The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 30, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 29, 1999
Joseph John Fatula, Jr., San Jose, CA (US);
Richard Hsiao, San Jose, CA (US);
Carol Yoshiko Inouye, San Jose, CA (US);
Li-Chung Lee, Saratoga, CA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for making a well-defined, highly-predictable chevron type MR sensor for a read head. A first material is selected for a first gap layer. A selected second material is deposited on the first gap layer followed by a resist frame that has elongated openings exposing elongated top portions of the first gap layer that extend at an acute angle to a head surface of the read head. A selected reactive ion etch (RIE) is employed to etch away the exposed portions of the second material layer down to the first material of the first gap layer. The material of the second material layer is chosen to be etched by the RIE while the material of the first gap layer is chosen not to be etched by the RIE. An example is Al O for the first gap layer, SiO for the second material layer and a RIE that is fluorine based. The resist frame is removed leaving elongated strips of the second material layer extending at the aforementioned angle to the head surface. MR material is then sputtered on top of the first gap layer and on the second material strips building up a MR sensor which has a ribbed structure on each of its first and second surfaces. The resultant MR head has second material strips sandwiched between the first gap layer and the MR sensor.