International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Michael Andrew Parker

James K Howard

Mustafa Pinarbasi

Thomas Young Chang

Kevin Robert Coffey

Robert Otto Schwenker

Todd L Hylton

Douglas Johnson Werner

Richard H Ahlert

Malika Dothresa Carter

Mary Kathryn Gutberlet

Rambod Nader

Robert Fontana

Ching Hwa Tsang

Daryl J Pocker

James Garman Belleson

Muhammad Inayet Ullah

Yu-En Percy Chang

Richard H Alhert

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 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 high-resolution, patterned-media master mask is disclosed. The high-resolution, patterned-media master mask includes an electron-absorption substrate for absorbing electrons from an electron beam (e-beam) during an e-beam exposure by an e-beam lithography process and suppressing a backscattering of the electrons based on an electron-backscattering-suppressing atomic number associated with a constituent atomic species of the electron-absorption substrate, wherein the electron-absorption substrate comprises a material composed of greater than fifty atomic percent of the constituent atomic species, and wherein the electron backscattering-suppressing atomic number is less than an atomic number eight. The high-resolution, patterned-media master mask further includes a patterned portion coupled with the electron-absorption substrate, wherein the patterned portion is patterned by the e-beam lithography process, and wherein a resolution of the patterned portion is increased in response to the electron-absorption substrate suppressing the backscattering of the electrons.

High-resolution, patterned-media master mask

An electrical signal processing device includes at least one thin film flux generator and at least one thin film magnetic sensor. Each flux generator includes at least one conductive induction line that is connected to at least one lead of a pair of input leads, and a yoke that surrounds the conductive induction line. The yoke has at least one pair of pole tips, and a gap is disposed between the end surfaces of each pair of pole tips. A magnetic sensor is disposed in the gap, and a pair of output leads is connected to the sensor. An alternative embodiment may include two or more conductive induction lines that are connected to respective separate pairs of input leads. Alternatively, two or more conductive induction lines may connect to one another to form an induction coil. The flux generator and magnetic sensor are preferably formed on a single substrate to create an integrated device.

Electrical signal-processing device integrating a flux sensor with a flux generator in a magnetic circuit

The present invention is directed towards increasing the conductivity of the electrical lead material in the read head portion of a magnetic head, such that thinner electrical leads can be fabricated while the current carrying capacity of the leads is maintained. This increase in electrical lead conductivity is accomplished by fabricating the electrical lead upon an epitaxially matched seed layer, such that the crystalline microstructure of the electrical lead material has fewer grain boundaries, whereby the electrical conductivity of the lead material is increased. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical lead material is comprised of Rh, which has an FCC crystal structure, and the seed layer is comprised of a metal, or metal alloy having a BCC crystal structure with unit cell lattice constant dimensions that satisfy the relationship that ais approximately equal to 0.816a. In various embodiments, the seed layer is comprised of VMo or VW.

Magnetic head having high conductivity lead structures seeded by epitaxially matched seed layer and fabrication method therefor

A magnetic head including an electrical lead layer that is comprised of a material having an ordered-phase crystalline structure. In a preferred embodiment, the ordered-phase crystalline structure of the electrical lead is epitaxially matched to the crystalline structure of the hard bias layer upon which it is formed, and there is no need for a seed layer for the electrical leads. Electrical leads comprised of the materials used in the invention having an ordered-phase crystalline structure, particularly a B2, L1, L1, and L1structure, will have significantly reduced resistivity over the prior art electrical leads that are typically composed of rhodium or tantalum. As a result, thinner electrical leads can be fabricated which carry the same, or even greater, current than the prior art rhodium or tantalum leads. The preferred leads are comprised of NiAl, FeCo, or CuZn having a B2 crystalline structure, and alternative embodiments are comprised of CuAu, CuAu, CuPt, and CuPt.

Electrical lead structures having crystalline structures that match underlying magnetic hard bias layers for magnetoresistive sensors

In the present method for manufacturing a magnetic write head a focused ion beam (FIB) tool is utilized to mill the side edges of a Ppole, in order to provide a narrowed track width. Prior to milling, a thin film layer of material is deposited upon the Ppole tip. The milling boxes of the FIB tool are properly aligned upon the layer with reference to the location of the Ppole tip. Milling of the lateral edges of the Ppole tip is then conducted to the appropriate depth, and the layer of material is removed. The resulting Ppole tip has sharp lateral edges, rather than the rounded edges that are produced in prior art FIB processing methods that do not utilize the thin film layer. In a preferred implementation, the FIB tool is utilized first to deposit the thin film layer and thereafter to perform the milling operation.

Pole tip trimmed magnetic recording head with minimal edge rounding

A magnetic head including an electrical lead layer that is comprised of a material having an ordered crystalline structure. In a preferred embodiment, the ordered crystalline structure of the electrical lead is epitaxially matched to the crystalline structure of the hard bias layer upon which it is formed, and there is no need for a seed layer for the electrical leads. Electrical leads having an ordered crystalline structure, particularly a B2, L1, L1, L1and D0structure, will have significantly reduced resistivity over the prior art electrical leads that are typically composed of rhodium or tantalum. As a result, thinner electrical leads can be fabricated which carry the same, or even greater, current than the prior art rhodium or tantalum leads. The preferred leads are comprised of NiAl having a B2 crystalline structure, and alternative embodiments are comprised of CuAu, CuAu, NiAl and FeAl.

