JPH11175926A - Magneto-resistive effect magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magneto-resistive effect magnetic head capable of stably operating for at long time even when an MR element is worn due to sliding with a magnetic record medium. SOLUTION: This magneto-resistive effect magnetic head is provided with plural magneto-resistive effect elements 8a, 8b, plural conductors 10a-10c connected to plural magneto-optical effect elements 8a, 8b and becoming terminals and a pair of soft magnetic bodies holding plural magneto-resistive effect elements 8a, 8b between them through insulation layers. Then, plural magneto- resistive effect elements 8a, 8b are constituted so that their distances from a slide surface with a magnetic record medium are different from each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetoresistance effect type magnetic head mounted on a magnetic head device for recording and reproducing information by sliding on a magnetic recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a magnetic head device mounted on a video tape recorder, a digital audio tape recorder, a data storage device or the like, as shown in FIG. A magnetic head 101 mounted on a rotating drum 102 is used. When information is recorded and reproduced by the magnetic head device, the rotating drum 102 is rotated while being in contact with the magnetic tape 100,
The magnetic head 101 mounted on the rotating drum 102 is scanned while being in contact with the magnetic tape 100 to record and reproduce information on a predetermined recording track.

[0003]

However, when the magnetic head 101 is scanned in contact with the magnetic tape as described above, the sliding surface of the magnetic head 101 is worn due to sliding with the magnetic tape 100. Would. In particular, in a recording / reproducing system that slides at high speed such as a helical scanning method, the output becomes unstable due to the wear of the sliding surface of the magnetic head, and the wear of the sliding surface of the magnetic head is extremely important in determining the head life. This is an important issue.

In this system, a magnetoresistive element (hereinafter, referred to as an MR element) is used as a reproducing magnetic head.
Assuming that a magnetoresistive effect type magnetic head (hereinafter, referred to as an MR head) is used, a decrease in sensitivity, a change in bias amount, a decrease in stable operation, and an initial resistance value due to wear of the MR element. Fatal problems such as misalignment may occur.

In order to solve such a problem, efforts have been made to avoid wear of the MR element by selecting a substrate material and defining the shape of the substrate, but to a practically perfect level. Not reached.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances. Even if the MR element is worn by sliding with a magnetic recording medium, the magnetic element can be operated stably for a long time. An object of the present invention is to provide a resistance effect type magnetic head.

[0007]

A magnetoresistive head according to the present invention includes a plurality of magnetoresistive elements, a plurality of conductors connected to the plurality of magnetoresistive elements and serving as terminals, and a plurality of conductors. And a pair of soft magnetic bodies sandwiching the magnetoresistive element with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive elements have different distances from a sliding surface with a magnetic recording medium. I do.

In the above-described magnetoresistive head according to the present invention, the plurality of magnetoresistive elements are provided with steps so that the distance from the sliding surface to the magnetic recording medium is different. Even if one magnetoresistive element is worn due to sliding with the magnetic recording medium, another magnetoresistive element arranged so as to have a different distance from the sliding surface is used.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, in order to prevent extra magnetic flux from the magnetic recording medium from entering the MR element, M
A description will be given by taking a shield type magnetic head in which an R element is sandwiched between insulating films as an example. In the following description, SAL
(Soft Adjacent Layer) A bias type magnetoresistive head will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to magnetic heads other than the shield type and magneto-resistance effect type magnetic heads other than the SAL bias type.

In the drawings used in the following description, characteristic portions may be shown in an enlarged manner, and actual dimensions and ratios are not necessarily the same.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an MR head 1 according to the present embodiment.

The MR head 1 includes a first substrate 2, a first insulating film 3 formed on the first substrate 2, and an MR head element 4 formed on the first insulating film 3. And a second insulating film 5 formed on the MR head element 4 and a second substrate 6 adhered on the second insulating film 5.

The first substrate 2 includes a guard member on the front end side in the sliding direction with the magnetic recording medium 7 indicated by an arrow A in FIG.
It also serves as the lower shield of the R head 1. The second substrate 6 also functions as a guard material on the rear end side in the sliding direction with the magnetic recording medium 7 and as an upper layer shield of the MR head 1. For the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 6, a hard soft magnetic material is used.

The first insulating film 3 serves as a lower layer gap of the MR head 1, and the second insulating film 5
It becomes the upper layer gap of the head 1.

The MR head element 4 includes a first insulating film 3
And a second insulating film 5, sandwiched between the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 6.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the MR head element 4. The MR head element 4 has a first MR element portion 8a and a second MR element portion 8b each having a substantially rectangular plane and arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is substantially parallel to the sliding surface 1a with the magnetic recording medium 7. And permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c formed at both longitudinal ends of the MR element portion, and permanent magnet films 9a, 9
b, 9c, lead conductors 10a, 10b,
10c, and external terminals 11a, 11b, 11c formed at one end of the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c.

In the MR head element 4, the MR element portions 8a and 8b are composed of an MR element having a magnetoresistance effect and an S element.
A soft magnetic film (so-called SAL film) for applying a bias magnetic field to the MR element is laminated by the AL bias method. The soft magnetic film functions to apply a bias magnetic field to the MR element to increase the linearity of the detection signal.

As the MR element, a known soft magnetic material can be used. Specifically, NiFe, NiFeC
o, permalloy NiFe-X (X is Ta, Cr, N
b, Rh, Zr, Mo, Al, Au, Pd, Pt, Si
Etc. Further, X may contain a plurality of these elements. ), CoZr-based amorphous and the like.

The MR head 1 has MR element portions 8a and 8
This is a so-called horizontal MR head which is disposed so that the longitudinal direction of b is substantially parallel to the sliding surface 1a with the magnetic recording medium 7.

