JP2803604B2 - Method of manufacturing magnetic head slider - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, and more particularly, to a method of applying a protective film on an air bearing surface of a thin film magnetic head slider.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thin film magnetic head slider manufactured by using a thin film forming technique (hereinafter referred to as a magnetic head slider).
Have been used in magnetic disk drives and the like for many years. Referring to FIG. 3, in the method of manufacturing the magnetic head slider 11, first, a layer of a magnetic material and an electrically insulating material is deposited on a non-magnetic substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate) to form a magnetic recording medium (not shown). A well-known electromagnetic transducer 18 necessary for reading and writing information on the upper magnetic film is formed. In addition, a conductive pattern 19 for bonding a lead wire for supplying a current to the electromagnetic transducer 18 is formed near the electromagnetic transducer 18 by the same deposition process as that of the electromagnetic transducer 18.

Thus, a plurality of electromagnetic transducers are formed in rows on the substrate. Next, this substrate is cut into a rod-like state in which the electromagnetic transducers are arranged in a line. At this time,
A bar-shaped piece is usually called a row. Further, the electromagnetic transducer 1 of the magnetic head slider 11
The surface on which 8 is formed is called a trailing surface (air outflow end side) 13, and the opposite surface is called a leading surface (air inflow end side) 12.

Then, the row is polished so that the thin-film magnetic head has a predetermined throat height. A rail pattern is created on the polished surface using a mechanical processing method or a dry processing technique such as an etching process, and an air bearing surface (hereinafter referred to as an “Air Bearing Surface:
ABS 15). Then, the rows are individually separated as magnetic head sliders.
Has a protective film 1 for improving slidability such as wear and friction.
6 is formed. This protective film 16 is formed using a vacuum manufacturing apparatus such as a sputtering apparatus, a vapor deposition apparatus, or a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a vacuum manufacturing apparatus for forming a protective film on the ABS of a magnetic head slider. FIG.
Referring to FIG. 1, this vacuum manufacturing apparatus includes a film forming electrode 31 and a counter electrode 32 facing the film forming electrode 31 in a reaction chamber 30, and receives a film forming electrode 31 and a counter electrode 32 from a power source 33.
And the reaction chamber 30 is depressurized to generate glow discharge, thereby forming the protective film 16 on the magnetic head slider 11 (or row) disposed on the film forming electrode 31.

The magnetic head slider 11 (or low) has a chamfer (Chamf) on the leading surface 12 side.
er) A tapered chamfer called No. 4 is provided. Then, a lead wire is connected to a conductive pattern 19 for applying an operation current to the electromagnetic transducer 18, and a gimbal and a support spring are attached to complete the magnetic head.

A magnetic head attached to a magnetic disk drive has a narrow uniform gap (for example, 0.25 μm) between a magnetic recording medium facing a ABS of a magnetic head slider.
levitate to maintain m). However, even during normal operation, the magnetic head slider may accidentally come into contact with the magnetic recording medium. Therefore, in order to protect the ABS from mechanical wear caused by contact between the magnetic head slider and the magnetic recording medium, various protective films (layers) are deposited on the ABS of the magnetic head slider.

For example, see US Pat. Japanese Patent No. 32,264 discloses a magnetic recording apparatus provided with a carbon protective film to protect the magnetic recording medium from wear. This is because a magnetic head slider having an electromagnetic transducer is coated with carbon, preferably graphite-like carbon, to form a low-friction and wear-resistant contact surface with a magnetic recording medium. The thickness of this coating is between 2 and 10 microinches (about 500 and 2500 angstroms).

Next, IBM's TDB, DECEMBER, 1912, p.
Reference 73 describes a magnetic head slider having a protective layer of silicon carbide or diamond-like carbon. The thickness of this protective film is about 500 to 1000
Angstrom range. Also, IBM's TDB, JU
NE, 1976, p. 351 describes a magnetic head having a protective layer of silicon nitride in a layer having a thickness of about 200-5000 angstroms.

