JP2007026551A - Positioning mechanism and inspection device of magnetic head slider - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To position a slider unit with a high precision in a short period, and improve its inspection efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: A 1st and 2nd hollow magnets are arranged at upper and lower positions so as to be substantially aligned at their centers above the palette that stores slider units one by one, and the space of the predetermined interval between those hollow magnets is used for the inspection. The device is provided with a pickup moving up and down through the hollows of those magnets, which vertically moves between the space (inspection position) and the palette, thereby moving a slider unit from the palette to the inspection position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnetic head slider positioning mechanism and a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus, and more particularly to inspecting a magnetic head of a composite head having an MR head (magnetoresistance effect type magnetic head). In the magnetic head slider inspection apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics in (1), it is possible to position the slider alone in a short time with high accuracy, and to improve the magnetic head slider positioning mechanism that can improve the inspection efficiency.

As a magnetic head of a hard disk device, in recent years, a composite magnetic head (hereinafter referred to as a composite head) in which an MR head, a GMR head, a TMR head, etc. (hereinafter represented by an MR head) are incorporated on the read side of a write side inductive head. Head) is used. The recording density is steadily improving to several tens of giga / inch. Moreover, the mounting of HDDs in digital home appliances is accelerating the increase. For this reason, the demand for magnetic head assemblies that are indispensable for HDDs is also increasing rapidly.
A magnetic head assembly usually comprises a slider alone and a suspension spring that supports the slider as a magnetic head in which a composite head having an MR head is formed. The magnetic head slider is used as a head actuator such as a voice coil motor via the suspension spring. Fix it.

The composite head is formed by a thin film process and fixed to the head slider. Unlike an inductive head on the recording side, MR heads are prone to defects such as poor resistance, poor insulation between shields, and poor electrical characteristics. Therefore, the MR head is included in the state of this head slider alone. The electrical characteristics of the magnetic head are inspected.
For inspection of defective products in the head slider (hereinafter simply referred to as a single slider) before assembling the head assembly, an MR recording magnetic field is applied to the MR head or an external DC magnetic field is applied to measure the reproducing characteristics of the MR head. The inspection apparatus which performs is known (patent document 1).
JP 2000-260012 A

The size of the slider alone is at most 1 mm square or less, and four or six connection terminals of the composite head are provided on the side surface of the slider alone. Therefore, in the inspection of the slider alone, the inspection cannot be performed unless the probe pins (probes) are in reliable contact with the four or six connection terminals.
A single slider is stored in a grid-type tray (pallet) having rectangular pockets arranged in a matrix, and one single slider is taken out from the tray by a robot handling mechanism and inspected. However, since the sliders stored in the pockets are inclined and are displaced from each other, even if the sliders are picked up from the pallet, they cannot be inspected as they are.
Therefore, a pre-alignment positioning process for the slider alone is required before the inspection position of the inspection stage. However, it has a problem that takes time. In order to shorten the pre-alignment processing time, it is conceivable to position the slider by bringing the side surface of the slider unit into contact with two orthogonal reference side surfaces such as a liquid crystal substrate. However, there is a problem that the angle of the slider alone is caught on the side surface of the reference 2 and the tilted state is maintained, and many positioning defects occur. This reduces inspection efficiency.

Moreover, when measuring the reproducing characteristics of the MR head with a magnetic field applied from the outside, the external magnetic field generator must be placed very close to the characteristic measuring position of the slider alone. Therefore, this becomes an obstacle when the pre-alignment stage or the like as described above is provided. Therefore, since the pre-alignment stage is provided away from the inspection position, the total time for handling from the loader side of the head slider alone to the pre-alignment stage and from the pre-alignment stage to the inspection stage has to be long.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art, and it is possible to position a single slider with high accuracy in a short time and to improve inspection efficiency. An object is to provide a mechanism and a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus.

