Thin film magnetic head and method of manufacture

Claim 1

A thin film magnetic head comprising: a substrate (1) having a planar surface; a first magnetic member (30) formed on said substrate; a non-magnetic gap layer (4) formed on said first magnetic member; a first insulator member (5) formed on said gap layer; a layer of a first conductor member (6) of spiral windings of electrically conductive material formed on said first insulator member and having an outer surface edge; a second insulator member (7) formed on said first conductor member; a layer of a secondcconductor member (8) of spiral windings of electrically conductive material formed on said second insulator member and having an outer surface edge, said second conductor member being electrically connected with said first conductor member to constitute a two-layered conductor coil; a third insulator member (9) formed on said second conductor member; and a second magnetic member (101) formed on said third insulator member arranged to extend on edges of said first, second and third insulator members along a straight line having a slope and on a portion of said gap layer and being in contact with said first magnetic member to constitute a magnetic path; wherein the relative arrangement of said first and second conductor members (6, 8) within a space defined by said gap layer (4) and said second magnetic layer (101) is such that an angle θ 1 formed between a reference plane substantially parallel with the substrate surface and a line connecting the surface edges (6c, 8c) of the cross-sections of said first and second conductor members (6, 8) taken on a plane perpendicular to the substrate surface is substantially equal to an angle θ 2 formed between said reference plane and a side slope of said second magnetic member (101), and each of said angles is in a range of from about 30° to 45°.

Claim 6

A method for fabricating a thin film magnetic head comprising the steps of: forming a first magnetic member on a substrate having a planar surface; forming a non-magnetic gap layer on said first magnetic member; forming a first insulator layer on said gap layer; forming a layer of a first conductor of spiral windings of electrically conductive material which have an outer surface edge on said first insulator layer; forming a second insulator layer on said first conductor member; forming a layer of a second conductor of spiral windings of electrically conductive material which have an outer surface edge on said second insulator layer, said second conductor being electrically connected with said first conductor to constitute a two-layered conductor coil; forming a third insulator layer on said second conductor layer; patterning said first, second and third insulator layers; etching said gap layer to a predetermined pattern; forming a second magnetic member on said patterned third insulator layer, along a side slope on said insulator layers and on a portion of said gap layer in such a manner that said portion of said etched gap layer is sandwiched between said first and second magnetic members to constitute a gap for said magnetic head, said first and second magnetic members being in contact with each other to constitute a magnetic path for magnetic flux generated by said conductor coil; and grinding that side of the resulting structure which includes said portion of said etched gap layer sandwiched between said first and second magnetic members; wherein said patterning step includes etching said first, second and third insulator layers simultaneously; said formation of said first and second conductor layers of spiral windings is such that an angle θ 1 formed between a reference plane substantially parallel with the substrate planar surface and a line connecting surface edges of cross-sections of said first and second conductor members taken on a plane perpendicular to the substrate surface is substantially equal to an angle θ 2 formed between said reference plane and the side slope of said second magnetic member on said simultaneously etched insulator layers; and each of said angles is in a range of from about 30° to 45°.

Claim 7

A method for fabricating a thin film magnetic head comprising the steps of: forming a first magnetic member on a substrate having a planar surface; forming a non-magnetic gap layer on said first magnetic member; forming a first insulator layer on said gap layer; forming a layer of a first conductor of spiral windings of electrically conductive material which have an outer surface edge on said first insulator layer; forming a second insulator layer on said first conductor member; forming a layer of a second conductor of spiral windings of electrically conductive material which have an outer surface edge on said second insulator layer, said second conductor being electrically connected with said first conductor to constitute a two-layered conductor coil; forming a third insulator layer on said second conductor layer; patterning said first, second and third insulator layers; etching said gap layer to a predetermined pattern; forming a second magnetic member on said patterned third insulator layer, along a side slope on said insulator layers and on a portion of said gap layer in such a manner that said portion of said etched gap layer is sandwiched between said first and second magnetic members to constitute a gap for said magnetic head, said first and second magnetic members being in contact with each other to constitute a magnetic path for magnetic flux generated by said conductor coil; and grinding that side of the resulting structure which includes said portion of said etched gap layer sandwiched between said first and second magnetic members; wherein said patterning step includes etching said first, second and third insulator layers simultaneously; said formation of said first and second conductor layers of spiral windings is such that an angle θ 1 formed between a reference plane substantially parallel with the substrate planar surface and a line connecting surface edges of cross-sections of said first and second conductor members taken on a plane perpendicular to the substrate surface is substantially equal to an angle θ 2 formed between said reference plane and the side slope of said second magnetic member on said simultaneously etched insulator layers; and each of said angles is in a range of from about 30° to 45°.