JPS618712A - Manufacture of thin-film magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form precisely a minute thin-film coil on a thin-film coil forming surface by utilizing a resist-film mask pattern for forming a lower magnetic pole as the resinous insulating layer for eliminating steps. CONSTITUTION:An insulating layer 2 consisting of SiO2, etc. and an electrically conductive substrate layer 3 consisting of Ni-Fe ''Permalloy'' are successively coated and formed by sputtering, etc. on a nonmagnetic substrate 1 consisting of Al2O3.TiC, etc., and a resist film 21 is coated on the substrate layer 3. The film 21 is separated into specified area by photolithography, and formed into a mask pattern for regulating the shape of the lower magnetic layer. Then after masking the resist film 21 mask pattern, magnetic body layers 12a and 12b consisting of Ni-Fe ''Permallo'' are plated on the substrate layer 3, the peripheral magnetic body layer 12b and the substrate layer 3 are removed, and a gap layer 5 of SiO2, etc. is coated. Then a resist film is formed on the part corresponding to a lower magnetic pole layer 4 to form a resinous insulating layer 6, a thin film coil 7 consisting of a Cu conductive film is formed on the layer 6 with a mask plating method, and a connection hole 10, leading to the lower magnetic pole layer 4 and connected with the upper magnetic pole layer, is provided at the central part of the gap layer 5.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head used in a magnetic disk device, etc., and particularly relates to a method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head used in a magnetic disk device, etc. The present invention relates to a manufacturing method that enables efficient planarization and easy formation of fine thin film coils on the resin insulating layer.

In recent years, magnetic heads used in magnetic disk drives, etc., have been designed to achieve higher recording density and faster transfer speeds for magnetic disk recording media, and their shapes have become smaller and more precise, contributing to recording. Various types of compact thin-film magnetic heads, which have a steep head magnetic field distribution at the tip of the magnetic pole and enable high-density recording, have already been proposed and are being put into practical use.

The above-mentioned thin film magnetic head generally has a main part sectional view of FIG. Al
A12o3・Ti with insulator layer 2 made of 2O3
A lower magnetic pole layer 4 made of Ni-Fe permanent alloy is provided on a non-magnetic substrate 1 made of C or the like with a magnetic pole base layer 3 interposed therebetween, and a predetermined area on the insulating layer 2 including the top of the lower magnetic pole layer 4 is provided. A resin insulating layer 6 made of a resist film or the like is provided through a gap layer 5 made of 5i02.

A thin film coil 7 made of copper (Cu) or the like is provided on the upper surface of the resin insulating layer 6, and a resin insulating layer 8 made of a resist film or the like is again disposed on the resin insulating layer 6 including the thin film coil 7.
is provided, and an upper magnetic pole layer 9 is further disposed on the upper surface thereof, and the magnetic pole composed of the lower magnetic pole layer 4 and the upper magnetic pole layer 9 is configured in a shape that sandwiches the thin film coil 7 and the gear layer 5 in a U-shape. ing.

In such an IF film magnetic head, the thin film coil 7
In order to form the insulating layer 6 with high precision on the resin insulating layer 6 including the bottom pole layer 4, planarization of the insulating layer 6 is extremely important. However, it is difficult to flatten the resin insulating layer 6 due to the difference in thickness of the lower magnetic pole layer 4, which makes it difficult to form fine thin film coils as WI# film magnetic heads become smaller. There is a need for a method for efficiently planarizing the resin insulating layer that forms the surface of the formation area.

[Conventional technology]

The conventional method for forming the thin film coil of the thin film magnetic head described above is shown in FIGS.
).

(This will be explained using bl. Each Ca1 diagram is a plan view, and the Ib1 diagram is a sectional view of the main part along the cutting line AA' shown in each Ia1 diagram.

First, as shown in Fig. 7 1a) and (b), for example, Al
A12o3 on a non-magnetic substrate 1 made of 2O3・TiC etc.
or 5i02 or the like and a conductive base layer 3 made of Ni-Fe permalloy are sequentially deposited by a sputtering method, and then a resist film 11 is applied on the conductive base layer 3, The resist film 11 is formed into a mask pattern that defines the shape of the lower magnetic pole layer to be formed by a photolithography process.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a magnetic layer 1 made of Ni-Fe permalloy is placed on the exposed conductive underlayer 3 using the mask pattern of the resist film 11 as a mask.
2a and 12b are formed by a plating method. Thereafter, the resist III 11 mask pattern is removed once, and only the removed region and the portion of the magnetic layer 12a that will become the lower magnetic pole are removed as shown in FIG. 9+a1. As shown in (b), a resist film 13 is formed by a photolithography process.

