Seagate Technology Incorporated

ZhiGuo Ge

Shaun Eric McKinlay

Eric Walter Singleton

Liwen Tan

Jae Young Yi

Stacey Christine Wakeham

Victor Sapozhnikov

Jae-Young Yi

Mohammed Shariat Ullah Patwari

Cheng Bi

Minzhen Cai

Shaun E Mckinlay

A method of planarizing a device having a surface topography with at least one material at a surface of the device is described. The method comprises the steps of depositing a stop layer over at least a portion of the at least one material which substantially retains the surface topography of the device. A sacrificial layer is deposited over at least a portion of the stop layer. A planarization process is performed on the device. The planarization process includes the steps of performing a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) on the top surface of the sacrificial layer. A physical removal step is conducted on the remainder portion of the sacrificial layer to form a planarized surface. A second CMP step and a second physical removal step are conducted, to form a planarized device.

Planarization strategy in nano-sized fabrication

A data reader may have a magnetoresistive stack with a magnetically free layer decoupled from a first shield by a cap. The cap can have one or more sub-layers respectively configured with a thickness of 4 nm or less as measured parallel to a longitudinal axis of the magnetoresistive stack on an air bearing surface.

Thin data reader cap

Methods of planarizing materials, such as where surface topographies are created as part of a thin film device fabrication process are described. These methods find particular application in the creation of nano-sized devices, where surface topographical features can be effectively planarized without adversely creating other surface topographies and/or causing deleterious effects a material junctions. Methods include the step of depositing a sacrificial layer overlying at least a portion of a first material layer and at least a portion of a backfilled second material at a junction between the first and second materials. The sacrificial layer substantially retains the surface topography of the microelectronic device. Chemical-mechanical planarization is performed on a surface of the sacrificial layer but leaving a remainder portion of the thickness of the sacrificial layer. Then, physical or dry chemical process is conducted for removing the remainder of the sacrificial layer and at least a portion of at least one of the first and second materials.

Methods of planarization for device fabrication with head features background

Implementations described and claimed herein include a reader structure, comprising a first reader, including a sensor stack and a top shield structure, the top shield structure comprises a synthetic antiferromagnetic shield (SAF) structure, including a reference layer including at least a layer of NiFe and an impurity additive, an RKKY coupling layer RKKY coupling layer (e.g., Ru layer), and a pinned layer. In another implementation, the RL of the SAF shield structure of a first reader includes at least a layer of amorphous magnetic material. Yet, in another implementation, the SAF shield structure includes an insertion layer of amorphous magnetic material under the SAF shield RL, within the SAF shield RL or between the SAF shield RL and SAF shield Ru.

Magnetoresistive sensor fabrication

A multi-sensor reader that includes a first sensor that has a sensing layer with a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The first sensor also includes first and second side biasing magnets having a magnetization substantially along a first direction. The first and second side biasing magnets align the magnetization of the sensing layer substantially along the first direction when the sensing layer is not substantially influenced by the external magnetic field. The multi-sensor reader further includes a second sensor that is stacked over the first sensor. The second sensor includes a reference layer that has a magnetization that is set substantially along a second direction. The first sensor further includes at least one sensor-stabilization feature that counteracts an influence of a magnetic field utilized to set the magnetization of the reference layer of the second sensor in the second direction on the magnetization of at least one of the first and second side biasing magnets in the first direction.

Sensor stabilization in a multiple sensor magnetic reproducing device

A multi-sensor reader that includes a first sensor that has a sensor stack, which includes a free layer (FL) that has a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The first sensor also includes a shielding structure that is positioned over the sensor stack. The multi-sensor reader also includes a second sensor stacked over the first sensor. The second sensor includes a sensor stack, which includes a FL that has a magnetization that changes according to the external magnetic field. The multi-sensor reader further includes an isolation layer between the first sensor and the second sensor. A FL-to-FL spacing reduction feature is included in at least one of the isolation layer or the shielding structure.

Multiple sensor magnetic reproducing device with reduced inter-sensor spacing

The implementations disclosed herein provide for a spin transport sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent a shield element. The SAF extends to an air-bearing surface (ABS) and provides a current path from a current source to an ABS-region of a spin conductor layer. Spin current diffuses from the spin conductor layer to an adjacent free layer, which generates a measurable electrical voltage in a free layer of the spin transport sensor. The SAF serves as both a magnetic shield and a spin injector to the spin conductor layer.

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Edina, MN, United States of America

ZhiGuo Ge