JPH1125413A - Thin film magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the contacting pressure between a magnetic recording medium and thin film element employing a simple machining and to improve the productivity by providing grooves to the sliding section, which always contacts with and slides against a magnetic recording medium to conduct a magnetic recording and reproducing and has plural thin film elements, so that the peripheral sections of the elements become independent to each other. SOLUTION: The peripheral sections of plural thin film elements 43 are made into independent parts by grid shaped grooves 41 provided on a sliding section S and the parts are sectionalized by prismatic thin film element sections O and pyramid shaped guide sections P. The sections P absorb the dispersion in the positioning of elements 43 so that the sections O, which are located at the position being guided, always receive a constant contacting width and a contacting pressure. Due to its own elasticity, a magnetic tape T generates elastic distortion against the grooves 41, the sections O are enclosed, the contacting conditions are stabilized and the winding-up of worn particles generated during a tape running and foreign matters from the external is prevented. Thus, a stable recording and reproducing is conducted and the improvement in the productivity by the simplified manufacturing process is realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head used for, for example, a data cartridge for a computer, and more particularly to a thin-film magnetic head which requires a sliding portion with a magnetic recording medium wider than a thin-film element. About

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thin-film magnetic heads suitable for high-density magnetic recording are being used instead of bulk-type magnetic heads in the field of data cartridges for computers, which are shifting to higher capacity. Is underway. Particularly in recent years, in response to higher densities, inductive thin film heads have been used on the recording side, and a magnetic field that converts a signal magnetic field from a magnetic tape, which is a magnetic recording medium, into electrical resistance change and detects it on the reproducing side. Resistive effect type thin film head (MR head)
Is used.

[0003] Thin-film magnetic heads including MR heads are manufactured using a semiconductor manufacturing method, and thus are generally manufactured with a substrate size of about 3 inches to 5 inches.
Similar to semiconductors, the size of the substrate is made as large as possible in order to reduce the man-hour per head in the thin film forming process and to increase the yield per head and reduce the cost, while increasing the length and width of one head. Has been considered so that the number of thin film magnetic heads per substrate can be as large as possible.

However, in a thin-film magnetic head that requires a sliding portion with a magnetic tape wider than the thin-film element, for example, a thin-film magnetic head used in a tape streamer for a computer, a blank portion having no thin-film element is provided. Increases the area occupied by the thin film magnetic heads in one substrate. The thin-film magnetic head has a very large proportion of the total man-hours in the number of processes of forming the thin film, which is several tens of steps or more. In this case, the cost is often increased particularly from the viewpoint of the yield.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, in order to avoid the above problem, the width of one head is reduced by the thin film magnetic head 30.
A pattern is designed with the minimum required width of the thin film element 33, and a parallel protection plate 39 for supplementing the required sliding width between the opposing protection plate 38 for protecting the thin film element 33 and the required magnetic tape T is bonded in a later step. Had taken the method of doing.

[0006]

The sliding portion S of the above-mentioned conventional thin film magnetic head 30 has a contact angle θ1 with the magnetic loop T shown in FIG. It is formed in a calculated cylindrical shape having a certain curvature R. In the drawing, W indicates the width at which the sliding portion S contacts the magnetic tape T.

In such a cylindrical sliding portion S, FIG.
In the state of contact with the magnetic tape T shown in FIG. 4, the contact width W is larger than the thin film element 33. Further, in the contact state when the contact pressure of the magnetic tape T with respect to the thin film element 33 shown in FIG.
3 smaller. If the positioning accuracy of the thin-film magnetic head 30 is inclined in the θ direction, the contact width W deviates from the position of the thin-film element 33, and the electrical characteristics are deteriorated, so that stable recording / reproduction cannot be performed.

Accordingly, the state of contact between the sliding portion S and the magnetic tape T is greatly affected by the positioning accuracy when the thin-film magnetic head is manufactured. W is increased. However, when the contact width W is large, the thin film element 33
The contact pressure on the thin film element 3 is reduced.
Since the surface is larger than that of No. 3, entrapment of abrasion powder, foreign matter and the like is likely to occur. Then, due to a decrease in contact pressure and entrainment of abrasion powder or foreign matter, a spacing loss occurs between the thin film element 33 and the magnetic tape T, and quality problems such as a failure to perform good recording / reproduction occur. I do.

Further, in the step of positioning the thin-film magnetic head 30, not only an assembling technique for performing high-precision positioning is required, but also in order to maintain a stable contact state, the sliding portion S must have a uniform cylindrical shape. A shape is also required, and a processing technique for performing highly accurate cylindrical grinding is required. Accordingly, since the number of steps required for the positioning step and the cylindrical grinding step is increased, it is difficult to reduce the tact time of the entire manufacturing step, and it is not easy to reduce the cost per head.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a thin-film magnetic head capable of improving a contact state between a magnetic recording medium and a sliding portion and simplifying a manufacturing process. With the goal.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the above object is provided on a sliding portion which slides on a magnetic recording medium,
In a thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of thin-film elements that perform magnetic recording and reproduction while constantly contacting the magnetic recording medium,
This is achieved by providing a groove that makes the peripheral portion of each of the thin film elements independent.

According to the above configuration, since the groove for making the peripheral portion of the thin film element independent is provided, a high contact pressure is obtained between the magnetic recording medium and each thin film element, and stable contact is possible. Becomes Furthermore, since stable contact can be performed without being affected by the positioning accuracy and the cylindrical grinding accuracy, the required accuracy for the positioning step and the cylindrical grinding step is reduced, and productivity can be improved.

