JPS5891516A - Manufacturing device of thin film magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly control prescribed film thickness of plating, by putting the whole sample into a plating liquid, applying a current from the outside circumferential part of the sample, and equalizing the current density of the plating part. CONSTITUTION:A titled device is constituted of a base 21, a plating tank 22 provided on said base, a heater part 23 provided in this plating tank 22, a plating liquid stirring part 24, an anode part 25, a smaple holder part 26, a plating liquid temperature control part 27, a magnetic field applying part 28, and plating liquid evaporation preventing covers 29, 30. The plating tank 22 has plating liquid resistance, consists of materials such as a non-magnetic material, glass of heat resistance, etc., and has a U-notch part 31 for fixing the sample holder part 26, a U-notch part 32 for fixing the anode part 25, and a notch part 34 for drawing out a lead part 33 of the heater part 23 to the outside of the plating tank 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head that forms a thin film by electroplating. The apparatus will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 4. Sample (1) is #! As shown in Figure 1, an insulating film (3) of about 0.1 μm to several μm thick is formed by sputtering or vapor deposition on a conductive substrate (2), and a preliminary film (4) made of a ferromagnetic material is formed on top of the insulating film (3). 0.05μm = 0
．． After forming a paper with a thickness of about 2 μm by sputtering or vapor deposition, a resist (5) is applied to a certain thickness on top using a spinner, etc., and then a ferromagnetic pattern (6) and an electrical pattern are formed using photolithography or the like. (7) is formed by 1%.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 8, the conventional plating apparatus consists of a plating bath (8), an anode part (9), a part of the sample holder, a heater part (b), and a power supply part (2). It has become.

The plating tank (8) is made of a material such as glass that has plating liquid resistance and heat resistance, and the anode part (9) is made of Ni material and has a larger area than the plating surface of the sample (1). It is an am board that is attached to the mounting block a4 and located in the plating tank (1),
) is connected. A magnetic field is applied to a portion of the sample holder on both sides of the sample holder base made of a non-magnetic, non-conductive, and plating-resistant material in the direction of the axis of easy magnetization of the plated film of the sample (1). A larger magnet holder than sample (1) is arranged as shown in the figure, and it is coated with a plating liquid-resistant material.

There is a conductive material in the middle part of the magnet 044. Note that the heater part (2) has an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the heater.

Next, to explain the work procedures, first, as shown in Fig. 2, a certain amount of plating solution (2) is injected into the plating tank (8), and the temperature of this plating solution (6) is controlled by the heater part (b). to control the temperature to the optimum temperature. After the plating solution (6) reaches the optimum temperature, the resist (5) of the sample (1) described above, a plurality of ferromagnetic patterns (6) and an electrode pattern (7)
Completely cover the external surface of the conductor substrate (2) with resist material, set the sample (1) in the center of the magnetic field applying magnet (to) Qη of the sample holder part (2), and apply several currents. Set one ring of the sample holder in a position where the entire ferromagnetic pattern (6) is submerged in the plating solution, and then remove the power supply part (2).
After setting the current at the optimum temperature, the current is introduced and plating is performed for a predetermined period of time. After that, take out part of the sample holder (2) from the plating solution (1), wash it with water, and
) from a part of the sample holder (transfer), remove the resist (6) and the resist applied to the external surface of the conductive substrate (2), and then remove the preliminary film (4) by sputter etching, as shown in Figure 14. A ferromagnetic film as shown is formed. Of course, conditions such as the optimum current, the optimum amount of plating solution, the relationship between time and film thickness, etc. are determined through experiments in advance.

