Seagate Technology Incorporated

William H Nunne

Allan E Schultz

L Vincent Ruscello

Daniel Paul Burbank

Steven B Slade

A magnetic structure is formed by depositing a layer of diamond-like carbon onto the exposed surface of an a first material and depositing a layer of second material onto the layer of diamond-like carbon. A photoresist is applied to the exposed surface of the second layer and is patterned in the form of the desire structure. The exposed portions of the second layer are removed with a wet etchant that does not attack the diamond-like carbon layer. Thereafter, any remaining photoresist is removed.

Diamond-like carbon and oxide bilayer insulator for magnetoresistive transducers

A thin film magnetic transducer supported on a substrate includes a coil that terminates at pads supported on the substrate. A layer of diamond-like carbon material encapsulates the head, substrate and coil, but not the pads. A thin layer of diamond-like carbon is deposited over the exposed portions of the transducer, coil and substrate. Three techniques are described for exposing the pads including employing a photoresist mask, depositing an adhesive layer of silicon over the conductive paths but not the pads, and using a photoresist mask to etch the diamond-like carbon layer over the pads and breaking down the silicon adhesive layer with a design voltage.

Diamond-like carbon encapsulation of magnetic heads

Diamond-like carbon wet etchant stop for formation of magnetic

A diamond-like carbon mask is formed on the surface of the magnetic material for ion-milling the magnetic material into a magnetic pole of a transducer. The mask is formed by depositing a layer of diamond-like carbon over the magnetic material. Successive layers of photoresist, SiO.sub.2 and photoresist are applied over the magnetic material. The second layer of photoresist is patterned in the shape of the pole being formed. The exposed insulating layer is etched with an etchant that does not attack the diamond-like carbon, the exposed portions of the photoresist are exposed and removed, and the exposed portion of the diamond-like carbon is etched with an oxygen etchant. The remaining photoresist is washed away to remove the remaining insulating material. In one form of the invention, a layer of SiO.sub.2 may additionally be formed over the diamond-like carbon to protect the diamond-like carbon from being affected by any undercut of the photoresist by the oxygen etchant. The SiO.sub.2 layer is etched prior to etching the diamond-like carbon. The mask is used to ion mill the magnetic material to the desired pole.

Diamond-like carbon for ion milling magnetic material

A thin-film head has patterned pole tips and a smooth interface surface topography which eliminates the accumulation of foreign material around the pole tips.

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Burnsville, MN, United States of America

William H Nunne