JP4031402B2 - Manufacturing method of thin film magnetic head - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head having at least an inductive magnetic transducer for writing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the improvement in the surface recording density of hard disk devices, there has been a demand for improved performance of thin film magnetic heads. As a thin film magnetic head, a composite thin film having a structure in which a recording head having an inductive magnetic transducer for writing and a reproducing head having a magnetoresistive (MR) element for reading are laminated. Magnetic heads are widely used. As the MR element, an AMR element using an anisotropic magnetoresistance (hereinafter referred to as AMR (Anisotropic Magneto Resistive)) effect and a giant magnetoresistance (hereinafter referred to as GMR (Giant Magneto Resistive)) effect are used. GMR element. A reproducing head using an AMR element is called an AMR head or simply an MR head, and a reproducing head using a GMR element is called a GMR head. The AMR head is used as a reproducing head having a surface recording density exceeding 1 gigabit / (inch) 2, and the GMR head is used as a reproducing head having a surface recording density exceeding 3 gigabit / (inch) 2.
[0003]
The AMR head includes an AMR film having an AMR effect. The GMR head is obtained by replacing the AMR film with a GMR film having a GMR effect, and is similar in structure to the AMR head. However, the GMR film exhibits a greater resistance change when the same external magnetic field is applied than the AMR film. Therefore, it is said that the GMR head can increase the reproduction output by about 3 to 5 times compared to the AMR head.
[0004]
As a method for improving the performance of the reproducing head, there are a method of changing the MR film from an AMR film to a material having excellent magnetoresistance sensitivity such as a GMR film, and a method of optimizing the MR film pattern width, in particular, MR height. is there. The MR height refers to the length from the end of the MR element on the air bearing surface side to the opposite end, and is controlled by the amount of polishing when processing the air bearing surface. The air bearing surface referred to here is a surface of the thin film magnetic head that faces the magnetic recording medium, and is also called a track surface.
[0005]
On the other hand, with an improvement in the performance of the reproducing head, an improvement in the performance of the recording head is also required. As a factor that determines the performance of the recording head, there is a Throat Height. The throat height refers to the length of the magnetic pole part from the air bearing surface to the edge of the insulating layer that electrically separates the thin-film coil for generating magnetic flux. In order to improve the performance of the recording head, optimization of the throat height is desired. This throat height is also controlled by the polishing amount when the air bearing surface is processed.
[0006]
Of the performance of the recording head, in order to increase the recording density, it is necessary to increase the track density in the magnetic recording medium. For this purpose, the width of the lower magnetic pole (bottom pole) and upper magnetic pole (top pole) formed above and below the recording gap (write gap) on the air bearing surface is reduced from several microns to sub-micron order. It is necessary to realize a recording head having a narrow track structure, and semiconductor processing technology is used to achieve this.
[0007]
Here, with reference to FIGS. 27 to 32, a method of manufacturing a composite thin film magnetic head will be described as an example of a method of manufacturing a conventional thin film magnetic head.
[0008]
In this manufacturing method, first, as shown in FIG. 27, for example, Altic (Al₂O_ThreeOn the substrate 101 made of TiC, for example, aluminum oxide (Al₂O_ThreeHereinafter referred to simply as “alumina”. The insulating layer 102 is deposited to a thickness of about 5 to 10 μm. Next, the lower shield layer 103 for the reproducing head is formed on the insulating layer 102. Next, on the lower shield layer 103, for example, alumina is sputter-deposited with a thickness of 100 to 200 nm to form the shield gap film 104. Next, an MR film 105 for forming a reproducing MR element is formed on the shield gap film 104 to a thickness of several tens of nanometers, and is patterned into a desired shape by high-precision photolithography. Next, after forming a lead layer (not shown) as an extraction electrode layer electrically connected to the MR film 105 on both sides of the MR film 105, the lead layer, the shield gap film 104, and the MR film 105 are formed. Then, the shield gap film 106 is formed, and the MR film 105 is embedded in the shield gap films 104 and 106. Next, on the shield gap film 106, an upper shield and lower magnetic pole (hereinafter referred to as “permalloy (trade name)”) made of a magnetic material used for both the reproducing head and the recording head, for example, nickel iron (NiFe; hereinafter referred to simply as “permalloy (trade name)”). ) 107 is formed.
[0009]
Next, as shown in FIG. 28, a recording gap layer 108 made of an insulating material such as alumina is formed on the lower magnetic pole 107, and a photoresist film 109 is formed on the recording gap layer 108 by high-precision photolithography. Are formed in a predetermined pattern. Next, an inductive recording head thin film coil 110 made of, for example, copper (Cu) is formed on the photoresist film 109 by, for example, plating. Next, a photoresist film 111 is formed to have a predetermined pattern by high-precision photolithography so as to cover the photoresist film 109 and the thin film coil 110. Next, for insulation between the windings of the thin film coil 110, the photoresist film 111 is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature of 250 ° C., for example.
[0010]
Next, as shown in FIG. 29, a part of the recording gap layer 108 is partially etched to form a magnetic path at a position behind the thin film coil 110 (on the right side in FIG. 29). 108a is formed and a part of the lower magnetic pole 107 is exposed. Next, a magnetic material having a high saturation magnetic flux density, such as permalloy, is formed by electrolytic plating so as to cover the exposed surface of the lower magnetic pole 107, the photoresist film 111, and the recording gap layer. Next, using a mask (not shown) made of a photoresist film having a predetermined planar shape, the plating film made of permalloy is selectively etched by ion milling to thereby form an upper yoke / upper magnetic pole (hereinafter referred to as upper part). 112) is formed. The upper magnetic pole 112 has, for example, a planar shape as shown in FIG. 32 to be described later, and includes a yoke portion 112a and a pole tip portion 112b. The upper magnetic pole 112 is in contact with the lower magnetic pole 107 at the opening 108a and is magnetically coupled. Next, using part of the upper magnetic pole 112 (pole tip 112b) as a mask, both the recording gap layer 108 and the lower magnetic pole 107 are partially etched by about 0.5 μm by ion milling (see FIG. 31). An overcoat layer 113 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the upper magnetic pole 112. Finally, the track surface of the recording head and the reproducing head, that is, the air bearing surface 120 is formed by machining or polishing process, and the thin film magnetic head is completed.
[0011]
30 to 32 show the structure of the completed thin film magnetic head. Here, FIG. 30 shows a cross section of the thin film magnetic head in a direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface 120, FIG. 31 shows an enlarged cross section of the magnetic pole portion in a direction parallel to the air bearing surface 120, and FIG. Indicates. FIG. 29 corresponds to a cross section taken along the line XXIX-XXIX in FIG. 30 to 32, the overcoat layer 113 and the like are not shown. In FIG. 32, only the outermost peripheral portion of the thin film coil 110 is illustrated, and only the outermost end of the photoresist film 111 is illustrated.
[0012]
30 and 32, “TH” represents the throat height, and “MR-H” represents the MR height. In both figures, the “TH0 position” is the position of the edge of the photoresist film 111, which is an insulating layer for electrically separating the thin film coil 110, closest to the air bearing surface 120. The reference position for defining the height, that is, the throat height zero position is shown. The “MRH0 position” indicates the MR height zero position, which is the position of the edge of the MR film 105 farthest from the air bearing surface 120.
[0013]
In addition to the throat height (TH) and MR height (MR-H), there are apex angles (θ) shown in FIG. 30 as factors determining the performance of the thin film magnetic head. This apex angle θ is the average slope of the slope of the photoresist film 111 on the side close to the air bearing surface 120.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 31, a structure in which both of the recording gap layer 108 and the lower magnetic pole 107 are etched in a self-aligned manner with respect to the pole tip portion 112b of the upper magnetic pole 112 is called a trim structure. . According to this trim structure, it is possible to prevent an increase in effective track width due to the spread of magnetic flux generated when writing a narrow track. In FIG. 31, “P2W” represents the width of a portion having a trim structure (hereinafter simply referred to as “magnetic pole portion 200”), that is, the magnetic pole width (hereinafter also referred to as “track width”). . Further, in the figure, “P2L” represents the thickness of the pole tip portion 112b constituting a part of the magnetic pole portion 200, that is, the magnetic pole length. As shown in FIG. 31, on both sides of the MR film 105, lead layers 121 as lead electrode layers that are electrically connected to the MR film 105 are provided. However, the lead layer 121 is not shown in FIGS.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 32, the upper magnetic pole 112 has a yoke portion 112a that occupies most of the upper magnetic pole 112, and a pole tip portion 112b having a substantially constant width as the magnetic pole width P2W. In the connection portion between the yoke portion 112a and the pole tip portion 112b, the outer edge of the yoke portion 112a forms an angle α with respect to the plane parallel to the air bearing surface 120. In the connection portion, the outer edge of the pole tip portion 112b is An angle β is formed with respect to a plane parallel to the air bearing surface 120. Here, α is about 45 degrees, for example, and β is 90 degrees. As described above, the pole tip portion 112b is a portion that serves as a mask when the trim structure of the magnetic pole portion 200 is formed. As can be seen from FIG. 30, the pole tip portion 112b extends on the flat recording gap layer 108, and the yoke portion 112a is covered with the photoresist film 111 and is raised in a hill shape (hereinafter referred to as “apex”). Part ").
