Read and Write Performance of Thin-Film Heads Using High B_s Material

Abstract

This paper describes the read and write performance of thin-film heads using Fe-Ta-N films. Fe-Ta-N films, which show high saturation magnetization and soft magnetism, were prepared by a sputtering method followed by annealing at a temperature of 500°C. The polymer materials (photo resist etc.) used in thin-film heads are normally conventional insulator materials, which have poor heat resistance. We developed a process for fabricating thin-film heads using sputtered SiO₂ films, which have good heat resistance. Thin-film heads using Fe-Ta-N films show good read and write performance on highly coercive media.