Methods of making a read sensor with use of a barrier structure for depositing materials

A method for use in making a read sensor, comprising:

• depositing one or more barrier structure layers;
• forming a barrier structure from the one or more barrier structure layers which has a top opening to expose a top and side edges of a mask;
• etching a plurality of read sensor layers to form a read sensor below the mask;
• depositing, with use of the bridged mask and the barrier structure in place, one or more material layers around the read sensor;
• wherein the mask comprises a bridged mask;
• and
• wherein the barrier structure blocks the deposition of the one or more material layers directed at deposition angles less than 71°, to reduce formation of deposited material layers over the read sensor and beneath the mask.

A method of making a read sensor or a semiconductor device, comprising:

• depositing one or more barrier structure layers over one or more first layers of materials;
• forming a barrier structure from the one or more barrier structure layers;
• wherein the barrier structure has a top opening which exposes a top and side edges of a mask formed over the one or more first layers of materials;
• etching the one or more first layers of materials to form, below the mask, a structure comprising one of the read sensor and the semiconductor device;
• depositing, with the barrier structure in place, one or more second layers of materials which form around the structure;
• wherein the mask comprises a bridged mask;
• and
• wherein the barrier structure has a height that is at least four times a height of the bridged mask so as to block the deposition of second layer materials directed at deposition angles less than 71°, which thereby reduces formation of the second layer materials underneath the bridged mask and over the structure.

A method for use in forming a read sensor of a magnetic head, comprising:

• forming a barrier structure which surrounds a bilayer mask formed over a plurality of read sensor layers;
• etching, with the barrier structure in place, so as to remove an underlayer of the bilayer mask to form a bridged mask over the read sensor layers;
• etching, with the barrier structure in place, the read sensor layers to form a read sensor below the bridged mask;
• depositing, with the barrier structure in place, one or more layers of metal which form around edges of the read sensor;
• and
• wherein the barrier structure blocks the deposition of metal directed at deposition angles less than 71°, so as to reduce metal formation underneath the bridged mask and over the read sensor.

A method for use in forming a read sensor of a magnetic head, comprising:

• depositing a plurality of read sensor layers;
• depositing one or more first mask layers over the read sensor layers;
• depositing one or more second mask layers over the one or more first mask layers;
• forming a first central mask from the one or more second mask layers;
• forming a second central mask underneath the first central mask at least in part by etching the one or more first mask layers with the first central mask in place;
• removing the first central mask;
• depositing one or more third mask layers over and around the second central mask;
• forming a barrier structure from the one or more third mask layers which surrounds the second central mask and has a top opening which exposes the top and side edges of the second central mask;
• etching the read sensor layers to form a read sensor below the second central mask;
• and
• depositing, with the second central mask and the barrier structure in place, hard bias and lead layers around the read sensor, wherein the barrier structure blocks the deposition of hard bias and lead material directed at deposition angles less than 71° to reduce the deposition of hard bias and lead material beneath the second central mask.