Patent ID: 6591478
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of producing a magnetic head that includes a slider which is made of a ceramic material, which contacts a surface of a recording medium when the recording medium is stopped, and which assumes a floating state where a trailing side end of the slider floats or slides on the recording medium by a floating force of a flow of air on the surface of the recording medium after the recording medium has been started, a thin film element provided at the trailing side end of the slider, and a protecting layer provided to cover the thin film element, wherein the method comprises:smoothing the protecting layer and a face surface of the slider opposite to the recording medium, wherein smoothing the protecting layer comprises polishing the protecting layer to have a surface roughness of no more than about 3 nm, applying a laser beam to a surface selected from the group consisting of the protecting layer, the trailing side end of the face surface, and both the protecting layer and the trailing side end of the face surface to form protrusions on the surface, wherein applying the laser beam to form the protrusions comprises forming protrusions having a height above the thin film element; and forming a hard carbon thin film on the protecting layer and the face surface to cover the protecting layer and the face surface after the protrusions are formed.