THIN-FILM DEVICE, THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETO- RESISTIVE ELEMENT AND THEIR PRODUCTION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to obtain a high insulation characteristic even if the film thicknesses of a first shielding gap film and a second shielding gap film are decreased. SOLUTION: The first shielding gap film 12 and the second shielding gap film 14 have highly insulative films consisting of aluminum oxide. These highly insulative films are improved in the insulation characteristic by heating and may be heated after deposition or may be deposited under heating. The pinhole density of the highly insulative films is lowered and the dielectric breakdown electric field thereof is increased by this heat treatment. Even if, therefore, the shielding gap length is shortened, the insulation characteristic may be assured and the dealing with the higher recording density of a recording medium is made possible. The highly insulative films which are improved in their insulation characteristic by exposing their surfaces into an oxygen plasma-containing atmosphere or oxygen ion-containing atmosphere are equally well.