JP2001056904A - Jig and method for plating magnetic head wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a jig and method capable of uniform plating thickness for a magnetic head wafer. SOLUTION: The jig 30 for plating a magnetic head wafer is such that the magnetic head wafer 21 can be loaded on it and that it is equipped with a main electrode for flowing a plating current to the wafer 21 and with a ring- shaped auxiliary electrode 34 which is arranged to enclose the wafer 21 and which is connected to a plating power source. In this case, the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode 34 is designed to be divided into plural pieces in a circumferential direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a jig for plating a magnetic head wafer and a plating method for a magnetic head wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large number of composite thin film magnetic head elements comprising an MR head and a ring magnetic pole induction type thin film magnetic head are integrally formed on an Altic substrate (wafer), and then the substrate is cut. It is formed. In a manufacturing process from an Altic substrate (wafer), there is a lamination process of forming necessary layers on the substrate in multiple layers, and each of these layers is formed by sputtering or plating.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a composite thin film magnetic head element. Reference numeral 10 denotes an MR head, and 11 denotes a thin film magnetic head. Upper shield layer 1 of MR head 10
Reference numeral 2 also serves as a lower magnetic pole of the thin-film magnetic head unit 11. 13
Is a nonmagnetic material layer, 14 is a coil, and 15 is an upper magnetic pole. Reference numeral 16 denotes an insulating layer. The lower magnetic pole 12, the coil 1
4. The upper magnetic pole 15 and the like are formed by plating. The lower magnetic pole 12 and the upper magnetic pole 15 are formed by permalloy (NiFe) plating, and the coil 14 is formed by copper plating.

For example, when plating the upper magnetic pole 15, a mask 17 is formed with a resist as shown in FIG. Incidentally, the rear side of the upper magnetic pole 15 is raised to surround the coil 14. On the other hand, the mask 17 is applied to a uniform thickness. Therefore, the thickness of the mask 17 at a position on the tip portion 15a side of the upper magnetic pole 15 is about 20 μm, and the upper magnetic pole 1 having a width of about 1 μm and a thickness of about 4 μm
5 will be formed. That is, (the tip of) the upper magnetic pole 15 is formed by plating in a deep groove having a large aspect ratio. In order to perform plating of a required thickness in such a deep groove, control of plating conditions and the like is extremely important.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional plating jig for a substrate.
Reference numeral 20 denotes a holding frame. The substrate 21 can be mounted on the holding frame 20. The holding frame 20 has a main electrode (not shown) for supplying a current directly to the substrate 21, and this main electrode is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply device. Reference numeral 22 denotes a ring-shaped auxiliary electrode. This auxiliary electrode 22 is arranged so as to surround the substrate 21. The auxiliary electrode 22 is also connected to the negative electrode of the power supply.

The auxiliary electrode 22 is provided for the purpose of evenly plating the entire surface of the substrate 21 as much as possible. This is because, if the auxiliary electrode 22 is not provided, the peripheral edge of the substrate 21 tends to be thicker than the central portion due to the edge effect.

[0007]

However, recently, since a large number of head elements formed on the substrate 21 are becoming increasingly smaller, even if the above-mentioned auxiliary electrode 22 is provided,
It is difficult to coat the entire substrate 21 with a uniform thickness. For example, although an orientation flat (orientation flat) portion 21a is formed on the substrate 21,
The orientation flat portion 21a is far from the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode 22, and the element portion near the orientation flat portion 21a tends to be thickly plated.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it easy to control the thickness of the plating and to perform plating with a more uniform plating thickness. An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic head wafer plating jig and a magnetic head wafer plating method that can be performed.

[0009]

The present invention has the following arrangement to achieve the above object. In other words, the plating jig for a magnetic head wafer according to the present invention includes a main electrode through which a magnetic head wafer can be mounted and a plating current flowing through the wafer, and a ring arranged around the wafer and connected to a plating power supply. A jig for plating a wafer for a magnetic head, comprising a ring-shaped auxiliary electrode, wherein the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode is divided into a plurality in the circumferential direction.

Since the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode is divided into a plurality of parts in the circumferential direction, the current flowing through the divided auxiliary electrodes can be individually controlled according to the situation.
Can be plated with a uniform thickness.

In particular, by arranging one of the plurality of divided auxiliary electrodes so as to face the orientation flat portion of the substrate, the plating thickness on the element portion in the vicinity of the orientation flat of the substrate can be individually set to other portions. Since control can be performed, plating with a more uniform plating thickness can be performed.

Further, in the method of plating a wafer for a magnetic head according to the present invention, the plating jig for plating a wafer for a magnetic head is used to supply a current independently to the main electrode and the divided auxiliary electrodes, thereby providing a plating thickness. Is controlled. This makes it possible to apply a uniform plating thickness to the entire element portion of the substrate. In particular, it is preferable that the upper magnetic pole of the element portion of the magnetic head wafer be plated using the jig.