[0016]
The detailed structural features of the upper magnetic pole are described, for example, in JP-A-8-249614.
[0017]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the magnetic pole width P2W of the magnetic pole portion 200 defines the recording track width on the recording medium, in order to increase the recording density, the magnetic pole portion 200 is formed with high accuracy to reduce the magnetic pole width P2W. Required. If the magnetic pole width P2W is too large, a phenomenon of writing in an adjacent area other than a predetermined recording track area on the recording medium, that is, a side erase phenomenon occurs, and the recording density cannot be improved. It is. Accordingly, the magnetic pole width P2W of the magnetic pole portion 200 is reduced, and the magnetic pole width P2W is made constant over the entire region in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 31) and the length direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 30). This is very important.
[0018]
As a method of forming the upper magnetic pole 112, there is a dry process in which, for example, a plating film made of permalloy is selectively etched and patterned by ion milling, as described above, in addition to a wet process such as a frame plating method.
[0019]
However, the present applicants have confirmed that the following problems occur in this method using ion milling. For example, when an ion beam is irradiated from a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the plating film (a direction of about 0 ° to 30 ° from the perpendicular to the surface of the plating film), the etching product generated during etching is re-applied to the non-etched portion. As a result, the pole tip 112 is partially expanded from the design value. On the other hand, for example, when an ion beam is irradiated from a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the plating film (a direction of about 50 ° to 70 ° from the perpendicular to the surface of the plating film), the above-described reattachment phenomenon of the etching product is performed. However, the etching amount increases as the process proceeds, and the width of the pole tip portion 112b is partially reduced from the design value. In particular, when the magnetic pole portion 200 is formed using ion milling under the latter condition described above, the magnetic pole width P2W becomes nonuniform as shown in FIG.
[0020]
Further, in the conventional method, since a photoresist pattern obtained by selective exposure of a photoresist film formed on the plating film is used as a mask used for patterning a plating film made of permalloy, the reflectance is high. Mask formation accuracy is reduced by the influence of reflected light reflected from the surface of the underlying permalloy.
[0021]
In the conventional method, since the magnetic pole portion 200 is formed by ion milling with a low etching speed, the etching process takes time, and a considerable time is required until the magnetic pole portion 200 is completely processed. Such a tendency is not limited to the formation of the magnetic pole portion 200, and the same applies to the formation of the upper magnetic pole 112 and other magnetic layer portions (lower shield layer 103, lower magnetic pole 107, etc.).
[0022]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head capable of forming a thin film magnetic head with high accuracy and in a short time.
[0023]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention includes a first magnetically magnetically coupled portion including two magnetic poles facing each other via a gap layer on a part of a recording medium facing surface facing the recording medium. And a thin film coil portion disposed between the two magnetic layers via an insulating layer, and the first magnetic layer has a first constant width defining a track width A second magnetic layer having a first magnetic layer portion including the portion and a second magnetic layer portion that covers the region where the thin film coil portion is disposed and is magnetically coupled to the first magnetic layer portion Is a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head having a second constant width portion corresponding to the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer, wherein the first magnetic layer is formed.About,Forming a gap layer using aluminum oxide, and on the gap layer;Forming a magnetic material layer;Forming a first mask on the magnetic material layer using aluminum oxide, and using the first maskMagnetic material layer in a chlorine gas atmosphere150℃ or250And a processing step of processing by reactive ion etching at a temperature within a range of ° C.
[0024]
  In the method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head of the present invention,A gap layer is formed using aluminum oxide, a magnetic material layer is formed on the gap layer, a first mask is formed on the magnetic material layer using aluminum oxide, and then the first mask is used. TheIn a chlorine gas atmosphere150℃ or250By selectively etching and patterning the magnetic material layer by reactive ion etching at a temperature within a range of ° C., the first magneticLayerIt is formed. In general, the etching process by reactive ion etching has a higher processing speed than the etching process by ion milling.LayerIt can be formed in a short time.Further, by processing the magnetic material layer by reactive ion etching, the first magnetic layer can be formed with high accuracy.
[0027]
In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the invention, the step of forming the first mask includes a step of forming a mask precursor layer made of an inorganic material on the surface of the magnetic material layer, and a step of forming a second mask on the surface of the mask precursor layer. And a step of patterning the mask precursor layer using the second mask to form the first mask. In such a case, it is preferable to form the first mask by reactive ion etching.
[0028]
In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, a photoresist film pattern having a predetermined shape may be formed on the surface of the mask precursor layer, and this photoresist film pattern may be used as the second mask. Alternatively, a metal film pattern having a predetermined shape may be formed on the surface of the mask precursor layer, and this metal film pattern may be used as the second mask. When the metal film pattern is used as the second mask, the metal film pattern may be formed by selectively growing a plating film on the surface of the mask precursor layer, or on the surface of the mask precursor layer. A metal film pattern may be formed by forming a metal layer and selectively etching the metal layer.
[0029]
  In the method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head of the present invention, at least the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer may be formed by a processing step..
[0030]
  In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, the region other than the portion corresponding to the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer in the gap layer is selectively removed by reactive ion etching. It may be. In such a case, the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer is formed, the gap layer is selectively removed, and the second constant width portion of the second magnetic layer is removed. It is preferable that the formation is performed continuously in the same process. In addition, when processing each part aboveThe secondThe first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer is formed using one mask, and at least one of the first mask and the first constant width portion is used as a mask to form the gap layer. It is preferable to perform selective removal and formation of a second constant width portion of the second magnetic layer.
[0031]
In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head of the present invention, the second magnetic layer portion is formed separately from the first magnetic layer portion by reactive ion etching in the step of forming the first magnetic layer. It may be.
[0032]
In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, the magnetic conversion function element film extending in a direction away from the recording medium facing surface and the magnetic conversion function element film are shielded magnetically. In this case, the third magnetic layer may be formed by reactive ion etching.
[0033]
In the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, a magnetic layer may be formed by sputtering using a predetermined magnetic material. In such a case, it is preferable to use an amorphous alloy such as a material containing iron nitride or a material containing zirconium cobalt iron as the magnetic material.
[0034]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0035]
[First Embodiment]
First, an example of a method of manufacturing a composite thin film magnetic head as a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment is embodied by the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment, and will be described below.
[0036]
1 to 5, (A) shows a cross section perpendicular to the air bearing surface, and (B) shows a cross section of the magnetic pole portion parallel to the air bearing surface. 6 to 11 are perspective views corresponding to main manufacturing steps. 9 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 10 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 11 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. However, in FIG. 10, the illustration of the insulating film 12, the thin film coil 13, etc. in FIG. 3 is omitted, and in FIG. 11, the illustration of the insulating films 12, 14, the thin film coil 13, the overcoat layer 15, etc. in FIG. ing.
[0037]
In the following description, the X-axis direction in each of FIGS. 1 to 11 is expressed as “width direction”, the Y-axis direction as “length direction”, and the Z-axis direction as “thickness direction”. Of these, the air bearing surface 20 side (or the side that becomes the air bearing surface 20 in the subsequent process) is referred to as “front side (or front)”, and the opposite side is referred to as “rear side (or rear)”.
[0038]
<Method for Manufacturing Thin Film Magnetic Head>
In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG.₂O_ThreeOn the substrate 1 made of TiC), an insulating layer 2 made of alumina, for example, is deposited with a thickness of about 3 to 5 μm. Next, a permalloy is selectively formed with a thickness of about 3 μm on the insulating layer 2 by using a photolithography process and a plating method to form a lower shield layer 3 for a reproducing head.
[0039]
Next, as shown in the figure, for example, alumina is sputter-deposited on the lower shield layer 3 with a thickness of about 100 to 200 nm to form the shield gap film 4. Next, an MR film 5 for forming an MR element, which is a main part of the reproducing head portion, is formed on the shield gap film 4 and formed into a desired shape by high-precision photolithography. Next, after forming a lead layer (not shown) as an extraction electrode layer electrically connected to the MR film 5 on both sides of the MR film 5, the lead layer, the shield gap film 4 and the MR film 5 are formed. Then, the shield gap film 6 is formed, and the MR film 5 is embedded in the shield gap films 4 and 6. Here, the MR film 5 corresponds to a specific example of “magnetic conversion functional element film” in the present invention.
[0040]
Next, as shown in the figure, an upper shield layer / lower magnetic pole (hereinafter simply referred to as “lower magnetic pole”) 7 is selectively formed on the shield gap film 6. When the lower magnetic pole 7 is formed, the lower magnetic pole 7 has a two-layer structure as follows. That is, first, on the shield gap film 6, for example, permalloy is formed to a thickness of about 1.5 to 2.5 μm by, for example, electrolytic plating. Subsequently, for example, iron nitride (FeN) is formed on the permalloy layer to a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm by sputtering, for example. Subsequently, the permalloy layer and the iron nitride layer are continuously etched by reactive ion etching (hereinafter simply referred to as “RIE”) using a mask having a predetermined shape and material to be patterned. Thus, the first lower magnetic pole 7a made of permalloy and the second lower magnetic pole 7b made of iron nitride are selectively formed. The first lower magnetic pole 7a and the second lower magnetic pole 7b are magnetically coupled by being in contact with each other. The details of the process of patterning the deposited iron nitride by RIE as described above will be described later. Here, the lower shield layer 3 and the lower magnetic pole 7 (upper shield layer) correspond to a specific example of the “third magnetic layer” in the present invention, and are formed by the first lower magnetic pole 7a and the second lower magnetic pole 7b. The constructed lower magnetic pole 7 corresponds to a specific example of “second magnetic layer” in the invention.
