Method of manufacturing a magnetic head with a deposited shield

Abstract

A method for fabricating a non-electroplated shield using combination patterning and devices formed thereby are disclosed. The method includes depositing a metal layer, such as CZT, removing substantially 75% of the metal layer during a first phase using at least a first removal process and removing a remaining portion of the metal layer during a second phase using at least a second removal process. The first removal process may include depositing a first patterning layer, removing substantially 75% of the metal layer by ion-mill or similar technology and stripping the first patterning layer away. The second removal process may include depositing a second patterning layer and removing the remaining portion of the metal layer using a wet-etch or other etch process and removing the second patterning layer. The deposited metal layer may have a thickness up to several μm and the edges of the shield exhibit a unique step pattern that is visible in a cross-section view of the shield.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.