JP2988441B2 - Magnetoresistive head and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for writing information written on a magnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk to a magnetoresistance effect (Ma
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive effect head (hereinafter, referred to as an MR head) for reading and reproducing using a getoresistive effect and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, magnetic disk devices and magnetic tape devices have been used as advantageous magnetic heads capable of coping with recording and reproduction with a narrow track width and a high linear density with the miniaturization of equipment and the increase in magnetic recording density. An MR head having a high reproduction sensitivity is being put to practical use.

[0003] In an MR head, an electrode is attached to a magnetoresistive element (hereinafter, referred to as an MR element) to flow a current,
A change in resistance of the MR element is detected as an output. in this case,
In order to approach a linear response output to the signal magnetic field, MR
A lateral bias magnetic field applied in the height direction of the element film and a longitudinal bias applied in the track width direction of the MR element film are required to reduce Barkhausen noise.

A typical prior art example describing such an MR head element is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-125311.
And JP-A-7-57223.

These have a central active region having a predetermined length and width, and formed of a continuous three-layer structure of a lateral bias layer made of a soft magnetic film, an intermediate non-magnetic layer, and an MR element layer. Have. Further, adjacent to both sides of the central active region, a passive region including a longitudinal bias means and an electrode layer in which a permanent magnet layer or a soft magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer are laminated in this order is formed.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a conventional MR head viewed from a levitation surface (ABS surface) facing a magnetic storage medium. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire MR head.

In both figures, an MR element portion is disposed between upper and lower shield magnetic layers 3 and 4 made of a ferromagnetic material via predetermined insulating layers 1 and 2 and has an inductive head for performing recording on a magnetic storage medium. It is configured as a combined thin film composite head.

Usually, the thickness of the central active region 5 is 10
30 to 90 in which the three layers of the soft magnetic lateral bias film 6, the nonmagnetic intermediate layer 7, and the MR element layer 8 having a thickness of about 30 nm are added.
nm. The passive regions 9A and 10A formed on both left and right sides of the central active region 5 have a thickness of 40 to 60 nm for the longitudinal bias means 9a and 10a and the electrode 9 for 50 to 150 nm.
b, 10b and 90 to 210 nm.

As described above, the thickness of the passive regions 9A and 10A is larger than that of the central active region 5. for that reason,
The upper shield magnetic layer 3 formed thereon via the insulating layer 2 is deformed to reflect the difference in thickness. Therefore, the inductive head portion for performing recording formed thereon also deforms to the same shape. That is, the sectional shapes of the recording gap 11 and the upper pole magnetic layer 12 made of the insulating layer are also deformed. Reference numeral 1 in FIG.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a substrate, 14 denotes an ABS surface, and 15 denotes a coil layer.

[0010]

As shown in the prior art examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, the recording gap deformation causes "bending" near both ends of a recording transition (recording bit boundary), and the central active region 5 , That is, as the track width becomes smaller, it cannot be ignored.

[0011] Due to the occurrence of the "bending", the linearity of the degree of decrease in the reproduction output with respect to off-track is impaired, and there is a problem that the off-track profile becomes non-linear and the half width of the reproduction output waveform increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an MR head capable of reducing a recording gap deformation and preventing a bending deformation at a recording bit boundary, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0013]

An MR head according to the present invention comprises:
A central active area portion having at least a magnetoresistive element layer (MR element layer) having a predetermined length and width is provided between upper and lower shield magnetic layers made of a ferromagnetic material with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. The lower shield magnetic layer has a flat central portion formed at the top formed in a mountain shape, and a flat central portion formed at the top of the lower shield magnetic layer. An inclined skirt connected to both sides of the portion, wherein the central active area is provided on the flat central part, and the passive area is flattened so as to fill the inclination on the inclined hem. Is provided.

In this case, since the upper surfaces of the central active region and the passive region are flat, the insulating layer and the upper shield magnetic layer can be provided almost flat respectively. Then, a recording gap can be provided flat on the flat upper shield magnetic layer.

