Patent ID: 7237323
Filing Date: 2007-07-03
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic head, comprising: forming an element portion, including a recording element and a reproducing element that has an MR (magneto resistive) element, by laminating a plurality of insulating layers, a conductive layer, and a magnetic layer on an end face of a substrate and by working each of the layers to a predetermined shape; polishing a substrate specific plane of said substrate, said substrate specific plane opposing a magnetic recording medium that said recording and reproducing elements respectively record information on or reproduce information from, and an element portion specific plane of said element portion, said element portion specific plane opposing said magnetic recording medium; removing only said substrate to lower said substrate specific plane to a first predetermined depth; forming an insulating film on a surface of said substrate specific plane, after lowering said substrate specific plane to the first predetermined depth of said substrate, and on a surface of said element portion specific plane; polishing said insulating film until at least one of the conductive layer and the magnetic layer in said element portion is exposed, said polishing of said insulating film including a chemical mechanical polishing that removes work-affected areas formed in the MR element by added shearing stress applied in at least one of said polishing of said specific planes and said polishing of said insulating film; and forming a recessed portion of said insulating film, after said polishing of said insulating film, said recessed portion having a predetermined shape and a second predetermined depth; wherein said first predetermined depth is deeper than said second predetermined depth.