THERMALLY ASSISTED MAGNETIC HEAD ELEMENT INSPECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inspect evanescent light generated by a thermally assisted magnetic head or the physical shape of a portion of light emission of evanescent light at a stage as early as possible in the course of manufacturing steps.

SOLUTION: In a method and an apparatus for inspecting a thermally assisted magnetic head element, the thermally assisted magnetic head element as a specimen is mounted on a table movable in a plane of a scanning probe microscope device, evanescent light is generated from a portion of light emission of evanescent light of the specimen, scattered light of the evanescent light generated from the thermally assisted magnetic head element is detected by moving the table in the plane while a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope having a probe is vertically vibrated in the vicinity of a surface of the specimen, and an intensity distribution of the evanescent light emitted from the portion of light emission of evanescent light or a surface profile of the portion of light emission of evanescent light of the thermally assisted magnetic head element formed in a rowbar is inspected using position information of generation of the evanescent light based on the detected scattered light.

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