Method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer

A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer including an intermediate layer, the method comprising:

• providing a hard mask layer on the intermediate layer, the hard mask layer for a reactive ion etch of the intermediate layer;
• providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer on the hard mask layer, the BARC layer further being a masking layer for the hard mask layer;
• forming a trench in the intermediate layer using at least one reactive ion etch (RIE), the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;
• and
• providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench, wherein the step of forming the trench further includes:
• providing a resist mask on the BARC layer, the resist mask having an aperture therein;
• performing a first RIE having a first chemistry on the BARC layer to form a first aperture substantially aligned with the aperture in the resist mask;
• and
• performing a second RIE having a second chemistry on the hard mask layer to form a second aperture substantially aligned with the first aperture.

A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer including an intermediate layer, the method comprising:

• providing a hard mask layer on the intermediate layer, the hard mask layer for a reactive ion etch of the intermediate layer;
• providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer on the hard mask layer, the BARC layer further being a masking layer for the hard mask layer;
• forming a trench in the intermediate layer using at least one reactive ion etch (RIE), the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;
• and
• providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench, wherein the providing the PMR pole further includes:
• providing a planarization stop layer;
• plating a PMR pole layer on the planarization stop layer;
• and
• performing a planarization.

A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer comprising:

• providing a reactive ion etch (RIE) stop layer;
• providing an intermediate layer on the RIE stop layer, the RIE stop layer being insensitive to an intermediate layer RIE configured to etch the intermediate layer;
• providing a hard mask layer on the intermediate layer, the hard mask layer for a RIE of the intermediate layer, the hard mask layer having a selectivity of at least seven for the intermediate layer;
• providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer on the hard mask layer, the BARC layer further being a masking layer for the hard mask layer, the BARC layer having a selectivity of at least six for the hard mask layer;
• providing a resist mask on the BARC layer, the resist mask having an aperture therein and a thickness of not more than 0.3 micron;
• performing a first RIE having a first chemistry on the BARC layer to form a first aperture substantially aligned with the aperture in the resist mask;
• performing a second RIE having a second chemistry on the hard mask layer to form a second aperture substantially aligned with the first aperture, the second chemistry being different from the first chemistry;
• performing the intermediate layer RIE to form a trench in the intermediate layer, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;
• providing a nonmagnetic layer in the trench, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic layer residing in the trench;
• and
• providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench, the PMR pole residing on the nonmagnetic layer.