In order to achieve such an object, the magnetic head slider positioning mechanism and the magnetic head slider inspection apparatus according to the present invention are characterized by a pallet having a plurality of storage holes arranged to store the head sliders one by one, A first and a second for generating a predetermined magnetic field at an inspection position which is provided at the upper part of the pallet and arranged vertically so that the center substantially coincides with the inspection position of the head slider alone corresponding to the inspection position. Hollow magnets, a pickup that moves up and down through the hollow portions of the first and second hollow magnets and sucks and holds the head slider alone stored in the pallet, and a probe that contacts the connection terminal at the inspection position. It moves in the horizontal direction in a substantially horizontal direction with the stylus and is inserted from the lateral direction into a space of a predetermined interval, and holds the side surface of the head slider alone from both sides. They comprise a first and second chuck members fit,
The head slider alone adsorbed by the pickup is raised to a spatial position at a predetermined interval and is held between the first and second chuck members, thereby positioning the head slider alone.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first and second hollow magnets arranged vertically so that the center substantially coincides with the upper part of the pallet that houses the sliders one by one are provided. Since the space between the hollow magnets corresponding to the inspection position corresponds to the inspection position and a pickup that moves up and down so as to penetrate the hollow portion of these hollow magnets is provided, the pickup is simply a pallet and a gap portion (inspection position). Can be moved from the pallet to the inspection position of the slider alone.
Positioning of the slider itself is performed by moving the first and second chuck members in the horizontal direction and inserting them into a space of a predetermined interval of the hollow magnet, so it is necessary to provide a pre-alignment stage separately from the inspection position Therefore, the conveying time from the positioning process of the slider alone to the start of inspection is shortened.
As a result, it is possible to realize a magnetic head slider positioning mechanism and a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus that can position a single slider with high accuracy in a short time and can improve inspection efficiency.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a positioning inspection stage, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of handling processing of a slider alone to an inspection position by a measuring apparatus. It is.
10 is a magnetic head slider inspection device, 1 is its positioning inspection stage, 2 is a pickup mechanism, 3 is an inspection probe, 4 is an external magnetic field generator, and 5 is a slider in a plurality of storage holes 5a arranged vertically and horizontally. Pallets for storing individual units, 6 is an XY stage, 7 is a measurement unit, 8 is a measurement apparatus, and 9 is a slider unit.
The positioning inspection stage 1 is a slider chuck mechanism that moves in the X direction and substantially in the horizontal direction to hold and position the slider alone from both sides, and includes a chuck drive mechanism 11, chuck plates 12, and 13. Consists of.
The chuck drive mechanism 11 opens and closes the chuck plates 12 and 13 by moving the chuck plates 12 and 13 in opposite directions in the X direction to approach and separate from each other. The chuck drive mechanism 11 is fixed to the apparatus frame 15.
Further, the chuck plates 12 and 13 have step portions 12a and 13a (see FIG. 2) provided at positions facing each other inside the tip.

As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 2, the stepped portions 12a and 13a have side abutting surfaces 12b and 13b and horizontal surfaces 12c and 13c that serve as reference surfaces in the Z direction (height), respectively. When the chuck plates 12 and 13 are closed and approach each other and are in the state indicated by the two-dot chain line, the slider mounting groove 14 is formed by the step portions 12a and 13a, and the slider mounting groove 14 is connected to the inspection stage. At the same time, the single slider 9 is positioned in the X direction.
The position indicated by the solid line is in a state where the chuck plates 12 and 13 are open.
The chuck drive mechanism 11 can be constituted by a general lever opening / closing mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, a cam gear mechanism, or a double lever link mechanism that is threaded in the opposite direction at the center. Not in.

