JPH01213820A - Manufacture for magnetic head slider - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a slider of a magnetic head with reduced adhesion to a magnetic recording medium.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, as the recording density of magnetic recording media has increased, the gap between the magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium has become narrower. Therefore, for example 1. This is the so-called contact start-stop type (hereinafter abbreviated as C8S type), that is, when the magnetic head and magnetic recording medium are not moving relative to each other, they are in contact, and during relative movement, the magnetic head separates from the medium and floats. In this type, a lubricant is generally applied to the surface of the magnetic recording medium in order to reduce damage to both the magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium due to contact or sliding. However, between a magnetic recording medium coated with a lubricant and a magnetic head, a phenomenon occurs in which they stick to each other when they are in contact without performing relative motion. A problem arises in that it is not possible to move away from the medium quickly. If the adhesion between the two is strong, it not only prevents the initiation of relative motion but also damages the magnetic head and medium. This adhesive force is also affected by the surface precision of the magnetic head and medium, and the nature and amount of the lubricant.

As mentioned above, as the recording density improves, the gap between the magnetic head and the medium becomes narrower, so it is necessary to further improve the surface precision of the magnetic head and medium, but increasing the surface precision of both will improve the adhesive strength. tends to increase.

To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-204384 describes etching the air bearing surface of the magnetic head slider except for the ends to form recesses. Also,
JP-A-56-107363 describes that a plurality of minute protrusions are provided on the surface of a magnetic head slider by sputtering or vapor deposition.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned prior art, when a recess is formed on the air bearing surface of a magnetic head slider by etching, if the lubricant penetrates into the recess, the effect of forming the recess is reduced. Therefore, even if the size of the recess and the type and amount of lubricant are determined with due consideration, due to changes in the environment during long-term use, the lubricant will enter the four parts and the effect of forming the recess will be lost. There was a problem.

In addition, when forming minute protrusions on the air bearing surface of a magnetic head slider by sputtering or vapor deposition, consideration is not given to the fact that the interface between the air bearing surface and the minute protrusions does not necessarily have sufficient strength. There is a problem in that the microprotrusions fall off due to some kind of impact, damaging the surface of the magnetic recording medium.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a magnetic head slider that has sufficient strength and reduces adhesion to a medium.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above object is a step of forming a magnetic head slider by mixing a transition metal carbide with a ceramic having a smaller volume than an oxide of the transition metal, and oxidizing the magnetic head slider to convert the transition metal carbide into an oxide. This is achieved by a method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, which comprises the step of causing the oxide to protrude at least on the air bearing surface of the magnetic head slider.

Preferred examples of the transition metal carbide include titanium carbide and zirconium carbide. This is because these compounds have excellent oxide hardness.

It is preferable that the transition metal carbide is contained in a range of 0.5 to 30% by volume. This is because if it is less than 0.5% by volume, the effect is not significant, and if it exceeds 30% by volume, the properties of the material for the magnetic head slider will change somewhat.

The height of the oxide protrusion is preferably 3 nm or more and less than about 1/10 of the flying height of the magnetic head.

Currently, the flying height of a magnetic head is about 200 nm, so when such a magnetic head is used, the height of the oxide protrusion is preferably in the range of 3 to 20 nm.

The effect is not significant when the height of the oxide protrusions is less than 3 nm.

FIG. 6 shows the results of measuring the adhesive force of a magnetic head using magnetic head sliders prepared in Examples 1 and 2, which will be described later. The adhesion force was measured as the value of the maximum load that the magnetic head could be moved after being in contact with the magnetic disk for 5 hours under the conditions of 80° C. and 60% RH with a load of 10 g. Note that the surface roughness of the magnetic disk used in the measurement was approximately lnmRa. As shown in the figure, when the height of the oxide protrusions is 3 nm or more, the effect of reducing the adhesive force is noticeable, and the adhesive force is reduced to a maximum of ⅓ compared to those with low protrusions. In addition,
The adhesive force reduction effect tends to be saturated when the protrusion height is 12 to 14 nm, but if the amount of lubricant applied to the magnetic disk is large, the adhesive force reduction effect increases until the protrusion height is about 20 nm. . The protrusion height can be controlled, for example, by changing the oxidation conditions.

[Effect]

The present invention will be described in detail by way of an example. As shown in FIG. 1, a thin film head type magnetic head slider 1 has an air bearing surface 2 for floating on and supporting a rotating magnetic disk.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the air bearing surface whose surface has been processed to be smooth. A portion of the titanium carbide dispersed in the matrix is exposed on its surface.

When the magnetic head slider is oxidized, titanium carbide transforms into titanium oxide, as shown in FIG. 3, and the resulting volume expansion causes the titanium oxide to protrude from the air bearing surface.

Titanium oxide is partially embedded in the magnetic head slab, so it has excellent strength.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below using examples.

Example 1 5 volume % of T in ZrO with 9 mol % of Y2O as a solid solution
A magnetic head slider was formed by adding iC. This magnetic head slider was heated in the atmosphere for 30 minutes. The results are shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the heating temperature is 300
℃, almost no change in quality to titanium oxide occurs, and therefore no protrusion occurs.

The amount of protrusion becomes noticeable from around 320°C, and is almost saturated at 400°C.

This magnetic head slider was used as a magnetic head, and the adhesive force was measured using the same method as the measurement shown in FIG. In all cases where the amount of protrusion (height of the protrusions) was approximately 3 nm or more, the adhesive force was lower than that without protrusions, and no damage was observed to either the magnetic head or the magnetic disk even after long-term operation. Moreover, such a magnetic head slider can be manufactured at low cost.

Example 2 Using the same magnetic head slider as in Example 1, plasma etching was carried out under the following conditions. The results are shown in FIG.

Plasma o2 Flow rate 18 cc/min Gas pressure 4 x IF3 Torr Input power 1.3 KW Electrode S io2 This magnetic head slider was used as a magnetic head, and the adhesive force was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. For those with protrusions of approximately 3 nm or more, the adhesive strength is lower than that of those without protrusions.
No damage was observed to either the magnetic head or the magnetic disk even after long-term operation. Further, such a magnetic head slider can be manufactured at low cost.

Note that even when zirconium carbide was used, almost the same effect as in the case of titanium carbide was obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a magnetic head slider with reduced adhesive force to a magnetic recording medium at low cost. The projections of the magnetic head slider manufactured by the method of the present invention are extremely strong.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a perspective view of a magnetic head slider according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially enlarged sectional views of the air bearing surface of the magnetic head slider of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 5
6 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the present invention. 1...Magnetic hent slider 2...Air bearing surface 3...Titanium carbide 4...Titanium oxide Patent attorney Junnosuke Nakamura Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 1--Ippoku to Kihe vI: Slider 2-1 1 Air ゛'71 Lua'' surface 3 - 11 Momekata 4 - M - Oxidation 2〉 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. + Jig time c min Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step of forming a magnetic head slider by mixing a transition metal carbide with a smaller volume than an oxide of the transition metal into ceramics, and oxidizing the magnetic head slider to convert the transition metal carbide into an oxide. A method of manufacturing a magnetic head slider, comprising the step of causing the oxide to protrude at least on an air bearing surface of the magnetic head slider.