International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Robert Otto Schwenker

Cheng Tzong Horng

Hans S Rupprecht

Michael R Poponiak

Michael Andrew Parker

Richard R Konian

Henry C Chang

Cherngye Hwang

Mustafa Pinarbasi

Mao-Min Chen

Paul J Tsang

Joseph R Cavaliere

Alwin E Michel

James K Howard

James F Ziegler

Hung-Chang W Huang

San-Mei Ku

James Garman Belleson

Arkadi Galicki

John L Deines

Wolfgang M Goubau

James C Uy

Charles A Pillus

Armin W Wieder

Armin W Weider

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

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

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

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

A read track width defining layer is employed for defining first and second side edges of a read sensor. The read track width defining layer preferably remains in the head to planarize the read head at first and second hard bias and lead layers so as to overcome a problem of write gap curvature in an accompanying write head. The read track width defining layer is defined by a subtractive process about a bilayer photoresist layer. The subtractive process is selective to the read track width defining layer over a read sensor material layer therebelow. Ion milling is then employed for defining first and second side edges of a read sensor layer employing the read track width defining layer as a mask. First and second hard bias and lead layers are then deposited which make contiguous junctions with the first and second side edges of each of the read sensor and read track width defining layers. The photoresist is then removed and the remainder of the read head is completed.

Read head with read track width defining layer that planarizes the write gap layer of a write head

A method of making a magnetic head that has a read head with a track width includes the steps of depositing a read track width defining material layer on a read sensor material layer; forming a bi-layer photoresist mask on the read track width defining material layer that masks a read track width defining layer portion of the read track width defining material layer; removing by reactive ion etching (RIE) a portion of the read track width defining material layer not masked by the photoresist mask to form the read track width defining layer portion with exposed first and second side edges that are spaced apart a distance equal to the track width; removing by ion milling a first portion of the read sensor material layer not masked by the read track width defining layer portion to form a second portion of the read sensor material layer with exposed first and second side edges that have a width equal to the track width; depositing hard bias and lead material layers on the photoresist mask in contact with the first and second side edges of each of the second portion of the read sensor material layer and the read track width defining layer portion; and removing the photoresist mask, thereby lifting off a portion of the hard bias and lead material layers leaving first and second hard bias and lead layers connected to the first and second side edges of each of the second portion of the read sensor material layer and the read track width defining layer portion.

Method of manufacturing a magnetic head including a read head with read track width defining layer that planarizes the write gap layer of a write head

A method for making a magnetic head slider having a protective coating on the rails thereof, the protective coating containing a thin adhesion layer, a thin layer of amorphous hydrogenated carbon, and a thin masking layer. The protective coating is deposited on the air bearing surface of the slider after the thin film magnetic heads are lapped to a chosen dimension, but before the pattern of rails is produced on the air bearing surface. The protective coating protects the magnetic head during the rail fabrication process and in usage in a magnetic recording system protects the magnetic head from wear and corrosion damage.

Method for making a thin film magnetic head having a protective coating

A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor having electrically conductive lead structures which are in electrical contact with the MR element at spaced positions. The lead structures comprise a thin film layer of body-centered-cubic tantalum which is separated from the MR element by a thin film seed layer formed of a material taken from the group consisting of TiW, TaW, Cr and W.

Magnetoresistive transducer having tantalum lead conductors

A sputtering apparatus for coating a substrate comprising a first electrode for supporting a target material and a second electrode for supporting a substrate, upon which the coating is deposited. A source of RF power is connected to impose an RF voltage across the electrodes to produce a glow discharge in the space between the electrodes, and shutter means is provided in the space between the electrodes. The shutter means has means for blocking a substantial part of the sputtered atoms from the target electrode glow discharge traveling at or near normal incidence and at least one opening shaped to permit a substantial part of the sputtered atoms from the target electrode traveling at an oblique angle to impinge upon the substrate to produce a thin film coating of the target material.

Sputtering apparatus for producing thin films of material

A magnetic head slider having a protective coating on the rails thereof, the protective coating comprising a thin adhesion layer, a thin layer of amorphous hydrogenated carbon, and a thin masking layer. The protective coating is deposited on the air bearing surface of the slider after the thin film magnetic heads are lapped to a chosen dimension, but before the pattern of rails is produced on the air bearing surface. The protective coating protects the magnetic head during the rail fabrication process and in usage in a magnetic recording system protects the magnetic head from wear and corrosion damage.

Thin film magnetic head having a protective coating and method for

Structure of an improved bipolar transistor

In the fabrication of integrated circuits, a method is provided for forming dielectrically isolated regions in a semiconductor substrate comprising forming over the semiconductor substrate surface an electrically insulating layer of dielectric material having a plurality of openings therethrough and etching to form recesses in the semiconductor substrate exposed in the openings. Then, aluminum is deposited over the substrate so that an aluminum layer is formed on said layer of dielectric material as well as in said recesses. Next, the aluminum in the recesses is selectively anodized to form aluminum oxide, and the remaining aluminum on said layer of dielectric material is removed either by selectively etching away the aluminum layer or by a 'lift-off' technique wherein the insulating layer of dielectric material under the aluminum is etched away thereby 'lifting-off' and removing the aluminum.

Method for forming aluminum oxide dielectric isolation in integrated

Disclosed is a self-aligned process for providing an improved bipolar transistor structure. The process includes the chemically etching of an intermediate insulating layer to undercut another top layer of a different insulating material in a self-aligned emitter process wherein the spacing of the emitter contact to the polysilicon base contact is reduced to a magnitude of approximately 0.2 to 0.3 micrometers. In addition, in the process an emitter plug is formed to block the emitter region from the heavy P+ ion dose implant of the extrinsic base.

Bipolar transistor

Disclosed is the fabrication and structure of very small integrated circuit devices of both PNP and NPN types with very high speeds and low power requirements. The structure provides vertical NPN and lateral PNP transistors formed within the same semiconductor chip. The base width of the lateral PNP transistor is very narrow (approximately 300 to 400 nanometers). This narrow dimension is in part obtained by using a well defined chemically vapor deposited (CVD) oxide mask instead of conventional lithographic masking. To eliminate the emitter current injecting into the substrate the P+ emitter and P+ collector of the PNP transistor are bounded by a silicon nitride and silicon dioxide dielectric layer.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Robert Otto Schwenker