Narrow projection such as a write pole extending from a substrate, and its fabrication

A method of fabricating an article comprising a projection extending outwardly from a substrate, comprising the steps of

• forming an overlying structure on the substrate, the overlying structure having an edge thereon oriented perpendicular to the substrate, the step of forming the overlying structure including the steps of
• depositing a seed layer onto a surface of the substrate,
• depositing a hard-baked resist layer overlying the seed layer,
• depositing a hard mask layer overlying the hard-baked resist layer, and
• depositing an imaging resist layer overlying the hard mask,
• removing a portion of the imaging resist layer to form a step therein, the hard mask layer being exposed in an area where the imaging resist layer is removed, and
• removing portions of the hard mask and the hard-baked resist layer that underlie the step in the imaging resist layer;
• depositing a replication layer lying on the edge;
• depositing a filler onto the edge and the substrate, so that the filler, the replication layer, and the overlying structure in combination comprise a continuous layer on the substrate, the continuous layer having a free surface with a side of the replication layer exposed at the free surface;
• selectively removing at least a portion of the replication layer from the free surface inwardly toward the substrate by a technique which does not remove the filler and the overlying structure, to form a defined cavity, exposing the seed layer at a bottom of the defined cavity;
• electrodepositing a projection material onto the seed layer at the bottom of the defined cavity to form the projection;
• and
• removing at least a portion of any remaining filler and overlying structure, so that at least a part of a length of the projection is laterally unsupported.