JPH11273024A - Thin film magnetic head and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin film magnetic head smoothing the raggedness of a face opposed to the recording gap of a lower magnetic pole and flatly laminating an upper magnetic pole on the lower magnetic pole. SOLUTION: In the thin film magnetic head where a recording gap film 6 is formed between the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole 7 and a coil is provided around the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole 7, the lower magnetic pole has a lower york 1 and a york tip part 2a. The tip part 2a has the recording gap film 6 formed between the tip part 2a itself and the upper magnetic pole 7, flatening members 4a are formed on both the sides of the tip part 2a and the tip part 2a and the flatening films 4 have a common plane.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic head used in a magnetic recording apparatus, and more particularly to a thin film magnetic head, an MR head, and the like mounted on an HDD.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thin-film magnetic head used in an HDD (hard disk device) is a magnetic head including an MR element for detecting a magnetic field generated from a signal recorded on a medium, a magnetic pole and a coil for recording a signal on the medium. The structure of this thin film magnetic head is formed by laminating a plurality of thin films.
These thin films are produced using a film forming process by sputtering or vapor deposition, a mask process by photolithography, an etching process for removing the thin film, and the like.

As the recording density of HDDs has improved, it has become necessary to reduce the track width of the magnetic poles of a thin-film magnetic head. Here, the magnetic pole refers to a structure having an upper yoke and a lower yoke facing each other with a recording gap layer interposed therebetween. The track width refers to the narrower width of the width of the tip of either the upper yoke or the lower yoke. In order to make the track narrower, a method is used in which the width of the tip of the lower magnetic pole facing the recording gap film is made narrower.

[0004]

In this case, a recording gap layer and an upper magnetic pole are sequentially formed on the tip. But,
Since the step is generated by the convex shape of the lower magnetic pole, the shape of the upper magnetic pole is distorted. Since the magnetic poles are not arranged in parallel in the area of the track width, bits to be recorded on the medium are also distorted, which hinders an improvement in recording density.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a thin-film magnetic head in which a surface facing a recording gap of a lower magnetic pole is flattened and an upper magnetic pole is laminated, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a thin film magnetic head having a recording gap provided between a lower magnetic pole and an upper magnetic pole, and a coil provided around the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole. The magnetic pole has a lower yoke and a yoke tip, the yoke tip has a recording gap between the upper magnetic pole, and a flattening member is provided on both sides of the yoke tip, and the yoke tip and the flattening film are common. It has a flat surface.

In the thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, the flattening member is a non-magnetic metal film. By selecting the material in this way, when simultaneously etching the flattening member and the magnetic material forming the thin-film magnetic head, the variation in the etching rate is reduced,
A uniform flat surface or a common plane can be obtained.

In the thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention, a non-magnetic metal film is used for the flattening member, and at least a part of the surface of the metal film is passivated. By partially changing the properties of the material in this way, it is possible to prevent a current generated when the lower yoke or the tip of the yoke made of the magnetic film contacts the flattening member.

In the thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, the lower yoke and the tip of the yoke are integrally formed. Further, in the thin film magnetic head of the present invention, a reproducing head having an MR element is provided.

According to the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head of the present invention, a recording gap film is provided between a lower magnetic pole and an upper magnetic pole, a coil is provided around the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole, and the lower magnetic pole has a lower yoke and a yoke tip. Manufacturing of a thin-film magnetic head having a recording gap film between the yoke tip and the upper magnetic pole, flattening members provided on both sides of the yoke tip, and the yoke tip and the flattening film having a common plane. In the method, after the yoke tip and the flattening member are provided, the etching of both is started, and when the yoke tip and the flattening member obtain a plane parallel to the track width direction, the etching is stopped. A recording gap and an upper magnetic pole are formed on the recording medium.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention and its manufacturing process will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention. The cross-sectional view in FIG.
Each step of the manufacturing process will be described. First, a yoke tip 2a is provided on the lower yoke 1 to form a lower magnetic pole. Further, a planarizing film 4 and a resist film 5a were sequentially laminated on the lower yoke and the tip of the yoke (Step 1). Here, the composition of each film will be described. The lower yoke 1 is a CoTaZr film formed by sputtering. Yoke tip 2a
Is a NiFe film formed by plating. The flattening film 4 is a Cr film formed by sputtering. It is desirable to use a non-magnetic metal film as the flattening film. Specifically, materials such as Cr, Ta, W and the like can be mentioned.

[0012] (Step 2) The flattening film and the resist film laminated on the tip of the yoke are etched by ion milling, and the ion milling is stopped halfway, so that the flattening film is left on both sides of the tip of the yoke. Was used as the flattening member 4a, and the flattening member had a common plane 4c with the yoke tip. Here, the ion milling is an etching method in which an inert gas or a plasma gas which has been excited and ionized is accelerated and vibrated by a high-frequency electromagnetic field, and the object is crushed by collision.