Returning to FIG. 1, the external magnetic field generator 4 includes ring-shaped magnets 4 a and 4 b that are permanent magnets. The ring-shaped magnets 4 a and 4 b are arranged above and below the pallet 5 with a gap 4 c at the position of the measurement unit 7. An adsorption pickup (adsorption collet having a conical tip) 21 of the pickup mechanism 2 passes through the center of the hollow opening of the ring magnets 4a and 4b. An XY stage 6 is provided further below the lower ring-shaped magnet 4b, and a pallet 5 is placed thereon.
The ring-shaped magnets 4 a and 4 b are fixed to the device frame 17 via the bracket 16.
In the pickup mechanism 2, the suction pickup 21 is supported by the lifting mechanism 22, so that the suction pickup 21 moves up and down in the center of the hollow openings of the ring-shaped magnets 4 a and 4 b by the lifting mechanism 22. The lifting mechanism 22 is also fixed to the apparatus frame 17.
The suction pickup 21 sucks and holds the slider unit 9 from the storage hole 5a of the pallet 5, and moves the slider unit 9 to the inspection stage 1 by moving in the Z direction. 1 to the original storage hole 5 a of the pallet 5.

The measuring device 8 is constituted by a control computer having a microprocessor, a memory, a control program and the like built therein.
The inspection probe 3 is fixed to the Y stage 3 b and connected to the measuring device 8. The probe (probe pin) 3 a protrudes from the measuring unit 7 and moves toward the slider unit 9, thereby moving the slider unit. 9 is pushed out to a side surface of 4 or 6 connection terminals and comes into contact therewith. A measurement signal obtained from the inspection probe 3 is A / D converted and input to the measurement device 8.
Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the diameter of the tip of the suction pickup 21 is smaller than the rectangular outer peripheral shape of the slider unit 9.
The XY stage 6 is a moving stage on which the pallet 5 is mounted, and moves the pallet 5 in the XY direction so that the slider unit 9 to be inspected under the suction pickup 21 of the pickup mechanism 2 (the position of the storage hole 5a). ). The position of the pallet 5 is controlled by the measuring device 8 through the XY stage 6.

The slider unit 9 is sucked by the suction pickup 21 in the storage hole 5a of the pallet 5, and then the lifting mechanism 22 is driven, and the slider unit 9 is picked up by the suction pickup 21 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. It rises to the position of part 7. Then, the chuck plates 12 and 13 of the positioning inspection stage 1 are closed to be in a two-dot chain line state, and an inspection stage (slider mounting groove 14) is formed.
At this time, the suction position in the X direction with respect to the slider unit 9 is determined by the clamping position of the chuck plates 12 and 13 by the slider unit 9 being held between the two plates. The slider unit 9 is positioned with high accuracy.
By the way, when the size of the storage hole 5a and the outer shape of the slider unit 9 are in a corresponding relationship with a predetermined gap, the suction position of the suction pickup 21 in the Y direction with respect to the slider unit 9 is in the coarse positioning state on the pallet 5. . As will be described later, since the inspection probe 5 moves forward to come into contact with the connection terminal of the slider unit 9, the Y direction as the contact direction of the inspection probe 5 is sufficient even in the coarse positioning state.
However, when the storage hole 5a is a rectangular hole that is slightly larger than the slider unit 9, in the pallet 5, the side surface in the X direction of the slider unit 9 first abuts the side surface in the X direction of the storage hole 5a. Therefore, it is necessary to roughly position the suction position of the slider unit 9 in the Y direction.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the handling process of the slider alone to the inspection position by the measuring device 8.
The suction position positioning and handling operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the measuring device 8 drives the XY stage 6 to move the pallet 5 and sets the position of the storage hole 5a in which the slider 9 to be inspected is stored as the pickup position (Ox, Oy) of the XY coordinates ( Step 101).
Next, the lifting mechanism 22 is moved to lower the suction pickup 21 by a predetermined amount in the Z direction, and the slider unit 9 in the storage hole 5a is sucked in the storage hole 5a (step 102).
Here, when the storage hole 5a is a rectangular hole that is slightly larger than the slider 9, the suction position is roughly positioned in the Y direction after suction (step 103). When the storage hole 5a substantially corresponds and the suction position in the Y direction of the suction pickup 21 is in the rough positioning state, step 103 is skipped and the routine proceeds to step 104.
As shown by the arrows along the XY table 6 in FIG. 2, the rough positioning process in the step 103 moves the pallet 5 by a predetermined amount in the backward direction in the Y direction and moves the slider to the rear X side surface of the storage hole 5a. The rear X side surface of the single unit 9 is brought into contact with each other to roughly position the suction position in the Y direction. As a result, the side surface in the X direction of the slider unit 9 is brought into contact with the side surface in the X direction of the storage hole 5a, and the center of the suction position of the suction pickup 21 in the Y direction is a predetermined amount from the contact side surface in the X direction of the pallet 5. The distance Ys is set.

