US 5,853,959 A · Method of fabricating a contoured slider surface feature with a single mask

Abstract

A method of fabricating a contoured surface feature to multiple depths on a surface of a hydrodynamic bearing slider with a single mask includes applying a lithographic resist layer to the slider surface and forming the single mask with a mask pattern which includes a masked area, an unmasked area and an intermediate area between the masked area and the unmasked area. The lithographic resist layer is then exposed through the single mask and removed as a function of exposure to form a patterned resist layer and to thereby uncover portions of the slider surface within the patterned resist layer. The uncovered portions of the slider surface and the patterned resist layer are etched, with the uncovered portions being etched to a first depth below the slider surface. The multiple depth surface feature is created by providing the intermediate mask area with a geometry of masked and unmasked features that is unresolvable by one of the steps of exposing an etching such that an area of the slider surface corresponding to the intermediate mask area is etched to a second depth which is less than the first depth.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a multiple depth feature on a surface of a hydrodynamic bearing slider, the method comprising:

applying a lithographic resist layer to the slider surface;
forming a single mask having a mask pattern which includes a masked area, an unmasked area and an intermediate area between the masked area and the unmasked area;
exposing the lithographic resist layer through a single mask;
removing the lithographic resist layer as a function of exposure to form a patterned resist layer and to thereby uncover portions of the slider surface within the patterned resist layer;
etching the uncovered portions of the slider surface and the patterned resist layer, with the uncovered portions being etched to a first depth below the slider surface;
and
wherein the step of forming the single mask includes providing the intermediate area with a geometry that is unresolvable by one of the steps of exposing and etching such that an area of the slider surface corresponding to the intermediate mask area is etched to a second depth below the slider surface which is less than the first depth.

4 more elements

A method of fabricating a hydrodynamic bearing slider to form a vertically contoured feature on a surface of the slider with a single mask, the method comprising:

applying a lithographic resist layer to the slider surface;
exposing the resist layer through the single mask such that a first portion of the resist layer is exposed at a first exposure level, a second portion of the resist layer is unexposed and a third portion of the resist layer, which is positioned between the first and second portions, is partially exposed at a second exposure level which is lower than the first exposure level;
removing the resist Layer as a function of exposure to uncover a portion of the slider surface, wherein the third portion of the resist layer is only partially stripped;
and
etching the resist layer and the uncovered portion of the slider surface.

2 more elements

A method of fabricating a multiple depth feature on a surface of a disc head slider with a single lithographic resist, the method comprising:

forming first and second lithographic resist features on the slider surface which are separated by a gap, the resist features covering a first portion of the slider surface and leaving a second portion of the slider surface uncovered within the gap, wherein the resist features have a height, H, and the gap has a width, W;
and
performing a directed beam anisotropic etch on the resist features and the second, uncovered portion of the slider surface at an angle .theta., which is measured from a vector within a plane defined by the slider surface, wherein H/W.gtoreq.tan .theta..

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of fabricating a contoured slider surface feature with a single mask

Life of this patent

Method of fabricating a contoured slider surface feature with a single mask

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26