[0010] Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-276667,
And Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-364217, the thickness is about 1 unit.
A magnetic head slider having a two-layer protective film of a silicon film of 0 to 50 angstroms and a hydrogenated carbon film, and a magnetic head having a three-layer protective film obtained by adding a layer made of a silicon compound to the two-layer protective film A slider is disclosed. The thickness of this protective film is 250 Å in total.

Here, in the conventional magnetic head slider, the protective film 16 formed on the ABS 15 of the magnetic head slider 11 is such that the magnetic head slider 11 (or row) is disposed on the film forming electrode 31 shown in FIG. Case 2
As shown in FIG. 2, the magnetic head sliders 11 (or rows) are arranged in one direction, that is, the trailing surface 13 of one magnetic head slider and the leading surface 12 of the next magnetic head slider face each other, and The method of arranging the ABS 15 facing the counter electrode 32 has been adopted.

[0012]

FIG. 5 shows an example of a magnetic head slider manufactured as described above. According to this, in the conventional magnetic head slider, surfaces having different heights (the leading surface 12 and the trailing surface 1) are different between the adjacent magnetic head sliders 11 (or rows) during film formation.
2), a step (FIG. 2)
In the step portion 20), a protective film is applied to a part of the trailing portion 13 where the electromagnetic conversion elements other than the ABS 15 and the conductive pattern are present, and a so-called wraparound protective film 7 is formed. For this reason, when the protective film is deposited on the conductive pattern, there is a drawback that a conduction failure occurs when a lead wire is connected to the conductive pattern.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider having a protective film on an air bearing surface of a plurality of magnetic head sliders. The protective film is disposed on an air bearing surface of each of the plurality of magnetic head sliders, wherein the protective film is deposited on the trailing surface so that the entire surface thereof is in contact with each other.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the protective film on the air bearing surface is deposited by a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method or a CVD method.

[0015]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a method of manufacturing a protective film of a magnetic head slider according to the present invention, in which a magnetic head slider (or row) is arranged on a film forming electrode of a vacuum manufacturing apparatus for depositing a protective film. As shown in FIG. 1, the height of adjacent magnetic head sliders 1 (or rows) is made uniform so that a protective film does not form on the electromagnetic transducer and its conductive pattern during film formation. That is, the trailing surfaces 3 of the magnetic head slider 1 (or row) on which the electromagnetic transducers are formed are arranged so as to be in contact with each other, and the leading surfaces 2 on which the chamfers 4 are provided are arranged so as to face each other. Film formation is performed with the ABS 5 facing the counter electrode.

In FIG. 1, the leading surfaces 2 are also arranged so as to be in contact with each other.
You don't have to.

As a result, the step caused by the chamfer 4 is eliminated, the protective film does not run around, and the protective film is formed only on the ABS of the magnetic head slider. Disappears.

[0019]

By applying the present invention as described above, there is an effect that a magnetic head slider having high reliability can be obtained without occurrence of conduction failure due to wraparound of the protective film.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a method of manufacturing a protective film of a magnetic head slider according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a method of manufacturing a protection film of a conventional magnetic head slider.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a magnetic head slider.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an apparatus for manufacturing a magnetic head slider protective film.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state of forming a protective film in a conventional magnetic head slider.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11 Magnetic head slider 2, 12 Leading surface 3, 13 Trailing surface 4, 14 Chamber 5, 15 ABS (air bearing surface) 16 Protective film 17 Protective film wrapped around 18 Electromagnetic transducer 19 Conductive pattern 20 Stepped portion Reference Signs List 30 reaction chamber 31 deposition electrode 32 counter electrode 33 power source

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider having a protective film on an air bearing surface of a plurality of magnetic head sliders, the entire surface of a trailing surface of one magnetic head slider and a trailing surface of another magnetic head slider are mutually opposed. A method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, comprising: disposing the protective film on the air bearing surfaces of the plurality of magnetic head sliders in a state of being in contact with each other. 2. The method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider according to claim 1, wherein said protective film is deposited on said air bearing surface by sputtering, vapor deposition or CVD.