[0041]
Next, as shown in the figure, after an insulating film made of alumina is formed on the entire surface, the surface of the insulating film is polished by, for example, a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) method until the second lower magnetic pole 7b is exposed. And flatten the whole.
[0042]
Next, as shown in FIG. 2, a recording gap layer 8 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the second lower magnetic pole 7b by sputtering, for example, with a thickness of about 0.15 to 0.3 μm. At this time, an opening for connecting the lower magnetic pole 7 and the upper magnetic pole 11 (upper pole tip 11a, magnetic path connecting portion 11b, upper yoke 11c) formed in a later process to the recording gap layer 8 is provided. The part 8b is formed. Here, the recording gap layer 8 corresponds to a specific example of “gap layer” in the present invention.
[0043]
Next, as shown in the figure, an organic photoresist, for example, is formed on the recording gap layer 8 in a region ahead of the region where the thin film coil 13 is disposed in a later step by a high-precision photolithography process. The insulating film pattern 10 is selectively formed with a thickness of about 0.5 to 1.5 μm. Next, heat treatment is performed on the insulating film pattern 10 at a temperature of about 200 to 250 ° C., for example. By this heat treatment, the vicinity of the edge of the insulating film pattern 10 forms a rounded slope. The insulating film pattern 10 is used to define a throat height zero position (TH0 position) that serves as a reference position when determining the throat height (TH) and an apex angle (θ).
[0044]
Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, for example, iron nitride is formed in a region extending from a part of the front surface of the insulating film pattern 10 to the flat recording gap layer 8 in front of the insulating film pattern 10. The upper pole tip 11a which will constitute a part of the upper magnetic pole 11 is selectively formed with a thickness of about 1.5 to 2.5 μm. When forming the upper pole tip 11a, at the same time, a magnetic path connection portion 11b (not shown in FIG. 9) that forms a part of the upper magnetic pole 11 is formed in the opening 8b. The upper pole tip 11a has a planar shape as shown in FIG. 12 to be described later, and has a tip end portion 11a (1) having a constant width that defines a recording track width on a recording medium (not shown), And a widened portion 11a (2) having a width larger than that of the tip portion 11a (1). Here, the upper pole tip 11a corresponds to a specific example of “first magnetic layer portion” in the invention.
[0045]
Here, the method of forming the upper pole tip 11a will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 together with FIGS.
[0046]
First, as shown in FIG. 6, a magnetic material having a high saturation magnetic flux density, for example, iron nitride is formed to a thickness of about 1.5 to 2.5 μm by sputtering, for example, to form an upper pole tip precursor layer. 111a (hereinafter simply referred to as “iron nitride layer”) is formed. The upper pole tip precursor layer 111a is a preparatory layer that becomes the upper pole tip 11a by being patterned by an etching process in a later step. In the following description, the pre-preparation layer that will be patterned so as to have a predetermined shape in the subsequent process is referred to as a “precursor layer” and is similarly expressed. As a material for forming the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a, an amorphous alloy having a high saturation magnetic flux density such as zirconium cobalt iron (FeCoZr) may be used in addition to iron nitride. Next, a first mask precursor layer 121a made of an inorganic material such as alumina is formed on the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a by sputtering, for example, with a thickness of about 2 to 3 μm. The first mask precursor layer 121a is patterned by an etching process in a subsequent process, thereby forming a first mask 21a for patterning the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a. Note that as the inorganic material for forming the first mask precursor layer 121a, aluminum nitride (AlN) or the like may be used in addition to alumina. The second mask precursor layer 131a is patterned by a photolithography process in a later step to become a second mask 31a for patterning the first mask precursor layer 121a. Here, the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a corresponds to a specific example of “magnetic material layer” in the present invention, and the first mask precursor layer 121a corresponds to a specific example of “mask precursor layer” in the present invention. To do.
[0047]
Next, the second mask precursor layer 131a made of a photoresist film is selectively exposed and patterned by photolithography, thereby forming the second mask 31a as shown in FIG. The second mask 31a has a shape corresponding to the planar shape of the upper pole tip 11a. At this time, an inorganic material having a relatively low reflectance such as alumina is used as a material for forming the first mask precursor layer 121a, which is the base of the second mask precursor layer 131a, so that the first mask precursor layer 121a is exposed during the photolithography process. Since almost no reflected light is generated from the surface of the first mask precursor layer 121a, pattern breakage due to expansion or reduction of the exposure region is suppressed. For this reason, in particular, a very small constant width portion corresponding to the magnetic pole portion of the second mask 31a can be formed with high accuracy. Note that when patterning the second mask precursor layer 131a, it is not always necessary to use photolithography as described above. For example, the second mask precursor layer 131a is selectively formed by RIE or ion milling. Etching may be performed. Here, the second mask 31a corresponds to a specific example of a “second mask” as the “photoresist film pattern” in the present invention.
[0048]
Next, the first mask precursor layer 121a is selectively etched by RIE using the second mask 31a, thereby forming the first mask 21a made of alumina as shown in FIG. By this etching process, a region other than the portion corresponding to the second mask 31a in the first mask precursor layer 121a (not shown in FIG. 8) is selectively removed. Like the second mask 31a, the first mask 21a has a shape corresponding to the planar shape of the upper pole tip 11a. At this time, the above-mentioned region of the first mask precursor layer 121a is etched, and at the same time, the second mask 31a itself is etched, and the film thickness of the second mask 31a is reduced. Note that the second mask 31a does not necessarily remain when the formation of the first mask 21a is completed, and the second mask 31a may disappear during the etching process.
[0049]
Next, the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a is selectively etched by RIE using the first mask 21a, thereby forming the upper pole tip 11a made of iron nitride as shown in FIGS. . By this etching process, a region other than the portion corresponding to the first mask 21a in the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 9) is selectively removed. At this time, by using iron nitride, amorphous alloy (zirconium cobalt iron), or the like as a forming material of the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a, the etching product is reattached to the peripheral wall of the non-etched portion at the time of etching by RIE. Is avoided. Therefore, in particular, the tip portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a can be formed with high accuracy.
[0050]
When performing the etching process by RIE, the processing temperature is set within a range of 50 ° C. to 300 ° C., and chlorine (Cl₂), Boron dichloride (BCl)₂), Boron trichloride (BCl)_Three) Or hydrogen chloride (HCl) at least one of hydrogen (H₂), Oxygen (O₂) And argon (Ar) are preferably used. By adopting such conditions, the etching process by RIE can be performed in a short time. In particular, when the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a is etched by RIE, the processing temperature is preferably in the range of 150 ° C. to 250 ° C. as a condition for performing the above processing. Further, when chlorine is used as an etching gas, for example, the supply amount is preferably set to 100 to 200 ml / min (milliliter per minute). As in the case of the second mask 31a, the first mask 21a may remain when the formation of the upper pole tip 11a is completed, or may disappear during the etching process. Good. By using the above method, the upper pole tip 11a can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time. The second lower magnetic pole 7b is also formed with high accuracy and in a short time by forming the second lower magnetic pole 7b using the same method as that for the upper pole tip 11a. Can do.
[0051]
The magnetic path connection portion 11b is also formed by the same method as that for the upper pole tip 11a. When forming the magnetic path connection portion 11b, another mask 21b (see FIG. 2) formed by the same process and the same material as the first mask 21a is used.
[0052]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 3B and 10, a method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0053]
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 10, the first mask 21a (not shown in FIG. 3B), the upper pole tip, and the like are formed under the same conditions as when the upper pole tip 11a is formed, for example. 11a (not shown) which is selectively provided on the surface of the region M from the position of the foremost end to the position of the end of the widened portion 11a (2) of the 11a and the surface of the magnetic path connecting portion 11b (not shown in FIG. 10). Using the photoresist film as a mask, the recording gap layer 8 and the second lower magnetic pole 7b are etched by RIE by about 0.5 μm. At this time, a part of the insulating film pattern 10 extending backward from the position of the rearmost end of the upper pole tip 11a is also etched. By this etching process, regions other than the portion corresponding to the tip portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a in the recording gap layer 8 and the second lower magnetic pole 7b are selectively removed, and the magnetic pole having a trim structure Portion 100 is formed. The magnetic pole portion 100 includes a tip portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a, a portion (7bF) corresponding to the tip portion 11a (1) of the second lower magnetic pole 7b, and the recording gap layer 8 sandwiched between the two. And each of these portions has substantially the same width. By performing the etching process by RIE, the magnetic pole portion 100 can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time. In particular, when performing an etching process by RIE to form the magnetic pole part 100, for example, an etching gas containing about 20 to 40 ml / min of chlorine and about 60 to 80 ml / min of boron trichloride is used. Is preferred.
