Method and system for cleaning magnetic artifacts using a carbonyl reactive ion etch
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsBenjamin Chen, Yun-Fei Li, Hugh C. Hiner, Wei Zhang, Yingjian Chen
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Abstract
A method and system for providing a magnetic structure that includes at least one magnetic material is disclosed. The method and system include defining the magnetic structure. The magnetic structure also includes a top layer that is insensitive to an istroropic carbonyl reactive ion etch. The defining of the magnetic structure results in at least one artifact. The method and system further includes cleaning the at least one artifact using at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch.
Claims30
A method for manufacturing a magnetic structure comprising:
- defining the magnetic structure including at least one magnetic material to form a defined magnetic structure, the magnetic structure including a capping layer that is insensitive to an isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch and a magnetic layer including the at least one magnetic material under the capping layer, the defining including removing a portion of the capping layer and a portion of the magnetic layer, the defining resulting in at least one artifact on at least the capping layer of the defined magnetic structure;
- and
- performing at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch to remove the at least one artifact from the defined magnetic structure, the performing the isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch further including forming a plasma from gases including CO gas and NH3 gas.
A method for manufacturing a magnetic structure including at least one magnetic layer and formed on a substrate, the method comprising:
- defining the magnetic structure utilizing at least one of ion milling and sputter etching, the magnetic structure including a top layer that is insensitive to an isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch, the defining including defining the at least one magnetic layer and resulting in at least one artifact on the magnetic structure;
- and
- performing at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch to remove the at least one artifact, the performing the isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch further including forming a plasma from CO gas and NH3 gas, the at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion removing the at least one artifact substantially equally in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, the at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch including
- setting a first flow rate for the CO gas, a second flow rate for the NH3 gas, and a substrate bias voltage such that the carbonyl reactive ion etch is isotropic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.