance of a portion, where a distance between right and left of a surface portion in a lower magnetic pole in a track width direction is wider than the width of the upper magnetic pole in the track width direction, from the flying plane from a medium be Tp, by creating a thin film magnetic head that is equipped with a recording head that has a relation of Tp?Ly, it becomes possible to reduce a needless leakage magnetic field in the track width direction with securing magnetic field strength.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider body and a head element. The slider body has an air bearing surface, an air inflow end and an air outflow end. The air bearing surface has: a first surface including two portions extending in a direction of air passage; a second surface including a portion disposed between the two portions of the first surface; and a third surface located closer to the air outflow end than the first surface is. The first surface and the second surface have such a difference in level that the second surface is located farther from a recording medium than the first surface is. The difference in level varies gradually so as to increase with decreasing distance from the air outflow end. A method of manufacturing the slider includes forming a slider material containing a portion to be the slider body and the head element, and processing the material so as to form the air bearing surface.

Abstract: A first magnetic layer is formed on a first magnetic layer formation surface, and then a first material layer-forming layer is deposited on the first magnetic layer formation surface and on the sides and the top of the first magnetic layer and is etched to form first material layers so that the width dimension of each first material layer in the track width direction gradually decreases in the upward direction. Then, a second material layer is formed over the first material layer formation surface, the first material layers, and the first magnetic layer. Then, the first material layers, the second material layer, and the first magnetic layer are polished to expose the upper surface of the first magnetic layer and form the upper surfaces of the second material layer and the first magnetic layer as the same planarized surface.

Abstract: A GMR sensor having improved longitudinal biasing is provided as is a method of forming it. The improved biasing is provided by longitudinal biasing structures in which a soft magnetic layer is interposed between a hard magnetic biasing layer and the lateral edge of the GMR sensor element. The soft magnetic layer eliminates the need for a seed layer directly between the hard magnetic layer and the GMR element and provides improved coupling to the free layer of the GMR element and a substantial reduction in random domain variations.

Abstract: A read head for a disk drive and a method of fabricating the read head with overlaid lead pads that contact the top surface of the sensor between the hardbias structures to define the electrically active region of the sensor are described. The invention deposits the GMR and lead layers before milling away the unwanted material. A photoresist mask with a hole defining the active area of the sensor is preferably patterned over a layer of DLC that is formed into a mask. A selected portion of the exposed lead material is then removed using the DLC as a mask defining the active region of the sensor. A photoresist mask pad is patterned to define the full sensor width. The excess sensor and lead material exposed around the mask is milled away. The layers for the hardbias structure are deposited.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a reverse air bearing surface head with trailing shield design for perpendicular recording. A reverse air bearing surface head for perpendicular recording is provided with an inversed bevel shape to handle skew when recording data on a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head is disclosed. The method and system include providing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) uniformity structure having an aperture therein and forming a perpendicular magnetic recording pole within the aperture. The CMP uniformity structure may include a CMP barrier layer. The method and system further include fabricating an insulator after formation of the perpendicular magnetic recording pole and performing a CMP to remove a portion of the insulator, expose a portion of the perpendicular magnetic recording pole and planarize an exposed surface of the perpendicular magnetic recording head.

Abstract: During fabrication of a perpendicular write head in a wafer, at least two sides of a write pole are defined (e.g. by ion milling) while a third side of the write pole is protected by a masking material. At this stage, a material that is to be located in the write gap is already present between the write pole and the masking material. After definition of the write pole surfaces, a layer of dielectric material is deposited. During this deposition, the masking material is still present. Thereafter, the masking material (and any dielectric material thereon) is removed, to form a hole in the dielectric material. Next, a trailing shield is formed in the structure, so that at least one portion of the trailing shield is located in the hole, and another portion of the trailing shield is located over the dielectric material, in an area adjacent to the hole. Note that the gap material is now sandwiched between the portion of the trailing shield in the hole, and the write pole.

