US 8,027,125 B2Granted

PMR with improved writability and process controllability by double layer patterning

AssigneeHeadway Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJiun-Ting Lee, Shiwen Huang, Moris Dovek

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Abstract

Improved writability and a sharper neck transition are achieved in a PMR writer with a yoke that has essentially vertical sidewalls and a write pole that has sidewalls with a beveled angle. An alumina mold is made with a negative differential bevel angle by employing a two mask process. A first photoresist layer is patterned and etched to form a rectangular trench in an alumina layer. The trench extends beyond the intended ABS plane and in the opposite direction into the intended yoke area. A second photoresist layer is patterned into a yoke shape that is partially superimposed over the rectangular trench. After a second RIE process, the yoke opening adjoins the trench at a neck transition point along each long trench side. The volume of magnetic material in the yoke adjacent to the neck is thereby maximized. Dimension control of the main pole becomes independent of ABS positioning errors.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of preparing a mold shape for depositing a magnetic material therein during the formation of a main pole layer in a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head, comprising:

(a) sequentially depositing a reactive ion etch (RIE) resistant layer and an insulation layer on a substrate;
(b) coating a first photoresist layer on the insulation layer and patterning said first photoresist layer to form a rectangular shaped opening that uncovers a portion of the insulation layer;
(c) performing a first RIE etch step to transfer said rectangular shaped opening through the insulation layer and stopping on the RIE resistant layer to form a rectangular trench in the insulation layer, said rectangular trench has two long sides aligned in a direction perpendicular to an intended ABS plane, and said rectangular trench has a width that corresponds to a track width in a write pole portion of the main pole layer and has sidewalls with a certain beveled angle such that a top portion of the rectangular trench is larger than a bottom portion of said rectangular trench;
(d) removing said first photoresist layer;
(e) coating a second photoresist layer on the insulation layer and patterning said second photoresist layer to form a yoke shaped opening that is partially superimposed over said rectangular trench and uncovers an end of the rectangular trench opposite the intended ABS plane, said yoke shaped opening has a plurality of sides wherein two sides that define a portion of a yoke adjacent to the pole portion converge at a point above said rectangular trench and said point of convergence is positioned between the intended ABS plane and a intended neck transition point where the yoke adjoins a write pole in the main pole layer;
(f) performing a second RIE step to transfer said yoke shaped opening through the insulation layer and stopping on the RIE resistant layer to form a yoke shaped opening having essentially vertical sidewalls in the insulation layer, said second RIE step removes a portion of the trench opening exposed by the yoke shaped opening such that the yoke shaped opening adjoins the rectangular trench at a neck transition point along each of the two long sides of the rectangular trench;
and
(g) removing the second photoresist layer.

5 more elements

A method of forming a main pole layer comprised of a write pole and a yoke in a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head, comprising:

(a) sequentially depositing a reactive ion etch (RIE) resistant layer and an insulation layer on a substrate;
(b) forming a rectangular shaped trench with a top and bottom and two long sides in said insulation layer that uncovers a portion of the RIE resistant layer by means of a first photoresist patterning and etching sequence, said two long sides are aligned in a direction perpendicular to an intended ABS plane, and said rectangular trench has a width corresponding to the track width in the write pole and has sidewalls with a certain beveled angle such that an opening at the top of the rectangular trench is larger than an opening at the bottom portion of said rectangular trench;
(c) forming a yoke opening with a plurality of sides or a continuous curved side having essentially vertical sidewalls in the insulation layer by a second photoresist patterning and etching sequence which also removes a portion of said rectangular trench including an end opposite the intended ABS plane, said yoke opening uncovers a portion of the RIE resistant layer and adjoins the rectangular shaped trench at a neck transition point along each of the two long sides of said rectangular shaped trench;
and
(d) depositing a seed layer in said rectangular shaped trench and in said yoke opening followed by electroplating a magnetic material on the seed layer to fill said rectangular shaped trench and yoke opening.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/820,962Filed 21 Jun 2007
Published: US 2008/0316644 A125 Dec 2008
Granted: 27 Sep 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G11B 5/3116
Details: shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect,…
G11B 5/3163
Using thin films: fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating,…
G11B 5/1278
Structure or manufacture of heads, e.g. inductive: specially adapted for magnetisations perpendicular to the surface of the record carrier
Y10T 29/49052
Machining magnetic material [e.g., grinding, etching, polishing]: by etching