Patent ID: 6038110
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A tape drive thin-film magnetic head, comprising:a substrate;a first relatively wear resistant magnetic layer disposed above said substrate and formed by vacuum sputter deposition as a laminated sequence of magnetic sub-layers,a second relatively wear resistant magnetic layer disposed above said first magnetic layer and formed by vacuum sputter deposition as a laminated sequence of magnetic sub-layers;said first and second magnetic layers having corresponding first ends representing a pole tip region of said head, corresponding second ends representing a back gap region of said head, and corresponding intermediate portions representing an intermediate region of said head between said pole tip region and said back gap region;said first and second magnetic layers being joined together in physical contact at said back gap region and being spaced from one another at said pole tip region and at said intermediate region;a nonmagnetic gap layer disposed between said first and second magnetic layers at said pole tip region;said second magnetic layer having a sloped region wherein said second magnetic layer slopes away from said first magnetic layer behind said pole tip region to form a space for a magnetic coil structure, said sloped region having less magnetic permeability than other portions of said second magnetic layer as a result of the vacuum sputter deposition process used to form said second magnetic layer;a magnetic coil structure disposed between said first and second magnetic layers at said intermediate region; anda third magnetic layer disposed on said second magnetic layer, said third magnetic layer being formed by electroplating and extending from said back gap region to cover at least said sloped region of said second magnetic layer, and said third magnetic layer being less wear resistant but more magnetically permeable than said first and second magnetic layers and having the same magnetic permeability in said sloped region as in other regions thereof by controlling the electroplating process used to form said third magnetic layer.