Abstract: According to one aspect, an exemplary method for manufacturing a magnetic head includes forming a plurality of magnetoresistive devices, a reference device, and a monitoring device, where the reference device includes a desired stripe height less than the magnetoresistive devices and monitoring device. Material is removed from the air/tape bearing surface, e.g., by lapping, thereby reducing the stripe height of the magnetoresistive devices and monitoring device. A characteristic of the reference device, e.g., resistance, voltage, or the like, is compared with a similar characteristic of the monitoring device, wherein the characteristic of the monitoring device varies as material is removed. Material may be removed from the bearing surface until the characteristic of the monitoring device and the reference device are substantially equal, at which time, the stripe height of the monitoring device and magnetoresistive devices are substantially equal to that of the reference device.

Abstract: A method is provided for preserving the transverse biasing of a GMR (or MR) read head during back-end processing. In a first preferred embodiment, the method comprises magnetizing the longitudinal biasing layers of the read head in a transverse direction, so that the resulting field at the position of the transverse biasing layer places it in a minimum of potential energy which stabilizes its direction. The field of the longitudinal biasing layer is then reset to the longitudinal direction in a manner which maintains the transverse biasing direction. In a second embodiment, a novel fixture for mounting the read head during processing includes a magnetic portion which stabilizes the transverse bias of the read head. The two methods may be used singly or in combination.

Abstract: A method for forming a hard bias structure in a magnetoresistive sensor is disclosed. A magnetoresistive sensor having a soft magnetic bias layer, spacer layer, and a magnetoresistive layer, is formed over a substrate having a gap layer. A mask is formed over a portion of the magnetoresistive sensor structure to define a central region. The masked structure is ion milled to remove portions not shielded by the mask, to form the central region with sloped sides, and to expose a region of the gap layer laterally adjacent the sloped sides. A first underlayer is deposited onto at least the sloped sides at a high deposition angle. A second underlayer is deposited to at least partially overlap the first underlayer, and at a first lower deposition angle. A hard bias layer is deposited over at least a portion of the second underlayer, and at a second lower deposition angle.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a flying magnetic head slider includes a step of providing a substrate with a plurality of inductive write head elements formed thereon, each head element having a pair of magnetic poles facing to each other via a magnetic gap, and with a protection layer covering the plurality of inductive write head elements, a step of cutting the substrate to separate into a plurality of bar members, each of the bar members having aligned inductive write head elements, a step of processing the protection layer of each bar member so that a distance from an end edge of the pair of magnetic poles to an edge of a bottom surface of the bar member becomes in a range of 1 to 15 ?m, a step of lapping each bottom surface of the bar member, and cutting each bar member to separate into a plurality of individual magnetic head sliders.

Abstract: A magnetic structure, such as a pole tip, and method for forming the same includes forming a pole tip layer of magnetic material. A layer of polyimide precursor material is added above the pole tip layer and cured. A silicon-containing resist layer is added above the layer of polyimide precursor material and patterned. The resist layer is exposed to oxygen plasma for converting the resist into a glass-like material. Exposed portions of the cured polyimide precursor material are removed for exposing portions of the pole tip layer. The exposed portions of the pole tip layer are removed for forming a pole tip. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) can then be performed to remove any unwanted material remaining above the pole tip.

Abstract: An improved damascene method of forming a write coil of a magnetic head. The method includes the steps of forming a hard mask layer over an insulator layer; forming a photoresist layer over the hard mask layer; performing an image patterning process to produce a write coil pattern in the photoresist layer; etching to remove portions of the hard mask layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove portions of the insulator layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove the remaining portion of the etched hard mask layer; after removing the etched hard mask layer, electroplating a material within the etched portion of the insulator material; and performing a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process over the electroplated material. By removing the remainder of the hard mask material before the CMP, the quality of the CMP is improved.

Abstract: In one illustrative example disclosed, a method for use in making a magnetic head involves forming a thermal-assist heater for the magnetic head; forming a plurality of coil layers of a write coil using a damascene process; and simultaneously forming an electrical connection to the thermal-assist heater in the same damascene process used to form the write coil. Advantageously, fabrication steps are reduced using a parallel process that provides for relatively small dimensions and reduces the possibility of electrical shorting. The method may be alternatively used to form an electrical connection to any other suitable electrical device for the magnetic head, such as an electrical lapping guide (ELG) or other component.

