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AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsKenneth E. Knapp, Zi-Wen Dong, Ronald A. Barr, Russel Stearns, Bill Crue
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The present invention provides a thin film read head having a lower shield pedestal with an adjacent lower extra gap layer. The pedestal may be formed from a lower shield layer with the lower extra gap layer being inset within the lower shield layer so that the top surfaces of the lower extra gap layer and the pedestal are generally planar. This allows for deposition of generally planar lower gap and sensor layers. A sensor element may be defined on the generally planar surface using a bilayer resist structure. The generally planar surface of the sensor layer inhibits resist pooling which could otherwise degrade resist structure and sensor element formation. In a typical embodiment, the read head of the present invention may have a spin valve type sensor element with leads electrically coupled to the sensor element, an upper gap layer extending between the sensor element and the upper shield layer, and an upper extra gap layer disposed between at least a portion of the leads and the upper shield layer. Furthermore, the read head typically is embodied in a data storage and retrieval apparatus having a merged read/write head assembly. Reducing surface topography allows for better control of resist deposition and patterning. As such, smaller, more robust resist structures may be formed on the sensor layer to define a smaller track width sensor element. This allows manufacture of reduced track width devices while providing extra gap material for protection from lower shield-to-lead shorting.
A thin film read head comprising:
A thin film read head comprising:
A thin film read head comprising:
A thin film read head comprising:
A thin film read head comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.