US 5,802,700 AGranted

Method of making a planarized thin film magnetic write head with submicron trackwidth

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsMao-Min Chen, Kochan Ju, Neil Leslie Robertson, Hugo Alberto Emilio Santini

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Abstract

A method is provided for making a thin film magnetic write head with a notch structure located on top of one of two pole layers. The notch structure is a generally U-shaped thin film layer which forms a trench inside the U for the containment of one or more pole tip layers in the pole tip region of the head. The notch structure has front surfaces at the tips of the legs of the U which lie in a plane that forms a part of the air bearing surface. The thickness of the notch layer is substantially equal to the thickness or thicknesses of the one or more pole tip layers located in the trench. A method of manufacturing the write head includes forming a very thin photoresist layer for defining the notch structure. The notch structure is well-defined which in turn allows the one or more pole tip layers to be well-defined with a very narrow trackwidth in the trench.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of making a thin film magnetic write head having a pole tip region located between an air bearing surface and a zero throat level, and a back region extending from the zero throat level back to and including a back gap, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a first magnetic pole layer having a pole tip portion in the pole tip region and a back portion in the back region;
forming at least one coil structure over the first magnetic pole layer between the pole tip region and the back gap;
forming an insulation layer over the at least one coil structure between the pole tip region and the back gap;
forming a non-magnetic conductive gap layer on the pole tip portion of the first magnetic pole layer in the pole tip region and in the back region, the formation of the non-magnetic electrically conductive gap layer in the back region being formed over said insulation layer between the pole tip region and the back gap;
forming a notch structure on the gap layer in the pole tip region, the notch structure providing a trench in the pole tip region;
forming a top electrically conductive layer on top of the notch structure;
the notch structure being a material which is selected from a group of anisotropically etchable materials that includes silicon dioxide, silicon, silicon nitride and carbon and having a top conductive layer;
the notch structure further including:
a base and a pair of legs forming a generally U-shaped layer with first and second surfaces;
the base having an inside front surface, an outside back surface, and a pair of outside side surfaces, each of the legs having an outside front surface, and inside side surface, and an outside side surface, the outside side surfaces of the base being contiguous with the outside side surfaces of the legs;
the front surfaces of the legs lying in a common plane which forms part of an air bearing surface;
and
the front surface of the base and the inside surfaces of the legs forming the trench inside the U-shaped layer in the pole tip region;
forming a second magnetic pole tip layer inside the trench of the notch structure on said gap layer;
forming a second magnetic pole layer on said second magnetic pole tip layer with a pole tip portion in the pole tip region supported by the notch structure and a back portion in the back region;
the forming of the second magnetic pole tip layer in the trench and the forming of the second magnetic pole layer being accomplished with one step of frame plating using the following as seedlayers:
the non-magnetic conductive gap layer located in the pole tip region and located in the back region between the pole tip region and the back gap;
and
the top conductive layer of the notch structure.

16 more elements

forming a first magnetic pole layer having a pole tip portion in the pole tip region and a back portion in the back region;
forming a notch structure over the first magnetic pole layer in the pole tip region, the notch structure providing a trench in the pole tip region;
said notch structure including:
a base and a pair of legs forming a generally U-shaped layer with first and second surfaces;
the base having an inside front surface, an outside back surface, and a pair of outside side surfaces, each of the legs having an outside front surface, and inside side surface, and an outside side surface, the outside side surfaces of the base being contiguous with the outside side surfaces of the legs;
the front surfaces of the legs lying in a common plane which forms part of an air bearing surface;
and
the front surface of the base and the inside side surfaces of the legs forming the trench inside the U-shaped layer in the pole tip region;
forming at least one pole tip layer inside the trench of the notch structure;
forming a second magnetic pole layer over said at least one pole tip layer and said first magnetic pole layer with a pole tip portion in the pole tip region supported by the notch structure and a back portion in the back region;
and
engaging the at least one pole tip layer with either the first magnetic pole layer or the second magnetic pole layer.

9 more elements

A method of making a thin film magnetic write head having a pole tip region located between an air bearing surface (ABS) and a zero throat level, where first and second pole pieces first commence to separate after the ABS, and a back region extending from the zero throat level back to and including a back gap, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a first magnetic pole layer having a pole tip portion in the pole tip region and a back portion in the back region;
forming a U-shaped notch structure over the first magnetic pole layer in the pole tip region with a recessed wall that is recessed from the ABS toward the back gap, the notch structure providing a trench in the pole tip region that is partially bounded by the recessed wall;
forming at least one pole tip layer in the trench of the notch structure;
forming a second magnetic pole layer over said at least one pole tip layer and said first magnetic pole layer with a pole tip portion in the pole tip region supported by the notch structure and a back portion in the back region so that said recessed wall defines said zero throat height;
and
engaging the at least one pole tip layer with either the first magnetic pole layer or the second magnetic pole layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/469,728Filed 6 Jun 1995 · division
Priority: 19 Apr 1994
Granted: 8 Sep 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G11B 5/3103
Using thin films: structure or manufacture of integrated heads or heads mechanically assembled and electrically connected to a support or housing
G11B 5/3116
Details: shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect,…
G11B 5/3133
Disposition of layers: including layers not usually being a part of the electromagnetic transducer structure and providing additional features,…
G11B 5/3146
Including additional layers for improving the electromagnetic transducing properties of the basic structure, e.g. for flux coupling, guiding or…:…