Aiwa Research and Development, Inc.

Aiwa Co., Ltd.

G Robert Gray

Arun Malhotra

Jane Ang

James Watterston

Stephen G Jordan

Chemical-mechanical processing of a patterned substrate selectively etches patterned portions of the substrate surface, producing deep narrow features with a rapid etch rate. This chemical-mechanical processing is termed chemical-mechanical etching and produces a result that is substantially the opposite of the planarization that is achieved by conventional chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) technique which is widely used for planarization of surfaces is converted for usage as an etching technique, a chemical-mechanical etching (CME) technique, by forming a patterned mask on the substrate surface prior to mechanical polishing. The usage of chemical-mechanical polishing techniques in this manner yields an etching method with properties including a rapid etch rate, a highly controllable etch rate, a highly controllable etch depth, and a greatly selective etch directionality. A coating that inhibits the removal of the substrate material protects selectively patterned areas of a substrate, thereby creating a recess in substrate areas that are not protected by the coating.

Chemical-mechanical etch (CME) method for patterned etching of a substrate surface

A thin film magnetic head is provided in which a magnetic yoke assembly is built up, layer by layer, atop a substrate using semiconductor thin film techniques. A lower yoke assembly is first fabricated including a lower magnetic layer situated on the substrate and first and second side poles built up vertically from the ends of the lower magnetic layer. A coil structure is situated about one of the side poles and is separated therefrom by planar insulative layers in which the coil structure is disposed. An insulative pedestal surrounded by a frame is formed at the top of the lower yoke assembly and extends above the uppermost lateral plane of the yoke assembly. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) wear layer is deposited atop the pedestal. A pole well is excavated in the DLC layer so as to expose the first and second side poles therebelow. A first magnetic pole including a gap end is plated in the pole well at the top of the first side pole and extending toward the second side pole. A DLC gap region is deposited in the pole well at the gap end of the first magnetic pole. A second magnetic pole is then plated in the pole well between the second side pole and the DLC gap region. The upper surface of the head is machined to form a head surface which contacts or which nearly contacts the surface of a magnetic media.

Thin film magnetic head including a separately deposited diamond-like

A thin film magnetic head is fabricated on a substrate by depositing a seed layer on the substrate. A lower magnetic layer is plated on the substrate in an opening provided in an insulative layer which is deposited on the seed layer. A plurality of magnetic layers are plated at one end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a first side pole by using the above seed layer as a seed. Another plurality of magnetic layers are plated at the other end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a second side pole by using the same seed layer as a seed. The first and second side poles thus formed include upper and lower ends, the lower ends being plated to the ends of the lower magnetic layer. A first upper pole is plated to the upper end of the first side pole. The first upper pole includes a gap end facing the second side pole. A gap region of nonmagnetic material is deposited adjacent the gap end of the first upper pole. A second upper pole is plated to the upper end of the second side pole and includes a gap end adjacent the gap region. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) frame is fabricated at the uppermost portion of the head surrounding the upper side poles and gap region. The DLC frame provides both structural integrity to the head and wear protection when the head contacts the media surface.

Method of fabricating thin film magnetic head including durable wear

A thin film magnetic head is provided in which a magnetic yoke assembly is built up, layer by layer, atop a substrate using semiconductor thin film techniques. A lower yoke assembly is first fabricated including a lower magnetic layer situated on the substrate and first and second side poles built up vertically from the ends of the lower magnetic layer. An insulative pedestal surrounded by a frame is formed at the top of the lower yoke assembly and extends above the uppermost lateral plane of the yoke assembly. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) wear layer is deposited atop the pedestal. First and second pole support wells are excavated in the DLC layer so as to expose the first and second side poles therebelow, and further to receive first and second pole supports, respectively, therein. First and second pole extension members are situated on the first and second pole support members, respectively, with a non-magnetic gap region being situated between the first and second pole extension members. A second DLC layer is situated in the same plane as the non-magnetic gap region and the first and second pole extension members. The second DLC layer substantially surrounds the first and second side pole extensions and the gap region. In this manner, the gap region is elevated above the plane of the first and second pole support members and is protected from undesired head wear.

Method for fabricating thin flim magnetic head including an elevated gap

A thin film magnetic head assembly is provided which includes a plurality of thin film heads situated atop a common substrate. An insulative main body is built up layer by layer on the substrate. A plurality of magnetic yokes exhibiting different geometries are situated on the substrate and within the main body. The magnetic yokes are built up layer by layer at the same time that the insulative main body is fabricated. A plurality of coil structures are situated within the main body and are magnetically coupled to respective magnetic yokes. The head assembly also includes a pedestal of insulative material situated atop the main body and exhibiting a lateral dimension less than that of the main body. The pedestal protrudes upwardly away from the main body and substrate. The magnetic yokes each include a pole piece pair situated atop the pedestal, each pole piece pair including first and second magnetic pole pieces. Each pole piece pair exhibits a different geometry than another pole piece pair. Each pole piece pair forms a head which is adapted to reading/writing a track on a magnetic medium, the tracks of which are compatible with the geometry of that pole piece pair.

Thin magnetic film including multiple geometry gap structures on a

A thin film helical conductor coil assembly includes an electrically-nonconducting ceramic substrate having a substantially planar surface and separated first and second magnetic elements which mutually bound a volume of the ceramic substrate. The thin film conductor coil assembly also includes a thin film magnetic core, which magnetically connects the first magnetic element to the second magnetic element. The thin film magnetic core, which overlies the substantially planar surface of the ceramic substrate, is constructed from a compliant electroplated magnetic material. The thin film conductor coil assembly further includes an electroplated thin film helical coil which traverses about the thin film magnetic core and forms a conductive path from a first terminal to a second terminal.