Further, the method of manufacturing an MR head of the present invention
A lower shield magnetic layer is deposited on a substrate, a photoresist pattern is formed thereon, and the lower shield magnetic layer is ion-etched by using the photoresist pattern as a mask to form a mountain having a flat top at the center. Next, after removing the photoresist pattern, the central active region is formed on the flat central portion of the lower shield magnetic layer, and the slope is buried on both sides of the flat central portion. The passive region is formed flat. The insulating layer and the upper shield magnetic layer are formed flat in order on the central active region and the passive region portion flattened in this way, and a recording gap is further formed flat thereon. It becomes possible.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the MR head according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the structure of the MR head of the present embodiment viewed from the ABS (floating) surface facing the magnetic recording medium, and FIGS. 2A to 2C show the manufacturing process of the MR head. FIG.

In FIG. 1, a soft magnetic lateral bias layer 21, a non-magnetic intermediate layer 22 and an MR
It has a central active region 20 composed of three layers of element layers 23, and passive regions 24, 2 adjacent to both sides of the central active region 20.
7 are formed. One passive region 24 includes a vertical bias layer 25 and an electrode layer 26, and the other passive region 27 includes a vertical bias layer 28 and an electrode layer 29. These two passive regions 24, 27 are formed by insulating layers 30, 31.
Through the upper and lower shield magnetic layers 3 made of a ferromagnetic material
It is formed between 2 and 33.

The configuration of the present invention is characterized in that the upper surface of the lower shield magnetic layer 33 made of a ferromagnetic material formed on the substrate 34 has a flat central portion 33a and mountain-shaped inclined portions 3 on both sides thereof.
3b and 33c.

FIG. 2 shows a step of forming the lower shield magnetic layer 33 in such a mountain shape. That is, first, for example, Ni
The lower shield magnetic layer 33 having a thickness of 1 to 3 μm is formed by a plating method using -Fe, Co-Zr-Ta, Co-Zr-Nb or the like (FIG. 2A).

Next, a photoresist pattern 3 is formed on the lower shield magnetic layer 33 where the flat central portion 33a is formed.
5 is formed (FIG. 2A), and the lower shield magnetic layer 33 is ion-milled using the photoresist pattern 35 as a mask (FIG. 2-B).

Thereafter, the photoresist pattern 35 is lifted off (FIG. 2C), whereby, as shown in FIG. 1, a mountain-shaped lower shield magnetic layer 33 formed by a flat central portion 33a and inclined portions 3b and 33c on both sides. Is formed. Incidentally, the width of the flat central portion 33a is formed on the order of 0.5 to several μm.

The central active region 20 includes the lower shield magnetic layer 3
3 is formed on the flat central portion 33a, and the passive regions 24, 2
7 is formed on the mountain-shaped inclined portions 33b and 33c on both sides. With this configuration, the passive regions 24, 2
7 can be absorbed by the depressions of the inclined portions 33b and 33c so that the film thickness of 7 does not become larger than the film thickness of the central active region 20.

As a result, the insulating layer 31 and the upper shield magnetic layer 32 formed on the central active region 20 and the passive regions 24 and 27 on both sides are substantially flattened. That is, the inductive head portion for recording is also flattened in accordance with the inductive head portion, and the recording gap 36 formed of an insulating layer and the cross-sectional shape of the upper pole magnetic layer 37 also have an appropriate rectangular cross section without bending or deformation. Can be.

The lateral bias layer 21 of the soft magnetic film in the central active region 20 has a thickness of 5 to 40 nm of Co-Zr, C.
o-Zr-Mo, Ni-Fe-Rh, Ni-Fe-N
b, Ni-Fe-Cr and Ni-Fe-Mo are used. The non-magnetic intermediate layer 22 has a thickness of 1 to 10 nm.
a, Ti, and Mo are used. In addition, ferromagnetic MR
The element layer 23 includes Ni—Fe, Ni having a thickness of 5 to 40 nm.
-Fe-Co is used.

The vertical bias layers 25 and 28 in the passive region 24 have Co-Pt and Co-Pt-M having a thickness of 10 to 50 nm.
o, Co-Pt-Cr or other permanent magnet film, or Ni-F
e and Ni-Hn are used so as to be exchange-coupled.