In the MR head element 4, the two MR element portions 8a and 8b are arranged on a plane along the longitudinal direction. What is important here is the relationship between the position of the first MR element 8a and the position of the second MR element 8b. As shown in FIG. 3, in the MR head element 4, the second MR
The element portion 8b, the direction perpendicular to the sliding surface 1a are shifted with step t ₁ (hereinafter, referred to as a height direction.). It is preferable that the size of the step t ₁ is determined in consideration of a dynamic range necessary for a system to be used, a limit position at which the MR element works sufficiently, and the like.

Specifically, in this MR head element 4,
The second MR element portion 8b is located at a position lower than the first MR element portion 8a by a step of, for example, about 2.5 μm in the height direction. That is, when the first MR element 8a is reduced by about 2.5 μm due to wear, the second MR element 8b appears on the sliding surface 1a.

In this MR head, first, the first M
A recording signal is read from the magnetic recording medium 7 using the R element section 8a. The first MR element 8a gradually wears due to sliding with the magnetic recording medium 7, and the second MR element 8b appears on the sliding surface 1a when the height of the first MR element 8a decreases by 2.5 μm in the height direction.
When the second MR element 8b appears on the sliding surface 1a, the connection is electrically switched from the first MR element 8a to the second MR element 8b. Then, after switching from the first MR element section 8a to the second MR element section 8b, the recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 7 is similarly read using the second MR element section 8b.

As described above, the two MR element sections 8a and 8b
Are shifted in the height direction, so that one MR
Even if the element portion 8a reaches the service limit due to wear, the other M
It is possible to use the R element section 8b, and the MR head 1
Can be about twice as long.

The permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c are made of MR.
Provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the element portions 8a and 8b, the MR element is made into a single magnetic domain under the influence of the magnetic field from the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b and 9c, and Barkhausen noise is generated due to the movement of the domain wall in the MR element. It is to prevent.

In this embodiment, the two MR element sections 8
The three permanent magnet films 9a, 9b and 9c are provided for the two MR element portions 8a and 8b, respectively, and three permanent magnet films 9a, 9b and 9c are provided for the two MR element portions 8a and 8b. They have something in common. That is, the permanent magnet films 9a and 9b apply a stabilizing magnetic field to the first MR element 8a, and the permanent magnet films 9b and 9c
A stabilizing magnetic field is applied to the MR element section 8b. By providing the permanent magnet film 9b in common for the two MR element portions 8a and 8b, the MR head 1 can be made smaller and the configuration of the MR head 1 can be made simpler.

The permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c have a coercive force of 100, such as CoNiPt, CoCrPt, or the like.
It is preferable to use a material having 0 or more Oersted.

The permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9
Since c has conductivity, in this MR head 1, the sense current is applied to the extraction conductors 10a, 10b, 10c.
Is supplied to the MR element via the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c. The portions that become the magnetic sensing portions for actually detecting the magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium 7 are the permanent magnet films 9a and 9b.
This is the MR element section 8 provided between them. Therefore, the interval between the permanent magnet films 9a and 9b is equal to the track width T _1.
Next, the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, so that the track width T ₁ is regulated by 9c. Specifically, the MR head 1, the track width T ₁ of about 5μm, for example.

The distance t between the longitudinal center of the first MR element portion 8a and the longitudinal center of the second MR element portion 8b.
₂ is preferably an integral multiple of the track width T _1. By the longitudinal direction of the center of the integral multiple spacing t ₂ in the track width T ₁ of the the center of the second MR element portion 8b longitudinal direction of the first MR element portion 8a, both at the time of switching the use MR element The information can be read by the MR element section. Therefore, specifically, when the track width T ₁ is, for example, about 5 μm, in the MR head 1, the center between the longitudinal direction of the first MR element 8 a and the longitudinal center of the second MR element 8 b is determined. The interval t ₂ is, for example, about 50 μm.

The lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c are
It is an electrode made of a conductive film for supplying a sense current to the MR element portions 8a, 8b and the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c.

The lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c
Has a substantially rectangular shape provided so that its longitudinal direction is the height direction, and is not exposed on the sliding surface 1 a with the magnetic recording medium 7. One end of the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c in the longitudinal direction is connected to the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c.
c, a sense current is supplied to the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c and the MR element.

The external terminals 11a, 11b and 11c are for making electrical connection with the outside, and
a, 10b, and 10c are formed at the other end in the longitudinal direction.

When reading a recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 7 using such an MR head 1,
External terminals 11a, 1a formed at one end of the
1b via the lead conductors 10a and 10b.
A sense current is supplied to the R element section 8a, and the sense current flows in the longitudinal direction of the MR element section 8a along the sliding surface 1a. The sense current is used to detect a change in resistance of the first MR element 8a caused by the magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium 7, thereby reproducing a recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 7.