Therefore, when plating work is carried out using the method and apparatus described above, i. the electrode pattern (7) of sample (1) is
), the current density differs depending on the depth from the top surface of the plating number (2), causing variations in the thickness of the ferromagnetic film. For example, if the sample size is 17mm x 4mm and the thickness is 1000mm Fe-Ni alloy, the specific resistance is 10~50μΩ・c.
When plating is performed with a preliminary film of 41° m, the plating film thickness is about 1/2 of the plating film thickness at a depth of 1 mm from the top surface (in the plating solution) at a depth of 16 mm. In the method of forming multiple heads on one plate, which is one of the features of thin-film magnetic heads, the large difference in the thickness of the ferromagnetic film of each head makes it difficult to obtain uniform head characteristics. This becomes the biggest drawback.

b. After forming the insulating film (3) on the conductor substrate (2), forming the preliminary film (4) on top of it, and applying and developing the resist (6) to form the ferromagnetic pattern (6) and the electrodes. pattern (7)
When performing selective plating only on the ferromagnetic pattern (6), an insulating film (3) is formed on the conductive substrate (2).
If the preliminary film ←) is formed with pitting, chipping, etc. occurring in each etched portion after forming the preliminary film ←), a leakage condition often occurs between the conductor substrate (2) and the preliminary film ←). When the plating work is carried out under the above conditions, the external surface of the conductive substrate (2) that has come into contact with the plating solution is plated. The plating of the unnecessary parts becomes very large compared to the entire area of the plurality of ferromagnetic patterns (6), which increases the plating time, shortens the life of the plating solution, and reduces the plating of the unnecessary parts. As mentioned above, it is difficult to control the thickness of the ferromagnetic film because the plating area cannot be controlled.
It is necessary to cover the external surface of the conductive substrate other than the resist (5), the ferromagnetic material pattern (6), and the electrode pattern (7) with a resist before performing the plating work, resulting in very low work efficiency.

In the C1 conventional apparatus, the heater section (2) is provided outside the plating tank (8), so it takes a long time to raise the temperature of the plating solution (2), and temperature control is difficult.

d. Since the magnet @ target for applying a magnetic field is integrated with the sample holder base (G), if the size of the sample (1) changes, the magnet (2) and (B) should be attached to the sample holder base. It is necessary to change the design of some wheels.

There were other drawbacks.

The present invention has been made to eliminate such drawbacks, and includes a plating tank made of a non-magnetic and heat-resistant material, and a flexible heater arranged in a U-shape inside the plating tank to surround the plating solution from the outside. The sample was constructed such that the heater section formed and arranged in the plating solution, the anode section, and the sample were surrounded by a non-conductive material so that the plating pattern was exposed in the plating solution.1. The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head that performs electroplating, comprising a part of a holder and a magnetic field applying section for imparting orientation to a plating material outside a plating bath. According to this configuration, by closely adhering the conductive rubber to the outer circumference of the sample, sealing off the surface other than the specified plated surface and simultaneously using it as a current application section, selection meso-keying is made possible and the current density of the plated section is made uniform. It is possible to efficiently form a highly accurate plating film. In addition, in the present invention, a part of the sample holder is cut out to expose the plating pattern part of the sample, and a conductive, soft elastic material is tightly attached to the outer circumference of the sample, and a current is applied to the plating pattern at the same time as the sample is plated. The part other than the pattern part is sealed from the plating solution, and the conductive soft elastic material has conductivity in the direction perpendicular to the plating pattern surface of the sample and in the in-plane direction. It is made of conductive rubber with insulation properties.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 5 to 17 below.
□Explain in detail based on. Figures 5 to #I8 show a manufacturing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the apparatus in a plating operation state, and Figure 6 is a cross section taken along line X-X in Figure 5. 7 is a YY sectional view in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a Z-direction view (side view) in FIG. 5. This device consists of a base (2), a plating tank (2) provided on the base (2), a heater part provided in the plating tank (2)), and a plating solution ♂ stirring part. , anode part (2), part of the sample holder, plating liquid temperature control part (b), and magnetic field application part)
and a plating solution evaporation prevention lid@■. To explain each part in more detail, the plating bath (■) is made of materials such as plating liquid-resistant, non-magnetic material and heat-resistant glass.
A U-shaped notch (2) for fixing the anode part (2), and a notch for drawing out the lead part of the heater part to the outside of the plating bath. - has.

