公开(公告)号：US07023658B1

公开(公告)日：2006-04-04

申请号：US09500380

申请日：2000-02-08

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Zhupei Shi ,  Billy W. Crue, Jr.

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Zhupei Shi ,  Billy W. Crue, Jr.

IPC分类号： G11B5/31 ,  G11B5/187 ,  G11B5/265 ,  G11B5/39

CPC分类号： G11B5/3116 ,  G11B5/313 ,  G11B5/3136 ,  G11B5/3163 ,  G11B5/3967

摘要： A trailing pole-tip for an electromagnetic transducer is formed as a layer oriented substantially perpendicular to other layers of the transducer, allowing the pole-tip to be made much thinner than conventional pole-tips. The novel pole-tip is formed on an edge or sidewall of a base layer instead of being formed on top of an existing layer. Potential errors in pole-tip thickness are much less than standard error tolerances for conventional pole-tip thickness. Having a greatly reduced pole-tip width significantly reduces the track width so that many more tracks can fit on a media surface, providing a large increase in areal density.

摘要翻译： 形成用于电磁换能器的拖尾极尖作为基本上垂直于换能器的其它层定向的层，允许极尖比常规杆尖薄得多。 新颖的极尖形成在基底层的边缘或侧壁上，而不是形成在现有层的顶部上。 极尖厚度的潜在误差远小于常规极尖厚度的标准误差公差。 具有极大降低的极尖宽度显着地减小了轨道宽度，使得更多的轨迹可以适合于介质表面，从而提供面密度的大幅增加。

公开(公告)号：US06333830B2

公开(公告)日：2001-12-25

申请号：US09189059

申请日：1998-11-09

申请人： Chuck Rose ,  Zhupei Shi ,  Kenneth E. Knapp

发明人： Chuck Rose ,  Zhupei Shi ,  Kenneth E. Knapp

IPC分类号： G11B517

CPC分类号： G11B5/3123 ,  G11B5/82

摘要： The present invention provides a thin film write head having an upper and lower pole structures and conductor turns forming a winding for generating magnetic flux. The conductor is formed with a non-planar top surface. The winding of the present invention may be formed of lower and upper turns. The upper turns may be formed with a non-planar top surface, a non-planar bottom surface, or both. It is preferred that the bottom surface of the upper conductor turns be coherent with the non-planar top surface of the lower conductor turns. The non-planar top surface may be formed by removing corners formed during deposition between a generally planar top surface and abutting side walls. The corners may be removed by ion milling to form the non-planar top surface. The conductor may be copper with the non-planar top surface having sloping facets. The thin film write head of the present invention may be utilized to provide an improved data storage and retrieval apparatus. The preferred embodiment provides reduced coil resistance thereby reducing Johnson Thermal Noise and power dissipation. It also allows for reduced yoke length and reduced stack height while providing low apex angles to expand and improve yoke material deposition thereby improving head response and operational frequency.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种薄膜写入头，其具有上和下极结构以及形成用于产生磁通的绕组的导体匝。 导体形成有非平面顶表面。 本发明的绕组可以由下匝和上匝构成。 上匝可以形成有非平面顶表面，非平面底表面或两者。 优选地，上导体的底表面与下导体匝的非平面顶表面相干。 可以通过去除在大致平坦的顶表面和邻接侧壁之间的沉积期间形成的拐角来形成非平面顶表面。 可以通过离子研磨去除拐角以形成非平面顶表面。 导体可以是铜，其中非平面顶表面具有倾斜面。 本发明的薄膜写入头可以用于提供改进的数据存储和检索装置。 优选实施例提供减小的线圈电阻，从而减少约翰逊热噪声和功率耗散。 它还允许减小磁轭长度和减小堆叠高度，同时提供较低的顶角以扩展并改善磁轭材料沉积，从而提高磁头响应和操作频率。

公开(公告)号：US06816345B1

公开(公告)日：2004-11-09

申请号：US09963288

申请日：2001-09-24

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Myron R. Cagan ,  Mark D. Thomas

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Myron R. Cagan ,  Mark D. Thomas

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： G11B5/3932

摘要： Methods for reducing feature sizes of devices such as electromagnetic sensors are disclosed. A track width of a MR sensor is defined by a mask having an upper layer with a reduced width and a lower layer with a further reduced width. Instead of or in addition to being supported by the lower layer in the area defining the sensor, the upper layer is supported by the lower layer in areas that do not define the sensor width. In some embodiments the upper layer forms a bridge mask, supported at its ends by the lower layer, and the lower layer is completely removed over an area that will become a sensor. Also disclosed is a mask having more than two layers, with a bottom layer completely removed over the sensor area, and a middle layer undercut relative to a top layer.