Next, the magnetic layer 12 covered with a resist film 13
After removing the magnetic layer 12b other than the portion a, the resist film 13 is also removed to form the bottom pole layer 4 as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b).

Next, after selectively removing the exposed conductive underlayer 3 by ion etching or the like, a 5i0
A gap layer 5 consisting of 2 etc. is deposited and formed by a sputtering method or the like.

Furthermore, a resist film or the like that is easily flattened is formed on a predetermined area of the gap layer 5 excluding the portion that will become the magnetic pole tip of the lower magnetic pole layer 4 by a spin code method and a photolithography process, and a thermosetting process is performed to form a resin. An insulating layer 6 is formed.

At this time, a connection hole 1o with the upper magnetic pole layer reaching the lower magnetic pole layer 4 is provided approximately at the center of the resin insulating layer 6 and the gap layer 5.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 12(al) and 12(b), a thin film coil 7 is formed on the resin insulating layer 6 by making full use of a photolithography process and a plating method.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the method of forming the thin film coil of the conventional thin film magnetic head as described above, the thickness of the lower magnetic pole layer 4 is 3 μm.
If it exceeds this level, it is inevitable that steps will occur in the resin insulation M6 as shown in the figure, making planarization difficult and making it impossible to form the thin film coil 7 with high accuracy. In particular, there was a drawback that it was difficult to form fine thin film coils.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a method for forming a flat resin insulating layer for forming a thin film coil of a thin film magnetic head that solves the above-mentioned problems. After defining the shape of the magnetic pole layer to be formed and forming a resist film mask pattern which also serves as an insulating layer, and depositing a magnetic layer on the conductive base film exposed by the resist film mask pattern, the magnetic pole layer is formed. A process of forming a magnetic pole layer by removing only the magnetic layer other than the layer formation area, the conductive base film, and the resist around the part that will become the magnetic pole tip, and depositing a gap layer on the substrate on which the magnetic pole layer is formed. After that, a step of depositing and forming a resin insulating layer is performed on the region on the gap layer corresponding to the insulating layer consisting of the magnetic pole layer and the resist film mask pattern, excluding the top of the magnetic pole tip. This problem is solved by a method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head that is formed on a flat thin film coil forming surface.

[Effect]

That is, as a method for forming a resin insulating layer having a flat ill film coil forming surface, in order to form a lower magnetic pole layer by a plating method, a resist film mask pattern that defines the shape of the lower magnetic pole layer is coated with a resin for eliminating steps. Use as an insulating layer,
By forming a resin insulating layer on which a thin film coil is to be formed on the lower magnetic pole layer and the resin insulating layer for eliminating the step difference, the l! The membrane coil forming surface is flattened, thereby making it possible to accurately form fine thin film coils on the thin film coil forming surface.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1(a), crest) to FIG. 5(a), (bl) are diagrams showing an example of the method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention in the order of steps, and each figure (a) is a plan view. , each figure...) is a sectional view of the main part along the AA' cutting line shown in each figure +8).

First, Figure F ta1. (For example, Al
Al2O3 is placed on a non-magnetic substrate 1 made of 2O3・TiC, etc.
After sequentially depositing an insulating layer 2 made of , or 5i02, etc. and a conductive base layer 3 made of Ni-Fe permalloy by a sputtering method or the like, a resist film 21 is applied on the conductive base layer 3, The resist film 21 is defined by a photolithography process to have a predetermined area as shown in the figure, and is also formed into a mask pattern that defines the shape of the bottom pole layer to be formed.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the resist film 2
A magnetic layer 1 made of Ni-Fe permalloy is placed on the conductive underlayer 3 exposed using the 1 mask pattern as a mask.
2a and 12b are formed to a predetermined thickness by plating.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 3(al) and 3(bl), the resist film 21 around the portion of the magnetic layer 12a that will become the magnetic pole tip is partially removed by a photolithography process, and the resist 1821 mask pattern is further removed several times. A thermosetting process is performed at 100 degrees Celsius for about one hour to form a resin insulating layer 218 for eliminating the step difference.

