Magnetic recording head comprising conical main pole tip and method of manufacturing the same

1. A method of manufacturing a vertical magnetic recording head comprising:

(a) forming a lower coil layer on a substrate;

(b) forming a horizontal portion of a main pole above the lower coil layer;

(c) forming a first insulating layer on the horizontal portion of the main pole;

(d) forming first holes that expose both ends of the horizontal portion of the main pole and second holes for interconnecting the lower coil layer in the first insulating layer;

(e) forming an upper coil layer connected to the lower coil layer through the second hole on the first insulating layer;

(f) forming a vertical portion of the main pole and a vertical portion of a return yoke in the first holes to protrude above the first insulating layer;

(g) forming a conical main pole tip on the vertical portion of the main pole; and

(h) forming a horizontal portion of the return yoke between the main pole tip and the vertical portion of the return yoke.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the vertical portion of the main pole and the vertical portion of the return yoke further comprises forming a second insulating layer covering laterals of the vertical portions.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises:

stacking a sacrificial layer and a metal layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a third hole and a fourth hole respectively in the sacrificial layer and the metal layer, respectively; and

forming the conical main pole tip by sputtering or E-beam depositing a magnetic material through the third hole and the fourth hole from above the metal layer.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises:

forming a magnetic material layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a mask on the magnetic material layer; and

forming the conical main pole tip by wet-etching the magnetic material layer exposed by the mask.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mask has a rectangular shape and the main pole tip has a pyramid shape.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises:

forming a photoresist layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a hole having a truncated conical shape in a region of the photoresist layer corresponding to the vertical portion of the main pole; and

forming the conical main pole tip by sputtering or E-beam depositing a magnetic material from above the photoresist layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the horizontal portion of the return yoke further comprises forming an insulating layer covering the main pole tip; and forming the horizontal portion of the return yoke to make a gap between the main pole tip and the horizontal portion of the return yoke.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the vertical portion of the main pole comprises forming the vertical portion of the main pole to have multiple layers.

9. A method of manufacturing a vertical magnetic recording head comprising:

(a) forming a horizontal portion of a main pole on a substrate;

(b) forming a first insulating layer on the horizontal portion of the main pole;

(c) forming first holes that exposes both ends of the horizontal portion of the main pole;

(d) forming a vertical portion of the main pole and a vertical portion of a return yoke in the first holes to protrude above the first insulating layer;

(e) forming a coil layer on the first insulating layer;

(f) forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer covering laterals of the vertical portion of the main pole and the vertical portion of the return yoke;

(g) forming a conical main pole tip on the vertical portion of the main pole; and

(h) forming a horizontal portion of the return yoke between the conical main pole tip and the vertical portion of the return yoke.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises:

stacking a sacrificial layer and a metal layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a second hole and a third hole respectively in the sacrificial layer and the metal layer; and

forming the conical main pole tip by sputtering or E-beam depositing a magnetic material through the second hole and the third hole from above the metal layer.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises:

forming a magnetic material layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a mask on the magnetic material layer; and

forming the conical main pole tip by wet-etching the magnetic material layer exposed by the mask.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mask has a rectangular shape the main pole tip has a pyramid shape.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the forming of the conical main pole tip comprises;

forming a photoresist layer on the second insulating layer;

forming a hole having a truncated conical shape in a region of the photoresist layer corresponding to the vertical portion of the main pole; and

forming the conical main pole tip by sputtering or E-beam depositing a magnetic material from above the photoresist layer.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming of the horizontal portion of the return yoke further comprises forming a third insulating layer covering the main pole tip; and

forming the horizontal portion of the return yoke to make a gap between the main pole tip and the horizontal portion of the return yoke.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming of the vertical portion of the main pole comprises forming the vertical portion of the main pole in multiple layers.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming of the coil layer on the first insulating layer further comprises:

forming a third insulating layer covering the coil layer on the first insulating layer; and

forming a second coil layer on the third insulating layer.