Patent ID: 7683610

Claim:
A method for inspecting magnetic characteristics of a thin film magnetic head that is arranged in a row bar, comprising: a step of preparing a row bar having a plurality of sliders which are arranged along a longitudinal direction of said row bar, each slider including a thin film magnetic head formed therein, wherein said row bar is provided with lapping guides having magnetoresistance effect, said lapping guides being located at at least two positions which are selected from positions between the sliders adjacent to each other and positions at both ends of said row bar; a step of preparing a magnetic field applying row bar having first magnetic field applying elements, each of which corresponds to each thin film magnetic head, and having at least two second magnetic field applying elements, each of which corresponds to each of the at least two lapping guides; a first positioning step in which said magnetic field applying row bar is arranged opposite to said row bar such that a magnetic pole end of each first magnetic field applying element faces a magnetic field sensor of the corresponding thin film magnetic head and such that a magnetic pole end of each second magnetic field applying element faces the corresponding lapping guide; a second positioning step in which a magnetic field is applied from said second magnetic field applying elements to said lapping guides while an electric current is applied to said lapping guide, and in which a relative movement between said magnetic field applying row bar and said row bar is made so that at least one of said lapping guides exhibits a largest output voltage, said second positioning step being carried out after said first positioning step; and a measurement step in which an alternating magnetic field is applied, from said first magnetic field applying element to said magnetic field sensor of said thin film magnetic head, while an electric current is applied to said magnetic field sensor, and while intensity of the magnetic field is changed, and in which a relationship between the intensity of the magnetic field and an output voltage of the magnetic field sensor is obtained, said measurement step being carried out after said second positioning step.