Thin-film magnetic head and magnetic medium drive apparatus with the thin-film magnetic head

Abstract

A thin-film magnetic head has a plurality of MR read head elements. Each MR read head element includes shield layers electrically insulated from the ground. An electrical resistor layer is electrically connected between the shield layer of one of the plurality of MR read head elements and the shield layer of the other one of the plurality of MR read head elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus as a preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 1 and its surroundings;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view schematically illustrating a structure of each magnetic read/write head element of the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 1, seen from the tape bearing surface (TBS);

FIG. 5 is a plane view illustrating a configuration of an electrical resistor layer in the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 a to 6h are sectional views schematically illustrating a part of a wafer manufacturing process of the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 1, seen from the TBS;

FIG. 7 is a plane view illustrating a configuration of an electrical resistor layer in a thin-film magnetic head in another embodiment according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 8 a to 8j are sectional views schematically illustrating a part of a wafer manufacturing process of the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 7, seen from the TBS.

Claims

1. A thin-film magnetic head with a plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements, each magnetoresistive effect read head element including shield layers electrically insulated from the ground, an electrical resistor layer being electrically connected between the shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

2. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shield layers of each magnetoresistive effect read head element are a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer sandwiching a magnetoresistive effect layer with shield gap layers, and wherein said electrical resistor layer is electrically connected between the lower shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the lower shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

3. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 2, wherein each magnetoresistive effect read head element comprises a magnetoresistive effect read head element with a structure for passing a sense current in a direction parallel to a laminated surface of a magnetoresistive effect layer.

4. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 2, wherein another electrical resistor layer is electrically connected between the upper shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the upper shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

5. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein each magnetoresistive effect read head element comprises a magnetoresistive effect read head element with a structure for passing a sense current in a direction perpendicular to a laminated surface of a magnetoresistive effect layer.

6. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein electrical resistor layers are electrically connected to the shield layers of all the plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

7. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical resistor layer comprises a resistor layer formed in a zigzag pattern.

8. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical resistor layer comprises a β-Ta layer

9. The thin-film magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical resistor layer comprises a resistor layer with a resistance of 1-150 kΩ.

10. A magnetic medium drive apparatus including a thin-film magnetic head, a magnetic medium faced said thin-film magnetic head in operation, and a drive system for relatively moving said magnetic medium with respect to said thin-film magnetic head, said thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements, each magnetoresistive effect read head element including shield layers electrically insulated from the ground, an electrical resistor layer being electrically connected between the shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

11. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said shield layers of each magnetoresistive effect read head element of said thin-film magnetic head are a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer sandwiching a magnetoresistive effect layer with shield gap layers, and wherein said electrical resistor layer is electrically connected between the lower shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the lower shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

12. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein each magnetoresistive effect read head element of said thin-film magnetic head comprises a magnetoresistive effect read head element with a structure for passing a sense current in a direction parallel to a laminated surface of a magnetoresistive effect layer.

13. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein another electrical resistor layer is electrically connected between the upper shield layer of one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements and the upper shield layer of the other one of said plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

14. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein each magnetoresistive effect read head element of said thin-film magnetic head comprises a magnetoresistive effect read head element with a structure for passing a sense current in a direction perpendicular to a laminated surface of a magnetoresistive effect layer.

15. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein electrical resistor layers of said thin-film magnetic head are electrically connected to the shield layers of all the plurality of magnetoresistive effect read head elements.

16. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electrical resistor layer of said thin-film magnetic head comprises a resistor layer formed in a zigzag pattern.

17. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electrical resistor layer of said thin-film magnetic head comprises a β-Ta layer

18. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electrical resistor layer of said thin-film magnetic head comprises a resistor layer with a resistance of 1-150 kΩ.

19. The magnetic medium drive apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said magnetic medium comprises a magnetic tape.