However, the first MR element portion 8a is gradually worn by sliding with the magnetic recording medium 7. Then, when the first MR element 8a is worn by, for example, about 2.5 μm, the second MR element 8b appears on the sliding surface 1a. When the second MR element 8b appears on the sliding surface 1a, the first
The connection is electrically switched from the MR element section 8a to the second MR element section 8b. From the first MR element portion 8a to the second M
After the connection is electrically switched to the R element 8b, a sense current is supplied from the external terminals 11b and 11c to the second MR element 8b via the lead conductors 10b and 10c, thereby similarly supplying the magnetic recording medium. 7 is reproduced.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the MR head 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, a disk-shaped first substrate 2 having a diameter of about 3 inches and a thickness of about 2 mm is prepared. The first substrate 2 also serves as a guard material on the front end side in the sliding direction and a lower shield of the MR head 1, and is made of a hard soft magnetic material. As a hard soft magnetic material, specifically, for example, N
There are i-Zn ferrite and Mn-Zn ferrite. Here, as described later, a large number of MRs are formed on this substrate.
Since the head element 4 is formed, the surface of the first substrate 2 is mirror-finished in order to improve the surface roughness.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an insulating film 3 serving as a lower gap is formed on the first substrate 2 having a mirror-finished surface by sputtering or the like. As a material of the insulating film 3, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ or the like is preferable in consideration of insulating characteristics, wear resistance, and the like. The thickness of the insulating film 3 is determined according to the frequency handled by the system, and is set to, for example, about 190 nm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, on the insulating film 3, a thin film 8 for an MR element portion to be the MR element portions 8a and 8b is formed. As described above, the MR element units 8a,
8b is formed by stacking an MR element and a soft magnetic film (so-called SAL film) for applying a bias magnetic field to the MR element in order to apply a bias magnetic field to the MR element by a so-called SAL bias method. Specifically, for example, T
a is 5 nm, NiFeNb is 43 nm, and Ta is 5 n.
m, 40 nm of NiFe and 1 nm of Ta in this order by sputtering or the like to form a thin film 8 for MR element.
To form Here, NiFe has an MR having a magnetoresistance effect.
NiFeNb becomes a soft magnetic film that applies a bias magnetic field to the MR film. The bias method of the MR element sections 8a and 8b and the material and thickness of each film constituting the MR element sections 8a and 8b are not limited to these, and can be arbitrarily changed according to the requirements of the system or the like.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, permanent magnet films 9a, 9b and 9c are formed on both ends of the portion to be the MR element portions 8a and 8b. This permanent magnet film 9
The MR element is magnetically stabilized by a, 9b and 9c. 9 and 10, and FIGS. 11 to 16 described later, a portion corresponding to one MR head element,
That is, a circle B portion in FIG. 8 is enlarged.

In order to form the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c, first, a resist is applied on the MR element section thin film 8, and the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c are formed by photolithography.
A resist pattern is formed in which the resist is removed only in the portions 9b and 9c.

Specifically, a resist pattern having three substantially rectangular openings arranged in the longitudinal direction is formed for one MR head element 4. Here, the track width T1 of the MR head ₁ is determined by the interval between the openings. Specifically to the track width T ₁ for example 5 [mu] m. The size of this opening is, for example, opening portions at both ends is about 40 [mu] m, about 10μm short sides t ₄ the long sides t _3.

Further, the size of the intermediate opening is such that the center of the first MR element 8a and the second MR element 8
The distance t _{2 from} the center of b is the track width T _{1 of the} MR head _1.
Is preferably determined to be an integral multiple of. Specifically, for example, t _{2 is set} to about 50 μm, and the short side t ₅ of the intermediate opening is set to about 10 μm.

Next, etching is performed using the resist pattern as a mask, and the M
The R element section thin film 8 is removed. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like. Next, a permanent magnet film is formed on the entire surface by sputtering or the like while the resist pattern remains. As a material of the permanent magnet film, a material having a coercive force of 1000 Oe or more is preferable. As a material having a coercive force of 1000 Oe or more, for example, CoNiPt, Co
CrPt and the like. Finally, by removing the resist together with the permanent magnet film formed on the resist,
The permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, 9c having a predetermined pattern are buried in the MR element thin film 8.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG.
Lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c for supplying a sense current to the R element sections 8a, 8b and the MR element sections 8a, 8b.
To form Specifically, first, a resist is applied on the MR element section thin film 8, and only the parts that will eventually become the MR element parts 8a and 8b and the parts that will eventually become the lead conductors 10a, 10b, and 10c are formed by photolithography. A resist pattern in which the resist remains is formed. Specifically, the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c and becomes part, the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b, connected to 9c, for example, a short side t ₆ is 60 [mu] m, the long side t ₇ is 2mm substantially rectangular One end in the longitudinal direction is connected to the permanent magnet films 9a, 9
b, 9c. The length t ₈ from the end of the lead conductor 10a to the end of the lead conductor 10c in the short side direction is, for example, 250 μm.

The space between the permanent magnet films 9a, 9b and 9c is a portion to be the MR element portions 8a and 8b. What is important here is the relationship between the position of the first MR element 8a and the position of the second MR element 8b. This MR head element 4
In the example, the second MR element 8b is shifted by a step t in the height direction. The size of the step t is preferably determined in consideration of the height of the MR element, a dynamic range necessary for a system to be used, a limit position at which the MR element operates sufficiently, and the like. Specifically, the MR element unit 8
a and 8b are, for example, substantially rectangular with a long side t ₉ of about 5 μm and a short side t ₁₀ of about 4 μm, and the second MR element 8b is arranged in a short side direction with respect to the first MR element 8a. It is formed to be shifted in the height direction with a step t ₁ of about 2.5 μm.

Next, etching is performed using the resist pattern as a mask to remove the MR element portion thin film 8 exposed from the mask. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like.