[0054]
Note that there is no problem even if the first mask 21a is etched away during the RIE etching process. In such a case, the upper pole tip 11a itself functions as an etching mask for the lower layer region (the recording gap layer 8 and the second lower magnetic pole 7b). However, since the film thickness of the upper pole tip 11a is reduced by etching, it is preferable to increase the film thickness in advance by taking into account the decrease. Here, the tip portion 11a (1) corresponds to a specific example of the “first constant width portion” in the present invention, and the portion 7bF corresponds to a specific example of the “second constant width portion” in the present invention. Correspond.
[0055]
Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, an insulating film 12 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the whole with a thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 μm.
[0056]
Next, as shown in the figure, an inductive type made of, for example, copper (Cu) is formed on the flat insulating film 12 in the region between the upper pole tip 11a and the magnetic path connecting portion 11b by, for example, electrolytic plating. The thin film coil 13 for the recording head is formed with a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm. The thin film coil 13 has, for example, a spiral planar structure as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, only a part of the thin film coil 13 is shown. When the thin film coil 13 is formed, at the same time, for example, the coil connection portion 13 s is integrally formed with the thin film coil 13 on the insulating film 12 at the inner end portion. The coil connection portion 13s is for electrically connecting the thin film coil 13 and a coil connection wiring 11h (FIG. 5A) formed in a subsequent process.
[0057]
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, an insulating film 14 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the entire surface with a thickness of about 3 to 4 μm, and the upper pole tip 11a, magnetic path connecting portion 11b, thin film coil 13 and coil are formed. After embedding the concavo-convex structure region constituted by the connection portion 13s and the like, the entire surface of the insulating film 14 is polished and planarized by, for example, a CMP method. In this case, the surface of the insulating film 14 is polished until both the upper pole tip 11a and the magnetic path connection portion 11b are exposed. By embedding the insulating film 14 between the windings of the thin film coil 13, the windings are insulated. As an embedding material for insulating the windings of the thin film coil 13, an insulating material such as a photoresist or SOG (spin on glass) which exhibits fluidity when heated, for example, is used in addition to the above-described alumina. Also good. When photoresist, SOG, or the like is used as an embedding material between the windings, it is possible to embed each winding without gaps more than when alumina is used, so that an insulating effect can be obtained more reliably. it can. In such a case, it is preferable to embed the insulating material between the windings and then dispose the insulating film 14 made of alumina thereon. By using alumina as a material for forming the insulating film 14, unlike the case of using a soft material such as a photoresist, the polishing surface of the CMP polishing machine can be prevented from being clogged, and the polished surface can be made smoother. This is because it can be formed.
[0058]
Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the insulating film 14 covering the upper portion of the coil connection portion 13s is partially etched by, for example, RIE or ion milling to form the coil connection portion 13s and a subsequent process. An opening 14k for connecting the coil connection wiring 11h is formed.
[0059]
Next, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, one of the upper magnetic poles 11 is formed in a region from the magnetic path connection portion 11b (not shown in FIG. 11) to the upper pole tip 11a in the flattened region. The upper yoke 11c that constitutes the portion is selectively formed with a thickness of about 2 to 3 μm. When forming the upper yoke 11c, simultaneously, a coil connection wiring 11h (not shown in FIG. 11) is formed in a region from above the opening 14k to an external circuit (not shown). The coil connection wiring 11h is for electrically connecting the coil connection portion 13s and an external circuit (not shown). As a material for forming the upper yoke 11c and the coil connection wiring 11h, for example, iron nitride or amorphous alloy (zirconium cobalt iron) which is a high saturation magnetic flux density material is preferably used as the material. The upper yoke 11c and the coil connection wiring 11h are formed by RIE under predetermined conditions as in the case of the upper pole tip 11a and the magnetic path connection portion 11b. By using such a method, the upper yoke 11c and the coil connection wiring 11h can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time.
[0060]
The upper yoke 11c has, for example, a planar shape as shown in FIG. 12, which will be described later. The upper yoke 11c extends to the upper region of the thin film coil 13, and the front of the yoke 11c (1). And a connecting portion 11c (2) extending so as to partially overlap a part of the upper pole tip 11a. When the upper yoke 11c is formed, for example, the foremost edge (hereinafter simply referred to as “frontmost end”) is the position of the frontmost end of the insulating film pattern 10, that is, the throat height zero position (TH0 position). The position of the rearmost edge (hereinafter simply referred to as “rear end”) is made to substantially coincide with the position of the rearmost end of the magnetic path connecting portion 11b. Is preferred. The upper yoke 11c is magnetically coupled to the lower magnetic pole 7 through the magnetic path connecting portion 11b in the opening 8b, and is also magnetically coupled in contact with the upper pole tip 11a. Here, the upper yoke 11c corresponds to a specific example of the “second magnetic layer portion” in the present invention, and the upper magnetic pole 11 constituted by the upper pole tip 11a, the magnetic path connecting portion 11b, and the upper yoke 11c includes: This corresponds to a specific example of “first magnetic layer” in the invention.
[0061]
Next, as shown in the figure, an overcoat layer 15 made of alumina, for example, is formed so as to cover the whole. Finally, the air bearing surface 20 of the recording head and the reproducing head is formed by machining or polishing process, and the thin film magnetic head is completed.
[0062]
<Structure of thin film magnetic head>
Next, the structure of the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0063]
FIG. 12 shows an outline of the planar structure of a thin film magnetic head manufactured by the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 12, the insulating films 12, 14 and the overcoat layer 15 are not shown. Further, only the outermost peripheral portion of the thin film coil 13 is illustrated, and only the outermost end of the insulating film pattern 10 is illustrated. FIG. 5A corresponds to a cross section taken along the line VA-VA in FIG. In addition, about each description regarding the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis direction in FIG. 12, it is the same as that of the case of FIGS.
[0064]
As shown in FIG. 12, the position of the foremost end of the insulating film pattern 10 is also referred to as a reference position for determining the throat height (TH), that is, the throat height zero position (hereinafter, simply referred to as “TH0 position”). ). The throat height (TH) is defined as the length from the frontmost end position (TH0 position) of the insulating film pattern 10 to the air bearing surface 20. Further, “MRH0 position” in FIG. 12 represents the position of the rearmost end of the MR film 5, that is, the MR height zero position. The MR height is a length from the MR height zero position to the air bearing surface 20.
[0065]
The upper magnetic pole 11 includes an upper pole tip 11a, a magnetic path connecting portion 11b, and an upper yoke 11c that are separately formed. That is, the upper magnetic pole 11 is an aggregate of these parts.
[0066]
The upper yoke 11c includes a yoke portion 11c (1) having a large area for accommodating the magnetic flux generated by the thin film coil 13, and a connecting portion 11c (2) having a constant width smaller than the yoke portion 11c (1). Contains. The width of the yoke portion 11c (1) is, for example, substantially constant in the rear region, and gradually decreases as the air bearing surface 20 is approached in the front portion. Further, the width of the connecting portion 11c (2) is, for example, larger than the maximum width of the widened portion 11a (2) of the upper pole tip 25a described later. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a case. For example, the former width may be smaller than the latter width.
[0067]
The upper pole tip 11a has, for example, a planar shape whose width increases as the distance from the air bearing surface 20 increases. The tip portion 11a (1) and the widened portion 11a (2) are formed in order from the air bearing surface 20. Contains. The front end portion 11a (1) has a substantially constant width over the entire area, and this width defines the recording track width during recording. The widened portion 11a (2) includes a front portion having a larger width than the front end portion 11a (1) and a rear portion having a larger width than the front portion. That is, a step in the width direction is formed at the connecting portion between the front end portion 11a (1) and the front portion of the widened portion 11a (2). For example, chamfering and taper processing are performed on both corners on the air bearing surface 20 side of both portions (front portion and rear portion) constituting the widened portion 11a (2).
[0068]
The stepped surface 11d on the widened portion 11a (2) side of the stepped portion of the upper pole tip 11a is located, for example, between the MRH0 position and the TH0 position. The front edge surface 11t of the upper yoke 11c is located, for example, between the position of the step surface 11d of the upper pole tip 11a and the TH0 position. Note that the position of the end edge surface 11t of the upper yoke 11c is not necessarily limited to such a case, and may be aligned with the TH0 position, or may be shifted rearward from the TH0 position. The centers in the width direction of the upper yoke 11c and the upper pole tip 11a coincide with each other.
[0069]
As shown in FIG. 5A, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, a part of the front side of the upper yoke 11c partially overlaps with a part of the widened portion 11a (2) of the upper pole tip 11a so as to be magnetic. Connected. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, the upper yoke 11c is also magnetically coupled to the lower magnetic pole 7 through the magnetic path connecting portion 11b in the opening 8b. That is, the upper magnetic pole 11 (upper pole tip 11a, magnetic path connecting portion 11b, upper yoke 11c) and the lower magnetic pole 7 (first lower magnetic pole 7a, second lower magnetic pole 7b) are connected, so that the magnetic flux A propagation path, that is, a magnetic path is formed.
[0070]
As shown in FIG. 12, the thin film coil 13 is a winding body having a spiral planar shape, and a coil connection portion 13 s integrated with the thin film coil 13 is formed at an inner end portion thereof. One end of the coil connection wiring 11h is in contact with and electrically connected to the coil connection portion 13s. The other end of the coil connection wiring 11h and the terminal portion 13x outside the thin film coil 13 are connected to an external circuit (not shown), and the thin film coil 13 can be energized by this external circuit.