In step 104, the suction pickup 21 is raised by a predetermined amount in the Z direction, and the slider unit 9 is lifted up to the gap space between the ring-shaped magnets 4a and 4b to position the slider unit 9 at a position slightly higher than the height of the inspection position ( Step 104). The height of the slider unit 9 at this time is slightly higher than the horizontal surfaces 12c and 13c of the steps 12a and 13a of the chuck plates 12 and 13, and is not above the upper surfaces of the chuck plates 12 and 13. Here, the measuring device 8 drives the chuck driving mechanism 11 to close the chuck plates 12 and 13 and sandwich the slider unit 9 from both sides by the stepped portions 12a and 13a to determine the suction position of the slider unit 9 in the X direction. (Step 105).
Here, if the contact side surface of the stepped portion 12a of the chuck plate 12 is a reference surface, the stepped portion 12a is brought into contact with the center of the suction position of the suction pickup 21 in the X direction with respect to the slider single body 9 by the above-mentioned holding. A predetermined amount of Xs is set from the side surface of the slider unit 9, and the slider unit 9 is properly positioned on the XY plane at the inspection position.
Next, the lifting mechanism 22 is driven, and the suction pickup 21 is slightly lowered in the Z direction to place the slider unit 9 on the horizontal surfaces 12c and 13c of the stepped portions 12a and 13a and press the slider mounting groove 14. Fix (step 106). As a result, the slider unit 9 is positioned in the Z direction (height) at the inspection position, and the slider unit 9 is fixed at the inspection position.

Next, the measuring device 8 drives the Y stage 3b by a predetermined amount ΔY in the Y-axis direction to drive the inspection probe 3 forward, and brings the inspection probe 3 into contact with the head connection terminal of the slider unit 9 (step 107). ), The inspection is started (step 108). Then, it is determined whether or not the inspection is finished (step 109). When the inspection is finished, the measuring apparatus 8 drives the Y stage 3b backward by a predetermined amount ΔY in the Y-axis direction, and the inspection probe 3 is returned to the original position. (Step 110). Then, the measuring device 8 drives the chuck drive mechanism 11 to open the chuck plates 12 and 13 to release the chuck of the slider unit 9 (step 111).
Here, the suction pickup 21 in a state where the slider unit 9 is sucked down, and the slider unit 9 after the inspection is returned to the position of the original storage hole 5a of the pallet 5 (step 112).
When the measurement result is a defective product, the slider unit 9 returned to the storage hole 5a is printed with a mark indicating the defective product in a later step.
Next, it is determined whether or not the entire inspection process is completed (step 113). When the entire inspection process is not completed, the process returns to step 101 and the same process is continued for the slider unit 9.

As described above, in the embodiment, a permanent magnet is used as a device for generating a magnetic field, but this may be an electromagnet. Further, this magnet need not necessarily be circular (ring-shaped) as long as it is a hollow magnet that has a hollow space inside.
Further, in the embodiment, the inspection probe side is moved with respect to the slider alone positioned at the inspection position, but the inspection probe is moved reversely between the pickup and the slider alone within the hollow space of the magnet. You may make it contact with the probe.
In the embodiment, when the storage hole 5a is a rectangular hole that is slightly larger than the single slider 9, the suction position is roughly positioned on the pallet by slightly moving the pallet. The pickup side may be moved within the space. Further, if the pallet is tilted in the predetermined direction forward and backward or left and right and the sliders alone in the storage holes are aligned in a predetermined direction in advance, such rough positioning adjustment of the suction position of the suction pickup is unnecessary.
Further, in the embodiment, the inspection example of the slider of the MR head composite head is described. However, the invention is not limited to the MR head composite head as long as the slider has a similar size. .