Next, the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10
The portion to be c is replaced with a conductive film having a lower electric resistance. First, a resist is applied, and a resist pattern in which the resist is applied only to portions to be the lead conductors 10a, 10b, and 10c is formed by a photolithography technique. Next, etching is performed using this resist pattern as a mask, and the lead conductor 10 exposed from the mask is etched.
The MR element portion thin film 8 in the portions a, 10b, and 10c is removed. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like. Lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10
After removing the MR element portion thin film 8 in the portion c, a conductive film 10 is formed with the resist pattern remaining.
Specifically, for example, 15 nm of Ti and 70 nm of Cu
And 15 nm of Ti in this order by sputtering or the like to form a conductive film. Next, the resist is removed together with the conductive film formed on the resist, so that the conductive films are formed on the lead conductors 10a, 10b, and 10c.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, an insulating film 5 serving as an upper gap is formed by sputtering or the like. As the material of the insulating film 5, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ or the like is preferable in consideration of insulating properties, wear resistance, and the like.
The thickness of the insulating film 5 is determined according to the frequency handled by the system, and is set to, for example, about 180 nm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, one end of each of the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c is connected to an external terminal 11a, 11b, 1 for making an electrical connection to the outside.
1c is formed. Specifically, first, apply a resist,
The external terminals 11a and 11
A resist pattern is formed in which the resist has been removed only in the portions b and 11c. Specifically, the external terminals 11a, 1
1b and 11c are formed in the lead conductor 1
0a, 10b, 10c, the permanent magnet films 9a,
This is the end not connected to 9b, 9c. Also,
The length t ₁₁ of the external terminals 11a, 11b, 11c is, for example, about 50 from the end of the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c.
μm. Using the resist as a mask, the insulating film 5 exposed from the mask is removed by etching. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like. Next, a conductive film for external terminals is formed with the resist pattern remaining. Specifically, for example, 500 nm of Cu and 500 nm of Au are formed in this order by sputtering or the like to form a conductive film for an external terminal. Next, by removing the resist together with the conductive film for external terminals formed on the resist, the external terminals 11a, 11b, 11c are formed at the ends of the lead conductors 10a, 10b, 10c.

With the above steps, the thin film process for forming the MR head elements 4 on the first substrate 2 is completed, and a number of MR head elements 4 are formed on the first substrate 2 as shown in FIG. It will be in the state that was done.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the first substrate 2 on which a number of MR head elements 4 are formed
Cutting is performed for each head element. The first substrate 2, for example the long side t ₁₂ about 2 mm, the short side t ₁₃ about 400 [mu] m, the thickness t ₁₄ is cut to approximately 0.8mm of chips.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the thickness t, for example, is placed on the first substrate 2 cut out for each MR head element.
_A second substrate 6 having a thickness of about 0.7 mm ₁₅ is attached. The second substrate 6 includes a guard member on the rear end side in the sliding direction and the MR head 1.
Will also serve as the upper layer shield. For bonding the second substrate 6, an adhesive such as a resin is used, for example. At this time, the length t ₁₆ of the second substrate 6 is made shorter than the length t ₁₂ of the first substrate 2 so that the external terminals 1
1a, 11b, and 11c are exposed, and external terminals 11a, 1c are exposed.
Connections to 1b and 11c are made. The second substrate 6 is made of a hard soft magnetic material. Specific examples of the hard soft magnetic material used for the second substrate 6 include Ni—Zn ferrite.

Finally, the surface to be the sliding surface 1a is subjected to grinding in accordance with the length per tape to form an arc, thereby completing the MR head as shown in FIG. At this time, the position of the sliding surface 1a is adjusted to the height of the end of the first MR element 8a.

When using this MR head 1, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the MR head 1 is attached to the chip base 12 and the external terminals 11 formed as described above are attached.
The terminals a, 11b, and 11c are electrically connected to the terminals 12a, 12b, and 12c provided on the chip base 12. Then, the MR head 1 is used after being mounted on the chip base 12 and then mounted on the rotating drum.

The MR head 1 having two MR elements has been described above as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The MR head having three or more MR elements having the same configuration is described. Is also applicable.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 22 shows an example of the configuration of an MR head 20 according to the present embodiment.

The MR head 20 has a first substrate 21
And a first insulating film 22 formed on the first substrate 21
A first MR head element 23 formed on the first insulating film 22, a second insulating film 24 formed on the first MR head element 23, and a second The formed soft magnetic film 25, the third insulating film 26 formed on the soft magnetic film 25, and the second M film formed on the third insulating film 26
An R head element 27, a fourth insulating film 28 formed on the second MR head element 27, and a second substrate 29 adhered on the fourth insulating film 28.

The first substrate 21 also serves as a guard material on the front end side in the sliding direction with respect to the magnetic recording medium 30 indicated by an arrow C in FIG. The second substrate 29 also serves as a guard material on the rear end side in the sliding direction with the magnetic recording medium 30 and as an upper layer shield of the MR head 20. First substrate 21 and second substrate 21
The substrate 29 is made of a hard soft magnetic material.

The first insulating film 22 serves as a lower layer gap of the first MR head element 23, and the second insulating film 24
Becomes the upper layer gap of the first MR head element 23.
On the other hand, the third insulating film 26 is the second MR head element 27
, And the fourth insulating film 28 becomes an upper layer gap of the second MR head element 27.

The MR head 1 described in the first embodiment
Is configured to have two MR element portions provided on a plane in one MR head element. However, in the MR head 20 according to the present embodiment, a first MR element portion 31 having the first MR element portion 31 is provided. The first MR head element 23 and the second MR head element 27 having the second MR element part are
Are stacked in the sliding direction with the magnetic recording medium 30 via the.

As shown in FIG. 23, the longitudinal direction of the first MR head element 23 is the sliding surface 20 with the magnetic recording medium 30.
a first MR element part 31 having a substantially rectangular plane and arranged substantially parallel to a, and permanent magnet films 32a and 32b formed on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first MR element part 31;
Lead conductors 33a, 33b led out from the permanent magnet films 32a, 32b;
b, and external terminals 34a and 34b formed at one end of B.

In the first MR head element 23, the first MR element part 31 has a magnetoresistance effect M
An R element and a soft magnetic film (so-called SA) for applying a bias magnetic field to the MR element by the SAL bias method.
L film). The soft magnetic film functions to apply a bias magnetic field to the MR element to increase the linearity of the detection signal.

A known soft magnetic material can be used as the MR element. Specifically, NiFe, NiFeC
o, permalloy NiFe-X (X is Ta, Cr, N
b, Rh, Zr, Mo, Al, Au, Pd, Pt, Si
Etc. Further, X may contain a plurality of these elements. ), CoZr-based amorphous and the like.