[0071]
As can be seen from FIG. 5, FIG. 10, and FIG. 12, the front portion of the tip portion 11a (1) and the widened portion 11a (2) of the upper pole tip 11a extends on the flat recording gap layer 8, and the widened portion 11a. The rear portion of (2) extends on the slope of the insulating film pattern 10.
[0072]
<Operation of thin-film magnetic head>
Next, the operation of the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0073]
Here, a basic operation of the thin film magnetic head, that is, a data recording operation on the recording medium and a data reproducing operation from the recording medium will be briefly described.
[0074]
In the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment, when a current flows through the thin film coil 13 through an external circuit (not shown) during the information recording operation, a magnetic flux is generated accordingly. The magnetic flux generated at this time propagates in the upper yoke 11c from the yoke portion 11a (1) to the connecting portion 11c (2), and the widened portion 11a (2 of the upper pole tip 11a magnetically coupled to the upper yoke 11c. ) To the tip 11a (1). The magnetic flux propagated to the tip portion 11a (1) reaches the tip portion on the air bearing surface 20 side, and generates a recording signal magnetic field outside the vicinity of the recording gap layer 8. By this signal magnetic field, information can be recorded by partially magnetizing the magnetic recording medium.
[0075]
On the other hand, at the time of reproduction, a sense current is passed through the MR film 5 of the reproducing head portion. Since the resistance value of the MR film 5 changes in accordance with the reproduction signal magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium, the information recorded on the magnetic recording medium can be read by detecting the resistance change by the change in the sense current. it can.
[0076]
<Operation and Effect in Manufacturing Method of Thin Film Magnetic Head>
Next, with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, characteristic actions and effects in the method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0077]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a (not shown in FIG. 9; see FIG. 8) is selectively etched by RIE using the first mask 21a. The upper pole tip 11a is formed by patterning. This RIE generally has a higher processing speed than ion milling. When performing etching by RIE, in particular, a chlorine-based gas is selected, and the reaction temperature is adjusted so that the processing temperature is within a range of 50 ° C. to 250 ° C. The etching conditions are optimized so as to promote the performance. For this reason, it becomes possible to form the upper pole tip 11a in an extremely short time compared to the conventional method using ion milling. Such actions and effects are achieved by using other magnetic layer portions (second lower magnetic pole 7b, magnetic path connecting portion 11b, upper yoke 11c), magnetic pole portion 100, and the like in the same manner as in the case of forming the upper pole tip 11a. It can also be obtained when forming. In addition, by forming the magnetic pole portion 100 by RIE as described above, the tip portions 11a (1) and 7bF are processed by ion milling, and the processing time is longer than when the selective removal of the recording gap layer 8 is processed by RIE. Can be shortened.
[0078]
In this embodiment, iron nitride, amorphous alloy (zirconium cobalt iron) or the like is used as a material for forming the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a, and the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a made of these materials is etched by RIE. Thus, the upper pole tip 11a can be formed with high accuracy. Such an operation and effect can be obtained also in the case where other magnetic layer portions other than the upper pole tip 11a are formed using the same material and method. In particular, in the conventional method of processing a plating film made of permalloy by ion milling, the width of the non-etched portion is partially expanded by re-deposition of etching products or the width of the non-etched portion is partially etched by overetching. By avoiding the reduction or the like, as shown in FIG. 10, the magnetic pole width of the magnetic pole portion 100 can be made constant over the entire area in the thickness direction and the length direction.
[0079]
As described above, according to the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment, each magnetic layer portion (second lower magnetic pole 7b, upper pole tip 11a, magnetic path connecting portion 11b, Since the upper yoke 11c and the like are formed under appropriate conditions by RIE, the time required for formation can be shortened compared with the case of using conventional ion milling. In particular, by using RIE for the formation of the magnetic pole portion 100 having the trim structure, as a result, the time required for manufacturing the entire thin film magnetic head can be greatly reduced.
[0080]
In this embodiment, iron nitride, amorphous alloy (zirconium cobalt iron), or the like is used as a material for forming the magnetic material layer. Therefore, each magnetic layer portion can be formed with high accuracy. In particular, the magnetic pole width of the magnetic pole portion 100 including the tip portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a can be made constant over the entire area, so that stable recording characteristics can be obtained and the recording density can be increased. Therefore, the magnetic pole width can be reduced.
[0081]
In the present embodiment, since an inorganic material such as alumina having a low etching rate is used as a material for forming the first mask 21a for patterning the upper pole tip precursor layer 111a, the first mask 21a As compared with the case where a soft material such as a photoresist film having a high etching rate is used as the forming material, the amount of etching of the first mask 21a itself can be reduced, and as a result, the upper pole chip that is finally formed It is possible to reduce the reduction in thickness of 11a. Such an effect is the same also about the magnetic path connection part 11b formed using the other mask 21b which consists of alumina.
[0082]
In the present embodiment, since the first mask 21a is also formed by RIE, the time required for forming the first mask 21a can be shortened compared to the case of using ion milling. . This also contributes to shortening the manufacturing time of the entire thin film magnetic head.
[0083]
In the present embodiment, since the inorganic material having a relatively low reflectance such as alumina is used as the material for forming the first mask precursor layer 121a, the second mask precursor layer 131a is patterned by photolithography. Thus, when the second mask 31a is formed, pattern loss of the photoresist film due to the influence of reflected light during exposure is suppressed. Therefore, the second mask 31a can be formed with high accuracy, and the first mask 21a and the upper pole tip 11a can also be formed with high accuracy.
[0084]
In the present embodiment, when the magnetic pole portion 100 is formed by the etching process by RIE, the region (the second lower magnetic pole 7b and the like) in which the thin film coil 13 is formed in a later process is also etched. The surface position of the region where the thin film coil 13 is disposed is set lower than the position of the lower surface of the upper pole tip 11a. For this reason, when the surface of the insulating film 14 is polished by the CMP method after the thin film coil 13 is buried with the insulating film 14 until both the upper pole tip 11a and the magnetic path connection portion 11b are exposed, In this case, the insulating film 14 having a sufficient thickness is present. Therefore, it is possible to reliably insulate between the thin film coil 13 and the upper yoke 11c formed in a later process.
[0085]
In this embodiment, iron nitride, amorphous alloy (zirconium cobalt iron), or the like is used as a material for forming the magnetic material layer for forming each magnetic layer portion constituting the thin film magnetic head. In addition to these materials, for example, permalloy may be used. However, when permalloy is used as the material for forming the magnetic material layer, the proportion of nickel (Ni) in the composition is preferably set to 45% or less (please teach). Thus, by reducing the proportion of nickel in the composition, it is possible to prevent the reattachment of the etching product during the etching process by RIE.
[0086]
In the present embodiment, the electrolytic plating method is used to form the lower shield layer 3 and the first lower magnetic pole 7a. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, both or one of the parts Sputtering may be used to form the film. As a forming material in such a case, iron nitride may be used in addition to the above-described permalloy. Thus, by using the same method as in the case of the upper pole tip 11a and the like, each part can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time, which also contributes to shortening the manufacturing time of the entire thin film magnetic head. It will be.
[0087]
In the present embodiment, the lower magnetic pole 7 has a two-layer structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lower magnetic pole 7 may be formed as a single layer. By forming the bottom pole 7 as a single layer, the manufacturing process can be simplified as compared with the case of a two-layer configuration.
[0088]
In the present embodiment, the tip portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a and the portion 7bF of the second lower magnetic pole 7b constituting the magnetic pole portion 100 are continuously formed. For example, the portion 7bF may be formed immediately after the formation of the second lower magnetic pole 7b.
[0089]
In the present embodiment, alumina is used as the material for forming the recording gap layer 8, and sputtering is used as the method for forming the recording gap layer 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As a material for forming the recording gap layer 8, in addition to alumina, for example, an inorganic insulating material such as aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon oxide, or silicon nitride may be used, or tantalum (Ta) or titanium tungsten. A nonmagnetic metal such as (WTi) or titanium nitride (TiN) may be used. Further, as a method for forming the recording gap layer 8, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method may be used in addition to sputtering. By forming the recording gap layer 8 using such a method, it is possible to prevent pinholes and the like from being contained in the gap layer, so that leakage of magnetic flux through the recording gap layer 8 can be avoided. Such an effect is particularly beneficial when the thickness of the recording gap layer 8 is reduced.
[0090]
Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the upper yoke (11c) has a single-layer structure of iron nitride has been described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. For example, a high saturation magnetic flux density material layer 41 such as iron nitride and an inorganic insulating material layer 42 such as alumina may be alternately laminated (211c). With the upper yoke having such a structure, generation of eddy currents in the magnetic path can be prevented and high frequency characteristics can be improved. The formation time can be shortened by forming both the high saturation magnetic flux density material layer 41 and the inorganic insulating material layer 42 by RIE. In FIG. 13, the parts other than the upper yoke 211c are the same as those in FIG.
[0091]
In the present embodiment, the second mask precursor layer 131a is a photoresist film, and the second mask 31a is formed by selectively patterning the photoresist film by a photolithography process. For example, the second mask may be made of a predetermined metal film. Hereinafter, an example in which the second mask is a metal film will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, the same components as those shown in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of those components will be omitted as appropriate.
