A study on the field distribution of thin-film heads

The field distribution of a thin-film inductive head and its relationship to pole configurations are examined. Three components of the field distribution at high frequencies are measured using a newly developed electron beam tomography method. Focused ion beam etching is used for the processing of the pole configuration. A comparison between the measured field distribution and the results of three-dimensional computer simulation shows that a sharp field distribution suitable for high-density recording is produced to promote magnetization at the tip region. Furthermore, the optimum design of the pole configuration clarifies the feasibility of 1- mu m track recording. >