摘要:
A thin-film magnetic head includes a coil, a magnetic path forming section, and an insulating film. The magnetic path forming section includes first and second magnetic material portions. The coil includes first and second coil elements located between the first and second magnetic material portions. The insulating film includes an underlying portion located under the first and second coil elements. In a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head, the insulating film is formed to cover the first and second magnetic material portions, and then a seed layer is formed selectively on the underlying portion of the insulating film. The coil is formed by plating using the seed layer.
摘要:
A method of manufacturing a plasmon generator includes the steps of: an initial film made of a metal polycrystal and including a pre-plasmon-generator portion that later becomes the plasmon generator; heating the initial film with heating light so that a plurality of crystal grains constituting the metal polycrystal grow at least in the pre-plasmon-generator portion; stopping the heating of the initial film; and forming the plasmon generator by processing the initial film after the step of stopping the heating. The step of forming the plasmon generator includes the step of providing the pre-plasmon-generator portion with a front end face that generates near-field light.
摘要:
A main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face located on opposite sides of the first end face portion in the track width direction. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field light generating surface in the track width direction. Each of the first and second gap film end faces includes a portion located between the first and second surrounding layer end faces, but does not include any portion interposed between the first surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion or between the second surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion.
摘要:
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a plasmon generator. The main pole has a front end face located in the medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface. The front end face of the main pole includes a first end face portion and a second end face portion. The second end face portion is located farther from the near-field light generating surface than is the first end face portion, and is greater than the first end face portion in width in the track width direction. The first end face portion and the near-field light generating surface are equal in width.
摘要:
A plasmon generator includes a main body, and a front protrusion protruding from the main body. The front protrusion has a proximal portion which is a boundary with the main body, and a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The main body has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface each facing toward the medium facing surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are at a distance from each other and aligned in the track width direction. The proximal portion of the front protrusion is located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.
摘要:
A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a first insulating film, and a second insulating film. The coil includes a specific coil element. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion and a flat surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion. The inclined portion includes a first portion opposed to the inclined surface portion, and a second portion located farther from a medium facing surface than the first portion. The specific coil element includes an interposition part interposed between the flat surface portion and the second portion. The first insulating film is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the first portion of the inclined portion, and between the interposition part and the second portion of the inclined portion. The second insulating film is interposed between the first insulating film and the second portion of the inclined portion.
摘要:
A plasmon generator configured to excite a surface plasmon based on light includes a first portion formed of a first metal material and a second portion formed of a second metal material different from the first metal material. The plasmon generator has a front end face. The front end face includes a near-field light generating part that generates near-field light based on the surface plasmon. The second portion includes an end face located in the front end face. The second metal material satisfies at least one of the following requirements: a lower ionization tendency than that of the first metal material; a lower electrical conductivity than that of the first metal material; and a higher Vickers hardness than that of the first metal material.
摘要:
A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and a second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The first to fourth sidewalls have first to fourth edges, respectively, that are farthest from a top surface of a substrate. The distance between a rear end of the first edge and a rear end of the third edge in a track width direction is greater than the distance between a front end of the first edge and a front end of the third edge in the track width direction. The distance between the second edge and the fourth edge in the track width direction increases with increasing distance from the medium facing surface.
摘要:
A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield, and first and second nonmagnetic layers. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion facing toward the top surface of the main pole. The first nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the inclined portion. The second nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the first nonmagnetic layer and the inclined portion. The first nonmagnetic layer has a first front end located in a medium facing surface. The second nonmagnetic layer has a second front end that is located closest to but at a distance from the medium facing surface.
摘要:
In a method of forming a main pole, an initial accommodation layer is etched by RIE using a first etching mask having a first opening, whereby a groove is formed in the initial accommodation layer. Next, a part of the initial accommodation layer including the groove is etched by RIE using a second etching mask having a second opening, so that the groove becomes an accommodation part. The main pole is then formed in the accommodation part. The first etching mask has first and second sidewalls that face the first opening and are opposed to each other at a first distance in a track width direction. The second etching mask has third and fourth sidewalls that face the second opening and are opposed to each other at a second distance greater than the first distance.