International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Douglas Johnson Werner

Hardayal Singh Gill

Edward Hinpong Lee

Alfred Floyd Renaldo

Mohamad Towfik Krounbi

Glen A Garfunkel

Mary Kathryn Gutberlet

Jeffrey Childress

Wen-Chien David Hsiao

Bruce Alvin Gurney

Neil Leslie Robertson

Neil Smith

Thomas Young Chang

Jordan Asher Katine

Yang Li

Patrick Braganca

Michael Andrew Parker

Virgil S Speriosu

Joseph Francis Smyth

Hin P Lee

Petrus Antonius Vanderheijden

Rambod Nader

Dwight Cornwell

Mustafa Pinarbasi

Quang Le

Kim Yang Lee

Aron Pentek

Yi Zheng

Gregory Breyta

Wipul Jayasekara

Sue Siyang Zhang

Randall George Simmons

Dennis R McKean

Mark Whitney Hart

Amanda Baer

Ian Robson McFadyen

Linden James Crawforth

Bulent Nihat Kurdi

Timothy James Minvielle

Benjamin L Wang

Yvette Chung Nga Winton

Unal Murat Guruz

Joseph Shao-Ying Feng

Hong Du

Wen Chien Hsiao

Wen-Chien (David) Hsiao

Wen Chien David Hsiao

A method for making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive sensor structure produces a top electrode that is 'self-aligned' on the top of the sensor and with a width less than the sensor trackwidth. A pair of walls of ion-milling resistant material are fabricated to a predetermined height above the biasing layers at the sensor side edges. A layer of electrode material is then deposited onto the top of the sensor between the two walls. The walls serve as a mask during angled ion milling to remove outer portions of the electrode layer. The height of the walls and the angle of ion milling determines the width of the resulting top electrode. This leaves the reduced-width top electrode located on the sensor. Because of the directional ion milling using walls that are aligned with the sensor side edges, the reduced-width top electrode is self-aligned in the center of the sensor.

Method for making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor with reduced-width self-aligned top electrode

A current-perpendicular-to-the plane magnetoresistive sensor has top and bottom electrodes narrower than the sensor trackwidth. The electrodes are formed of one of Cu, Au, Ag and AgSn, which have an ion milling etch rate much higher than the etch rates for the sensor's ferromagnetic materials. Ion milling is performed at a high angle relative to a line orthogonal to the plane of the electrode layers and the layers in the sensor stack. Because of the much higher etch rate of the material of the top and bottom electrode layers, the electrode layers will have side edges that are recessed from the side edges of the free layer. This reduces the surface areas for the top and bottom electrodes, which causes the sense current passing through the sensor's free layer to be confined in a narrower channel, which is equivalent to having a sensor with narrower physical trackwidth.

Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor with reduced-width top and bottom electrodes and method for making

A photolithographic mask set for creating a plurality of characters on a device includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one mask character area and at least one mask character field area that surrounds said mask character area; wherein each said mask character field area has a radiation energy density transmission factor Tthat is greater than zero, and wherein each mask character area has a radiation energy density transmission factor Tthat is greater than zero, such that each mask character field area and each mask character area of each mask is not opaque.

Photolithographic method and mask devices utilized for multiple exposures in the field of a feature

A method for patterning a wafer using a phase shifting photolithography that can produce a critical symmetrical 2-dimensional structure such as a magnetic write pole of a magnetic write head. In one aspect of the invention, a photolithographic mask has an opaque portion with narrow, transparent phase shifting regions at either side of the opaque portion. A non-phase shifted region extends beyond the narrow phase shifted portion at either side of the structure. The phase shifted regions are symmetrical about the opaque region so that the image produced on the wafer is completely symmetrical. In another aspect of the invention, a phase shifted region in formed in a transparent medium with non-phase shifted regions at either side of the phase shifted region. The transition between the phase shifted region and non-phase shifted region alone defines a pattern on the wafer, without the need for an opaque structure on the mask.

Advanced phase shift lithography and attenuated phase shift mask for narrow track width d write pole definition

A current to perpendicular to plane (CPP) differential magnetoresistance (DMR) read head using current confinement proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS) is disclosed. The CPP DMR read head includes a first electrically conductive lead, a first MR sensor formed on the first lead, and a non-magnetic electrically conductive spacer formed on the first MR sensor proximate to the ABS. The CPP DMR read head further includes insulating material on the first MR sensor distal to the ABS. A second MR sensor is formed in contact with the conductive spacer such that the second MR sensor is in electrical contact with the first MR sensor proximate to the ABS and is electrically isolated from the first MR sensor distal to the ABS. A second electrically conductive lead is in contact with the second MR sensor. Sense current injected into the first and the second MR sensor is confined proximate to the ABS.