[0092]
<Modification 1-1>
FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are for explaining a first modification of the present embodiment. In the present modification, first, as shown in FIG. 14, a second mask precursor layer 151a made of, for example, iron nitride is formed on the first mask precursor layer 121a by, for example, sputtering. Next, a third mask 81a made of, for example, a photoresist film is disposed at a predetermined position on the second mask precursor layer 151a, and this is used as an etching mask, for example, by the second mask precursor layer 151a by ion milling. Is selectively etched to form a second mask 51a as shown in FIG. The third mask 81a at this time has a shape corresponding to the planar shape of the upper pole tip 11a. Since the steps after the formation of the second mask 51a are the same as those in the above embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. Even when such a second mask 51a is used, the same effect as in the case of the above embodiment can be obtained. Note that a metal (for example, permalloy) other than iron nitride may be used as a material for forming the second mask precursor layer 151a. In this case, permalloy or the like may be plated and grown by an electrolytic plating method so that the second mask precursor layer 151a is made of a plating film. Here, the second mask precursor layer 151a corresponds to a specific example of the “metal layer” in the present invention, and the second mask 51a is formed by “selective etching of the metal layer in the present invention” This corresponds to a specific example of “second mask” as “pattern”.
[0093]
<Modification 1-2>
16 and 17 are for explaining a second modification of the present embodiment. In this modification, first, on the first mask precursor layer 121a, for example, a permalloy is formed with a thickness of about 70 nm by sputtering, for example, to form an electrode film (not shown) as a seed layer in the electrolytic plating method. To do. Next, a photoresist film is formed on the electrode film with a thickness of, for example, about 1 to 2 μm, and this photoresist film is selectively patterned by photolithography to obtain a predetermined shape as shown in FIG. A photoresist pattern 171a having an opening 171x is formed. The planar shape of the opening 171x corresponds to the planar shape of the upper pole tip 11a. At this time, by reducing the thickness of the photoresist film to about 1 μm or less, the influence of the reflected light from the electrode film (seed layer) at the time of exposure can be suppressed, so the opening 171x can be formed with high accuracy. Can be formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, a second mask 71a made of a plating film is formed by, for example, permalloy being grown on the opening 171X by an electrolytic plating method using the electrode film as a seed layer. . FIG. 17 shows a state after the photoresist pattern 171a is removed. Since the steps after the formation of the second mask 71a are the same as those in the above embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. Even when the subsequent processing is advanced using such a second mask 71a, the same effect as in the case of the above embodiment can be obtained. Here, the second mask 71a corresponds to a specific example of a “second mask” as a “metal film pattern” made of a plating film in the present invention.
[0094]
<Modification 1-3>
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B and FIG. 10, the magnetic pole portion 100 is formed only by the etching process by RIE. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The minimum magnetic pole width that can be formed using such a method is limited to about 0.3 μm, and if the magnetic pole width is made smaller than 0.3 μm, the processing accuracy of the magnetic pole portion 100 is greatly reduced. As a method for realizing a magnetic pole width (magnetic pole portion 100P) of 0.3 μm or less, for example, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, there is a method in which etching processing by both RIE and FIB (Focused Ion Beam) is used in combination. It is valid. Here, FIG. 18 shows an enlarged planar structure of the magnetic pole portion 100P and its peripheral region during etching, and FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional structure of the magnetic pole portion 100P and its peripheral region after the etching process. FIG. 20 shows an enlarged perspective view of the magnetic pole part 100P after etching and its peripheral region. Each of these figures represents a process following the process shown in FIG. 9 in the above-described embodiment, and in each figure, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 9 in the above-described embodiment are the same. A sign shall be attached. In addition, the description regarding the respective directions of the X, Y, and Z axes in each drawing is the same as that in the above embodiment. In FIG. 18, only a part of the intermediate portion 11a (2) and the tip end portion 11a (1) of the upper pole tip 11a are shown, and other illustrations are omitted. FIG. 19 corresponds to a cross section taken along line XIX-XIX in FIG.
[0095]
When the magnetic pole portion 100P is formed by using both RIE and FIB etching processes, first, the upper pole tip 11a (the width of the tip 11a (1) = W1; W1 ≧ 0.3 μm) is etched by RIE. ). Next, as shown in FIG. 18, for example, by performing an etching process by FIB in the region 500 in the drawing, a portion corresponding to the region 500 in the tip end portion 11a (1) is removed and continuous with this. Then, a portion corresponding to the region 500 in both the recording gap layer 8 and the second lower magnetic pole 7b is also removed to form a magnetic pole portion 100P having a trim structure. As shown in FIG. 19, the magnetic pole portion 100P formed by such an etching process has a width W2 (W2 <0.3 μm) smaller than W1, that is, the magnetic pole width can be further reduced. . Moreover, the width becomes constant with higher accuracy over the entire region in the thickness direction and the length direction.
[0096]
At this time, both the recording gap layer 8 and the second lower magnetic pole 7b in the region corresponding to the region 500 are partially dug deeply. In particular, the second lower magnetic pole 7b has, for example, a V-shaped cross-sectional structure. The groove part 100M which has is formed. When performing the etching process by FIB, it is preferable that the width W3 of the groove part 100M in the outermost surface part of the second lower magnetic pole 7b is about 1 μm or more. This is because, by setting the width W3 of the groove portion 100M to about 1 μm or more, occurrence of side erasure during recording due to the influence of a part (part 7bS) of the second lower magnetic pole 7b is prevented. The three-dimensional structure at this time is as shown in FIG. For this reason, it is possible to obtain higher density and more stable recording characteristics by narrowing the magnetic pole width with high accuracy. In the case where both RIE and FIB etching processes are used in combination, the magnetic pole portion 100 having the magnetic pole width W1 may be formed by RIE, and then narrowed so as to have the magnetic pole width W2 by FIB. The steps after the formation of the insulating film 12 are the same as those after the step shown in FIG. 3 in the above embodiment.
[0097]
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0098]
First, a method of manufacturing a composite thin film magnetic head as a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment is embodied by the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment, and will be described below. 21 to 25, (A) shows a cross section perpendicular to the air bearing surface, and (B) shows a cross section of the magnetic pole portion parallel to the air bearing surface. 21 to 25, the notation regarding the X, Y, and Z axis directions in each drawing is the same as that in the first embodiment, and in the first embodiment in each drawing. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts as the constituent elements.
[0099]
In the method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment, the steps up to embedding the MR film 5 with the shield gap films 4 and 6 in FIG. 21 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. Since it is the same as that of a process, the description is abbreviate | omitted.
[0100]
In the present embodiment, after embedding the MR film 5 with the shield gap films 4 and 6, a part of the lower magnetic pole 7 is formed in the front region on the shield gap film 6 as shown in FIG. The lower magnetic layer 7c is selectively formed with a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm. Next, after an insulating film made of alumina is formed on the entire surface, the surface of the insulating film is polished by CMP until the lower magnetic layer 7c is exposed, and the entire surface is flattened.
[0101]
Next, a lower pole tip 7d that will constitute a part of the lower magnetic pole 7 is selectively formed in a forward region on the lower magnetic layer 7c with a thickness of about 1.5 to 2.5 μm, and at the same time, In the rear region on the magnetic layer 7c, a lower connection portion 7e that constitutes a part of the lower magnetic pole 7 is selectively formed with the same thickness.
[0102]
The lower magnetic layer 7c, the lower pole tip 7d, and the lower connection portion 7e are formed in the same manner as the upper pole tip 11a in the first embodiment, for example, iron nitride formed by sputtering. A method of patterning the layer by RIE using a mask made of alumina is used. By using such a method, it becomes possible to form each part which comprises the lower magnetic pole 7 with high precision and in a short time. The lower magnetic layer 7c may be formed by electrolytic plating using permalloy, for example. When the lower pole tip 7d is formed, it is preferable that the rear end of the lower pole tip 7d is shifted from the rear end position (MRH0 position) of the MR film 5 by about 1 to 3 μm. Further, when the lower connection portion 7e is formed, it is preferable that the position of the rearmost end thereof coincides with the position of the rearmost end of the lower magnetic layer 7c. Here, the lower magnetic pole 7 constituted by the lower magnetic layer 7c, the lower pole tip 7d, and the lower connection portion 7e corresponds to a specific example of the “second magnetic layer” in the present invention.
[0103]
Next, as shown in the figure, an insulating film 31 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the entire surface with a thickness of about 0.5 to 1.5 μm.
[0104]
Next, as shown in FIG. 22, an induction type recording head made of, for example, copper (Cu) is formed on the insulating film 31 in the region between the lower pole tip 7d and the lower connection portion 7e by, for example, electrolytic plating. The thin film coil 32 is formed with a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm. The thin film coil 32 has the same structural features as the thin film coil 13 in the first embodiment, for example. When the thin film coil 32 is formed, at the same time, for example, the coil connection portion 32 s is formed integrally with the thin film coil 32 on the insulating film 31 at the inner end portion.
[0105]
Next, as shown in the figure, an insulating film 33 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the entire surface with a thickness of about 3 to 4 μm, and then the insulating film 33 is exposed until the lower pole tip 7d and the lower connection portion 7e are exposed. The entire surface is polished by, for example, a CMP method.