If necessary, Cr, Ti, W-Ti having a thickness of 1 to 10 nm is used as a base film. Each electrode layer 26, 29 of the passive regions 24, 27 has a thickness of 50
Au, Ta, W, and Mo of up to 200 nm are used. When W or Mo is used for the electrode layer, the electrode base film is generally unnecessary. When Au is used for the electrode layer, Ta or Mo is used for the base film from the viewpoint of improving the adhesion. T
When a is used for the electrode layer, W,
WTi is used for the underlayer.

In the above-described embodiment, the central active region 20 is composed of a soft magnetic lateral bias layer 21, a non-magnetic intermediate layer 22, and a ferromagnetic MR element layer 23, so-called SAL ( Soft Adjacent Layer) type was shown. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and a GMR element utilizing a phenomenon in which the electric conductivity differs due to spin-dependent scattering when the magnetizations of adjacent magnetic layers sandwiching the non-magnetic layer are parallel or non-parallel. The same can be applied to the above case.

[0029]

As described above, according to the MR head of the present invention and the method of manufacturing the same, the upper surface of the lower shield magnetic layer is formed in a mountain shape, and the flat top of the mountain shape is formed of a flat MR element layer or the like. The central active area part is provided, and the passive area parts on both sides are provided flat so as to fill the sloped skirt of the mountain shape. The recording gap can be provided flat without deformation. As a result, a high-quality narrow track MR head can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an embodiment of an MR head according to the present invention as viewed from an ABS.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are cross-sectional views illustrating a part of the manufacturing process of the MR head according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional MR head viewed from the ABS.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire conventional MR head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 central active region 21 soft magnetic lateral bias layer 22 nonmagnetic intermediate layer 23 ferromagnetic MR element layer 24, 27 passive region 25, 28 vertical bias layer 26, 29 electrode layer 30, 31 insulating layer 32 upper shield Magnetic layer 33 Lower shield magnetic layer 33a Flat central part 33b, 33c Inclined foot part 34 Substrate 35 Photoresist pattern 36 Recording gap 37 Upper pole magnetic layer 38 ABS surface

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A central active region having at least a magnetoresistive element layer having a predetermined length and width is provided between upper and lower shield magnetic layers made of a ferromagnetic material via insulating layers, respectively. In the magnetoresistive effect head provided with a passive region portion composed of a vertical bias layer and an electrode layer connected to both sides of the lower shield magnetic layer, a flat central portion on the top formed in a mountain shape, The flat central portion has an inclined skirt connected to both sides thereof, the central active area portion is provided on the flat central portion, and the flattened so as to fill the slope on the inclined hem portion. A magneto-resistive head comprising a passive region. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer and the upper shield magnetic layer are provided substantially flat on the flat central active region and the passive region, respectively. Magnetoresistive head. 3. A recording gap is provided flat on the flat upper shield magnetic layer.
3. The magnetoresistive effect head according to 1. 4. The magnetoresistive head according to claim 3, wherein an undeformed upper pole magnetic layer is provided on the recording gap. 5. A central active region portion having at least a magnetoresistive element layer having a predetermined length and width is formed between upper and lower shield magnetic layers made of a ferromagnetic material via an insulating layer, respectively. A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive head in which a passive region comprising a vertical bias layer and an electrode layer is formed by being connected to both sides of a portion, wherein the lower shield magnetic layer is deposited on a substrate and a photoresist pattern is formed thereon. Using the photoresist pattern as a mask, the lower shield magnetic layer is ion-etched to form a flat peak at the center, and after removing the photoresist pattern, a flat central portion of the lower shield magnetic layer is formed. The central active region portion is formed on the upper portion, and the passive region portion is formed flat so as to fill the slope on the inclined skirt portions on both sides of the flat central portion. And forming the insulating layer and the upper shield magnetic layer in this order on the planarized central active region and the passive region portion. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a recording gap is formed flat on the flattened upper shield magnetic layer. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the upper pole magnetic layer is formed on the recording gap without deformation.