Current perpendicular to plane differential magnetoresistance read head design using a current confinement structure proximal to an air bearing surface

A photolithographic method for forming a plurality of characters on a device utilizes a mask set that includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one non-opaque mask character field area that surrounds a non-opaque mask character area. Photoresist is exposed to radiation energy density through the set of masks using the masks sequentially to create at least one character field area of the photoresist, and a character area of the photoresist. Ultimately, because the character areas of the photoresist are exposed to some light energy density from the non-opaque mask character field areas during each mask exposure step, the total photoresist exposure time to create the series of characters is less than that of the prior art.

A method for constructing a tapered write pole, the method including the use of a bilayer hard mask.

High milling resistance write pole fabrication method for perpendicular recording

A read sensor for a magneto resistive head is formed through the use of a bilayer lift-off mask. According to one embodiment, a release layer is formed on top of a sensor layer. A silicon-containing resist layer is formed over the release layer. The resist layer is patterned according to the desired dimensions of the read sensor. Then, plasma etching, such as oxygen plasma etching, is used to remove the portion of the release layer that is exposed by removal of resist material. The release layer may be etched to undercut the patterned resist layer, or may entirely removed beneath the patterned resist layer to provide a bridge of the resist material. In either case, isotropic plasma etching, anisotropic plasma etching, or some combination thereof may be applied.

Method for manufacturing a read sensor for a magnetoresistive head

A magetoresistive (MR) read head according to one embodiment includes a shield layer with a recessed portion and a protruding portion defined by the recessed portion; a first gap layer located on top of the recessed portion of the shield layer, the first gap layer including, an upper surface substantially level with an upper surface of the protruding portion of the shield layer a second gap layer located on top of the first gap layer and the protruding portion of the shield layer, an MR sensor formed above the protruding portion of the shield layer and the second gap layer. A combined thickness of the first gap layer and second gap layer is thinner adjacent to the MR sensor and the protruding portion of the shield layer than the recessed portion of the shield layer.

MR read head with first and second gap layers

Both the wafer serial number and slider region location indicia on the wafer are formed on the front surface of the wafer using optical principles, i.e., without using a laser.

System and method for forming serial numbers on HDD wafers

A method for fabricating a thin film component according to one embodiment comprises forming a wafer having a thin film layer, a release layer, and a patterned layer of photoresist; transferring the pattern of the layer of photoresist to the release layer and the thin film layer; adding a layer of metal to the wafer; heating the wafer to a predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to cause deformation of the photoresist to an extent that the photoresist creates cracks in the metal layer; applying a solvent to dissolve at least a portion of the release layer, the solvent penetrating the cracks in the metal layer to reach the release layer; and removing the release layer and any portions of the layers above the release layer.

Image transfer process for thin film component definition

A method for fabricating a thin film component includes forming a wafer having a thin film layer, a release layer, and a patterned layer of photoresist. The pattern of the layer of photoresist is transferred to the release layer and the thin film layer. A layer of metal is added to the wafer. The wafer is heated to a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the photoresist for a period of time sufficient to cause deformation of the photoresist to an extent that the photoresist creates cracks in the metal layer. A solvent is applied to the wafer to dissolve the release layer, the solvent penetrating the cracks in the metal layer to reach the release layer. The release layer and any material above the release layer are removed.

A method for fabricating a magnetic head wherein a read head portion of the magnetic head includes a second gap insulation layer that includes a first portion that is fabricated upon the electrical leads of the read head and a second portion that is fabricated upon both a sensor portion of the read head and the first portion of the insulation layer. Both the first portion and the second portion of the insulation layer are made up of multi-layered laminations. Each said lamination is fabricated by depositing a thin film of metal, followed by the oxidation of that metallic thin film.

Magnetic head with thin gap layers

A magnetoresistive (MR) read head is disclosed including a shield layer with a recessed portion and a protruding portion defined by the recessed portion. Also included is an MR sensor located in vertical alignment with the protruding portion of the shield layer. Further provided is at least one gap layer situated above and below the MR sensor. At least one of such gap layers is positioned in the recessed portion of the shield layer. By this design, a combined thickness of the gap layers is thinner adjacent to the MR sensor and the protruding portion of the shield layer, while being thicker adjacent to the recessed portion of the shield layer. As such, optimum insulation is provided while maintaining planar gap layer surfaces to avoid the detrimental ramifications of reflective notching and the swing curve effect.

Method for fabricating a magnetoresistive (MR) read head

A material is deposited on a substrate by depositing a liftoff layer overlying the substrate, thereafter depositing a hard-mask layer overlying the liftoff layer, thereafter depositing an image layer in registry with a retained portion of the hard-mask layer, leaving a nonretained portion of the hard-mask layer which is not in registry with the image layer. The method further includes removing the nonretained portion of the hard-mask layer, removing at least a part of the thickness of the image layer, and removing a nonretained portion of the liftoff layer, which may include an undercut under the hard-mask layer. The deposited material is deposited onto the substrate from a source, and the retained portion of the hard-mask layer and any part of the liftoff layer remaining between the hard-mask layer and the substrate is thereafter removed.

Fabrication process using a thin liftoff stencil formed by an image transfer process

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Douglas Johnson Werner