[0106]
Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the insulating film 33 is etched by about 0.3 to 1.2 μm by, for example, RIE or ion milling, and at the same time, the part behind the lower pole tip 7d is etched to the same extent. The recess 34 is formed. At this time, the thin film coil 32 and the coil connection portion 32 s may not be exposed on the surface of the recess 34, or both may be exposed. When the recess 34 is formed, at least the side wall of the front end edge is inclined. Next, after depositing, for example, alumina in the recess 34, this is patterned by, for example, ion milling to selectively form the insulating film pattern 35 with a thickness of about 0.5 to 2 μm. At this time, the thickness of the insulating film pattern 35 is set to be equal to or greater than the depth of the recess 34 so that the front end edge portion forms a slope. As a result, the vicinity of the edge of the insulating film pattern 35 has a taper. The insulating film pattern 35 defines a throat height zero position (TH0 position) and an apex angle (θ).
[0107]
Next, as shown in FIG. 24, a recording gap layer 36 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the whole with a thickness of about 0.15 to 0.3 [mu] m. At this time, an opening 36b is formed in the recording gap layer 36 so that the lower magnetic pole 7 and the upper magnetic pole 61 formed in a later process are connected. Here, the recording gap layer 36 corresponds to a specific example of “gap layer” in the present invention.
[0108]
Next, as shown in the figure, a part of the insulating film 33, the insulating film pattern 35, and the recording gap layer 36 covering the upper part of the coil connecting portion 32s is partially etched by, for example, RIE or ion milling. Thus, the opening 35k for connecting the coil connection portion 32s and the coil connection wiring 61h formed in a later process is formed.
[0109]
Next, as shown in the figure, an upper magnetic pole 61 is selectively formed with a thickness of about 1.5 to 3 μm in a region from the upper side of the lower connection portion 7e to the air bearing surface 20 in a later process. To do. When forming the upper magnetic pole 61, at the same time, the coil connection wiring 61h is selectively formed in the region from the upper region to the rear of the opening 35k. The upper magnetic pole 61 and the coil connection wiring 61h are formed on the entire surface of the iron nitride layer after the iron nitride layer is formed on the entire surface by sputtering, as in the case of the upper pole tip 11a in the first embodiment. In this position, masks 91 and 92 having shapes corresponding to the planar shapes of the upper magnetic pole 61 and the coil connection wiring 61h are disposed, and the iron nitride layer is patterned by RIE under predetermined conditions. By using such a method, the upper magnetic pole 61 and the coil connection wiring 61h can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time. Note that the masks 91 and 92 used to form both portions may remain after the formation of both portions, or may disappear by being etched. The upper magnetic pole 61 has, for example, a planar shape as shown in FIG. 26, which will be described later, and a front end portion 61a that defines the recording track width on the recording medium, and an intermediate portion that has a larger width than the front end portion 61a. A portion 61b and a yoke portion 61c having a larger width and area than the intermediate portion 61b are included. The structural features of the upper magnetic pole 61 will be described later. Here, the upper magnetic pole 61 corresponds to a specific example of the “first magnetic layer” in the present invention.
[0110]
Next, as shown in FIG. 25B, the recording gap layer 36 and the lower pole tip 7d are approximately removed by dry etching by RIE similar to the case where the magnetic pole portion 100 is formed in the first embodiment. The magnetic pole portion 150 having a trim structure is formed by etching about 0.5 μm. By using such an RIE etching process, the magnetic pole portion 150 can be formed with higher accuracy and in a shorter time than when ion milling or the like is used. This etching process is performed using a photoresist film (not shown) selectively formed in a region other than the region corresponding to the tip portion 61a of the upper magnetic pole 61 as a mask. The magnetic pole portion 150 is configured by a tip portion 61a of the upper magnetic pole 61, a portion (7dF) corresponding to the tip portion 61a of the lower pole tip 7d, and a part of the recording gap layer 36 sandwiched between both of them. These parts have substantially the same width. Here, the tip 61a corresponds to a specific example of “first constant width portion” of the present invention, and the portion 7dF corresponds to a specific example of “second constant width portion” of the present invention.
[0111]
Next, as shown in FIG. 25 (A), an overcoat layer 80 made of alumina, for example, is formed so as to cover the whole, and then the air bearing surface 20 is formed by a machining process or a polishing process. The thin film magnetic head according to the embodiment is completed.
[0112]
FIG. 26 shows an outline of a planar structure of a thin film magnetic head manufactured by the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 26, the same components as those shown in FIG. 12 in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 26, illustration of the insulating film 33, the masks 91 and 92, the overcoat layer 80, and the like is omitted. Further, only the outermost peripheral portion of the thin film coil 32 is illustrated, and only the outermost end of the insulating film pattern 35 is illustrated. FIG. 25A corresponds to a cross section taken along the line XXVA-XXVA in FIG.
[0113]
As shown in FIG. 26, the position of the foremost end of the insulating film pattern 35, that is, the throat height zero position (TH0 position) is substantially coincident with the position of the rearmost end of the MR film 5, that is, the MRH0 position. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a case. For example, the TH0 position may be shifted backward from the MRH0 position.
[0114]
The upper magnetic pole 61 includes a tip portion 61a, an intermediate portion 61b, and a yoke portion 61c in order from the air bearing surface 20, and these portions are integrated. The leading edge 61a is a part that determines the recording track width on the recording medium during recording, that is, the width of the leading edge 61a defines the track width. The width of the intermediate portion 61b is larger than the width of the tip portion 61a, and the width of the yoke portion 61c is larger than the width of the intermediate portion 61b. The yoke part 61c has substantially the same structure as the yoke part 11c (1) of the upper yoke 11c in the first embodiment. A step in the width direction is formed at the connecting portion between the tip portion 61a and the intermediate portion 61b, and the position of the step surface 61d on the intermediate portion 61b side in this step portion substantially coincides with the TH0 position (or MRH0 position). ing. However, this is not necessarily the case, and the step surface 61d may be displaced forward or backward from the TH0 position (or MRH0 position).
[0115]
As shown in FIGS. 25A and 26, a part of the rear of the upper magnetic pole 61 is magnetically coupled to the lower magnetic layer 7c and the lower pole tip 7d through the lower connecting portion 7e in the opening 36b. Has been. That is, the upper magnetic pole 61 and the lower magnetic pole 7 (lower magnetic layer 7c, lower pole tip 7d, lower connection portion 7e) are connected to form a magnetic path.
[0116]
In addition, the structural features regarding the other arrangements shown in FIG. 26 are the same as those in the case of the first embodiment (FIG. 12).
[0117]
In the present embodiment, the respective portions (tip portion 61a, intermediate portion 61b, yoke portion 61c) of the upper magnetic pole 61 are integrally formed. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the respective portions ( The manufacturing process can be simplified as compared with the case where the upper pole tip 11a and the upper yoke 11c) are formed separately.
[0118]
In the present embodiment, the insulating film pattern 35 made of alumina for defining the throat height (TH) and the apex angle (θ) is formed so that a part of the insulating film pattern 35 is embedded in the recess 34. I have to. For this reason, apex angle ((theta)) can be made smaller than the case where the insulating film pattern 35 is formed on the flat surface after grinding | polishing, without forming the recessed part 34. FIG. In particular, since the vicinity of the edge of the insulating film pattern 35 is tapered, the apex angle (θ) can be reduced by this, and the flow of magnetic flux above the tapered portion can be made smooth. it can.
[0119]
In the present embodiment, since the insulating film pattern 35 having a sufficient thickness is disposed above the thin film coil 32, sufficient insulation between the thin film coil 32 and the upper magnetic pole 61 is ensured. be able to.
[0120]
Since other operations, effects, modifications, and the like regarding the method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head according to the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.
[0121]
In the present embodiment, the insulating film pattern 35 is formed using alumina as a material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a photoresist or SOG may be used. In this case, the formed photoresist film or SOG film is heated at a temperature of, for example, about 200 to 250 degrees, and the photoresist or SOG is caused to flow, so that the shape of each front edge is tapered. It can be.
[0122]
Further, in the present embodiment, the surface polishing of the insulating film 33 is finished when the lower pole tip 7d and each connection portion 7e are exposed. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. It may be performed until the thin film coil 32 is exposed. In such a case, it is preferable to form the insulating film pattern 35 on the flat surface after polishing without forming the recess 34. This is to prevent the thin film coil 32 from being etched and the film thickness of the thin film coil 32 from being reduced when the recess 34 is formed.
[0123]
In the present embodiment, the magnetic pole portion 150 is formed by RIE. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, as described in Modification 1-3 of the first embodiment. RIE and FIB may be used in combination.
[0124]
Although the present invention has been described with reference to some embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, in each of the above embodiments, in order to improve the formation accuracy and the formation speed, it is recommended that each magnetic layer portion constituting the thin film magnetic head is formed by selective etching of the iron nitride layer by RIE. This does not have to be applied to all magnetic layer portions. For example, a part of each magnetic layer portion may be formed by electrolytic plating using permalloy or the like as a material. However, a portion that requires high formation accuracy, that is, a portion that constitutes the magnetic pole portion (the upper pole tip 11a and the second lower magnetic pole 7b in the first embodiment, the upper portion in the second embodiment) The formation of the magnetic pole 61 and the lower pole tip 7d) is preferably performed at least by selective etching of iron nitride by RIE.
