Yukinori Ikegawa

MEMS-based integrated head/actuator/slider for hard disk drives

We propose a new integrated head/actuator/slider concept for hard disk drives. This slider is batch fabricated on the sacrificial layer of a wafer together with an electrostatic microactuator via micromachining technology. We present the basic integrated head/actuator/slider design, the fabrication and flying-height tests of a micromachined slider body, and the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype electrostatic microactuator. Slider warpage was analyzed and successfully suppressed to within 0.1 /spl mu/m. The slider was flown over a glass disk at heights of 26-81 nm and at linear velocities of 5-13 m/s. The test results of the electrostatic microactuator showed a stroke of 0.55 /spl mu/m, a very high mechanical resonant frequency of 34 kHz due to its low moving mass of 0.85 /spl mu/g, and a large force, estimated to be 21.3 /spl mu/N, generated by the actuator.

Flux-guided MR head for very low flying height

Our flux-guided magnetoresistive-read/inductive-write composite head, which we named the WING MR head after the shape of its wide flux-guides, is designed for very low flying height or contact recording. It has 0.05 /spl mu/m-thick NiFe single layer flux-guides. The flux-guides are rectangular and wider than the read width. Test results show high linear density resolution and good offtrack characteristics at a flying height of 0.03 /spl mu/m. The wide flux-guides reduce Barkhausen noise without lowering offtrack performance. >

A new single-pole-type head trimmed by focused ion beam at wafer level

We newly fabricated a trapezoidal main pole by focused ion beam (FIB) trimming method at wafer level. A layer of the main pole (MP) is FeCo/Ru multilayer made by sputtering. The thickness of the MP is 0.28 /spl mu/m, and Ta protective layer is 0.17 /spl mu/m thick. The taper angle of the MP is 10/spl deg/. It is very easy to control of the angle and the width of the MP by using this method. In addition, the manufacturing methods of the MP film are not limited, and the multilayered film is enabled. Moreover, the processing precision of MP by the FIB method became a very practicable result. The head, which had been made by this method, has good characteristics.