The heater section (to) consists of a flexible heater made into a flat plate with a high resistance heater wire and a lead conductor wire coated with a plating solution-resistant material such as Teflon, and this heater spreads the plating solution uniformly. In order to heat this plating solution, it is formed into a U-shape so as to surround it from the outer periphery, and in order to maintain that shape, a plurality of guide plates are installed at both ends of the heater. The U-shaped cutout (
The guide plate (to) (2) is inserted into the plating tank (2), and the spacing between the guide plates (to) (2) is regulated by the spacing regulating frame (-), thereby fixing the guide plate (to) (2) in the plating tank (2). In addition, the guide plates (to) and (b) are provided with a plurality of appropriate cutout curves so that the entire plating solution is stirred uniformly and the temperature is controlled uniformly, and the guide plates are designed to be inserted into the plating tank. , designed to be easy to remove. The plating solution stirring section Sakaki has the following configuration. That is, the fan is connected to the motor by a connecting rod, and the motor is fixed to the plating solution evaporation prevention lid (2). The fan wheel and connecting rod are made of a non-magnetic and plating liquid-resistant material. Of course, it is also possible to use a non-magnetic material such as SuS material and coat the portion that comes into contact with the plating liquid with a plating-resistant material such as Teflon. The plating liquid temperature control department (foundation) is
The temperature detection sensor 4 is coated with a plating liquid-resistant material such as Teflon, and is fixed to the plating solution evaporation prevention lid 4 with a bushing made of silicone rubber or the like, and the end thereof is connected to a temperature regulator. ing. Further, a thermometer is attached to the lid for preventing evaporation of the plating solution through a bushing made of a material such as silicone rubber. In the magnetic field applying section), a magnetic field is applied to the mounting plate made of a non-magnetic material in the direction of the axis of easy magnetization of the plating film in order to give orientation to the ferromagnetic plating film of the sample (1). The magnet ti is larger than the size of the sample (1) so that
e@ are placed on both sides of the sample holder (to) outside the plating tank. Further, a guide plate for guiding the plating tank (2) to a fixed position is fixed to the mounting plate 1,
It is fixed to the base (b).

The anode part (E) is made of Ni material, and a plate with a larger area than the plated surface of the sample (1) is fixed to the position regulating plate (102) and connected to the current introduction lead. The regulation plate (102) has the anode part (2) attached to the plating bath (
2) A stepped shaft that fits into the U-shaped notch of the plating tank (2) is integrated so that it can be easily installed and removed at a predetermined position in the plating tank (2). As shown in FIGS. 9 to 18, a portion of the sample holder base is located on one plane of the sample holder base.
A concave groove for setting the sample (1) is provided in the center of the sample (1), which is deeper than the thickness of the sample (1).
1) A leaf spring is inserted to absorb the variation in thickness. Moreover, on the outside of the one-plane concave groove,
A plurality of six pins into which the contact pins q fit are provided.

A groove with a U-shaped cross section that surrounds the concave fljm and the hole from the outer periphery, and a plane opposite to one plane are equipped with a lead wire.
and a groove for easily coating the conductor portion with a plating-resistant liquid material after the contact bottle and lead wire are connected. In the plurality of holes, a plurality of contact pins made of a conductive and non-magnetic material, the tip of which is slid freely within the guide pin by a spring, as shown in FIG. 11, are inserted. is inserted.

The rear ends of the inserted contact pins protrude into the grooves, and the rear ends of the plurality of contact pins and lead wires are connected, and both grooves are molded with a plating-resistant liquid material. has been done. In addition, a part of the groove is provided with an elastic O-ring (2
) is set, and a stepped shaft (to) that fits into the U-shaped notch (2) in the plating tank () for setting the sample holder part (2) in a predetermined position in the plating tank. is integrated into the sample holder page. Further, there is a step between one plane and the plane of the groove, and a protrusion (support) for positioning the sample holder cover is provided.

Of course, the sample holder base is made of a non-conductive, non-magnetic and plating solution resistant material. The sample holder cover has a window 4 having a shape in which the entire plurality of ferromagnetic patterns (6) are completely exposed, leaving a part of the outer periphery of the resist (5) exposed, and a convex portion of the sample holder base. Department
and a recess that can fit into the plurality of contact pins and completely cover the plurality of contact pins; Conductive rubber with a slightly smaller shape and thinner thickness (
) is joined and integrated with this sample holder cover (2).