Method of fabricating a thin film conductor coil assembly

A method is provided for fabricating a thin film magnetic head including a plurality of layered components. One or more vias are formed through an electrically insulative substrate which includes first and second opposed major surfaces. The via includes an interior side surface. The via is filled with electrically conductive material which is situated in contact with the interior side surface of the via. A via connective member is thus formed which extends between the first and second surfaces of the substrate. A protective via cap is formed atop the via connective member to protect the via connective member from subsequent etching operations. A thin film head is formed atop the first surface of the substrate by building up components of the head layer by layer. This forming a thin film head step includes the step of forming a coil for exciting the head by etching, with an etchant, portions of a layer of electrically conductive material within the head. The via protective cap is fabricated from a material which is substantially resistant to etching by the etchant. In this manner the via conductive member is shielded from the potentially deleterious effects of etching. The via connective member typically couples the coil to circuitry external to the thin film head.

Method of making a thin film magnetic head including protected via

Thin film magnetic head including durable wear layer and non-magnetic

A thin film 'third axis' magnetic head is provided which is resistant to head wear which heads typically experience when operating in close proximity to a magnetic recording media. A relatively soft magnetic core is formed on the third axis surface of a hard insulative substrate. The magnetic core includes a gap region at the edge of the third axis surface. The gap region and a portion of the magnetic core adjacent the gap region are covered with a protective layer of hard material, such as diamond-like carbon (DLC). In this manner, a ruggedized sandwich-like head structure is formed including the hard substrate, the enclosed relatively soft magnetic core and the protective layer of hard DLC material.

Side-disposed thin film magnetic head and method of fabrication thereof

Thin film magnetic head including an elevated gap structure

A thin film magnetic head is fabricated on a substrate by depositing a seed layer on the substrate. This seed layer is advantageously used as a common seed for a plurality of magnetic head related structures which are built-up on the substrate. A lower magnetic layer is plated on the substrate in an opening provided in an insulative layer which is deposited on the substrate. The aforementioned seed layer is used as the seed for this lower magnetic layer. A plurality of magnetic layers are plated at one end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a first side pole by using the above seed layer as a seed. Another plurality of magnetic layers are plated at the other end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a second side pole by using the same seed layer as a seed. The first and second side poles thus formed include upper and lower ends, the lower ends being plated to the ends of the lower magnetic layer. A first upper pole is plated to the upper end of the first side pole. The first upper pole includes a gap end facing the second side pole. A gap region of nonmagnetic material is deposited adjacent the gap end of the first upper pole. A second upper pole is plated to the upper end of the second side pole and includes a gap end adjacent the gap region.

Thin film magnetic head including layered magnetic side poles

A thin film magnetic head is provided in which a magnetic yoke assembly is built up, layer by layer, atop a substrate using semiconductor thin film techniques. A lower yoke assembly is first fabricated including a lower magnetic layer situated on the substrate and first and second side poles built up vertically from the ends of the lower magnetic layer. An insulative pedestal surrounded by a frame is formed at the top of the lower yoke assembly and extends above the uppermost lateral plane of the yoke assembly. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) wear layer is deposited atop the pedestal. First and second pole wells are excavated in the DLC layer so as to expose the first and second side poles therebelow and to form a DLC gap region between the first and second side poles. First and second magnetic poles are then formed in the first and second pole wells, respectively.

Method of making thin film magnetic head including a durable wear layer

A thin film head is disclosed which is miniaturized to fit within a reduced size window or circumferential slot in a rotary head assembly. The thin film head and window or slot can be made so small that undesired tape cupping into the window or slot is significantly reduced. The thin film head includes a substrate of electrically insulative material. In one embodiment, a substantially helical thin film coil structure is situated atop the substrate. A magnetic core extends through the coil structure so that the coil structure can magnetically excite the core. The core includes first and second side pole members. A protective cocoon of electrically insulative material covers the coil structure and the core except for ends of the first and second side pole members. The cocoon includes an upper planar surface which exposes the ends of the first and second side pole members to permit coupling thereto by a magnetic gap structure. An elevated thin film magnetic gap structure is positioned atop the coil structure and the upper planar surface of the protective cocoon. Protection from ambient conditions is thus provided to both the coil structure and the magnetic core while simultaneously enhancing the planarity of the layers above the planar upper surface of the protective cocoon.

Thin film coil head assembly with protective planarizing cocoon structure

A method is provided for fabricating a thin film magnetic head on a substrate. A seed layer formed on the substrate and advantageously used as a common seed for a plurality of magnetic head related structures which are built-up on the substrate. A lower magnetic layer is plated on the substrate in an opening provided in an insulative layer which is deposited on the substrate. The aforementioned seed layer is used as the seed for the plating of this lower magnetic layer. A plurality of magnetic layers are plated at one end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a first side pole by again using the aforementioned seed layer as a seed. Another plurality of magnetic layers are plated at the other end of the lower magnetic layer to build-up and form a second side pole by using the same seed layer as a seed. The first and second side poles thus formed include upper and lower ends, the lower ends being plated to the ends of the lower magnetic layer. A first upper pole is plated to the upper end of the first side pole. The first upper pole includes a gap end facing the second side pole. A gap region of nonmagnetic material is deposited adjacent the gap end of the first upper pole. A second upper pole is plated to the upper end of the second side pole and includes a gap end adjacent the gap region.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

G Robert Gray