Thin film transducer and method of making same

Claim 1

In a thin film magnetic transducer assembly of the type characterized by: a substrate; a first magnetic pole piece disposed in a first layered configuration relative to a surface of said substrate and having a first end in a pole tip region and a second end in a back gap region; at least one layer of electrically conductive material disposed in a pattern overlying said first magnetic pole piece; and a second magnetic pole piece disposed in a second layered configuration overlying at least a portion of said first pole piece and said electrically conductive material, said second pole piece being spaced from said first pole piece in said pole tip region to form a transducing gap of a first length and forming a back gap with said first pole piece in said back gap region; the improvement wherein: said pattern of said conductive material includes first means adjacent said pole tip region for divergently spacing said first and second pole pieces apart by a distance greater than said first length in an apex region adjacent said pole tip region, said first means determining a zero throat height transition region of said first and second pole pieces; and said pattern further comprises second means outside said first and second pole pieces having optically detectable indicies in predetermined aligned relationship with said first means, said optically detectable indicies extending at least to a target reference line in predetermined aligned relationship with said first end of said first pole piece, and being optically detectable for accurately determining the location of said apex region relative to said first end.

Claim 11

A method of fabricating a thin film magnetic head having an accurately determined throat height comprising the steps of: depositing on a substrate in a layered configuration at least a first magnetic pole piece, a first layer of insulating material, a first layer of conductive material disposed in a pattern which, in part, overlies said first pole piece, a second layer of insulating material and a second magnetic pole piece overlying portions of said conductive material and said first pole piece, said pattern of conductive material including a first conductor segment lying between said first and second pole pieces adjacent a pole tip region thereof for spacing said pole pieces from each other to define an apex region, said pattern further including at least a second conductor segment outside said first and second pole pieces and having optically detectable indicies in predetermined aligned relationship with said first conductor segment; and removing material of said substrate, pole pieces, insulating material and conductive pattern while optically monitoring said indicies of said second conductor segment until a desired throat height, as indicated by said indicies, is obtained.

Claim 12

A method of fabricating a thin film magnetic head having an accurately determined throat height comprising the steps of: depositing on a substrate in a layered configuration at least a first magnetic pole piece, a first layer of insulating material, a first layer of conductive material disposed in a pattern which, in part, overlies said first pole piece, a second layer of insulating material and a second magnetic pole piece overlying portions of said conductive material and said first pole piece, said pattern of conductive material including a first conductor segment lying between said first and second pole pieces adjacent a pole tip region thereof for spacing said pole pieces from each other to define an apex region, said pattern further including at least a second conductor segment outside said first and second pole pieces and having optically detectable indicies in predetermined aligned relationship with said first conductor segment; and removing material of said substrate, pole pieces, insulating material and conductive pattern while optically monitoring said indicies of said second conductor segment until a desired throat height, as indicated by said indicies, is obtained.