Further, the MR head 20 has the first MR
The longitudinal direction of the element portion 31 is the sliding surface 2 with the magnetic recording medium 30.
0a so that the first MR element 3
1 is a so-called horizontal type MR head.

The permanent magnet films 32a and 32b are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first MR element portion 31, and the MR element is made into a single magnetic domain by the influence of the magnetic field from the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b. This prevents the occurrence of Barkhausen noise due to the movement of the domain wall in the inside. These permanent magnet films 32a and 32b include, for example, CoNiPt,
It is preferable to use a material having a coercive force of 1000 Oe or more, such as CoCrPt.

Incidentally, the permanent magnet films 32a, 32b
Has conductivity, in this MR head 20, sense current is supplied to lead conductors 33a and 33b to be described later.
Is supplied to the first MR element section 31 through the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b. Then, the magnetic recording medium 30 is actually
The portion serving as a magnetic sensing portion for detecting a magnetic field from the first MR element portion is a first MR element portion 31 provided between the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b. Therefore, the permanent magnet film 32a and the permanent magnet film 32
distance between b is the track width T _2, and the permanent magnet films 32
a, so that the track width T ₂ is restricted by 32b.

The lead conductors 33a and 33b are connected to the first M
These are electrodes for supplying a sense current to the R element unit 31 and the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b. This lead conductor 33
a and 33b have a substantially rectangular shape provided such that the longitudinal direction is the height direction, and are not exposed on the sliding surface 20a with the magnetic recording medium 30. Lead conductors 33a, 3
3b is connected to the permanent magnet films 32a, 32
b, and a sense current is supplied to the permanent magnet films 32a, 32b and the first MR element 31 via the lead conductors 33a, 33b.

The external terminals 34a and 34b are for making an electrical connection with the outside, and are provided with lead conductors 33a and 33b.
b is formed at the other end in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 24, the basic configuration of the second MR head element 27 is the same as that of the first MR head element 23 described above, and the longitudinal direction is the same as that of the magnetic recording medium 3.
The second MR element 35 having a substantially rectangular planar shape and disposed substantially parallel to the sliding surface 20a of the second MR element 35, and permanent magnets formed at both longitudinal ends of the second MR element 35 Membrane 3
6a, 36b, lead conductors 37a, 37b derived from the permanent magnet films 36a, 36b, and external terminals 38 formed at one end of the lead conductors 37a, 37b.
a, 38b.

The first MR head element 23 and the second MR head element 27 are stacked via a soft magnetic film 25. What is important here is the positional relationship between the first MR head element 23 and the second MR head element 27. In this MR head 20, as shown in FIG.
As the height of the first MR element portion 31 and the height of the second MR element portion 35 has a step t _17, the first MR head element 23 and the second MR head element 27 in the height direction It is provided shifted. Preferably determined in consideration of the limit position acting sufficiently as a dynamic range and the MR elements required in systems using the magnitude of the step t _17.

In the present embodiment, the second MR element 35
At a position lower than the first MR element section 31 by 2.5 μm in the height direction. That is, when the first MR element section 31 is reduced by 2.5 μm due to wear, the second MR element section 35 appears on the sliding surface 20a.

In the MR head 20, first, the first
The recording signal is read from the magnetic recording medium 30 using the MR head element 23 of FIG. By sliding with the magnetic recording medium 30,
The first MR element 31 gradually wears. And the first M
When the R element 31 is reduced by 2.5 μm due to wear, the second
Appears on the sliding surface 20a. When the second MR element 35 appears on the sliding surface 20a, the connection is electrically switched from the first MR head element 23 to the second MR head element 27. After that, the recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 30 is similarly read using the second MR head element 27.

As described above, by providing two MR head elements shifted in the height direction, it is possible to use the other MR head element even if one of the MR head elements reaches the usage limit due to wear. , The life of the MR head 20 can be approximately doubled.

It is preferable that one lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23 and one lead conductor 37b of the second MR head element 27 be electrically connected. One lead conductor 3 of second MR head element 27
7b is formed so as to substantially overlap with one lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23, and is electrically connected to one lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23.
By making the two lead conductors conductive, the MR head 2
0 can be simplified. As shown in FIG. 24, the lead conductor 3 of the second MR head element 27
Since the end of 7a is bent, the other lead conductor 33a of the first MR head element 23 and the other lead conductor 37a of the second MR head element 27 can be connected from the outside, respectively. I have.

When a recording signal is read from the magnetic recording medium 30 using such an MR head, first, the first M
The recording signal is read out using the R head element 23.
A sense current is supplied from the external terminals 34a, 34b formed at one end of the lead conductors 33a, 33b to the first MR element 31 via the lead conductors 33a, 33b, and the first MR element 31 is moved along the sliding surface 20a. A sense current flows in the longitudinal direction of the MR element unit 31. The sense current is used to detect a change in resistance of the MR element caused by the magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium 30, thereby reproducing a recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 30. However, the first MR element section 31
Gradually wear due to sliding with the magnetic recording medium 30. Then, when the first MR element 31 is worn by, for example, about 2.5 μm, the second MR element 35 is moved to the sliding surface 20a.
Appears in When the second MR element section 35 appears on the sliding surface 20a, the connection is electrically switched from the first MR head element 23 to the second MR head element 27.