[0013]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an example of the plating jig 30. Reference numeral 31 denotes a holding frame, on which the substrate 21 can be mounted. The holding frame 31 has a main electrode (not shown) for supplying a current directly to the substrate 21, and this main electrode is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply 32.

The substrate 21 is held by a holding frame 31 by clamping the side surface thereof by a plurality of elastic conductors (not shown) extending from the main electrode, and a conductor formed on the substrate 21 from the conductors. Power to the layer.

Reference numeral 34 denotes a ring-shaped auxiliary electrode. This auxiliary electrode 34 is arranged so as to surround the substrate 21. In the present invention, the auxiliary electrode 34 is divided into a plurality. In the illustrated example, four auxiliary electrodes 34a, 34b,
34c and 34d. In the present invention, the ring shape of the auxiliary electrode is not necessarily circular, but may be rectangular or any other shape that surrounds the wafer.

An insulating sheet 40 is interposed between the end faces of the divided auxiliary electrodes. The auxiliary electrode 34a is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply 35, the auxiliary electrode 34b is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply 36, the auxiliary electrode 34c is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply 37, and the auxiliary electrode 34d is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply 38. I have. Further, the auxiliary electrode 34a is made to face the orientation flat portion 21a of the substrate 21.

The plating jig 30 is configured as described above. Main electrode and each auxiliary electrode 34a, 34b, 34
c and 34d are the respective power supplies 32, 35, 36, 3
Power can be individually supplied from 7 and 38. By changing the value of the current supplied to the main electrode, the overall plating thickness can be controlled. Auxiliary electrodes 34a, 34
When the current value to b, 34c, and 34d is changed, the auxiliary electrode 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d
1 can control the plating thickness of the peripheral portion.

If the current value to the main electrode is increased, the overall plating thickness is increased. Auxiliary electrodes 34a, 34b, 34
If the current value to c and 34d is increased, the opposing substrate 2
On the other hand, the plating thickness of the peripheral portion of No. 1 decreases. As described above, the basic overall plating thickness can be controlled by the main electrode, and the plating thickness of the divided area of the peripheral portion of the substrate 21 can be individually controlled by each auxiliary electrode. Can be freely performed.

As described above, since the plating thickness of the element portion in the vicinity of the orientation flat portion 21a tends to be large, the current value to the auxiliary electrode 34a is reduced by the other auxiliary electrodes 34b, 34c, 3c.
It is better to make the current value larger than the current value for supplying power to 4d.

Table 1 shows the plating thickness distribution at the tip of the upper magnetic pole when the upper magnetic pole of the substrate 21 is formed by plating.
In the sampling, nineteen element parts were selected without deviation from the peripheral part and the central part of the substrate 21.

[0021]

[Table 1]

As is apparent from Table 1, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the plating thickness and the variation are small in the actual product plated using the plating jig as compared with the conventional product. Homogenized. In particular, as described above, the plating thickness is made uniform even at the tip of the upper magnetic pole where plating is difficult to apply, and the effect is enormous. In the above embodiment, the auxiliary electrode is divided into four, but the number of division is not particularly limited.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it is possible to make various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Of course.

[0024]

According to the present invention, since the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode is divided into a plurality in the circumferential direction, the current flowing through the divided auxiliary electrode can be individually controlled according to the situation, and the substrate (wafer) can be controlled. ) Can be plated with a uniform thickness. In particular, by arranging one of the divided auxiliary electrodes so as to face the orientation flat portion of the substrate, the plating thickness on the element portion near the orientation flat of the substrate can be individually controlled with other portions. Plating with a more uniform plating thickness can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a plating jig of the present embodiment,

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a composite thin-film magnetic head element,

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a mask when plating an upper magnetic pole,

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a conventional plating jig.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 30 plating jig 31 holding frame 32, 35, 36, 37, 38 power supply device 34, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d auxiliary electrode 40 insulating sheet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A magnetic head for mounting a magnetic head wafer, comprising: a main electrode for supplying a plating current to the wafer; and a ring-shaped auxiliary electrode disposed around the wafer and connected to a plating power supply. A jig for plating a magnetic head wafer, wherein the ring-shaped auxiliary electrode is divided into a plurality of pieces in a circumferential direction. 2. The jig for plating a wafer for a magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of divided auxiliary electrodes faces an orientation flat portion of the wafer. 3. A plating jig for a magnetic head wafer according to claim 1, wherein a current is independently supplied to said main electrode and said divided auxiliary electrode to control a plating thickness. Method for plating a magnetic head wafer. 4. The plating method for a magnetic head wafer according to claim 3, wherein the upper magnetic pole is plated among the element portions of the magnetic head wafer.