A magnetic recording transducer, useful in a magnetic data storage device, having a read element with improved magnetic stability and a narrow track width is described. An MR stripe according to the invention has a magnetic-stability inducing (MSI) shape selected from an essentially trapezoidal shape, an essentially hexagonal shape, an essentially race-track shape, and an essentially half race track shape. These MSI shapes are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the air-bearing surface (ABS). The MSI shapes are used to encourage the formation of a single magnetic domain state with magnetization direction parallel to the ABS in the absence of a magnetic bias. In one embodiment according to the invention the sensor structure is overlaid on the sides of the top surface with layers of electrically conductive material (overlaid leads) to define an approximately rectangular active region of the larger MSI shape. A sensor structure according to the invention with overlaid leads will have a narrower track width with improved magnetic stability than a sensor which has a comparable volume of magnetoresistive material in a rectangular MR stripe. In another embodiment of the invention the sensor structure has edge-butt leads that make contact at the outer edges of the sensor without substantially overlaying the top surface.

Lead-defined and shaped magnetic sensor

The invention provides a set of standards for accurately calibrating a vacuum thermogravimetric analyzer (VTGA). The invention solves the problem of calibrating a VTGA by using the actual magnetic transitions and associated transition temperatures, or Curie temperatures, T's, of a set of standards which can be used in-situ at the location of the sample holder obviating the difficulties associated with indirect methods of calibration. The set of standards permits accurate calibration through sufficiently numerous calibration points over a rather limited low-temperature range for determining vapor pressures of compounds. The set of temperature calibration standards is fabricated from slugs of ferromagnetic material. The composition of the ferromagnetic material in each slug is altered by alloying a ferromagnetic constituent with a non-ferromagnetic constituent to provide a plurality of standards with different Curie temperature over the limited temperature range. In particular, an embodiment of the invention using alloys of Ni and Cu where the amount of Cu varies between less than 0% up to approximately 50% by weight provides a set of standards that can span temperatures in any selected range from approximately 300 C to &#x2212;150 C respectively. Prior to use in calibration, each slug is preferably placed in a magnetic field having a magnitude sufficient to provide a well defined magnetic transition at the Curie temperature.

Standards for the calibration of a vacuum thermogravimetric analyzer for determination of vapor pressures of compounds

A method and apparatus for compensating waveforms, spectra, and profiles derived therefrom for effects of drift is disclosed. The present invention removes the effects of drift from a sequential series of waveforms obtained from a waveform-source device, or spectra, from a spectrometer, to produce for output a sequential series of drift-compensated waveforms, or spectra, respectively. In addition, the present invention performs a factor analysis, or alternatively a linear-least-squares analysis, on an array of the drift-compensated waveforms, or spectra to provide a set of drift-compensated principal factors; and, generates drift-compensated scaled target-factor profiles from a profile trajectory lying within a space of the set of drift-compensated principal factors. In addition, in the case of spectra, the invention provides for conversion of the drift-compensated scaled target-factor profiles to drift-compensated compositional profiles. The invention finds particular utility in the field of electron spectroscopy when the invention is applied to correcting sputter-depth-profile analyzes for the effects of spectral drift caused by charging in insulating samples. The invention, by extension, also, finds utility in waveform processing in situations where a sequential series of waveforms having similar features are offset by arbitrary phase shifts, and, even more generally, in time-series analysis, where a time-series is affected by leading or lagging data.

Method and apparatus for compensating waveforms, spectra, and profiles derived therefrom for effects of drift

The invention is a laminated antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) structure for use in a spin valve (SV) sensor or magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, having two ferromagnetic films coupled together with an improved AFC film. Particularly the AFC film comprises an alloy material selected from the group consisting of Rum, Osm, Irm, Rh,m, Rem, and Mm, where M is an alloy of two or more materials selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os, Ir, Rh, and Re, and where m is a material selected from the group consisting of W, Ta, Mo, Nb and alloys of two or more materials selected from W, Ta, Mo, and Nb, and where x is between approximately 5 and 95 at. %, y is between approximately 10 and 90 at. %, and z is between approximately 25 and 75 at. %. The sensors may be used in magnetic heads of hard disk drives.

Low cost anti-parallel pinned spin valve (SV) and magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures with high thermal stability

The invention provides a method for accurately calibrating a vacuum thermogravimetric analyzer (VTGA). The invention solves the problem of calibrating a VTGA by using the actual magnetic transitions and associated transition temperatures, or Curie temperatures, T's, of a set of standards which can be used in-situ at the location of the sample holder obviating the difficulties associated with indirect methods of calibration. The invention encompasses a method of using a set of calibration standards comprised of a plurality of ferromagnetic slugs to provide a temperature calibration for a VTGA. The method permits accurate calibration through sufficiently numerous calibration points over a rather limited low-temperature range for determining vapor pressures of compounds. Through the use of these standards, highly accurate measurements can be made of the vapor pressures of critical hard disk drive compounds, such as lubricants, and corrosion inhibitors, that are crucial to competitive disk drive technology.

Method for calibrating a vacuum thermogravimetric analyzer for determination of vapor pressures of compounds

Magnetic head having high conductivity lead structures seeded by epitaxially matched seed layer

In the present method for manufacturing a magnetic write head a focused ion beam (FIB) tool is utilized to mill the side edges of a P pole, in order to provide a narrowed track width. Prior to milling, a thin film layer of material is deposited upon the P pole tip. The milling boxes of the FIB tool are properly aligned upon the layer with reference to the location of the P pole tip. Milling of the lateral edges of the P pole tip is then conducted to the appropriate depth, and the layer of material is removed. The resulting P pole tip has sharp lateral edges, rather than the rounded edges that are produced in prior art FIB processing methods that do not utilize the thin film layer. In a preferred implementation, the FIB tool is utilized first to deposit the thin film layer and thereafter to perform the milling operation.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Michael Andrew Parker