After that, the magnetic layer 12b other than the magnetic layer 128 portion is
is removed by a photolithography process, and subsequently the exposed portion of the conductive base layer 3 is removed by an ion etching method to form the magnetic layer 12a portion as the lower magnetic pole layer 4, and the resin insulating layer 21A for eliminating the step difference and A gap layer 5 made of 5i02 or the like is deposited on the substrate 1 on which the bottom pole layer 4 is formed by sputtering or the like.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the lower magnetic pole layer 4
The gap N5 corresponds to the resin insulating layer 21A for eliminating the step difference and the lower magnetic pole layer 4 excluding the portion that becomes the magnetic pole tip.
A resist film or the like that easily provides a flat surface is formed in the upper region by a spin code method and a photolithography process, and a thermosetting process is performed to easily form the resin insulating layer 6 having a flat thin film coil forming surface. be able to.

Thereafter, a connection hole 1 with the upper magnetic pole layer reaching the lower magnetic pole layer 4 is formed approximately in the center of the resin insulating layer 6 and the gap layer 5.
Set it to 0.

After that, Figure 5 +81. (As shown in bl, a thin film coil 7 made of a copper (Cu) conductive film is formed on the resin insulating layer 6 having the flat thin film coil formation surface by a so-called mask plating method that makes full use of a photolithography process and a plating method. By doing so, it becomes possible to form the fine thin film coil 7 with high precision.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention, by using the resist film mask pattern forming the lower magnetic pole layer as a resin insulating layer for eliminating steps, l! It has the excellent advantage that the resin insulating layer, which is the surface on which the membrane cocoil is formed, can be reasonably planarized.

Therefore, the thin film coil formed on the resin insulating layer can be made finer and more precise, which is extremely advantageous when applied to the manufacture of this type of thin film magnetic head.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 (al), (BL) to FIGS. 5 (AL, (BL) are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of the method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head according to the present invention in the order of steps, and each figure (FA) is a plan view; (bl
is a sectional view of the main part along the cutting line A-A' shown in each figure Cal, Figure 6 is a plan view for explaining the structure of the thin film magnetic heel, 7(a), (bl to FIG. 12+al, fbl)
are diagrams for explaining a conventional thin-film magnetic head manufacturing method in the order of steps, and show the main parts along the A-A' cutting line shown in each figure (al is a plan view, and each figure (bl is each figure Ta). 1 is a cross-sectional view. In the figure, 1 is a nonmagnetic substrate, 2 is an insulating layer, 3 is a conductive base layer, 4 is a lower magnetic pole layer, 5 is a gap layer, 6 is a resin insulating layer having a cocoil forming surface, 7 is a thin film coil, 12a
, 12b is a magnetic layer, 21 is a resist film, and 21a is a resin insulating layer for eliminating steps. Figure 1 (Q) Figure 2 (Q) Pavilion Figure 3 (Q) Figure 4 (Q) Figure 5 (0) Figure 6 Ca) Figure 6 b Figure 7 (CI) Figure 8 (Ql Figure 10 (Q) Figure 11 (Q) Figure 12 (Q) 5r

Claims (1)

[Claims] A step of forming a resist film mask pattern that defines the shape of the magnetic pole layer to be formed and also serves as an insulating layer on a substrate provided with a conductive base film, and a process of forming a conductive base film exposed by the resist film mask pattern. After depositing a magnetic layer thereon, forming a magnetic pole layer by removing only the magnetic layer other than the magnetic pole layer formation region, the conductive base film, and the resist film around the portion that will become the magnetic pole tip; After the gap layer is deposited on the substrate on which the magnetic pole layer is formed, a resin insulating layer is further applied to the region on the gap layer corresponding to the insulating layer consisting of the magnetic pole layer and the resist film mask pattern except for the top of the magnetic pole tip. 1. A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head, comprising performing a step of depositing the resin insulating layer to form a flat thin film coil forming surface on the resin insulating layer.