International Business Machines Corporation

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Other

Timothy C Reiley

Michael J Palmer

Thomas R Albrecht

Robert Fontana

Sung Kwon Kang

Long-Sheng Fan

Robert D Topa

Paul Andrew Moskowitz

Harry R Bickford

Richard Dale Bunch

Cherngye Hwang

Xiao Z Wu

Nicholas Ian Buchan

Linden James Crawforth

Mark F Bregman

Peter G Ledermann

Toshiki Hirano

John Peter Karidis

Hal Hjalmar Ottesen

Barry C Stipe

Bruce Alvin Gurney

Earl Albert Cunningham

Surya Narayan Pattanaik

Timothy Carl Strand

Randall George Simmons

Prakash Kasiraj

Dudley A Chance

Andrew John Kellock

Lawrence B Schein

Hans Helmut Zappe

Eric Wayne Flint

John Edward Eric Baglin

Vlad J Novotny

Kim Yang Lee

Tzong-Shii Pan

Steven W Meeks

Thomas Mario Cipolla

Michael John Brady

James Gardner Ryan

Mark B Ritter

Satya Prakash Arya

Kenji Kuroki

Dennis R McKean

Daniel Peter Morris

Li Fei Zheng

Gary Miles McClelland

Erick G Walton

Huey-Ming Tzeng

Wing Chun Shum

Donald Stimson Bethune

Fuminori Sai

Rodney T Hodgson

Clinton David Snyder

Robert Nolan Payne

Paul R Hoffman

Keishi Takahashi

Anthony W Wu

Caroline A Kovac

Yuzo Nakagawa

Tomotake Furuhata

Leonard T Olson

Celia E Yeack-Scranton

Jia-Yang Juang

Roger Alan Pollak

Jacey Robert Beaucage

David Peter Pagnani

Chung W Ho

Nobuhisa Koide

Ekkehard F Miersch

Erno Hilbrand Klaassen

Paige A Poore

Archibald C Munce, Jr

Harry J Jones

Masashi Murai

Walter V Vilkelis

Gerard Meijer

Michael Sampogna

John Gow, Iii

Uh-Po E Tsou

Erno H Klassen

Mattanjah Sjim'on De Vries

Anthony A Razouk

William L Boland

A structure for preventing Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) damage to a magnetoresistive sensor during manufacture. The structure includes a switching element that can be switched off during testing of the sensor and then switched back on to provide ESD shunting to the sensor. The switch can be a thermally activated mechanical relay built onto the slider. The switch could also be a programmable resistor that includes a solid electrolyte sandwiched between first and second electrodes. One of the electrodes functions as an anode. When voltage is applied in a first direction an ion bridge forms across through the electrolyte across electrodes making the resistor conductive. When a voltage is applied in a second direction, the ion bridge recedes and the programmable resistor becomes essentially non-conductive.

Magnetoresistive sensor having a structure for activating and deactivating electrostatic discharge prevention circuitry

An apparatus, system, and method for measuring thermally induced electric resistance changes in thermally assisted magnetic recording are disclosed for monitoring laser light output in thermally assisted magnetic recording disk drives. An electrical lead is coupled to a read/write head element. A first electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The read/write head is heated by a laser and a second electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The electrical resistance may be monitored at regular intervals when the read/write head element is on the ramp or the electrical resistance measurements may be continuously monitored as the read/write head flies over the magnetic media.

Laser power sensor for thermally assisted magnetic recording

A structure for preventing Electrostatic Discharge (LSD) damage to a magnetoresistive sensor during manufacture. The structure includes a switching element that can be switched off during testing of the sensor and then switched back on to provide ESD shunting to the sensor. The switch can be a thermally activated mechanical relay built onto the slider. The switch could also be a programmable resistor that includes to solid electrolyte sandwiched between first and second electrodes. One of the electrodes functions as an anode. When voltage is applied in a first direction an ion bridge forms across through the electrolyte across electrodes making the resistor conductive. When a voltage is applied in a second direction, the ion bridge recedes and the programmable resistor becomes essentially non-conductive.

Components for, and assembly of, a thermally assisted recording device involve a laser mounted to a recording head slider. The output from the laser is directed into an optical waveguide, which delivers the laser light to the media to be written. Several challenges with thermally assisted recording are enabled by the use of a laser carrier, which holds and protects the small, relatively fragile laser and serves as a partial heat sink for the power generated by the laser. The laser, carrier and slider are bonded and can be interconnected as a unit to a suspension constituent to a hard disk drive (HDD) device.

Components and assembly procedure for thermal assisted recording

A resist transfer pad and method of use are described for forming a uniform photoresist on the surface of a workpiece such as a slider. The resist transfer pad includes a layer of cured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on a cushioning layer, e.g. silicone rubber, and an optional stiffening layer. The sliders are preferably mounted on a carrier or pallet. In one preferred embodiment the loaded resist transfer pads are applied to the slider surface by roll lamination where the loaded resist transfer pad is transported by a roller system using a cover-tape and pressed against the slider surface. Subsequently the cover-tape and the resist transfer pad are lifted off and the photoresist remains on the transducer. An alternative embodiment uses a vacuum, piston laminator to press the loaded resist transfer pad onto the surface of the transducer.

