Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Yun-Fei Li

Chyu-Jiuh Torng

Hui-Chuan Wang

Ming Jiang

Guanghong Luo

Yingjian Chen

Ying Hong

Cherng Chyi Han

Min Li

Ru-Ying Tong

Cheng Tzong Horng

Kochan Ju

Simon H Liao

Chen-Jung Chien

Ronghui Zhou

Kunliang Zhang

Cherng-Chyi Han

Lijie Guan

Tong Zhao

Danning Yang

Changhe Shang

Jinwen Wang

You Fong Zheng

Po-Kang Wang

Moris Musa Dovek

Mao-Min Chen

Liubo Hong

Changqing Shi

Jinqiu Zhang

Matthew R Gibbons

Steven C Rudy

Honglin Zhu

Hai Jiang

Carlos Corona

Weimin Si

Yunhe Huang

Xiaohai Xiang

Curtis V Macchioni

Wei Zhang

Yong Shen

Hai Sun

Dujiang Wan

Hongping Yuan

Hugh Craig Hiner

Benjamin P Chen

Xianzhong Zeng

Yining Hu

You Feng Zheng

Yunjun Tang

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

The method and system for providing a magnetoresistive device are described. The method and system include depositing a plurality of magnetoresistive element layers which cover at least one device area and at least one field area. The method and system also include providing a single layer mask. The single layer mask covers a first portion of the magnetoresistive element layers in the device area(s) and exposes the magnetoresistive element layers in the field area(s). The method and system include defining the magnetoresistive element(s) using the single layer mask and depositing a hard bias layer on the device area(s) and the field area(s) after the magnetic element(s) are defined. The method and system further include performing a planarization after the hard bias layer is deposited.

Method for providing a magnetoresistive element having small critical dimensions

A slider includes a transducer including a magnetic structure having a front edge and a back edge. The slider further includes an electronic lapping guide (ELG) substantially coplanar with the magnetic structure and having a top edge and a bottom edge. The slider further includes a plurality of pads configured to calibrate a sheet resistance of the ELG and an offset of the ELG.

Electronic lapping guide in a magnetic recording transducer

Methods of forming a write pole are disclosed. A structure comprising a bottom insulating layer and a top insulating layer is provided. A top damascene trench is formed in the top insulating layer, and a bottom damascene trench is formed in the bottom insulating layer. The bottom damascene trench and a portion of the top damascene trench are filled with a pole material. The top insulating layer and a portion of the pole material located above the bottom damascene trench are removed.

Dual damascene process for producing a PMR write pole

A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer is provided. The PRM transducer includes a PMR pole having a top, a bottom, and at least one sidewall, the bottom having a bottom width, the top having a top width bigger than the bottom width. The PRM transducer further includes an intermediate layer adjacent to the at least one sidewall, a write gap on the PMR pole, the write gap including a first layer on the PMR pole, the first layer including a planarization stop layer, and a shield on the write gap.

Perpendicular magnetic recording head having reduced shield notching

A magnetic recording transducer comprises a main pole having a bottom, a top wider than the bottom, and a top bevel. The transducer further comprises a nonmagnetic gap covering the main pole, a portion of the nonmagnetic gap residing on the top of the main pole, a first seed layer, at least a portion of the first seed layer covering the portion of the nonmagnetic gap on top of the main pole, a second seed layer residing on the first seed layer, and a wrap-around shield on the second seed layer.

System for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording transducer using a split seed layer

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 for fabricating magnetic transducer is described. The method includes providing a main pole having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom. The method further includes performing a high energy ion mill at an angle from a normal to the to of the main pole and at a first energy. The high energy ion mill removes a portion of the top of the main pole and exposes a top bevel surface for the main pole. The method also includes performing a low energy ion mill at second energy and a glancing angle from the top bevel surface. The glancing angle is not more than fifteen degrees. The second energy is less than the first energy. The method and system also include depositing a nonmagnetic gap.

