Western Digital (Fremont), Inc.

Guanghong Luo

Ming Jiang

Danning Yang

Yun-Fei Li

Dujiang Wan

Ge Yi

Ronghui Zhou

Lei Wang

Ming Mao

Lily Yao

Xiaohai Xiang

Masahiro Osugi

Yingjian Chen

Liubo Hong

Hong Zhang

Honglin Zhu

Wei Gao

Hai Sun

Yunfei Li

Zhihong Zhang

Jinwen Wang

Daniele Mauri

Lijie Guan

Rongfu Xiao

Jinqiu Zhang

Changqing Shi

Ying Hong

Yong Shen

Chih-Ching Hu

Chen-jung Chien

Hongping Yuan

Guanxiong Li

Lingyun Miao

Anup Roy

Xiaoyu Yang

Weimin Si

Wai-Ming Johnson Kan

Yanfeng Chen

Yunjun Tang

Wencheng Su

Lijie Zhao

Tiffany Yun Wen Jiang

Miao Wang

Hongmei Han

Miaoyin Wang

Zhigang Zhou

A method provides a magnetic transducer including a first antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) shield, a second AFC shield and a read sensor between the first and second AFC shields. The first AFC shield includes first and second ferromagnetic layers and a first nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. The first and second ferromagnetic layers have first and second saturation magnetizations and first and second thicknesses, respectively. The second ferromagnetic layer is between the read sensor and the first ferromagnetic layer. The second AFC shield includes third and fourth ferromagnetic layers and a second nonmagnetic spacer layer between the third and fourth ferromagnetic layers. The third ferromagnetic layer is between the read sensor and the fourth ferromagnetic layer. The third and fourth ferromagnetic layers have third and saturation magnetizations and third and fourth thicknesses, respectively. The second AFC shield is a mirror image of the first AFC shield.

Method and system for providing a read transducer having symmetric antiferromagnetically coupled shields

A method of fabricating a magnetic device includes forming a sensor having a pinned layer and a free layer. A first reactive ion etch of a sensor stack patterns a hard mask layer with a photoresist image to form a first hard mask. Then a second reactive ion etch is performed to form an extended pinned layer. The method also includes depositing an insulating layer after the second reactive ion etch to protect exposed edges of the sensor stack, and then providing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) stop layer on the insulating layer. Subsequently, a CMP of the sensor stack is performed to remove a portion of the insulating layer. The resulting structure is substantially free of residue on the back edges of the sensor.

Method to fabricate tunneling magnetic recording heads with extended pinned layer

A method for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer is described. The magnetic recording transducer has an underlayer and at least one layer on the underlayer. The layer(s) are capable of including an aperture that exposes a portion of the underlayer. The method includes providing a neutralized aqueous solution having a chemical buffer therein. The chemical buffer forms a nonionic full film corrosion inhibitor. The method also includes exposing a portion of the magnetic recording transducer including the layer(s) to the neutralized aqueous solution including the chemical buffer. In one aspect this exposure occurs through a chemical mechanical planarization.

Method for providing a magnetic recording transducer using a chemical buffer

The method and system for providing a magnetoresistive device are described. The method and system include depositing a plurality of magnetoresistive element layers which cover at least one device area and at least one field area. The method and system also include providing a single layer mask. The single layer mask covers a first portion of the magnetoresistive element layers in the device area(s) and exposes the magnetoresistive element layers in the field area(s). The method and system include defining the magnetoresistive element(s) using the single layer mask and depositing a hard bias layer on the device area(s) and the field area(s) after the magnetic element(s) are defined. The method and system further include performing a planarization after the hard bias layer is deposited.

Method for providing a magnetoresistive element having small critical dimensions

A method provides a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The method includes providing a read sensor stack for a read sensor of the read device and defining a read sensor from the read sensor stack in a stripe height direction. The stripe height direction is perpendicular to the ABS. At least one magnetic bias structure is also provided. An insulating layer is deposited on the read sensor. The insulating layer has a full film removal rate of not more than fifty Angstroms per minute. The insulating layer also has a top surface. The insulating layer is planarized. At least a portion of the top surface of the insulating layer being exposed at the start of the planarizing step. At least the read sensor is defined in a track width direction.

Method and system for providing a read transducer having a dual free layer

Methods of forming a write pole are disclosed. A structure comprising a bottom insulating layer and a top insulating layer is provided. A top damascene trench is formed in the top insulating layer, and a bottom damascene trench is formed in the bottom insulating layer. The bottom damascene trench and a portion of the top damascene trench are filled with a pole material. The top insulating layer and a portion of the pole material located above the bottom damascene trench are removed.

Dual damascene process for producing a PMR write pole

Embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing the size variation on a wafer fabrication. In some embodiments, at least a portion the backfill material over features larger than a threshold size is etched or milled to provide backfill protrusions over those features. The backfill protrusions are configured to reduce the size variation across the fabrication. Embodiments of the invention may be used in fabrication of many types of devices, such as tapered wave guides (TWG), near-field transducers (NFT), MEMS devices, EAMR optical devices, optical structures, bio-optical devices, micro-fluidic devices, and magnetic writers.