摘要翻译： 公开了用于减小诸如电磁传感器的装置的特征尺寸的方法。 MR传感器的轨道宽度由具有减小宽度的上层的掩模和具有进一步减小的宽度的下层限定。 在限定传感器的区域中由下层支撑或替代地，上层在不限定传感器宽度的区域中由下层支撑。 在一些实施例中，上层形成桥接掩模，其端部由下层支撑，并且下层在将成为传感器的区域上被完全移除。 还公开了具有多于两层的掩模，其中底层在传感器区域上完全去除，并且相对于顶层底切的中间层。

公开(公告)号：US06433970B1

公开(公告)日：2002-08-13

申请号：US09327209

申请日：1999-06-07

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3163 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3909 ,  Y10T29/49032 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49155

摘要： The present invention provides an improved current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head device and method of fabrication. With the present invention, the lower lead is formed to inhibit accumulation of redeposited lead material on CPP sensor element side walls during CPP sensor formation. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the lower lead, which normally is etched during sensor element formation, is formed of a low sputter yield material to reduce redeposition flux to the sensor side walls. It is also preferred to form the upper portion of a material that also has a low value for the ratio of its sputter yield at the lead milling angle-to-its sputter yield at the side wall milling angle to inhibit redeposition accumulation on the side wall. It is preferred to clad conventional lead material with a low sputter yield ratio, low resistivity material, to inhibit side wall redeposition accumulation while also providing a low resistance lower lead. The underlying lead material may be formed of conventional low resistance lead materials with a cladding of a refractory metal, such as tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, their alloys, or the like. The improved CPP read head of the present invention may be embodied in a data storage and retrieval apparatus.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种垂直于平面薄膜读取头装置的改进的电流和制造方法。 利用本发明，形成下引线以在CPP传感器形成期间抑制再沉积的铅材料在CPP传感器元件侧壁上的积聚。 在优选实施例中，通常在传感器元件形成期间被蚀刻的下引线的上部由低溅射成品材料形成，以减少对传感器侧壁的再沉积通量。 还优选形成材料的上部，其在侧铣削角处的铅铣削角与其溅射产率之间的溅射产率的比值也低，以抑制侧壁上的再沉积积聚 。 优选以低的溅射成品率的低电阻率材料包覆常规的铅材料，以抑制侧壁再沉积积聚，同时还提供低电阻的低铅。 下面的铅材料可以由具有诸如钽，钛，钨，钼，锆，钒，铌，它们的合金等的难熔金属包层的常规低电阻引线材料形成。 本发明的改进的CPP读取头可以体现在数据存储和检索装置中。

公开(公告)号：US06421212B1

公开(公告)日：2002-07-16

申请号：US09400205

申请日：1999-09-21

申请人： Matthew Gibbons ,  Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas ,  Ming Zhao

发明人： Matthew Gibbons ,  Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas ,  Ming Zhao

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3932 ,  Y10T29/49032 ,  Y10T29/49041 ,  Y10T29/49043 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49046 ,  Y10T29/49052

摘要： The present invention provides an improved bias magnet-to-magnetoresistive element interface and method of fabrication. In a preferred embodiment, the wall/walls of an MR element opposing a bias layer are formed by over etching to provide vertical side walls without taper. In the preferred embodiment, a protective element is formed over the MR element to protect it during etch processes. In some embodiments, a filler layer is deposited prior to bias layer formation. In CIP embodiments, any portion of the filler layer forming on vertical side walls of the MR element is etched to provide an exposed side wall surface for contiguous bias layer formation. In CPP embodiments, the filler layer forms on a vertical back wall and electrically insulates the MR element from the bias layer. In CIP and CPP embodiments, tapered portions of the bias material, which form overhanging the MR element, are removed by directional etching to improve the direction and stability of the induced longitudinal field within the MR element. In some CIP embodiments, tapered overhang removal allows for formation of improved lead structures, which may be deposited on the MR element closer to the side walls, and which are not pinched off by the overhang of an underlying bias layer, thus improving current density profile and definition of the actual effective track width of the device.