From the first MR head element 23 to the second MR
After the connection to the head element 27 has been electrically switched, the second terminal is pulled out from the external terminal via the lead conductors 37a and 37b.
By supplying a sense current to the R element section 35, a recording signal from the magnetic recording medium 30 is similarly reproduced.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the MR head 20 having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, for example, a disk-shaped first substrate 21 having a diameter of about 3 inches and a thickness of about 2 mm is prepared. This first
The substrate 21 serves also as a guard material on the front end side in the sliding direction and a lower shield of the MR head 20, and is made of a hard soft magnetic material. Specifically, as a hard soft magnetic material,
For example, there are Ni-Zn ferrite and Mn-Zn ferrite. Here, since a large number of MR head elements are formed on the first substrate 21 as described later, the surface of the first substrate 21 is mirror-finished to improve the surface roughness. Keep it.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, a first insulating film 22 serving as a lower layer gap of the first MR head element 23 is formed on the first substrate 21 having a mirror-finished surface. Is formed by sputtering or the like. The material of the first insulating film 22 is preferably, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ or the like in consideration of insulation characteristics, wear resistance, and the like. Further, the thickness of the first insulating film 22 is determined according to the frequency or the like handled by the system and is, for example, about 190 nm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, an MR element section thin film 31a to be the first MR element section 31 is formed on the first insulating film 22. As mentioned above,
The first MR element section 31 includes an MR element and a soft magnetic film (so-called SAL film) for applying a bias magnetic field to the MR element by a SAL bias method. Specifically, for example, Ta is set to 5 nm and NiFeNb is set to 43 n.
m, 5 nm of Ta, 40 nm of NiFe, and 1 nm of Ta in this order by sputtering or the like.
An R element section thin film 31a is formed. Here, NiFe becomes an MR film having a magnetoresistance effect, and NiFeNb becomes M
The soft magnetic film applies a bias magnetic field to the R film. The bias method of the first MR element section 31 and the materials and thicknesses of the respective films constituting the first MR element section 31 are not limited to these, and can be arbitrarily changed according to the requirements of the system or the like. is there.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 30, 31 and 32, permanent magnet films 32a and 32b are formed on both ends of a portion to be the first MR element portion 31. This permanent magnet film 32
The MR element is magnetically stabilized by a and 32b. FIGS. 31 and 32 and FIGS. 33 to 44 to be described later are enlarged views of a portion corresponding to one MR head element, that is, a portion of a circle D in FIG.

To form the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b, first, a resist is applied to the MR element section thin film 31a, and the permanent magnet films 3a and 3b are formed by photolithography.
A resist pattern is formed in which the resist is removed only at the portions 2a and 32b.

Specifically, a resist pattern having two substantially rectangular openings arranged in the longitudinal direction is formed for one first MR head element 31. Here, the track width T ₂ of the MR head 1 is determined by the distance of the opening. Specifically, the track width T _{2 is set} to, for example, 5
μm. The size of this opening is, for example, about 50μm long sides t _18, the short side t ₁₉ about 10 [mu] m.

Next, etching is performed using the resist pattern as a mask, and the M
The R element portion thin film 31a is removed. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like. Next, a permanent magnet film is formed on the entire surface by sputtering or the like while the resist pattern remains. As a material of the permanent magnet film, a material having a coercive force of 1000 Oe or more is preferable. As a material having a coercive force of 1000 Oe or more, for example, CoNiP
t, CoCrPt and the like. Next, the resist is removed together with the permanent magnet film formed on the resist, so that the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b having a predetermined pattern become MR.
It is in a state of being embedded in the element portion thin film 31a.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, the first MR element section 31 and lead conductors 33a and 33b for supplying a sense current to the first MR element section 31 are formed. Specifically, first, a resist is applied on the MR element section thin film 31a, and the resist is applied by a photolithography technique.
Finally, a resist pattern is formed in which the resist is removed only from the portions that will be the first MR element portion 31 and the portions that will be the lead conductors 33a and 33b.

More specifically, the lead conductors 33a, 33b
Become part connects the permanent magnet films 32a, to 32b, for example, a short side t ₂₀ is 80 [mu] m, long side t ₂₁ has a 2mm substantially rectangular, one longitudinal end portion is the permanent magnet film 32a and 32b. Then, in the short side direction, the lead conductor 33b is pulled from the end of the lead conductor 33a.
Length t ₂₂ to the end of a 200μm example.

The space between the permanent magnet films 32a and 32b is a portion to be the first MR element 31. Specifically, a first MR element 31, for example, long side t ₂₃ about 5μ
m and the short side t ₂₄ are approximately rectangular with a size of about 4 μm. Next, etching is performed using the resist pattern as a mask,
The MR element portion thin film 31a exposed from the mask is removed. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like.

Next, the portions serving as the lead conductors 33a and 33b are replaced with conductive films having lower electric resistance. First, the lead conductor 33 is formed by photolithography.
A resist pattern is formed in which the resist has been removed only in the portions a and 33b. Next, etching is performed using this resist pattern as a mask, and the thin film 3 for the MR element portion on the lead conductors 33a and 33b exposed from the mask is etched.
Remove 1a. Etching may be either dry or wet, but considering the ease of processing, etc.
Ion etching is preferred. Leader conductor 33a,
After removing the MR element portion thin film 31a in a portion to be 33b, a conductive film is formed with the resist pattern remaining. Specifically, for example, Ti is 15 nm, Cu is 7 nm.
A conductive film is formed by depositing 0 nm and 15 nm of Ti in this order by sputtering or the like. Next, the resist is removed together with the conductive film formed on the resist, so that the conductive films are formed on the lead conductors 33a and 33b.