(Step 3) A recording gap film 6 was formed on the common plane, and an upper magnetic pole 7 was formed on the recording gap so as to face the tip of the yoke. By forming the thin-film magnetic head in the above steps, the recording gap film becomes flat at the tip of the upper magnetic pole and the lower magnetic pole. Also, by flattening the recording gap film, the side of the upper magnetic pole provided thereon that faces the recording gap film can also be made flat. Therefore, even when the tip of the yoke is provided at the lower magnetic pole, distortion of bits when writing to the recording medium using the thin-film magnetic head is prevented, and the recording density can be increased.

Next, an example of another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 shows a method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.
First (step 1), a plating film 2 is uniformly formed on the lower yoke 1, and an overhang resist 3 is formed on the plating film 2. The overhang resist is a resist film having a shape having gaps at both ends on the side joined to the plating film.

(Step 2) The overhang resist 3 and the plating film 2 are etched by ion milling to remove the plating film in a region not covered by the overhang resist, and the remaining plating film is removed from the tip of the yoke. 2
a. (Step 3) A flattening film 4 is formed on the overhang resist 3, the yoke tip 2a, and the lower yoke 1 by sputtering.

(Step 4) The overhang resist is completely removed by exposing the overhang resist to a solution and etching it, and a second end is placed on the top end of the yoke and the flattened film running on both ends of the top end of the yoke. Is formed.
Subsequently, while the second flattening film is cut by ion milling (step 5), the etching is performed until the end of the flattening film that has run over the tip of the yoke is also removed. As a result, the flattening film is processed into the flattening member 4a, and a common plane 4c of the tip of the yoke and the flattening member is obtained. Further, a recording gap film 6 and an upper magnetic pole 7 are formed on the common plane,
A thin-film magnetic head was obtained.

Next, an example of another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 shows a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head of the present invention.
First, (Step 1) A frame resist 2c was formed on the lower yoke 1 of CoTaZr, and a tip 2a of a NiFe yoke 2a was formed in the resist frame by plating. Subsequently, (Step 2) After removing the frame resist by etching, an overhang resist 3 was formed on the yoke tip 2a. Next, (Step 3) Overhang resist 3, lower yoke 1, and yoke tip 2a
A flattening film 4 of Cr was formed by sputtering. Subsequently, (steps 4 and 5) the overhang resist 3 is removed by wet etching, and the second flattened film on the yoke tip 2a and both ends of the yoke tip is placed on the yoke tip 2a.
Of alumina as the flattening film 5 was formed. Subsequently, the second flattening film is shaved by etching by ion milling, and the end of the flattening film 4 riding on the yoke tip 2a is removed. 4c was obtained. (Step 6) A recording gap film 6 made of alumina and an upper magnetic pole 7 made of NiFe were formed on the flat surface to obtain a thin film magnetic head.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention. The reproducing head 12 in FIG.
1 and the lower magnetic pole 1 via a read gap film 10,
It has a structure in which an MR element 8 and an electrode film 9 are provided. The two electrode films 9 are respectively joined to both ends of the MR element and supply a current to the MR element. The structure of the thin film magnetic head described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 was used for the recording head above the lower yoke. Although not shown in the figure, the electrode film 9 has a configuration in which a two-layer film of an electrode film / a permanent magnet film is used and a current and a bias magnetic field are applied to the MR element.

[0019]

According to the present invention, the side facing the recording gap film of the upper magnetic pole is formed flat, and the recording density of the recording medium can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a thin-film magnetic head according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 lower yoke, 2 plating film, 2a yoke tip,
2c frame resist, 3 overhang resist, 4 planarizing film, 4a planarizing member, 4c common plane, 5 second planarizing film, 5a resist film, 6 recording gap film, 7 upper magnetic pole, 8 MR element, 9 Electrode membrane,
10 reproduction gap film, 11 lower shield, 12 reproduction head

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A thin-film magnetic head having a recording gap film provided between a lower magnetic pole and an upper magnetic pole and a coil provided around the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole, wherein the lower magnetic pole has a lower yoke and a yoke tip. A thin film magnetic layer characterized in that the yoke tip has a recording gap film between it and the upper magnetic pole, flattening members are provided on both sides of the yoke tip, and the yoke tip and the flattening film have a common plane. head. 2. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the flattening member is a non-magnetic metal film. 3. The flattening member according to claim 1, wherein a non-magnetic metal film is used for the flattening member, and at least a part of the surface of the metal film is passivated. Thin film magnetic head. 4. The yoke according to claim 1, wherein the lower yoke and the tip of the yoke are formed integrally.
A thin-film magnetic head according to any one of the above. 5. A thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, further comprising a reproducing head having an MR element. 6. A recording gap film is provided between a lower magnetic pole and an upper magnetic pole, and a coil is provided around the lower magnetic pole and the upper magnetic pole.
The lower magnetic pole has a lower yoke and a yoke tip, the yoke tip has a recording gap film between the upper magnetic pole, and a flattening member is provided on both sides of the yoke tip. In the method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head having a common plane, after the yoke tip and the flattening member are provided, etching of both is started, and the yoke tip and the flattening member form a plane parallel to the track width direction. A method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, comprising: after etching is stopped, forming a recording gap and an upper magnetic pole on the flat surface.