The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 23, 1999
Yasuo Hayakawa, Niigata-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In the formation of an AlN film as a gap layer of a thin film magnetic head, the mean crystal grain size of the AlN film can be regulated in the range from 85 angstroms to 130 angstroms to improve the denseness of the film, by connecting a radio frequency power source also to a substrate-supporting unit and supplying bias power of 17 W to 40 W to the substrate-supporting unit. The AlN film can have, therefore, improved head dissipation, corrosion resistance against an alkali solution, higher hardness, higher surface resistance and lower surface roughness. There is also disclosed a thin film magnetic head comprising at least a magnetoresistive element layer formed on a lower shield layer with the interposition of a lower gap layer, a lead layer for imparting a sensing current to the magnetoresistive element layer, and an upper shield layer formed on the lead layer with the interposition of an upper gap layer, in which at least either of the lower and upper gap layers has an Al—N—X system insulating layer, the element X being at least one element selected from Si, B, Cr, Ti, Ta and Nb.