Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Xiaohai Xiang

Guanghong Luo

Lei Wang

Ge Yi

Dujiang Wan

Ming Jiang

Hong Zhang

Yun-Fei Li

Ming Mao

Mahendra Pakala

Jinqiu Zhang

Hai Sun

Hongping Yuan

Guanxiong Li

Ronghui Zhou

Xianzhong Zeng

Jinwen Wang

Various embodiments of the subject disclosure provide a double patterning process that uses two patterning steps to produce a write structure having a nose shape with sharp corners. In one embodiment, a method for forming a write structure on a multi-layer structure comprising a substrate and an insulator layer on the substrate is provided. The method comprises forming a hard mask layer over the insulator layer, performing a first patterning process to form a pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer, performing a second patterning process to remove rounded corners of the pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer, removing a portion of the insulator layer corresponding to the pole and yoke opening in the hard mask layer to form a trench in the insulator layer, and filling the trench with a magnetic material.

Double patterning hard mask for damascene perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer

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 method for forming a write pole comprises forming a stop layer over a substrate layer of a wafer, the stop layer having an opening above a damascene trench in the substrate layer, and forming a buffer layer over the stop layer, the buffer layer having an opening above the opening of the stop layer. The method further comprises plating a layer of magnetic material over the wafer, disposing a first sacrificial material over a region of the magnetic material above the damascene trench, performing a milling or etching operation over the wafer to remove the magnetic material not covered by the first sacrificial material and to remove the first sacrificial material, disposing a second sacrificial material over the wafer, and performing a polishing operation over the wafer to remove the region of the magnetic material above the damascene trench, the second sacrificial material, and the buffer layer.

Damascene write poles produced via full film plating

A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer is described. The method and system define a magnetoresistive sensor in a track width direction, provide hard bias material(s) adjacent to the sensor in the track width direction, and provide sacrificial capping layer(s) on a portion of the hard bias material(s). The sacrificial capping layer(s) have a first height in a stripe height direction. The method and system also provide a mask for defining a stripe height of the sensor. The mask covers at least part of the sensor and has a second height in the stripe height direction. The second height is less than the first height. The method and system define the stripe height of the sensor while the mask covers the sensor. The sacrificial capping layer(s) are configured to prevent removal of the portion of the hard bias material(s) while the stripe height is defined.

Method and system for providing an improved hard bias structure

A method for providing a structure in a magnetic transducer is described. The method includes performing a first planarization that exposes a top surface of the magnetic transducer. This first planarization also terminates before a portion of a first planarization buffer layer is removed. The method also includes providing a second planarization buffer layer after the first planarization is performed. The second planarization buffer layer is above the first planarization buffer layer. The method also includes performing a second planarization. This second planarization does not completely remove the second planarization buffer layer. The method also includes performing a third planarization terminating after the first planarization buffer layer is exposed and before the first planarization buffer layer is completely removed.

Method for providing a structure in a magnetic transducer

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Danville, CA, United States of America

Xiaohai Xiang