Magnetic tape head

• US 20090135520A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Hachisuka, Nozomu
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/119.10
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00813 magnetic tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/1871 Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3106 where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination G11B5/3133 takes precedence

Abstract

A magnetic tape head has a base substrate, a magnetic head layer formed on the base substrate, and a closure piece formed on the magnetic head layer. The distance from a first plane comprising a point on the tape bearing surface of the base substrate to a third plane comprising a point on the tape bearing surface of the closure piece is equal to or greater than the distance from the first plane to a second plane comprising a point on the tape bearing surface of the magnetic head layer.

Claims

1. A magnetic tape head, comprising:

a base substrate;

a magnetic head layer formed on said base substrate; and

a closure piece formed on said magnetic head layer,

wherein an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, taking a thickness direction of said magnetic head layer to be a Y-axis direction, a length direction of said closure piece to be an X-axis direction, and a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction to be a Z-axis direction, and

when an XY plane passing through a point on the tape bearing surface of said base substrate positioned at the boundary between said base substrate and said magnetic head layer is taken to be a first plane,

when an XY plane passing through a point on the tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer positioned at the boundary between said base substrate and said magnetic head layer is taken to be a second plane, and

when an XY plane passing through a point on the tape bearing surface of said closure piece positioned at the boundary between said magnetic head layer and said closure piece is taken to be a third plane,

a first distance between said first plane and said third plane is equal to or greater than a second distance between said first plane and said second plane.

2. The magnetic tape head according to claim 1, wherein a line of intersection of a YZ plane with the tape bearing surface of said closure piece comprises a curve which is distended in a direction moving away from said closure piece, and a line of intersection of a YZ plane with the tape bearing surface of said base substrate comprises a curve which is distended in a direction moving away from said base substrate.

3. The magnetic tape head according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is provided on said tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer.

4. The magnetic tape head according to claim 3, wherein said protective film is of diamond-like carbon or of Al₂O₃.

5. The magnetic tape head according to claim 3, wherein said protective film is provided on the tape bearing surfaces of said closure piece and said base substrate, a line of intersection of a YZ plane with an exposed surface of said protective film on said closure piece comprises a curve which is distended in a direction moving away from said closure piece, and a line of intersection of a YZ plane with an exposed surface of said protective film on said base substrate comprises a curve which is distended in a direction moving away from said base substrate.

6. The magnetic tape head according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic head layer comprises a plurality of magnetic elements, and guide walls for protection are provided between said magnetic elements.

7. The magnetic tape head according to claim 6, wherein each of said magnetic elements comprises an MR element.

8. A method for manufacturing a magnetic tape head,

comprising the steps of:

preparing a base substrate;

forming a magnetic head layer, having a plurality of magnetic elements, on said base substrate;

positioning a closure piece on said magnetic head layer;

forming a protective film on the tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer, on the tape bearing surface of said base substrate adjacent to this tape bearing surface, and on the tape bearing surface of said closure piece adjacent to the tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer; and

abrading said protective film such that a portion of the protective film remains on said tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer,

wherein the distance from the tape bearing surface of said base substrate to the tape bearing surface of said closure piece is equal to or greater than the distance from the tape bearing surface of said base substrate to the tape bearing surface of said magnetic head layer.

9. The method for manufacturing a magnetic tape head according to claim 8, wherein said protective film comprises diamond-like carbon or Al₂O₃.