Process for CMP with large feature size variation

A method and system for providing a magnetic recording transducer having a pole are disclosed. The pole has side(s), a bottom, and a top wider than the bottom. The method and system include providing at least one side gap layer that covers the side(s) and the top of the pole. At least one sacrificial layer is provided on the side gap layer(s). The sacrificial layer(s) are wet etchable and cover the side gap layer(s). The magnetic recording transducer is planarized after the sacrificial layer(s) are provided. Thus, a portion of the side gap and sacrificial layer(s) is removed. A remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s) is thus left. The method and system also include wet etching the sacrificial layer(s) to remove the remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s). A wrap around shield is provided after the remaining portion of the sacrificial layer(s) is removed.

Method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording head

A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer is provided. The PRM transducer includes a PMR pole having a top, a bottom, and at least one sidewall, the bottom having a bottom width, the top having a top width bigger than the bottom width. The PRM transducer further includes an intermediate layer adjacent to the at least one sidewall, a write gap on the PMR pole, the write gap including a first layer on the PMR pole, the first layer including a planarization stop layer, and a shield on the write gap.

Perpendicular magnetic recording head having reduced shield notching

A method for providing waveguide structures for an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer is described. The waveguide structures have a plurality of widths. At least one waveguide layer is provided. Mask structure(s) corresponding to the waveguide structures and having a pattern are provided on the waveguide layer(s). The mask structure(s) include a planarization stop layer, a planarization assist layer on the planarization stop layer, and a hard mask layer on the planarization assist layer. The planarization assist layer has a low density. The pattern of the mask structure(s) is transferred to the waveguide layer(s). Optical material(s) that cover the waveguide layer(s) and a remaining portion of the mask structure(s) are provided. The optical material(s) have a density that is at least twice the low density of the planarization assist layer. The method also includes performing a planarization configured to remove at least a portion of the optical material(s).

Method and system for manufacturing tapered waveguide structures in an energy assisted magnetic recording head

A method and system for fabricating a magnetic transducer is described. The transducer has device and field regions, and a magnetoresistive stack. Hard mask layer and wet-etchable layers are provided on the magnetoresistive stack and hard mask layer, respectively. A hard mask and a wet-etchable mask are formed from the hard mask and the wet-etchable layers, respectively. The hard and wet-etchable masks each includes a sensor portion and a line frame. The sensor portion covers part of the magnetoresistive stack corresponding to a magnetoresistive structure. The line frame covers a part of the magnetoresistive stack in the device region. The magnetoresistive structure is defined in a track width direction. Hard bias material(s) are then provided. Part of the hard bias material(s) is adjacent to the magnetoresistive structure in the track width direction. The wet-etchable sensor portion and line frame, and hard bias material(s) thereon, are removed.

Method and system for providing a magnetic recording transducer using a line hard mask and a wet-etchable mask

A read sensor for a transducer is fabricated. The transducer has a field region and a sensor region corresponding to the sensor. A sensor stack is deposited. A hybrid mask including hard and field masks is provided. The hard mask includes a sensor portion covering the sensor region and a field portion covering the field region. The field mask covers the field portion of the hard mask. The field mask exposes the sensor portion of the hard mask and part of the sensor stack between the sensor and field regions. The sensor is defined from the sensor stack in a track width direction. Hard bias layer(s) are deposited. Part of the hard bias layer(s) resides on the field mask. Part of the hard bias layer(s) adjoining the sensor region is sealed. The field mask is lifted off. The transducer is planarized.

Method for fabricating a read sensor for a read transducer

A process for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer for use in a data storage system comprises providing a substrate, an underlayer and a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer deposited to a first thickness on and in contact with the underlayer, performing a first scanning polishing on a first section of the first intermediate layer to planarize the first section of the first intermediate layer to a second thickness, providing a main pole in the planarized first section of the first intermediate layer, providing a first pattern of photoresist on and in contact with the first section of the first intermediate layer, the pattern comprising an aperture to define a side shield trench, performing a wet etch to remove at least a portion of the first intermediate layer thereby exposing at least one of the plurality of main pole sides, and depositing side shield material in the side shield trench.

Process for fabricating a magnetic pole and shields

A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). An underlayer having a first and second regions and a bevel connecting these regions is provided. The first region is thicker and closer to the ABS than the second region. An intermediate layer conformal with the underlayer is provided. A hard mask layer having a top surface perpendicular to the ABS is formed on the intermediate layer. Part of the hard mask and intermediate layers are removed to provide a trench. The trench has a bottom surface and sidewalls having a first angle between the bottom surface and the intermediate layer and a second angle corresponding to the hard mask layer. A pole is provided in the trench. The pole has a pole tip, a yoke distal, and a bottom bevel. At least the yoke includes sidewalls having sidewall angles corresponding to the first and second angles.

Method and system for providing a magnetic recording pole having a dual sidewall angle

A method and system for fabricating a read sensor on a substrate for a read transducer is described. A read sensor stack is deposited on the substrate. A mask is provided on the on the read sensor stack. The mask has a pattern that covers a first portion of the read sensor stack corresponding to the read sensor, covers a second portion of the read sensor stack distal from the read sensor, and exposes a third portion of the read sensor stack between the first and second portions. The read sensor is defined from the read sensor stack. A hard bias layer is deposited. An aperture free mask layer including multiple thicknesses is provided. A focused ion beam scan (FIBS) polishing step is performed on the mask and hard bias layers to remove a portion of the mask and hard bias layers based on the thicknesses.

Method and system for providing a magnetic recording transducer using an ion beam scan polishing planarization

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Guanghong Luo