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AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLaurence S. Samuelson, Robin L. Almes, Michael J. Murtagh
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A sacrificial structure masking method for disk drive slider assemblies. Pico size air bearing surfaces (ABS) for sliders are created by mounting parallel slider rows into a carrier. The ABS are then established by positioning a mask having a sacrificial structure within the slider area, over the carrier and/or along cut zones between individual sliders. Once the masks are positioned, the carrier is exposed to transfer the pattern to the slider rows. The mask is then removed and the exposed area is etched from the slider rows. After the etching process, the masked portion of the slider is raised slightly to form the air bearing surfaces. Where a rear sacrificial structure is positioned over the carrier, no remnant is left on the slider surface after the etching step. However, sacrificial structures positioned within the slider area must be removed by a subsequent process step. The slider rows are then cut to form individual sliders. Slider features can also be formed by placing the sacrificial structures solely over the carrier and along the slider cut zones. The sacrificial structures along the cut zones are removed by the cutting process.
A method for defining small features on a transducer carrying slider, comprising the steps of:
A method for fabricating a transducer carrying slider, comprising the steps of:
A method for defining small features during the fabrication of transducer carrying sliders, comprising the steps of:
A disk drive system comprising at least one storage disk, means for rotating the storage disk, and a positional head assembly having a transducer carrying slider, the slider fabricated by a process comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.