JPH03283012A - Production of thin-film magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make improvement in yield by removing a plating substrate metallic layer by dry etching while the gap layer on a lower pole is previously masked by a masking layer. CONSTITUTION:The plating substrate metallic layer 32 is removed by the dry etching while the gap layer 16 on the lower pole 14a is previously masked by the masking layer 40. This masking layer 40 is removed before an upper magnetic layer is formed. The erosion of the gap layer 16 in a production process is, therefore, prevented and prescribed recording and reproducing characteristics are obtd. The improvement in the yield is made in this way.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, and provides a method for preventing erosion of a gap layer during the manufacturing process so as to obtain predetermined recording and reproducing characteristics. It is something.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the manufacturing process of the thin film magnetic head. This process will be explained.

■ As a mirror-polished clean substrate 10, for example, an AN
Prepare a 203-TiC ceramic plate or the like.

■ SiO2+AR2 is deposited on the substrate 10 by sputtering.
An insulating film 12 of 03 or the like is deposited to a thickness of about 10 μm.

(2) Form the lower magnetic layer 14 by electroplating.

(2) Deposit the gap layer 16 by sputtering.

The gap layer 16 is made of the same SiO and AN as the base insulating film 12.
203 etc. is used.

(2) Forming the first insulating layer 18. Usually, a positive photoresist is used and is stably cured by heat treatment.

■ The first coil layer 20 is electroplated with Cu etc. to several μm.
Form to a thickness of m.

(2) As with the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer 22 is stably cured by applying heat treatment to the positive photoresist.

■ The second coil layer 24 is electroplated with Cu, etc. to several μm.
Form to a thickness of m.

(2) The third insulating layer 26 is made of positive photoresist and is stably cured by heat treatment.

[Phase] The upper magnetic layer 28 is formed by electroplating.

An O protective layer 30 of SiO2, A11203, etc. is deposited by sputtering to cover the entire structure.

In the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 2, the formation of the first coil layer 20 (2) is conventionally performed in detail in the process shown in FIG. 3. The process shown in FIG. 3 will be explained.

(2) A first insulating layer 18 is formed on the -1 gap layer 16 (state shown in FIG. 2).

(2) A plating base metal layer (Cu, etc.) 32 is formed by sputtering.

■-3 Apply photoresist 34.

(2) Exposure is performed using a photomask-4 to form a resist frame 36 in the shape of a coil baton.

(2) The first coil layer 20 is formed by electroplating on the exposed portion of the -5-metal base metal layer 32.

■-6 When the photoresist 34 is removed, the first coil layer 2
0 is possible.

(2)-7 The exposed plating base metal layer 32 is removed by dry etching (for example, ion etching).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the manufacturing process of the coil layer shown in FIG. 3, the gap layer 16 is also etched in the process of removing the plating base metal layer 32 by dry etching in (1)-7, so the gap layer 16 is removed as shown in FIG. There was a problem that the thickness of No. 16 was reduced.

For this reason, as shown in Figure 5, the gap length, which is an important parameter in the head, changes unstablely, which has a serious effect on the recording and reproduction characteristics, and when the gap decreases extremely, the recording and reproduction become difficult. Since this was impossible, the yield was poor.

The present invention solves these drawbacks in the conventional technology, and provides a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head that prevents erosion of the gap layer during the manufacturing process, provides desired recording and reproduction, and has a high yield. That is.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the process of creating a coil by electroplating and removing the plating base metal layer by dry etching, the plating base metal layer is dry etched with the gap layer on the lower pole being masked in advance with a masking layer. This masking layer is also removed before forming the upper magnetic layer.

[For production]

According to this invention, since the plating base metal layer is removed by dry etching while the gap layer on the lower pole is masked in advance with a masking layer, erosion of the gap layer during the manufacturing process is prevented, and a predetermined etching process is prevented. Recording/reproducing characteristics can be obtained, and yield can be improved.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The steps shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B will be explained. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts common to those in FIGS. 2 and 3 above.

(2) A first insulating layer 18 is formed on the gap layer 16.

Up to this stage, the steps are the same as those shown by ■ to ■ in FIG. 2 above. The planar shape at this time is shown in the middle right of Figure 1A.