Photoresist transfer pads

A slider for use in a magnetic data recording system that is constructed from a Si wafer by a method that saves valuable wafer real estate by minimizing kerf related to the cutting of the wafer into slider rows. The sliders are produced from a (110) oriented Si wafer, and the sliders are parsed into rows by a process that involves forming a mask having a trench or opening between the rows of sliders at the location of the desired cut and parallel to a vertical (111) plane of the wafer. The wafer is then exposed to KOH which removes wafer material in the vertical direction through the wafer without removing wafer material in the horizontal direction. The vertical removal of wafer material is due to the extreme preferential removal of the (110) surface Si over that of the (111) surface Si. This results in a narrow straight trench being formed. The KOH etch removal can form a trench or cut having a width of only 30 to 50 um through a 1 mm thick wafer.

Method of manufacturing a silicon slider by an alkaline etch

Modified strain regions are created in correlation to strain reactive structures that are subjected to a predetermined dimensional precision adjustment. The modified strain regions are created by impacting incident particles into exposed regions of the strain reactive structures. The irradiation by the incident particles creates a predetermined material disruption and consequently a change in strain energy. The strain energy, and the associated dimensional adjustment is dependent on the irradiation process and the sum properties of the modified strain regions and the strain reactive structure.

Particle irradiation method for modification of local strain in strain reactive structures

An ohmic contact for a silicon slider body is disclosed. A scanned laser beam locally heats a metal film on the slider body to interdiffuse the metal and silicon while minimizing the total thermal load on the slider body. This localized heating avoids thermal damage to the sensitive magnetic head region on the slider. The native oxide layer on the slider is removed by a sputter etch, followed by deposition of a diffusion layer. A capping layer is then deposited to reduce oxidation during subsequent processing. The metal layer is then locally annealed by scanning the laser beam over the target area. Contact resistance of less than 100 ohms is achieved while minimizing the thermal load on the slider body.

Method for making ohmic contact to silicon structures with low thermal loads

To smooth silicon sliders that have been parted from each other on a wafer by DRIE, an isotropic etch using fluorine either in a gas or in an aqueous solution is performed prior to separating the individual sliders from the wafer.

Post-parting etch to smooth silicon sliders

A method for fabricating recording head sliders made from silicon substrates, is described. A Silicon wafer with a SiOovercoat is provided, and a layer of material which is resistant to Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) is deposited on the SiOovercoat. A patterned layer of material which is resistant to Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) is deposited on the layer of DRIE-resistant material to form a primary mask. RIE is used through the primary mask to pattern the SiOovercoat layer and the layer of DRIE-resistant material. The primary mask is then removing to expose the layer of DRIE-resistant material which has now been patterned to form a secondary mask. DRIE is then used through the secondary mask to cut the Si wafer into pieces. Finally, the secondary mask is removed.

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A method for manufacturing thin-film magnetic head sliders is disclosed. Initially, an elastic layer, which may be made of poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS), is spun on a wafer and is thermally cured. Then, a resist layer is spun on the elastic layer. Both the resist layer and the elastic layer are subsequently peeled off together from the wafer. Next, the peeled resist layer/elastic layer is applied onto a group of magnetic heads with the resist layer in direct contact with the magnetic heads. Finally, the elastic layer is peeled off from the resist layer such that the resist layer remains attaching to the magnetic heads.

Method for manufacturing thin-film magnetic head sliders

A lapping plate has photolithographically defined patterns that are electroplated to produce lands with well-defined channels. By choosing a particular geometry, the retention force is significantly reduced over prior art options, while still retaining a high land area fraction. In some versions, the material is electroplated onto sufficiently thin substrates to allow conformation to a curved vacuum chuck. This configuration provides a very large reduction in retraction force when compared to smooth, flat lapping plates. In addition, the substrate used to form the lapping plate has reduced thickness, and a vacuum chuck is used to pull the thin, flat lapping plate against it to define the curvature. This allows the lapping plate to be charged by a flat charging ring. The substrate used is typically glass and has been sputter-metallized on both sides. The resist is then patterned, leaving an exposed pattern in the metallization on both sides.

Pattern-electroplated lapping plates for reduced loads during single slider lapping and process for their fabrication

An electrical lapping guide is disclosed which is suitable for use with a single slider having a magnetic recording head. The electrical lapping guide provides for monitoring the progression of lapping; does not require additional electrical connection pads; and, is removable after completion of lapping.

Removable lapping guide for magnetic recording head and method of use

At least one modified strain region having a damage depth between 0.1 and 2 microns in a disk drive slider is created by implantation with ions, electrons or neutral atoms. The modified strain region induces a deformation of the disk drive slider. The nature and extent of this deformation is determined by the interaction between the slider and the modified strain region.

Modified strain region of strain reactive slider with implanted ions, electrons or neutral atoms

A lapping monitor for monitoring the lapping of a lapping surface of a body having at least one transducer which has a height that has to be lapped. The lapping monitor has a lap unit for lapping the lapping surface, at least one lapping indicator mounted close to the transducer to indicate the height of the transducer and a control block in the body at a certain distance from the lapping indicator or indicators. It is also possible to use a property of the transducers themselves, e.g., their resistance, to indicate their height. The control block receives indication of the height of the transducers being lapped from the lapping indicators or from the transducers via an electrical connection. The control block is further equipped with test contacts for establishing an external connection. The lapping monitor is particularly well-suited for performing 4-point resistance tests of the lapping indicators or transducers and can be effectively employed in lapping rows of magnetoresistive transducers such as MR or GMR heads to accurate heights.

Lapping monitor for monitoring the lapping of transducers

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Timothy C Reiley