Method of making narrow track width magnetoresistive sensor
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsKenneth E. Knapp, Kyusik Sin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for forming a microscopic transducer are described. The method and system include forming a plurality of adjoining sensor layers. The sensor layers include a first magnetically soft layer, a nonmagnetic layer on the first magnetically soft layer, and a second magnetically soft layer on the nonmagnetic layer. The method and system also include forming a sidewall over the second magnetically soft layer. The sidewall formation includes forming a base having a surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the sensor layers and depositing an electrically conductive material on the surface. The method and system also include removing a portion of the sensor layers not covered by the sidewall.
Claims24
A method for forming a microscopic transducer, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of adjoining sensor layers, including:
- depositing a first magnetically soft layer,
- depositing a nonmagnetic layer on said first magnetically soft layer, and
- depositing a second magnetically soft layer on said nonmagnetic layer,
- forming a sidewall over said second magnetically soft layer, including
- forming a base having a surface oriented substantially perpendicular to said sensor layers, and
- depositing an electrically conductive material on said surface;
- and
- removing a portion of said sensor layers not covered by said sidewall.
A method for forming a microscopic transducer, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of adjoining sensor layers that are substantially parallel to a plane;
- forming an electrically conductive sidewall layer over said sensor layers such that said sidewall layer extends many times further in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane than in a direction substantially parallel to said plane;
- and
- removing regions of said sensor layers not covered by said sidewall layer.
A method for forming a microscopic transducer, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of adjoining sensor layers that are substantially parallel to a plane;
- a step for forming an electrically conductive sidewall layer over said sensor layers such that said sidewall layer extends many times further in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane than in a direction substantially parallel to said plane;
- and
- removing regions of said sensor layers not covered by said sidewall layer;
- depositing an insulating material adjacent to said sidewall layer that has a slower etch rate than said sidewall layer;
- and;
- removing a portion of said sidewall layer and said insulating material, thereby creating a tapered region of said insulating material adjacent to said sidewall layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.