THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD WITH GROOVES ON MEDIUM-OPPOSED SURFACE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE HEAD

• US 20090185314A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: HACHISUKA, Nozomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/314
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00826 comprising a plurality of single poles or gaps or groups thereof operative at the same time
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3163 Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3967 Composite structural arrangements of transducers, e.g. inductive write and magnetoresistive read G11B5/3906 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is a thin-film magnetic head that can be adequately contacted with the magnetic recording medium, and thus, can perform read and write operations sufficiently and stably. This head comprises: at least one magnetic head element for reading and/or writing data, formed on/above an element formation surface of a substrate; an overcoat layer formed so as to cover the at least one magnetic head element; and a closure adhered on at least a portion of an upper surface of the overcoat layer, wherein a groove, extending in a track width direction, is provided on a medium-opposed surface: in an area on an end surface of the substrate, the area being on a boundary between the substrate and the overcoat layer; or in an area covering end surface portions of the substrate and the overcoat layer, the area thus overlapping the boundary between the substrate and the overcoat layer.

Claims

1. A thin-film magnetic head comprising:

at least one magnetic head element for reading and/or writing data, formed on/above an element formation surface of a substrate;

an overcoat layer formed on said element formation surface so as to cover said at least one magnetic head element; and

a closure adhered on at least a portion of an upper surface of said overcoat layer,

a groove extending in a track width direction, provided on a medium-opposed surface;

in an area on an end surface of said substrate, said area being on a boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer;

or in an area covering end surface portions of said substrate and said overcoat layer, said area thus overlapping said boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer.

2. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein a further groove extending in the track width direction is provided on the medium-opposed surface:

in an area on an end surface of said closure, said area being on a boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure;

or in an area covering end surface portions of said overcoat layer and said closure, said area thus overlapping said boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure.

3. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 2, wherein respective heights of end surfaces opposed to a magnetic recording medium of said substrate, said overcoat layer and said closure are equal or substantially equal with one another, said heights being in a direction perpendicular to said end surfaces.

4. A magnetic tape apparatus comprising:

at least one magnetic tape;

at least two reels for feeding and/or winding said at least one magnetic tape;

at least one thin-film magnetic head for reading data from said at least one magnetic tape and/or writing data to said at least one magnetic tape; and

a recording and/or reproducing control circuit for controlling read and/or write operation performed by said at least one thin-film magnetic head,

the thin-film magnetic head comprising;

at least one magnetic head element for reading and/or writing data, formed on/above an element formation surface of a substrate;

an overcoat layer formed on said element formation surface so as to cover said at least one magnetic head element; and

a closure adhered on at least a portion of an upper surface of said overcoat layer,

a groove extending in a track width direction, provided on a medium-opposed surface;

in an area on an end surface of said substrate, said area being on a boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer;

or in an area covering end surface portions of said substrate and said overcoat layer, said area thus overlapping said boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer.

5. The magnetic tape apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a further groove extending in the track width direction is provided on the medium-opposed surface:

in an area on an end surface of said closure, said area being on a boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure;

or in an area covering end surface portions of said overcoat layer and said closure, said area thus overlapping said boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure.

6. The magnetic tape apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein respective heights of end surfaces opposed to said magnetic recording medium of said substrate, said overcoat layer and said closure are equal or substantially equal with one another, said heights being in a direction perpendicular to said end surfaces.

7. A manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head comprising steps of:

forming;

at least one magnetic head element for reading and/or writing data; and

an overcoat layer so as to cover said at least one magnetic head element, on/above an element formation surface of a substrate;

adhering a closure on at least a portion of an upper surface of said overcoat layer;

forming a mask pattern having;

an open area on an end surface of said substrate, said open area being on a boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer;

or an open area including end surface portions of said substrate and said overcoat layer, said open area thus overlapping said boundary between said substrate and said overcoat layer, said mask pattern provided on end surfaces to be opposed to a magnetic recording medium of said substrate, said overcoat layer and said closure; and

performing etching to the mask-pattern-formed end surfaces to form a groove in said open area.

8. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mask pattern has:

a further open area on an end surface of said closure, said open area being on a boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure;

or a further open area including end surface portions of said overcoat layer and said closure, said open area thus overlapping said boundary between said overcoat layer and said closure.

9. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a resist pattern is used as said mask pattern.

10. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said etching is performed by using an ion milling method.

11. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising steps of:

forming a mask pattern on end surfaces to be opposed to the magnetic recording medium of said substrate and said overcoat layer, after forming said groove; and

performing etching to the mask-pattern-formed end surfaces, thereby setting a height in a height direction of a medium-opposed end surface of said closure to be closer or equal to a height in the height direction of a medium-opposed end surface of said overcoat layer, the height direction being perpendicular to the medium-opposed end surfaces of said closure and said overcoat layer.

12. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising steps of:

forming a mask pattern on end surfaces to be opposed to the magnetic recording medium of said overcoat layer and said closure, after forming said groove; and

performing etching to the mask-pattern-formed end surfaces, thereby setting a height in a height direction of a medium-opposed end surface of said substrate to be closer or equal to a height in the height direction of a medium-opposed end surface of said overcoat layer, the height direction being perpendicular to the medium-opposed end surfaces of said substrate and said overcoat layer.