Perpendicular magnetic recording head and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a trailing side shield around a main pole and control the gap length on its trailing side to high accuracy so as to increase a recording magnetic field gradient. An etching signal layer is provided on a main pole, and the gap length on the trailing side of the main pole is controlled to high accuracy by stopping ion milling when a signal from this layer is detected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general view of a magnetic read/write device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view through the track center of the magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing the magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a method of manufacturing the magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a method of manufacturing the magnetic head according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an air bearing surface shape showing a recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing the magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a trailing side shield-forming process.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a magnetic head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a magnetic head according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an air bearing surface shape showing a write head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing the magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an air bearing surface shape and cross-sectional shape of a perpendicular magnetic recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an air bearing surface shape and cross-sectional shape of a perpendicular magnetic recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an air bearing surface shape and cross-sectional shape of a perpendicular magnetic recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an air bearing surface shape and cross-sectional shape of a perpendicular magnetic recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a graph comparing a trailing gap accuracy of a magnetic head.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head having a main pole, a return pole and a trailing shield disposed on the trailing side of said main pole, comprising: a process for forming a main pole with an etching signal layer in the upper part;a process for covering the top and sides of the main pole having the etching signal layer in the upper part with a nonmagnetic gap layer;a flattening process for polishing said nonmagnetic gap layer up to said etching signal layer;a process for etching said nonmagnetic gap layer until a signal due to said etching signal layer is detected by an etching signal detector; anda process for forming a trailing shield on said nonmagnetic gap layer after said etching.

2. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, comprising a process for forming the main pole having said etching signal layer in the upper part, a process for forming an etching signal layer on a magnetic layer which will become the main pole, and a process for forming the main pole by processing the magnetic layer having said etching signal layer in the upper part.

3. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, comprising a process for forming the main pole having said etching signal layer in the upper part, a process for forming the main pole by processing the magnetic layer which will become the main pole, and a process for forming the etching signal layer on said main pole.

4. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein said etching signal is a mass analyzer or mass spectrometer which detects ions from said etching signal layer.

5. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein said etching signal detector is a device which detects luminescence due to said etching signal layer.

6. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein said etching signal layer is removed before forming said trailing shield.

7. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein the etching of said nonmagnetic gap layer is performed by ion milling.

8. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein said etching signal layer is a nonmagnetic layer containing Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Nb, Rh or Si.

9. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 1, wherein said nonmagnetic gap layer comprises alumina.

10. A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording having a main pole, return pole and trailing side shield disposed on the trailing side and the cross track direction side of said main pole, said method comprising: a process for forming a main pole having an etching signal layer in the upper part;a process for covering the top and sides of the main pole having said etching signal layer in the upper part with a nonmagnetic gap layer leaving a region forming the side shield open;a process for etching said nonmagnetic gap layer until a signal from said etching signal layer is detected by an etching signal detector; anda process for forming the trailing side shield on the top and sides of said nonmagnetic gap layer after etching.

11. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said process for forming the main pole having said etching single layer in the upper part further comprises: a process for forming the etching signal layer above a magnetic layer which will become the main pole; anda process for forming the main pole by processing the magnetic layer having said etching signal layer in the upper part.

12. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said process for forming the main pole having said etching signal layer in the upper part further comprises: a process for forming the main pole by processing the magnetic layer which will become the main pole; anda process for forming said etching signal layer above said main pole.

13. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said etching signal detector is a mass analyzer which detects ions from said etching signal layer.

14. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said etching signal detector is a device which detects light emitted due to said etching signal layer.

15. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said etching signal layer is removed before forming said trailing side shield.

16. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein the etching of said magnetic gap layer is performed by ion milling.

17. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 16, wherein the incident angle of said ion milling is from 45° to 65°.

18. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said etching signal layer is a nonmagnetic layer containing Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Nb, Rh or Si.

19. The method of manufacturing the perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 10, wherein said nonmagnetic gap layer comprises alumina.

20. A perpendicular magnetic recording head having a main pole, return pole, and a trailing shield disposed on the trailing side of said main pole, wherein: a nonmagnetic gap layer, a nonmagnetic layer which will become an etching mask, an etching signal layer and a plating-seed adhesion layer are sequentially laminated on the trailing side of said main pole, a trailing shield is disposed thereupon, and the distance from the trailing edge of said main pole to said trailing shield is 50 nm or less.

21. The perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 20, wherein the distance from the trailing edge of said main pole to said trailing shield is the total film thickness of the nonmagnetic gap layer, nonmagnetic layer which will become the etching mask, etching signal layer and plating-seed adhesion layer.

22. A perpendicular magnetic recording head, comprising a main pole, a return pole, and a trailing side shield disposed on the trailing side and track width direction side of said main pole, wherein: a nonmagnetic gap layer, a nonmagnetic layer which will become an etching mask, an etching signal layer and a plating-seed adhesion layer are sequentially laminated on the trailing side of said main pole, a trailing side shield is disposed thereupon, and the distance from the trailing edge of said main pole to said trailing side shield is 50 nm or less.

23. The perpendicular magnetic recording head according to claim 22, wherein the distance from the trailing edge of said main pole to said trailing side shield is the total film thickness of the nonmagnetic gap layer, nonmagnetic layer which will become the etching mask, etching signal layer and plating-seed adhesion layer.