The sample holder cover (toward) is shown in Figure 14 and Figure 1.
As shown in Fig. 5, a conductive rubber having a structure that has conductivity only in the vertical direction is used, and the sample holder cover under the conductive rubber is provided with external dimensions and dimensions of the conductive rubber ffl. A groove section 4 of the same shape is provided, and a conductor box is installed in this groove section.
Even better results can be obtained if .

Next, the procedure for working using the apparatus of the present invention will be explained in detail. As shown in FIG. 17, an insulating film (3) of about 0.1 μm to several μm is formed by sputtering or vapor deposition on a conductive substrate (2), and a preliminary film (4) made of a ferromagnetic material is formed on top of the insulating film (3). After forming the ferromagnetic material pattern E (6) to a thickness of about 0.005 μm to 0.2 μm by sintering or vapor deposition, apply a resist (5) and shape the electrode pattern part by turning the entire ferromagnetic material pattern E (6) from the outer periphery. A sample (1) was prepared in advance. First, as shown in Figures 6 and 7,
Inject a certain amount of plating solution Q into the plating tank (2), then set the anode part (e) in the plating tank (2), and place the plating solution evaporation prevention lid on top of the plating tank (2). Set it to
Turn on the power to the heater section (2) and the stirring motor, and control the temperature of the plating solution to an appropriate temperature. After the plating solution temperature is controlled to the optimum temperature, the sample (1) is inserted into the groove with its ferromagnetic pattern (6) facing up, as shown in FIG. After that, as shown in Fig. 16, the convex group of the sample holder base and the sample holder cover (73
With the concave parts 1 and 1 pressed together, press the sample holder base and sample holder cover with screws (105), etc., and then attach the O-ring (2) and the conductive rubber (7) with the plate springs. between the surface of the resist (5) of the sample (1), the surface of the electrode pattern part, and the surface of the conductive rubber (1), and between the groove of the sample holder base, the inner flat surface part 1, and the sample holder cover. A part of the sample holder (up to) is connected to the sample ( 1).After that, remove the plating solution evaporation prevention lid and insert the U-shaped notch (2) of the plating tank (support).
Insert the stepped shaft (2) of the sample holder into the sample holder (
1) Set it so that the whole part is submerged in the plating solution and positioned in the center of the magnet for applying a magnetic field.
Then, the plating solution evaporation prevention lid is set again. After that, by applying a current to the anode part (c) and part of the sample holder (e), the current is applied to the lead wire ring, the anode plate -
Then, through the plating solution 01, the ferromagnetic pattern of the sample (1) is transferred to the preliminary film (4) from the sample (6), the electrode pattern details provided on the outer periphery of the sample (]), the conductive rubber 17L, and the A current flows from the contact pin through the lead wire 1 to the power supply section.In this case, current flows directly from the plating solution (2) to the conductive rubber 4, and the end face of the conductive rubber 4 is plated. By reducing the thickness of the conductive rubber and making it uniform, it is possible to determine the area of the four end faces of the conductive rubber, which makes it possible to control the current density, and to make the thickness of the conductive rubber uniform. The plating film thickness can be controlled.Also, in the case of the configuration shown in Figures 14 and 16, the current flow is as follows: Through the electrode pattern (7) provided on the outer periphery of the preliminary film (4), the conductive rubber on the electrode pattern part passes through the metal pillar that contacts only in the direction of overlapping of the metal bar, and into the conductor box. The electrically conductive rubber V@ on the plurality of contact pins 4 flows from the contacting metal column to the contact pin 4 in the stacking direction.The conductive rubber V has conductivity in all directions. In contrast, vertically oriented conductive rubber (5) has metal columns insulated from adjacent ones arranged at regular intervals, so the insulator (5)
) Since no current flows through the portion of the conductive rubber ff1 that comes into contact with the conductive rubber, the end surface (108) of the conductive rubber (to) is not plated. In this way, complete selective plating of only the ferromagnetic pattern can be achieved.