公开(公告)号：US06833979B1

公开(公告)日：2004-12-21

申请号：US10176874

申请日：2002-06-21

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3163 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3909 ,  Y10T29/49032 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49155

摘要： The present invention provides an improved current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head device and method of fabrication. With the present invention, the lower lead is formed to inhibit accumulation of redeposited lead material on CPP sensor element side walls during CPP sensor formation. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the lower lead, which normally is etched during sensor element formation, is formed of a low sputter yield material to reduce redeposition flux to the sensor side walls. It is also preferred to form the upper portion of a material that also has a low value for the ratio of its sputter yield at the lead milling angle-to-its sputter yield at the side wall milling angle to inhibit redeposition accumulation on the side wall. It is preferred to clad conventional lead material with a low sputter yield ratio, low resistivity material, to inhibit side wall redeposition accumulation while also providing a low resistance lower lead. The underlying lead material may be formed of conventional low resistance lead materials with a cladding of a refractory metal, such as tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, their alloys, or the like. The improved CPP read head of the present invention may be embodied in a data storage and retrieval apparatus.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种垂直于平面薄膜读取头装置的改进的电流和制造方法。 利用本发明，形成下引线以在CPP传感器形成期间抑制再沉积的铅材料在CPP传感器元件侧壁上的积聚。 在优选实施例中，通常在传感器元件形成期间被蚀刻的下引线的上部由低溅射成品材料形成，以减少对传感器侧壁的再沉积通量。 还优选形成材料的上部，其在侧铣削角处的铅铣削角与其溅射产率之间的溅射产率的比值也低，以抑制侧壁上的再沉积积聚 。 优选以低的溅射成品率的低电阻率材料包覆常规的铅材料，以抑制侧壁再沉积积聚，同时还提供低电阻的低铅。 下面的铅材料可以由具有诸如钽，钛，钨，钼，锆，钒，铌，它们的合金等的难熔金属包层的常规低电阻引线材料形成。 本发明的改进的CPP读取头可以体现在数据存储和检索装置中。

公开(公告)号：US06487056B1

公开(公告)日：2002-11-26

申请号：US10153067

申请日：2002-05-20

申请人： Matthew Gibbons ,  Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas ,  Ming Zhao

发明人： Matthew Gibbons ,  Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas ,  Ming Zhao

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3932 ,  Y10T29/49032 ,  Y10T29/49041 ,  Y10T29/49043 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49046 ,  Y10T29/49052

摘要： The present invention provides an improved bias magnet-to-magnetoresistive element interface and method of fabrication. In a preferred embodiment, the wall/walls of an MR element opposing a bias layer are formed by over etching to provide vertical side walls without taper. In the preferred embodiment, a protective element is formed over the MR element to protect it during etch processes. In some embodiments, a filler layer is deposited prior to bias layer formation. In CIP embodiments, any portion of the filler layer forming on vertical side walls of the MR element is etched to provide an exposed side wall surface for contiguous bias layer formation. In CPP embodiments, the filler layer forms on a vertical back wall and electrically insulates the MR element from the bias layer. In CIP and CPP embodiments, tapered portions of the bias material, which form overhanging the MR element, are removed by directional etching to improve the direction and stability of the induced longitudinal field within the MR element. In some CIP embodiments, tapered overhang removal allows for formation of improved lead structures, which may be deposited on the MR element closer to the side walls, and which are not pinched off by the overhang of an underlying bias layer, thus improving current density profile and definition of the actual effective track width of the device.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种改进的偏置磁体 - 磁阻元件接口和制造方法。 在优选实施例中，通过过蚀刻形成与偏置层相对的MR元件的壁/壁，以提供没有锥度的垂直侧壁。 在优选实施例中，在MR元件上形成保护元件以在蚀刻工艺期间保护元件。 在一些实施方案中，在形成偏压层之前沉积填料层。 在CIP实施例中，蚀刻形成在MR元件的垂直侧壁上的填充层的任何部分，以提供暴露的侧壁表面用于连续的偏置层形成。 在CPP实施例中，填充层在垂直后壁上形成，并使MR元件与偏置层电绝缘。 在CIP和CPP实施例中，通过定向蚀刻去除形成悬垂在MR元件上的倾斜材料的锥形部分，以改善MR元件内的感应纵向场的方向和稳定性。 在一些CIP实施例中，锥形突出去除允许形成改进的引线结构，其可以沉积在更靠近侧壁的MR元件上，并且不被下伏偏置层的突出部分夹住，因此改善电流密度分布 以及设备的实际有效轨迹宽度的定义。

