High-field gradient cusp field single-pole writing head with front return yoke

The relationship between single-pole head design and recording resolution was investigated in perpendicular recording. It has been found from the computer simulation that it is useful to make a narrow separation between the main pole and the return yoke at the trailing side of the cusp-field single-pole-type (CF-SPT) head. A new head structure with an additive return yoke on the head surface was proposed to realize the aforementioned structure. The new head was fabricated by depositing the soft magnetic thin film onto the air-bearing surface of the CF-SPT head, followed by slitting the film along the main-pole edges by a focused-ion-beam system. As a result, the new head that modified a pole configuration improved D₅₀ value about 25 kFCI compared with the original CF-SPT head.