After introducing the current, plating is performed for a certain period of time, then open the lid again, remove the sample holder (E), wash it with water, and then remove the sample (1).
), remove the resist (5), and remove the preliminary film (4).
is removed by sputter etching or the like to form a ferromagnetic material as shown in FIG. After completing the plating work, remove the plating solution evaporation prevention lid 4 from the plating tank (2),
Remove the plating bath (2) from the base (2), discard the plating solution, and clean it.

According to the present invention described above, 1. a. The entire sample can be placed in a plating solution and a current can be applied from the outer periphery of the sample, so that the current density in the plating part can be made uniform;
Therefore, there is little variation in the plating film thickness and it can be precisely controlled to a specified film thickness, thereby improving and stabilizing the head characteristics.

b. Selective plating of only ferromagnetic patterns is possible without the need for resist coating before plating as in the past, greatly improving work efficiency.

C. By placing the heater part in the plating solution and forming it in a U-shape so as to surround it from the outside of the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution increases rapidly and the temperature can be easily controlled.

d. By providing the field application part outside the plating tank, it is possible to set up the sample boulder when changing the sample shape.

This makes it easy to change the system and at the same time reduces costs.

You can expect the following effects. Thus, according to the present invention,
It becomes possible to easily and precisely plate a conductive thin film, and it is possible to manufacture a thin film magnetic head with stable characteristics and a high yield.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sample when using a conventional thin film magnetic head manufacturing apparatus, Figs. 2 and 8 show conventional thin film magnetic head manufacturing apparatuses, and Fig. The figure is a plan view, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram after plating work is completed, and Figures 5~
Fig. 8 shows a thin film magnetic head manufacturing apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the plating work state, Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line X-x in the fs6 diagram, and Fig. 7 is a Same Y-
A Y cross-sectional view, FIG. 8 is a view taken from the same arrow 2, FIGS. 9 to 15 are detailed views of a part of the sample holder of the same apparatus, FIG. 9 is a vertical side view, FIG. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the contact pin, Fig. 112 is a vertical side view of the sample holder cover, Fig. 18 is a front view thereof, Fig. 14 is a longitudinal side view showing a modification of the sample holder cover, and Fig. 15 is a front view of the same. 16 is a state diagram showing a sample set in a part of the sample holder, and FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a sample when using this apparatus. (1)...Sample, (to)...Plating solution, ■--Plating tank, @...Heater part, H...Plating solution stirring part,
@...Anode part 1w...Part of the sample holder, @...Plating liquid temperature control part, @...Magnetic field application part, Zeng...
・Heater, 11-...Magnet, @...Sample holder base, (7)...Conductive rubber. (to)...Conductive rubber representative Yoshihiro MorimotoFigure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 7 Fig. 24 45 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 1 ρ Fig. 1/Fig. 2, Fig. 2 Fig. 73. 3 Fig. 15 Fig. 14 Fig. 73 Fig. μ Fig. 3 Fig. 77

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] L A plating tank made of a non-magnetic and heat-resistant material, and a heater section in which a flexible heater is formed in a U-shape to surround the plating solution from the outside. , an anode section, a part of the sample holder configured so that the sample is surrounded by a non-conductive material and the plating pattern is exposed in the plating solution so that the entire sample is inserted into the plating solution, and a part of the sample holder that is configured so that the sample is surrounded by a non-conductive material and the entire sample is inserted into the plating solution; 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head, comprising a magnetic field applying section for imparting orientation, and performing electroplating. 1 Part of the sample holder is cut out to expose the plating pattern part of the sample, and a conductive soft elastic material is attached to the outer periphery of the sample, and at the same time when a current is applied to the plating pattern, the part other than the plating pattern part of the sample is 2. The thin-film magnetic head manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thin-film magnetic head manufacturing apparatus is configured to be sealed from a plating solution. 8. Claim No. 8, characterized in that the conductive soft elastic material is made of conductive rubber that has conductivity in a direction perpendicular to the plating pattern surface of the sample and has insulation in the in-plane direction. 2. The thin film magnetic head manufacturing apparatus according to item 2.