(2) A plating base metal layer 32 of copper or the like is formed by sputtering as a current-carrying base layer for electroplating copper for the coil.

■ Spin code the positive photoresist 34 using a spinner.

■ Photoresist 34 in the coil shape using a photomask
is exposed and developed to form a resist frame 36, and at the same time, in order to form a masking layer on the gap layer 16 on the lower pole 14a, the resist 34 in that portion 38 is exposed and developed and cut.

(2) The exposed portion of the plating base metal layer 32 is electroplated with copper or the like to form the first coil layer 20.

At this time, a masking layer 4 of copper or the like is formed by electroplating.
0 is formed on the gap layer 16 above the bottom pole 14a.

■ When the photoresist 34 is removed, the first coil layer 20
And a masking layer 40 is formed. The planar shape at this time is shown in the middle right of Figure 1A.

(2) Remove the exposed plating base metal layer 32 by dry etching (for example, ion etching).

At this time, the gap layer 16 on the lower pole 14a is masked with the masking layer 40, so it is not eroded.
The thickness does not change.

(1) After the first coil layer 20 is formed, the second insulating layer 22 is formed, the plating base metal layer 42 is formed, photoresist is applied, a resist frame is formed, the second coil layer 24 is formed, the photoresist is removed, and dry etching ( Removal of the plating base metal layer 42 by, for example, ion etching),
The second coil layer 24 is formed by sequentially performing the steps of forming the third insulating layer 26. In each of these steps, the masking layer 4
Since the layer 0 remains attached, the gap layer 16 on the lower pole 14a is not eroded when the plating base metal layer 42 is removed, and its thickness does not change.

(2) Before forming the upper magnetic layer, the masking layer 40 and the underlying plating metal layer 32 are removed by dissolving them with an acid such as sulfuric acid or nitric acid.

(2) Several thousand Fe--Ni alloys having the same properties as the magnetic layer are deposited by sputtering, and the upper magnetic layer 28 is formed thereon by electroplating. Finally, it is covered with a protective layer 30 to complete the process.

As described above, a magnetic head having a predetermined gap length without corrosion can be manufactured as shown in FIG. 6.

[Example of change]

In the embodiment described above, the masking layer 40 on the gap layer 16 of the lower pole 14a was formed by copper plating at the same time as the first coil layer 20, but this masking layer was made of other plated metal instead of copper. It can also be made of photoresist or other materials.

FIG. 7 shows an example constructed using photoresist. This photoresist masking layer 40' can be formed by applying it before removing the plating base metal layer 32 by ion etching or the like.

Moreover, this photoresist is then applied to the second insulating layer 22.
Because it heat-cures and becomes insolubilized during the formation of the second insulating layer, it is necessary to remove it before forming the second insulating layer, or it can be reapplied for the subsequent coil forming process. Then, the masking layer 40' may be removed after the plating base metal layer of the uppermost coil layer is removed by ion etching or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the plating base metal layer is removed by dry etching while the gap layer on the lower pole is previously masked with a masking layer, so that the gap layer is not eroded during the manufacturing process. is prevented, predetermined recording and reproducing characteristics can be obtained, and yield can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are process diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing an outline of the manufacturing process of the thin film magnetic head. FIG. 3 is a process diagram showing details of the conventional manufacturing process of the first coil layer 20 shown in (1) in the manufacturing process of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which the thickness of the gap layer 16 is reduced by removing the plating base metal layer 32 by dry etching in the conventional process shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a magnetic head manufactured by the conventional process shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the magnetic head manufactured by the steps shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention in which the masking layer is made of photoresist. 14... Lower magnetic layer, 14a... Lower pole, 16...
・Gap layer, 20.24... Coil layer, 28...
Upper magnetic layer, 40.40'... Masking layer, 32°42... Plating base metal layer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In the process of creating a coil by electroplating and removing the plating base metal layer by dry etching, the gap layer on the lower pole is previously masked with a masking layer, and the plating base metal layer is removed by dry etching. , a method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head, characterized in that the masking layer is removed before forming the upper magnetic layer.