公开(公告)号：US06469877B1

公开(公告)日：2002-10-22

申请号：US09335156

申请日：1999-06-15

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr

IPC分类号： G11B5127

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G01R33/093 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3932

摘要： The present invention provides an exchange break to define the track width of a read head by selectively isolating an exchange coupling layer from an underlying ferromagnetic layer. In the preferred embodiment, the exchange break is provided over a portion of the free layer of a spin valve device so that it inhibits exchange coupling between an overlying portion of the exchange coupling layer and the underlying free layer to define an active region. It is preferred to form the exchange break of an electrically insulating material, to inhibit current shunting through the exchange break, and of a material that easily etches, to minimize inadvertent etching of the underlying free layer and to ensure complete removal of exchange break material when forming the exchange break from an exchange break layer. A reentrant profile photoresist structure may be used to define the exchange break and to define the exchange coupling layer. Drift portions of the exchange coupling layer, which typically form under the overhang of the photoresist and blur delineation of the active region, are separated from the underlying free layer by the exchange break, so that variations in thickness and in shifted material composition do not blur active region delineation. Because the width of the active region is defined by the exchange break, the present invention decouples the track width of the device from the geometry of the exchange coupling layer.

摘要翻译： 本发明通过选择性地将交换耦合层与潜在的铁磁层隔离来提供交换中断以限定读取头的磁道宽度。 在优选实施例中，交换断裂被提供在自旋阀装置的自由层的一部分上，使得其阻止交换耦合层的上覆部分和下游自由层之间的交换耦合以限定有源区。 优选形成电绝缘材料的交换断裂，以阻止通过交换断裂的电流分流以及易于蚀刻的材料，以最小化潜在自由层的无意蚀刻，并确保完全去除交换断裂材料，当 从交换中断层形成交换中断。 可以使用折入轮廓光刻胶结构来限定交换断裂并限定交换耦合层。 通常在光致抗蚀剂悬垂下形成的交换耦合层的漂移部分和有源区域的模糊描绘通过交换断裂与下面的自由层分离，使得厚度和偏移材料组成的变化不模糊 活跃地区划定。 由于有源区域的宽度由交换断裂限定，本发明将装置的轨道宽度与交换耦合层的几何形状分离。

公开(公告)号：US06233125B1

公开(公告)日：2001-05-15

申请号：US09571440

申请日：2000-05-15

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr

IPC分类号： G11B539

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3948 ,  G11B5/3967 ,  G11B2005/3996 ,  Y10T29/49043 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49046 ,  Y10T29/49048 ,  Y10T29/4905 ,  Y10T29/49052

摘要： A magnetoresistive device includes a metal layer, formed over a substrate, in which a groove is formed. A magnetoresistive element is formed in the groove, forming two magnetoresistive element portions that are separated by a conductive element. A sense current applied to the metal layer flows through the two magnetoresistive element portions with a predominant current-perpendicular-to-plane component. A method includes techniques that are less complex and less expensive than submicron photolithography to form the above described magnetoresistive device with submicron geometries. A system includes a read/write head that incorporates a magnetoresistive element formed in a groove of a metal layer.

公开(公告)号：US07111382B1

公开(公告)日：2006-09-26

申请号：US10175399

申请日：2002-06-18

申请人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

发明人： Kenneth E. Knapp ,  Ronald A. Barr ,  Lien-Chang Wang ,  Benjamin P. Law ,  James Spallas

IPC分类号： G11B5/127 ,  H05K3/14

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G11B5/3163 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3909 ,  Y10T29/49032 ,  Y10T29/49044 ,  Y10T29/49155

摘要： Methods are provided for forming current perpendicular to the plane thin film read heads. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of forming a lower sensor lead, forming a lower sensor lead cladding of a low sputter yield material on the lower sensor lead, forming a sensor element on the lower sensor lead cladding, and forming an upper sensor lead coupled to the sensor element. The low sputter yield material helps to reduce redeposition of the lower sensor lead material onto side walls of the sensor element as the sensor element is being formed.

摘要翻译： 提供了用于形成垂直于平面薄膜读取头的电流的方法。 在一个实施例中，该方法包括以下步骤：形成下传感器引线，在下传感器引线上形成低溅射产生材料的下传感器引线包层，在下传感器引线包层上形成传感器元件，以及形成上传感器 引线耦合到传感器元件。 当形成传感器元件时，低的溅射产生材料有助于减小下部传感器引线材料在传感器元件的侧壁上的再沉积。