摘要:
A magnetic head fabrication process in which a stencil layer is deposited upon a plurality of sensor layers. A photoresist mask in the desired read track width is fabricated upon the stencil layer. A reactive ion milling step is then conducted to remove the unmasked portions of the stencil layer. Where the stencil layer is composed of an organic compound, such as Duramide and/or diamond-like-carbon, a reactive ion milling step utilizing oxygen species produces a stencil of the present invention having exceptionally straight side walls with practically no undercuts. Thereafter, an ion milling step is undertaken in which the sensor layers that are not covered by the stencil are removed. The accurately formed stencil results in correspondingly accurately formed side walls of the remaining central sensor layers. A magnetic head sensor structure having a desired read track width and accurately formed side walls is thus fabricated.
摘要:
A system for improving drift compensation for ion mill applications defines a reference step for purposes of time duration. The reference step is controlled by an end point detector and monitored for use with subsequent process steps. The time duration for a subsequent step is adjusted as a percentage of the reference step. A time scaling factor determines the actual duration of the subsequent step. Rather than directly using times of step duration, the system uses a percentage of the reference step for the latter step. The duration of the reference step varies depending on the tool drift. The overall duration is changed in the same proportion as the duration of the reference step, and thereby compensates for the influence of drift on the end product.
摘要:
A method for constructing a magnetoresistive sensor that avoids shadowing effects of a mask structure during sensor definition. The method includes the use of an antireflective coating (ARC) and a photosensitive mask deposited there over. The photosensitive mask is formed to cover a desired sensor area, leaving non-sensor areas exposed. A reactive ion etch is performed to transfer the pattern of the photosensitive mask onto the underlying ARC layer. The reactive ion etch (RIE) is performed with a relatively high amount of platen power. The higher platen power increases ion bombardment of the wafer, thereby increasing the physical (ie mechanical) component of material removal relative to the chemical component. This increase in the physical component of material removal result in an increased rate of removal of the photosensitive mask material relative to the ion mill resistant mask. This avoids the formation of a bulbous or mushroom shaped photoresist mask and therefore, avoids shadowing effects during subsequent manufacturing processes.
摘要:
A method for constructing a magnetoresistive sensor that avoids shadowing effects of a mask structure during sensor definition. The method includes the use of an antireflective coating (ARC) and a photosensitive mask deposited there over. The photosensitive mask is formed to cover a desired sensor area, leaving non-sensor areas exposed. A reactive ion etch is performed to transfer the pattern of the photosensitive mask onto the underlying ARC layer. The reactive ion etch (RIE) is performed with a relatively high amount of platen power. The higher platen power increases ion bombardment of the wafer, thereby increasing the physical (ie mechanical) component of material removal relative to the chemical component. This increase in the physical component of material removal result in an increased rate of removal of the photosensitive mask material relative to the ion mill resistant mask. This avoids the formation of a bulbous or mushroom shaped photoresist mask and therefore, avoids shadowing effects during subsequent manufacturing processes.
摘要:
A first magnetic shield layer of the read head sensor is deposited upon a slider substrate surface. A patterned photoresist is then photolithographically fabricated upon the first magnetic shield layer with openings that are formed alongside the location at which the read sensor will be fabricated. An ion milling step is performed to create pockets within the surface of the magnetic shield layer at the location of the openings in the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is then removed, and a fill layer is deposited across the surface of the magnetic shield layer in a depth greater than the depth of the pocket. Thereafter, a polishing step is conducted to remove portions of the fill layer down to the surface of the magnetic shield layer. A G1 insulation layer is deposited and a magnetic head sensor element is then fabricated upon the insulation layer.
摘要:
A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a write pole with a concave trailing edge. The magnetic write pole can have a trapezoidal shape with first and second laterally opposed sides that are further apart at the trailing edge than at the leading edge. The write head may or may not include a magnetic trailing shield, and if a trailing shield is included it is separated from the trailing edge by a non-magnetic write gap layer. The concave trailing edge improves magnetic performance such as by improving the transition curvature. A method for constructing the write head includes forming a magnetic write pole by forming a mask structure over a deposited write pole material, the mask structure having an alumina hard mask and an image transfer layer such as DURAMIDE®. An alumina fill layer is then deposited and a chemical mechanical polish is performed to open up the image transfer layer. A reactive on etch is performed to remove the image transfer layer and a reactive ion mill or reactive ion etch is performed to remove the alumina hard mask and form a concave surface on the write pole.
摘要:
An improved damascene method of forming a write coil of a magnetic head. The method includes the steps of forming a hard mask layer over an insulator layer; forming a photoresist layer over the hard mask layer; performing an image patterning process to produce a write coil pattern in the photoresist layer; etching to remove portions of the hard mask layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove portions of the insulator layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove the remaining portion of the etched hard mask layer; after removing the etched hard mask layer, electroplating a material within the etched portion of the insulator material; and performing a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process over the electroplated material. By removing the remainder of the hard mask material before the CMP, the quality of the CMP is improved.
摘要:
An improved damascene method of forming a write coil of a magnetic head includes forming a hard mask layer over an insulator layer; forming a photoresist layer over the hard mask layer; performing an image patterning process to produce a write coil pattern in the photoresist layer; etching to remove portions of the hard mask layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove portions of the insulator layer in accordance with the write coil pattern; etching to remove the remaining portion of the etched hard mask layer; electroplating a material comprising copper (Cu) within the etched portion of the insulator material; and performing a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process over the resulting structure. By removing the remainder of the hard mask material before the CMP, the quality of the CMP is improved. Although any suitable hard mask material may be utilized, if the insulator layer is a hard-baked resist then Ta2O5 having a relatively high selectivity, low brittleness, and improved adhesion is preferred as the hard mask material.
摘要:
A method of plasma etching of silicon that utilizes the plasma to provide laterally defined recess structures through a mask. The method is based on the variation of the plasma parameters to provide a well-controlled anisotropic etch, while achieving a very high etch rate, and a high selectivity with respect to a mask. A mixed gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber after the chamber is evacuated, and plasma is generated within the chamber. The substrate's surface is exposed to the plasma. Power sources are used for formation of the plasma discharge. An integrated control system is used to modulate the plasma discharge power and substrate polarization voltage levels.
摘要:
A method for constructing a magnetoresistive sensor that avoids shadowing effects of a mask structure during sensor definition. The method includes the use of an antireflective coating (ARC) and a photosensitive mask deposited there over. The photosensitive mask is formed to cover a desired sensor area, leaving non-sensor areas exposed. A reactive ion etch is performed to transfer the pattern of the photosensitive mask onto the underlying ARC layer. The reactive ion etch (RIE) is performed with a relatively high amount of platen power. The higher platen power increases ion bombardment of the wafer, thereby increasing the physical (ie mechanical) component of material removal relative to the chemical component. This increase in the physical component of material removal result in an increased rate of removal of the photosensitive mask material relative to the ion mill resistant mask. This avoids the formation of a bulbous or mushroom shaped photoresist mask and therefore, avoids shadowing effects during subsequent manufacturing processes.