JPH076322A - Thin film magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a thin film magnetic head excellent in overwriting characteristics at the time of recording and resolving power at the time of reproduction, not causing a data error and having high reliability. CONSTITUTION:In a thin film magnetic head with recording element parts 3, 3a and reproducing element parts 4, 4a alternately arranged on the same magnetic gap line, the magnetic gap length of the recording element parts 3, 3a is made different from that of the reproducing element parts 4, 4a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing thin film magnetic head used in a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, thin-film magnetic heads for recording / reproducing have been put into practical use to realize high recording density and multi-track by using thin film technology used in semiconductor processes and the like. With respect to thin film magnetic heads, improvement in overwrite characteristics and resolution characteristics at the time of reproduction has come to be demanded with the increase in speed and the increase in recording density.

A conventional thin film magnetic head for recording / reproducing will be described below. FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of a conventional 4-channel thin film magnetic head. 1,1a is Ni / Zn
Ferrite block made of magnetic material such as ferrite, 2
Is a glass layer for magnetically separating the tracks filled in the ferrite block 1a, 3 and 3a are recording element portions formed by a thin film pattern or the like on the ferrite block, and 4 and 4a are recording element portions 3 and 3a. Similarly formed reproducing element portions 5 are magnetic gap portions.

Generally, in a bidirectional recording type magnetic head, when the magnetic tape runs in the "FWD" direction, the recording element unit 3
Data is written on the magnetic tape by a, and immediately after that, the data is read by the reproducing element unit 4 on the same channel. When the magnetic tape runs in the "BWD" direction,
Data is written on the magnetic tape by the recording element unit 3, and immediately after that, the data is read by the reproducing element unit 4a.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional structure, since the recording element portion and the reproducing element portion are alternately formed on the same gap with the same gap length, the overwrite of the recording element portion is caused. If the magnetic gap length is widened to improve the characteristics, the resolution of the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a is lowered, and if the magnetic gap length is narrowed to improve the resolution, the overwrite characteristics are deteriorated. Had.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable thin film magnetic head having excellent overwrite characteristics during recording and resolution characteristics during reproduction and free from data errors. And

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, a thin film magnetic head of the present invention is a thin film magnetic head in which a recording element section and a reproducing element section are alternately provided on the same magnetic gap line. The magnetic gap length of the recording element section and the magnetic gap length of the reproducing element section are different from each other.

[0008]

With this structure, by changing the magnetic gap lengths of the recording element portion and the reproducing element portion formed on the same magnetic gap, the optimum gap length in the recording characteristic and the reproducing characteristic can be set.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a thin film magnetic head in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of part A of FIG. 1, 1a is a ferrite block, 2 is a glass layer for magnetically separating tracks, 3, 3a
Is a recording element portion, 4 and 4a are reproducing element portions, and 5 is a magnetic gap portion of the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a. These are the same as those in the conventional example and the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted. Reference numeral 5a is a magnetic gap portion of the recording element portions 3 and 3a which is formed longer than the gap length of the magnetic gap portion 5 of the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a, and 6 is a magnetoresistive effect element formed in the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a. .

A method of manufacturing the thin film magnetic head of this embodiment having the above-described structure will be described below. A predetermined step is formed in the track region of the recording element portions 3 and 3a in which the magnetic gap of the ferrite block 1 is widened in advance by using an ion etching device or the like to form a concave step portion 7. For example, when it is desired to set the gap length of the magnetic gap portion 5 of the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a to 0.8 μm and the gap length of the magnetic gap portion 5a of the recording element portions 3 and 3a to 1.2 μm, the recording element portions 3 and 3a 0.4 μm in the track area of
After providing the concave step portion 7 of (1.2 μm-0.8 μm), an insulating film is embedded to form the recording element portions 3 and 3a and the reproducing element (not shown) by a thin film pattern or the like, and the ferrite blocks 1 and 1a are formed. If the magnetic gap portions 5 and 5a of the recording element portions 3 and 3a and the reproducing element portions 4 and 4a have different magnetic gap lengths on the same magnetic gap, the thin film magnetic head can be manufactured. You can

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the gap length of the magnetic gap portion of the recording element portion and the reproducing element portion formed on the same magnetic gap can be set to the optimum gap length according to the recording characteristic and the reproducing characteristic. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly reliable thin film magnetic head having stable electromagnetic conversion characteristics without data error and excellent compatibility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a thin film magnetic head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of part A of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of a conventional 4-channel thin film magnetic head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a Ferrite block 2 Glass layer 3, 3a Recording element part 4, 4a Reproducing element part 5, 5a Magnetic gap part 6 Magnetoresistive element 7 Concave step part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A thin film magnetic head in which a recording element section and a reproducing element section are alternately provided on the same magnetic gap line, wherein a magnetic gap length of the recording element section and a magnetic gap length of the reproducing element section are different from each other. A thin film magnetic head characterized in that