Patent ID: 6260256
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head comprising a first magnetic layer having a pole portion which is to be opposed to a magnetic record medium;a second magnetic layer having a pole portion which constitutes an air bearing surface together with said pole portion of the first magnetic layer and being magnetically coupled with said first magnetic layer at a portion remote from the air bearing surface; a write gap layer made of a non-magnetic material and being interposed at least between said pole portion of the first magnetic layer and said pole portion of the second magnetic layer; a thin film coil consisting of one or more thin film coil layers and having a portion which is arranged between said first and second magnetic layers via electrically insulating layers; and a substrate supporting said first and second magnetic layers, gap layer and thin film coil;wherein a step of forming said thin film coil comprises:a step of forming a first insulating layer to be supported by said substrate;a step of forming an electroplating seed layer on a surface of said first insulating layer;a step of forming a photoresist layer on said seed layer, said photoresist layer having a coil-shaped recess formed therein;a step of performing an electroplating using said photoresist layer as a mask to form coil windings on an exposed surface of said seed layer at a bottom of said recess;a step of removing a portion of the seed layer remained between the coil windings by means of a reactive ion etching after removing the photoresist layer; anda step of forming a second insulating layer to cover said coil windings.