Method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording transducer using a low energy mill

A method and system for fabricating magnetic recording transducer are described. The magnetic recording transducer has a main pole including a plurality of sides, an intermediate layer adjacent to the sides of the main pole, and a field region distal from the main pole. The method and system include providing at least one trench in the intermediate layer. The trench(es) are between the main pole and the field region. The method and system also include providing a stop layer. A portion of the stop layer resides in at least part of the trench(es) and on at least part of the field region. The method and system also include removing a portion of the intermediate layer using a wet etch. The stop layer is resistant to removal by the wet etch. The method and system also include depositing a full wrap-around shield layer on the main pole.

Method and system for providing a full wrap-around shield using a frame configured wet etch in a damascene process

A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic intermediate layer is described. A trench is provided in the intermediate layer. The trench has a profile and location corresponding to a pole. A first nonmagnetic gap layer is provided. At least part of the first nonmagnetic gap layer resides in the trench. A pole including magnetic material(s) is provided. At least part of the pole resides in the trench and on the part of the nonmagnetic layer in the trench. At least part of the intermediate layer adjacent to the pole is removed and a second nonmagnetic gap layer provided. The second nonmagnetic gap layer is thicker than the first nonmagnetic gap layer. Part of the second nonmagnetic layer and part of the first nonmagnetic layer adjacent to the pole form a side gap. A side shield, a gap, and a top shield are also provided.

Method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording pole with a multi-layer side gap

A method provides a pole of magnetic recording transducer. A nonmagnetic stop layer having a thickness and a top surface is provided. A depression that forms a bevel is provided in the stop layer. The bevel has a depth less than the thickness and a bevel angle with respect to a remaining portion of the top surface. The bevel angle is greater than zero and less than ninety degrees. An intermediate layer having a substantially flat top surface is provided over the stop layer. A trench is formed in the intermediate layer via a removal process. The trench has a profile corresponding to the pole. The stop layer is a stop for the removal process. The method also includes providing the pole in the trench. The pole has a leading edge bevel corresponding to the bevel in the stop layer.

Method for fabricating a pole of a magnetic transducer

A method and system for fabricating magnetic transducer are described. The method and system include providing a main pole having a bottom, a top wider than the bottom, and a top bevel. A nonmagnetic gap covering the main pole is provided. A portion of the nonmagnetic gap resides on the top of the main pole. A first seed layer is provided. At least a portion of the first seed layer covers the portion of the nonmagnetic gap on top of the main pole. A portion of the nonmagnetic gap on the magnetic recording transducer is removed after the first seed layer is provided. A second seed layer is provided after the portion of the nonmagnetic gap is removed. The second seed layer covers at least the portion of the first seed layer. A wrap-around shield layer is provided on the second seed layer.

Method for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer using a split seed layer

A method and system for providing a high moment film are disclosed. The high moment film might be used in structures, such as a pole, of a magnetic transducer. The method and system includes providing a plurality of high moment layers and at least one soft magnetic layer interleaved with and ferromagnetically coupled with the plurality of high moment layers. Each of the plurality of high moment layers has a magnetic moment of greater than 2.4 Tesla. The at least one soft magnetic layer has a hard axis coercivity of not more than twenty Oersted. The high moment film has a total thickness of at least one thousand Angstroms.

Method and system for providing a high moment film

Methods of producing magnetic recording heads are disclosed. The methods can include providing a wafer comprising a substrate layer in which are disposed a plurality of damascene trenches. The method can further include depositing a pole material across the whole wafer, wherein the plurality of trenches are filled with the pole material. The methods can further include depositing a mask material over the pole material across the whole wafer. The methods can further include performing a first material removal process across the whole wafer to remove the mask material and a first portion of the pole material at a same material removal rate. The methods can further include performing a second material removal process to remove a second portion of the pole material above the substrate layer.

Methods of producing damascene main pole for perpendicular magnetic recording head

Methods of forming a write pole are disclosed. A first photomask having a first opening over one of a yoke region and a pole tip region of the write pole is formed over an insulation layer having an insulator material. A first etch process is performed on the insulation layer via the first opening, the first etch process removing the insulator material from a corresponding one of the yoke region and the pole tip region. A second photomask having a second opening over the other one of the yoke region and the pole tip region is formed over the insulation layer. A second etch process is performed on the insulation layer via the second opening, the second etch process removing the insulator material from a corresponding one of the yoke region and the pole tip region.

Double rie damascene process for nose length control

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Yun-Fei Li