US 6,193,584 B1Granted

Apparatus and method of device stripe height control

AssigneeRead-Rite Corporation

InventorsSteven C. Rudy, Curtis V. Macchioni, Yong Shen, Billy W. Crue, Jr., Michael T. Harnischfeger, Steven J. Plewes

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Abstract

A lapping guide for use in fabrication of a device includes a first resistive element and a second resistive element. The two resistive elements can provide different changing resistances throughout the lapping of the device. These two resistances can be used throughout the lapping of the device to facilitate determination of when a predetermined desired height of the device has been achieved, and therefore stop the lapping of the device. The resistive elements can be physically adjacent to each other or separate from each other. Further, a common lead can be electrically connected to both resistive elements for measuring their respective resistances. In addition, the resistive elements can be separated from each other by the device.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A lapping guide for use in fabrication of a device having an initial stripe height that is to be reduced by a lapping process to a desired stripe height, said lapping guide comprising:

a substrate having an edge defining a lapping plane proximate to which said device is formed;
a first resistive element disposed above said substrate and having a first edge along said lapping plane and having a height that is greater than the difference between said initial stripe height and said desired stripe height of said device;
a second resistive element disposed above said substrate, having a resistance that is different than a resistance of said first resistive element, and having a first edge located along said lapping plane and having a height that is greater than the difference between said initial stripe height and said desired stripe height of said device, whereby when said first edge of said first resistive element and said first edge of said second resistive element are lapped, said resistance of said first resistive element and said resistance of said second resistive element change;
and
wherein said first resistive element has an upper edge that is distal from said lapping plane and that has a known location relative to an upper edge of said second resistive element that is distal from said lapping plane, wherein said location of said first resistive element upper edge and said location of said second resistive element upper edge are known relative to a location of an upper edge of said device that is distal from said lapping plane.

2 more elements

A method for making a magnetoresistive head, said method comprising:

lapping along a lapping plane of a slider bar which includes a magnetoresistive sensor, a first resistive element having a first edge located along said lapping plane, and a second resistive element that is separate from said first resistive element, said second resistive element having a first edge located along said lapping plane, said first resistive element and second resistive element being electrically connected to an electrical lead that is located between said first resistive element and said second resistive element;
passing a first current through said first resistive element and passing a second current through said second resistive element to measure a first resistance across said first resistive element at substantially the same time as measuring a second resistance across said second resistive element while said lapping continues;
and
determining whether to change a rate of said lapping based upon said first resistance and said second resistance, whereby said first resistance is always different than said second resistance during said lapping process.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/321,486Filed 27 May 1999
Granted: 27 Feb 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B24B 37/30
Work carriers: for single side lapping of plane surfaces
B24B 37/013
Control means for lapping machines or devices: devices or means for detecting lapping completion
B24B 49/10
Measuring or gauging equipment for controlling the feed movement of the grinding tool or work; Arrangements of indicating or measuring…
G11B 5/3169
Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional…:…