Next, a second insulating film 24 serving as an upper layer gap of the first MR head element 23 is formed by sputtering or the like. As a material of the second insulating film 24, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ is preferable in consideration of insulation characteristics, wear resistance, and the like. The thickness of the second insulating film 24 is determined according to the frequency handled by the system and the like.
nm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, a soft magnetic film 25 serving as an upper shield is formed. In particular,
First, for example, NiFe is formed on the entire surface by sputtering or the like to form a plating base film. The thickness of the plating base film is, for example, about 10 nm. Next, a resist is applied on the plating base film, and a resist pattern in which the resist is removed only in a portion serving as an upper layer shield is formed by photolithography. The portion where the soft magnetic film 25 is formed has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape with a long side t ₂₅ of about 250 μm and a short side t ₂₆ of about 100 μm. Next, NiF
e in a magnetic field, for example, N
An iFe film is formed. Next, the soft magnetic film 25 serving as an upper shield is formed at a predetermined position by removing the resist together with the NiFe film formed on the resist and further removing an unnecessary portion of the plating base film by etching. State. The soft magnetic film 25 serving as the upper shield may be made of any soft magnetic material other than NiFe as long as it does not affect the MR element. Further, the method of forming the soft magnetic film 25 is not limited to plating, and may be formed by sputtering, vapor deposition, or the like.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, a third insulating film 26 is formed.

[0091] Specifically, first, a third insulating film 26 for example by forming a Al ₂ O ₃ to a thickness of about 4μm by sputtering or the like. Next, the third insulating film 26 is
Polish until the thickness becomes about 80 nm. By polishing the third insulating film 26, the surface of the third insulating film 26 is smoothed without any irregularities. Note that a second insulating film 26 is further formed on the third insulating film 26.
MR head element 27 is formed, and this third insulating film 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a lower layer gap of the second MR head element 27.
As the material of the third insulating film 26, any material can be used as long as it is non-magnetic and non-conductive, but, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ or the like is preferable in consideration of insulating characteristics, wear resistance and the like. is there. The method for forming the third insulating film 26 is not limited to sputtering, but may be formed by vapor deposition or the like.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 39 and 40, the second MR head element 27 is formed on the third insulating film 26 in the same manner as when the first MR head element 23 is formed. To form What is important here is the positional relationship between the position of the second MR head element 27 and the first MR head element 23. In the MR head 20, as shown in FIG. 25, it is formed by shifting with a step t ₁₇ the second MR head element 27 in the height direction. The size of the step t ₁₇ is, M
It is preferable to determine the height in consideration of the height of the R element, the dynamic range necessary for the system to be used, and the limit position where the MR element works sufficiently. Specifically, for example, the second MR element unit 35 is set to be about 2.5 μm
The second MR head element 27 is formed at a position lower than the element section 31 in the height direction. That is, the first M
When the R element section 31 is reduced by 2.5 μm due to wear, the second MR element section 35 appears on the sliding surface 20a. Further, in order to make one lead conductor 37b of the second MR head element 27 conductive with one lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23, one lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23 is connected to one lead conductor 33b. It is formed so as to substantially overlap. Then, the end of the other lead conductor 37a of the second MR head element 27 is formed in a bent state. At this time, the maximum width t ₂₇ from the end of the lead conductor 37a to the lead conductor 37b in the width direction is about 300 μm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 41 and 42, the lead conductor 33b and the lead conductor 37b are electrically connected to each other, and the ends of the lead conductors 33a, 37a, 37b are electrically connected to the outside. External terminals 34a,
38a and 38b are formed. Specifically, first, a resist is applied, and a resist pattern in which the resist is removed only in the portions that become the external terminals 34a, 38a, and 38b is formed by photolithography. Specifically, external terminal 3
The portions where 4a, 38a and 38b are formed are the ends of the lead conductors 33a, 37a and 37b which are not connected to the permanent magnet film in the longitudinal direction. The length t ₂₈ of the external terminals 34a, 38a, 38b is
For example, it is about 30 μm from the end of 3a, 37a, 37b. Using the resist as a mask, the insulating film exposed from the mask is removed by etching. The etching may be performed by a dry method or a wet method, but ion etching is preferable in consideration of ease of processing and the like. Next, after removing the resist, for example, Cu is deposited on the entire surface by sputtering or the like to form a plating base film. The thickness of the plating base film is, for example, 0.1 μm
Degree. Next, a resist is applied on the plating base film, and a resist pattern is formed by photolithography in which the resist is removed only from the portions that become the external terminals 34a, 38a, and 38b.

[0094] Next, electrolytic plating using a copper sulfate solution was performed.
A Cu film is formed. Next, the above resist is
Removed together with the Cu film deposited on the
By removing the underlying plating film by etching.
The lead conductor 33b of the first MR head element 23
And the lead conductor 37b of the second MR head element 27.
To make it a common lead conductor,
External ends are provided at the rear ends of the lead conductors 33a, 37a, 37b.
The child 34a, 38a, 38b is formed.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 43 and 44, a fourth insulating film 28 serving as an upper layer gap of the second MR head element 27 is formed by sputtering or the like. This fourth
As a material of the insulating film 28, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ or the like is preferable in consideration of insulating characteristics, wear resistance, and the like. The thickness of the fourth insulating film 28 is determined according to the frequency handled by the system and the like, and is set to, for example, about 180 nm. At this time, the fourth insulating film 28 is not formed on the external terminal portion, or after the fourth insulating film 28 is formed on the entire surface,
The fourth terminals formed on the external terminals 34a, 38a, 38b
Is removed by etching.

With the above steps, the thin film process for forming the MR head elements on the first substrate 21 is completed, and as shown in FIG.
27 is formed.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the first substrate 21 on which a number of MR head elements are formed
Cutting is performed for each head element. The first substrate 21 has, for example, a long side t ₂₉ of about 2 mm, a short side t ₃₀ of about 350 μm, and a thickness t _31.
Are cut into chips of about 0.8 mm.

[0098] Then, as shown in FIG. 48, on the first substrate 21 cut out for each MR head element, for example, the thickness t ₃₂ is pasted second substrate 29 of approximately 0.7 mm. The second substrate 29 also serves as a guard material on the rear end side in the sliding direction and as an upper layer shield of the MR head 20. For bonding the second substrate 29, for example, an adhesive such as a resin is used. In this case, the length t ₃₃ of the second substrate 29 made shorter than the length t ₂₉ of the first substrate 21, so that the connection to the external terminal is made to expose the external terminals of the MR head element To The second substrate 29 is made of a hard soft magnetic material. Specific examples of the hard soft magnetic material used for the second substrate 29 include Ni—Zn ferrite.

