Patent ID: 8182705
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
1. A method for producing a thin film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive effect element (MR element) that has a magnetic sensor multi-layered film with a polygonal shape such that a vertex angle faces an air bearing surface (ABS) and a tip of the vertex angle is cut when the magnetic sensor multi-layered film is viewed from an X-Y plane that is parallel to a plane of a lower shield electrode layer, and a sense current flows in a lamination direction (Z direction) in the MR element; the method comprising: step for forming the magnetic sensor multi-layered film on the lower shield electrode layer; step for forming a hard mask for etching on the magnetic sensor multi-layered film; step for first etching the hard mask for etching to form a cut surface including one side that configures the vertex angle by etching the hard mask through a mask that is formed by a photoresist method; step for second etching the hard mask for etching to form a cut surface including another side that configures the vertex angle and to complete the hard mask with a polygonal shape (polygonally shaped hard mask) in which the vertex angle faces the ABS and by etching the hard mask for etching that is formed by the step for first etching through a mask that is formed by a photoresist method; step for etching the magnetic sensor multi-layered film to form a stack configured with a polygonally shaped magnetic sensor multi-layered film and the residual polygonally shaped hard mask by etching the magnetic sensor multi-layered film through the polygonally shaped hard mask as a mask; step for forming a first insulating layer on the stack of the polygonally shaped magnetic sensor multi-layered film and the residual polygonally shaped hard mask and on the lower shield electrode layer on which the stack is formed; step for forming a bias magnetic field application layer on the first insulating layer; step for forming a second insulating layer on the bias magnetic field application layer; step for processing planarization to planarize the polygonally shaped hard mask such that a certain thickness of the hard mask remains; step for forming two contact holes that lead to the bias magnetic field application layer by etching the second insulating layer at both edges of the stack in the width direction with respect to the stack of the polygonally shaped magnetic sensor multi-layered film and the residual polygonally shaped hard mask that is laminated on the polygonally shaped magnetic sensor multi-layered film; step for stopping a lapping process by using a measurement point in which a resistance value is steeply increased while the lapping face is gradually approaching the vertex angle of polygonal shape by lapping from the ABS side and as measuring the resistance value by connecting the two contact holes with each other.