Thin film recording head with a localized coating to protect against corrosion and electrostatic discharge
View Patent ↗A thin film head for use in a tape drive includes a read portion, a write portion, and a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) element disposed in the read portion. The read and write portions have a tape bearing surface. A sensing surface of the GMR element is recessed from the tape bearing surface as a result of a lapping process and coated with a material.
1. A thin film head for use in a tape drive, comprising:
a read portion;
a write portion;
a GMR element disposed in the read portion;
the read and write portions having a tape bearing surface; and
a sensing surface of the GMR element recessed from the tape bearing surface as a result of a lapping process and coated with a material, and wherein a surface of the thin film head that is approximately non-recessed relative to the tape bearing surface is not coated.
2. The thin film head of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the thin film head approximately non-recessed includes a surface of the write portion distal to the read portion.
3. The thin film head of claim 1 , wherein the read portion includes shields and the write portion includes a write pole, and wherein the shields and write pole each have a surface recessed from the tape bearing surface as a result of the lapping process and coated with the material that coats the sensing surface of the GMR element.
4. The thin film head of claim 3 , wherein the material is diamond-like carbon.
5. The thin film head of claim 3 , wherein the material is a soft magnetic material.
6. The thin film head of claim 5 , wherein the material is CoZrTa.
7. The thin film head of claim 5 , wherein the material is a sputtered material.
8. The thin film head of claim 1 , wherein the material is a magnetic material.
9. The thin film head of claim 8 , wherein the material is a plated material.
10. The thin film head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate; and
a closure, wherein the surface of the thin film head approximately non-recessed includes a surface of the substrate and the closure proximate to the tape bearing surface.
11. A thin film head for use in a tape drive, comprising:
a read portion having a tape bearing surface and including a sensing surface recessed relative to the tape bearing surface;
a write portion having the tape bearing surface; and
a coating material provided over the recessed sensing surface, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the write portion is approximately non-recessed relative to the tape bearing surface and is not coated.
12. The thin film head of claim 11 , wherein the read portion includes shields and the write portion includes a write pole, and wherein each of the shields and the write pole includes a surface recessed from the tape bearing surface and is coated by the coating material.
13. The thin film head of claim 11 , wherein a sensing element of the sensing surface is selected from at least one of a MR-type sensor, a GMR sensor, an AMR sensor, and a SAF GMR sensor.
14. The thin film head of claim 11 , wherein a sensing element of the sensing surface is configured in one of a current-in-the-plane (CIP) mode or current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) mode.