Finally, the surface which becomes the sliding surface 20a is subjected to grinding according to the length per tape to form an arc, thereby completing the MR head 20 as shown in FIG. At this time, the position of the sliding surface 20a is the first MR
The height is adjusted to the height of the end of the element portion 31.

When using this MR head 20, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the MR head 20 is attached to the chip base 39, and the external terminals formed as described above and the terminals 39a and 39 provided on the chip base 39 are provided.
b and 39c are electrically connected. The MR head 20 is attached to the chip base 39 in this way, and then attached to the rotating drum for use.

Although the MR head 20 having two MR elements has been described above as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is applicable to an MR head having three or more MR elements having the same configuration. Is also applicable.

The MR head 1 according to the present invention as described above
The MR head 20 is particularly effective when used in a system for recording and reproducing information by sliding at high speed with a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium, such as a helical scanning method. However, these MR head 1 and MR head 2
0 can also be used in a system for recording and reproducing information by sliding on a disk-shaped magnetic recording medium.

[0103]

The magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head of the present invention comprises:
Since a plurality of magnetoresistive elements having different heights from the sliding surface of the magnetic recording medium are provided, the life of the head can be extended by sequentially switching and using the magnetoresistive elements.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one configuration example of an MR head according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one configuration example of the MR head element of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of the MR head element of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the MR head, and is a plan view showing a state where a first insulating film is formed on a first substrate.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line X ₁ -X ₂ in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head;
It is a top view showing the state where the thin film for R element parts was formed.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line X ₃ -X ₄ in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the MR head;
It is a top view showing the state where a resist pattern was formed on the thin film for R element parts.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing the MR head, and is a plan view showing a state where a permanent magnet film is formed.

[10] In FIG. 9, a sectional view taken along X ₅ -X ₆ lines.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head.
It is a top view showing the state where the MR element part and the lead conductor were formed.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line X ₇ -X ₈ in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing an MR head.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state where a second insulating film is formed on the MR head element.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line X ₉ -X ₁₀ in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state where external terminals are formed.

In [16] FIG 15 is a cross-sectional view in X ₁₁ -X ₁₂ line.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the MR head.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a number of MR head elements are formed on a first substrate.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state where the first substrate is cut for each MR head element.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line X ₁₃ -X ₁₄ in FIG. 18;

FIG. It is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head,
A second substrate is provided on the first substrate cut for each MR head element.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the substrate is attached.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the MR head is pasted on a chip base.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of an MR head according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the first MR head element of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the second MR head element of FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a first MR head element and a second MR head element.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing an MR head.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state where a first insulating film is formed on a first substrate.

FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₁ -Y ₂ in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing the MR head.
It is a top view showing the state where the thin film for MR elements was formed.

FIG. 29 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₃ -Y ₄ in FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the MR head,
It is a top view showing the state where many resist patterns were formed on the thin film for MR elements.

FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing an MR head.
It is a top view showing the state where the permanent magnet film was formed.

FIG. 32 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₅ -Y ₆ in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the MR head.
It is a top view showing the state where the MR element part and the lead conductor were formed.

34 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₇ -Y ₈ in FIG.

FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating the method for manufacturing the MR head,
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state where a second insulating film and a soft magnetic film are formed on the MR head element.

36 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₉ -Y ₁₀ in FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing the MR head.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state where a third insulating film is formed.

[38] In FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view in Y ₁₁ -Y ₁₂ lines.

FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing the MR head.
FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state where a second MR head element is formed on a third insulating film.

40 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₁₃ -Y ₁₄ in FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing the MR head,
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state where external terminals are formed.

42 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₁₅ -Y ₁₆ in FIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is a diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing the MR head.
FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state where a fourth insulating film is formed.

FIG. 44 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₁₇ -Y ₁₈ in FIG. 43.

FIG. 45 is a diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing the MR head.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a number of MR head elements are formed on a first substrate.

FIG. 46 is an illustration for explaining the method of manufacturing the MR head;
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state where the first substrate is cut for each MR head element.

47 is a sectional view taken along line Y ₁₉ -Y ₂₀ in FIG. 46.

FIG. 48 It is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an MR head,
A second substrate is provided on the first substrate cut for each MR head element.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the substrate is attached.

FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the MR head is pasted on a chip base.

FIG. 50 is a diagram illustrating an example of a magnetic head device.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 MR head, 8a First MR element part, 8b
2nd MR element section, 20 MR heads, 23 1st MR head element, 27 2nd MR head element, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st MR element part, 35 2nd MR element part

Claims (5)

[Claims] A plurality of magnetoresistive elements, a plurality of conductors connected to the plurality of magnetoresistive elements and serving as terminals, and a pair of soft members sandwiching the plurality of magnetoresistive elements via an insulating layer. A magneto-resistive element, wherein the plurality of magneto-resistive elements have different distances from a sliding surface with a magnetic recording medium. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductors is connected to two or more magnetoresistive elements so as to be a common terminal of the two or more magnetoresistive elements. A magnetoresistive head according to claim 1. 3. The magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein said magneto-resistance effect element has a substantially rectangular shape, and a plurality of magneto-resistance effect elements are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction. . 4. A magnetoresistive magnetic element according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the centers of the plurality of magnetoresistive elements in the longitudinal direction is substantially equal to an integral multiple of the recording track width of the magnetic recording medium. head. 5. The magnetoresistive head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive elements are stacked in a sliding direction with a magnetic recording medium via a soft magnetic layer. .