[0013]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention,
Although various technically preferable limits are given, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified in the following description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.
The thin-film magnetic head 40 has the same configuration as the conventional one in that it has a parallel protective plate 49 for compensating for the sliding width between the opposing protective plate 48 for protecting the thin-film element 43 and the required sliding width of the magnetic tape T, The configuration is different in that a lattice-shaped groove 41 for making the peripheral portions of the plurality of thin film elements 43 independent from each other is provided in the sliding portion S.

The peripheral portion of the thin film element 43 is divided into a prismatic thin film element portion O and a pyramid-shaped guide portion P by lattice-like groove processing. Contact each with T independently. Guide part P
Plays an auxiliary role of guiding the thin film element portion O. In the contact of the thin film element portion O with the magnetic tape T alone, the contact pressure per element is dramatically improved, but the increased contact pressure causes significant wear of the thin film element 43 and shortens the head life. Thin film magnetic head 40
This is because the performance of the device deteriorates.

The guide portion P serves to absorb the variation in the positioning accuracy of each thin film element 43 and to constantly apply a constant contact width and contact pressure to the thin film element portion O at the position where the thin film element 43 is being guided. I have. This is because the contact position of the thin film element portion O with the magnetic tape T alone becomes non-uniform due to variation in positioning accuracy.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the contact state between the thin film element portion O and the magnetic tape T viewed from the side. Due to the characteristics of the magnetic tape T due to its own elastic material, the magnetic tape T is elastically deformed in the groove shape and wraps around the prismatic thin film element portion O. This not only stabilizes the contact state, but also prevents the abrasion powder generated during running of the magnetic tape T and the intrusion of foreign matter from the outside.

Here, an example of a method of manufacturing a combination head using the thin-film magnetic head 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.
3 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4, a thin film element 43 and an electrode lead terminal 44 from the thin film element 43 are formed in a matrix on the surface of the substrate 42 by using a thin film forming technique such as evaporation, sputtering or etching. A head substrate 45 is manufactured. Next, the thin-film magnetic head substrate 45 is cut along the imaginary line 46 into one head to produce a cutting chip 47 as shown in FIG.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the cut chip 47 is combined with the opposing protection plate 48 and the parallel protection plate 49, and bonded with resin or glass to produce an adhesive chip 50 as shown in FIG. Then, this adhesive chip 5
0 is cut into one chip along the imaginary lines 51 and 52 to produce a head chip 53 as shown in FIG.

Next, the surface of the head chip 53, which is to be the sliding portion S with the magnetic tape T, is marked with a marker (hereinafter referred to as the "gap depth") provided in the thin-film magnetic head substrate 45, which can be polished by a dimension. , A depth marker) and a polishing monitor (hereinafter referred to as a depth monitor) that detects a change in electric resistance, while controlling to a predetermined gap depth dimension H as shown in FIG. Processing is performed to produce a head chip 54.

That is, while rotating or oscillating the head tip 53, cylindrical grinding is performed by a cylindrical grinding wheel, which is an outer peripheral cutting edge composed of fixed abrasive grains such as diamond abrasive grains. Then, the cylindrically ground sliding portion S is finally polished with a sheet-like abrasive (polishing tape).

Then, a grinding wheel made of abrasive grains such as diamond or a bonding material such as metal or resin is attached to a grinding device or a slicing machine, and as shown in FIG. The groove 41 is ground to produce a head chip 55. The grooves 41 may be formed by laser trimming. Then, FIG.
As shown in (1), the electrode wiring is taken out from the electrode lead-out terminal 44 of the head chip 55 to the printed wiring board 56 by wire bonding or solder connection, and the head chip 57 is manufactured.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, of the head chip 57, a thin film recording head chip 57a having the recording thin film element 43 formed thereon, and a thin film reproducing head having the reproducing thin film element section 43 formed thereon. The chips 57b are combined and bonded to form a combination block 58. This combination block 58 includes
Depending on the configuration of the thin film element section 43 of a and 57b, a single product, a plurality of products, or a combination with a tape guide, an erasing magnetic head, or the like is used. For example, a combination of a thin film recording head chip 57a and a thin film reproducing head chip 57b, a thin film recording head chip 57a and a thin film reproducing head chip 57b and an erasing magnetic head, or a combination of a recording / reproducing combined type thin film magnetic head chip and a tape guide. Become.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the combination block 58 is positioned on a shield frame 59 made of permalloy or the like and fixed with a resin or the like. Thereby, the combination head 60 is manufactured.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the state of contact between the magnetic recording medium and the sliding portion can be improved, and stable recording and reproduction can be performed. Further, the manufacturing process can be simplified, and the productivity can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a contact state between a thin film element portion and a magnetic tape of the thin film magnetic head of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a first diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a second diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a third diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fourth diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fifth diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sixth diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a seventh diagram showing one example of a method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an eighth diagram showing an example of the method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a ninth view showing one example of a method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a tenth view showing one example of a method for manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional thin-film magnetic head.

FIG. 15 is a side view for explaining a problem of the thin-film magnetic head of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side view showing a contact state of a conventional thin-film magnetic head with a magnetic tape.

[Explanation of symbols]

40 ... thin-film magnetic head, 41 ... groove, 43 ...
Thin film element, O: Thin film element part, S: Sliding part, T
··Magnetic tape

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of thin-film elements provided on a sliding portion that slides on a magnetic recording medium and performing magnetic recording / reproduction while constantly in contact with the magnetic recording medium, A thin-film magnetic head comprising a groove for making a peripheral portion of an element independent. 2. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the groove is provided in the sliding portion. 3. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are provided in a lattice shape.