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the positioning inspection stage. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the handling process of the slider alone to the inspection position by the measuring apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Positioning inspection stage, 2 ... Suction pickup,
3 ... inspection probe, 4 ... external magnetic field generator,
5 ... pallet, 6 ... XY stage,
7 ... Measurement unit, 8 ... Measurement device, 9 ... Slider alone,
10 ... Magnetic head slider inspection device,
11 ... chuck drive mechanism, 12, 13 ... chuck plate,
12a, 13a ... step portion, 14 ... slider mounting groove,
15, 17 ... device frame, 16 ... bracket,
21 ... Adsorption pickup (adsorption collet),
22: Elevating mechanism.

Claims (5)

In a magnetic head slider positioning mechanism for positioning the head slider alone on an inspection stage in order to inspect the characteristics of the magnetic head in the head slider alone having a magnetic head and a side surface on which a connection terminal of the magnetic head is formed.
A pallet having a plurality of storage holes arranged to store the head sliders one by one;
A first magnetic field is provided at the upper part of the pallet for generating a predetermined magnetic field at the inspection position which is vertically arranged so as to substantially coincide with the center at a predetermined interval corresponding to the inspection position of the head slider alone. And a second hollow magnet;
A pickup that moves up and down through the hollow portions of the first and second hollow magnets and sucks and holds the single head slider stored in the pallet;
A probe in contact with the connection terminal at the inspection position;
First and second chuck members that move in a substantially horizontal direction and are inserted into the space of the predetermined interval from the lateral direction to sandwich the side surface of the head slider unit from both sides,
Magnetic head slider positioning in which the single head slider is positioned by moving the single head slider adsorbed by the pickup up to the space position of the predetermined interval and being sandwiched between the first and second chuck members. mechanism.   The first and second hollow magnets are ring-shaped magnets, and the pickup has a conical shape, and the diameter of the tip thereof is smaller than the rectangular outer peripheral shape of the head slider alone. The first and second chuck members are plates having step portions that sandwich the side surfaces of the single head slider from both sides, and the step portions are opposed to each other on the inside. The magnetic head slider positioning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic head slider positioning mechanism is provided so that the side surface of the head slider unit is in contact with a vertical surface of each stepped portion.   3. A magnetic head slider positioning mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a horizontal surface of the stepped portion is a positioning surface in a height direction with respect to the head slider alone, and the pallet is placed on an XY table.   4. The magnetic head slider positioning mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the probe is provided on a probe card and moves toward the head slider alone in the space of the predetermined interval to contact the connection terminal. In a magnetic head slider inspection apparatus for inspecting characteristics of the magnetic head in a single head slider having a magnetic head and a side surface on which a connection terminal of the magnetic head is formed.
A pallet having a plurality of storage holes arranged to store the head sliders one by one;
A first magnetic field is provided at the upper part of the pallet for generating a predetermined magnetic field at the inspection position which is vertically arranged so as to substantially coincide with the center at a predetermined interval corresponding to the inspection position of the head slider alone. And a second hollow magnet;
A pickup that moves up and down through the hollow portions of the first and second hollow magnets and sucks and holds the single head slider stored in the pallet;
A probe in contact with the connection terminal at the inspection position;
First and second chuck members that move in a substantially horizontal direction and are inserted into the space of the predetermined interval from the lateral direction to sandwich the side surface of the head slider unit from both sides,
The head slider unit adsorbed by the pickup is raised to the space position of the predetermined interval and is sandwiched between the first and second chuck members, whereby the head slider unit is positioned and the inspection position is determined. A magnetic head slider inspecting apparatus, wherein the probe and the connection terminal are in contact with each other.

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