[0125]
Further, the planar shapes of the upper pole tip 11a and the upper yoke 11c are not necessarily limited to those shown in FIG. 12, and the magnetic flux generated by the thin film coil 13 is sufficiently supplied to the distal end portion of the distal end portion 11a (1). It can be changed freely as long as possible. The planar shape of the upper magnetic pole 61 can be similarly changed.
[0126]
Further, for example, in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, the manufacturing method of the composite type thin film magnetic head has been described. However, the present invention relates to a recording-only thin film magnetic head or recording medium having an inductive magnetic conversion element for writing. It can also be applied to a thin film magnetic head having an inductive magnetic transducer that is also used for reproduction. The present invention can also be applied to a thin film magnetic head having a structure in which the stacking order of a writing element and a reading element is reversed.
[0127]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, claims 1 to17According to the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to any one of the above, the process of forming the first magnetic layerAbout,Forming a gap layer using aluminum oxide, and on the gap layer;Forming a magnetic material layer;Forming a first mask on the magnetic material layer using aluminum oxide, and using the first maskMagnetic material layer in a chlorine gas atmosphere150℃ or250And a processing step of processing by reactive ion etching at a temperature within a range of 0 ° C., the processing can be performed in a shorter time than when the magnetic material layer is processed by ion milling. Therefore, the time required for manufacturing the entire thin film magnetic head can be greatly shortened.Further, by processing the magnetic material layer by reactive ion etching, the width of the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer can be made constant over the entire region in the thickness direction and the length direction. It becomes. Therefore, the first magnetic layer can be formed with high accuracy. Since the first mask is formed using aluminum oxide, the thickness of the first magnetic layer portion is larger than when the first mask is formed using a material having a high etching rate such as a photoresist. There is also an effect that it is possible to reduce the loss of eyes.
[0129]
  Claims3According to the thin film magnetic head manufacturing method described above, since the first mask is formed by reactive ion etching, the time required for forming the first mask can be shortened. .
[0130]
  Claims10According to the method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head described above, formation of the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer and selective removal of a region other than the portion corresponding to the first constant width portion of the gap layer are performed. Since the second constant width portion of the second magnetic layer is continuously formed in the same process, the time required for manufacturing the entire thin film magnetic head can be shortened. There is an effect.
[0131]
  Claims13According to the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head described above, the third magnetic layer is formed by reactive ion etching. Therefore, the third magnetic layer can be formed with high accuracy and in a short time, and the thin film magnetic There is an effect that the manufacturing time of the entire head can be further shortened.
[0132]
  Claims15Or claims17According to the method for manufacturing the thin film magnetic head described in the above, since the material containing iron nitride or the material containing zirconium cobalt iron (amorphous alloy) is used as the magnetic material, permalloy or the like is used as the material for forming the magnetic material layer. As compared with the case of using, there is less redeposition when the magnetic material layer is etched by RIE, and there is an effect that highly accurate patterning becomes possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining one step in a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to a first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a step following the step in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a step following the step of FIG. 2;
4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 3; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 4;
6 is a perspective view for explaining a step between the step shown in FIG. 1 and the step shown in FIG. 2;
7 is a perspective view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 6; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining a step following the step in FIG. 7;
9 is a perspective view corresponding to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
10 is a perspective view corresponding to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3. FIG.
11 is a perspective view corresponding to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a planar structure of the thin film magnetic head according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a modification of the upper yoke of the thin film magnetic head according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view for explaining a modification of the method for forming the upper pole tip in the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view for explaining another modification of the method for forming the upper pole tip in the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is an enlarged plan view showing the periphery of a magnetic pole part for explaining a modification of the method for forming the magnetic pole part.
19 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the plan view shown in FIG.
20 is a perspective view corresponding to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.
FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a step in the method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a process following the process in FIG. 21;
FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a step following the step in FIG. 22;
24 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a process following the process in FIG. 23. FIG.
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process following the process in FIG. 24;
FIG. 26 is a plan view showing a planar structure of a thin film magnetic head according to a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view for explaining one step of a conventional method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head.
FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view subsequent to FIG. 27;
FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a process following the process in FIG. 28;
FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part structure of a conventional thin film magnetic head.
31 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the magnetic pole portion of the thin film magnetic head shown in FIG. 30 parallel to the air bearing surface.
FIG. 32 is a plan view showing the structure of a conventional thin film magnetic head.
FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the magnetic pole portion parallel to the air bearing surface for explaining problems in forming the magnetic pole portion of the conventional thin film magnetic head.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate, 2 ... Insulating layer, 3 ... Lower shield layer, 4, 6 ... Shield gap film, 5 ... MR film, 7 ... Lower magnetic pole, 7a ... First lower magnetic pole, 7b ... Second lower magnetic pole, 7c ... lower magnetic layer, 7d ... lower pole tip, 7e ... lower connection part, 8, 36 ... recording gap layer, 10, 35 ... insulating film pattern, 11, 61 ... upper magnetic pole, 11a (1), 61a ... tip part, 11a (2): Widened portion, 11b: Magnetic path connecting portion, 11c, 211c ... Upper yoke, 11c (1), 61c ... Yoke portion, 11c (2) ... Connecting portion, 11h, 61h ... Coil connecting wiring, 12, 14, 31, 33 ... insulating film, 13, 32 ... thin film coil, 13s, 32s ... coil connection, 15, 80 ... overcoat layer, 20 ... air bearing surface, 21a ... first mask, 21b ... other mask , 31a, 51a, 71a ... second square 41 ... High saturation magnetic flux density material layer, 42 ... Inorganic insulating material layer, 61b ... Intermediate part, 81a ... Third mask, 91, 92 ... Mask, 100, 150 ... Magnetic pole part, 111a ... Upper pole tip precursor layer 121a, first mask precursor layer, 131a, 151a, second mask precursor layer, 171a, photoresist pattern, θ, apex angle, TH, throat height.

Claims (17)

A first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer that are magnetically coupled to each other, including two magnetic poles facing each other via a gap layer on a part of the recording medium facing surface facing the recording medium, and two A first magnetic layer portion including a first constant width portion defining a track width, and a thin film coil portion disposed between the magnetic layers via an insulating layer, And a second magnetic layer portion that covers the region where the thin film coil portion is disposed and is magnetically coupled to the first magnetic layer portion, wherein the second magnetic layer is the first magnetic layer portion. A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head having a second constant width portion corresponding to the first constant width portion of a layer, comprising:
As engineering of forming the first magnetic layer is,
Forming the gap layer using aluminum oxide;
Forming a magnetic material layer on the gap layer;
Forming a first mask on the magnetic material layer using aluminum oxide;
A thin film magnetic layer comprising: a processing step of processing the magnetic material layer by reactive ion etching in a chlorine gas atmosphere at a temperature within a range of 150 ° C. to 250 ° C. using the first mask. Manufacturing method of the head. The step of forming the first mask includes:
Forming a mask precursor layer made of the inorganic material on the surface of the magnetic material layer;
Forming a second mask on the surface of the mask precursor layer;
Manufacturing method of the second thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a step of masking by using a first mask by patterning the mask precursor layer. The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 2, wherein the first mask is formed by reactive ion etching. Photoresist layer pattern is formed, the manufacturing method according to claim 2 thin film magnetic head, wherein the using the photoresist film pattern as the second mask having a predetermined shape on the surface of the mask precursor layer. Wherein the surface of the mask precursor layer to form a metal film pattern having a predetermined shape, the method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head according to claim 2, wherein the use of the metal film pattern as the second mask. 6. The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 5, wherein the metal film pattern is formed by selectively growing a plating film on the surface of the mask precursor layer. 6. The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 5, wherein a metal layer is formed on a surface of the mask precursor layer, and the metal film pattern is formed by selectively etching the metal layer. Method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that to form at least the first uniform width portion of said first magnetic layer by said processing step . 9. The thin film according to claim 8 , wherein a region other than a portion corresponding to the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer in the gap layer is selectively removed by reactive ion etching. Manufacturing method of magnetic head. Forming the first constant width portion of the first magnetic layer; selectively removing a region of the gap layer other than the portion corresponding to the first constant width portion; method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in continuously be carried out in the second predetermined width portion of the formation and the in the same steps of the magnetic layer . It performs the formation of the first uniform width portion of the first magnetic layer using the first mask,
Using at least one of the first mask and the first constant width portion as a mask, selectively removing the gap layer and forming the second constant width portion of the second magnetic layer The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein: In the step of forming the first magnetic layer,
Thin-film magnetic head according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to the said second magnetic layer portion by reactive ion etching the first magnetic layer portion and forming a separate Manufacturing method. Furthermore, in the case of having a magnetic conversion functional element film extending in a direction away from the recording medium facing surface, and a third magnetic layer for magnetically shielding the magnetic conversion functional element film,
The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the third magnetic layer is formed by reactive ion etching. The method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the magnetic material layer is formed by sputtering using a predetermined magnetic material. The method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 14, wherein a material containing iron nitride is used as the magnetic material. The method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 14, wherein an amorphous alloy is used as the magnetic material. The method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to claim 16, wherein a material containing zirconium cobalt iron is used as the amorphous alloy.

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