Abstract: As a protective film of an element and a slider in a magnetic head, a film is provided which is excellent in adhesiveness to a film forming surface and which shows sufficient corrosion-resistance property with a thinner thickness. To provided this film, according to the present invention, a DLC film as a protective film is formed onto an element portion end surface and a surface of a slider of a magnetic head core. A film deposition step is conducted plural times to obtain the DLC film with a predetermined thickness when the DLC film is formed using an electric discharge.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed mobile hard disk drive that combines high storage capacity and performance with low power consumption and portable operation, including an integrated base substrate. One embodiment is a method for fabricating an integrated base substrate with a plurality of spiral conductors, MR stripes, and interconnect conductors fabricated by a semiconductor process, and upon which electronic integrated circuits are later assembled. Various embodiments of the invention can support a single or dual rotor spindle assembly, a multi-arm actuator assembly, and a housing to form a hermetically sealed chamber with the integrated base substrate. Various embodiments of the invention can be filled with low viscosity gas at ambient pressure or a lower than ambient pressure.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a multi-track thin-film magnetoresistive tape head with precisely-aligned read/write track-pairs fabricated on a monolithic substrate wafer is provided. The wafer is fabricated using modified standard thin-film processes for fabricating direct access storage device heads and modified substrate lapping procedures. Gap-to-gap separation within each read/write track-pair is reduced to nearly the thickness of the substrate wafer. Fabricating on both sides of the wafer, may enable hundreds or thousands of head elements to be aligned in one step of the fabrication process while reducing the number of pieces in the completed head assembly.

Abstract: A magnetic head including first and a second magnetic poles with a write gap layer disposed therebetween. In a first embodiment the write gap layer includes a non-magnetic, non-conductive first sublayer which is preferably comprised of Ta or Ti which is deposited upon the first magnetic pole to act as an adhesion layer. The write gap layer then includes a second sublayer which is formed of a non-magnetic, electrically conductive material which is preferably comprised of Rh or Ru. A P2 pole tip is electroplated upon the second sublayer, where the electrically conductive second sublayer is utilized to conduct electroplating current. In an alternative embodiment the write gap layer includes a third sublayer that is etchable in a reactive ion etch (RIE) process, and formed between the first and second sublayers. The third sublayer is preferably comprised of Ta or Ti.

Abstract: A method for reducing plated pole height loss in the formation of a write pole for a magnetic write head is disclosed. The method includes forming a conductive layer on a thin film substrate, forming a photoresist layer on the conductive layer and forming a trench in the photoresist layer. A thick seed layer is then placed on the trench and on the photoresist layer surface using a collimator. Moreover, the process includes plating while applying a voltage to the thin film substrate where the electrically isolated seed layer is removed and the trench is filled with plating material, removing the photoresist layer, and removing the exposed portions of the conductive layer on the thin film substrate.

Abstract: The lapping of a slider is controlled based on an amplitude of a readback signal which is produced from an externally applied magnetic field. A lapping plate is used to lap a slider which includes at least one magnetic head having a read sensor. During the lapping, a coil produces a magnetic field around the slider and processing circuitry monitors both a readback signal amplitude and a resistance of the read sensor. The lapping of the slider is terminated based on the monitoring both the readback signal amplitude and the resistance. Preferably, the lapping of the slider is terminated when the resistance is within a predetermined resistance range and the readback signal amplitude is above a predetermined minimum amplitude threshold or reaches its peak value. Asymmetry can also be measured in the described system, where the lapping process is terminated based on asymmetry as well as resistance and amplitude measurements.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a drum assembly associated with a digital betacam video tape machine is disclosed. The method includes providing a helical scan drum assembly having a stationary upper drum, a stationary lower drum and a plurality of rotating read/write heads disposed between the stationary upper and lower drums. The rotating read/write heads reading and writing digital information to and from a tape. The method further includes inserting air grooves in the outer peripheral surface of the upper drum. The air grooves are configured to reduce sticktion between the tape and the outer peripheral surface of the upper drum when the tape is moved around the outer peripheral surface of the upper drum. The method additional includes mounting an adjustable band to the outer peripheral surface of the lower drum. The adjustable band is configured to guide the tape around the drum assembly in accordance with helical scans when the tape is moved around the outer peripheral surface of the upper drum.