Methods for fabricating a magnetic head reader using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process for sensor stripe height patterning

A method for fabricating magnetic readers, the method comprising:

• patterning a conductive Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) stop layer and sensor layers to define a stripe height of a read sensor of a magnetic reader, wherein the conductive CMP stop layer is formed above a top portion of the read sensor to protect the read sensor, and the read sensor has a field on side regions of the read sensor;
• depositing an insulator layer, wherein the insulator layer directly contacts the read sensor and is deposited in the field of the read sensor to a height above the conductive CMP stop layer to form an overfill portion above the conductive CMP stop layer;
• performing a CMP process down to the conductive CMP stop layer to remove the overfill portion of the insulator layer above the conductive CMP stop layer and to planarize the insulator layer with the conductive CMP stop layer and to remove a sensor pattern mask structure above the conductive CMP stop layer;
• patterning sensor layers to define a track width of the read sensor;
• depositing a bi-layer photo resistive structure on the magnetic reader;
• milling the magnetic reader to remove material on side regions of the bi-layer photo resistive structure;
• depositing insulator material on side regions of the bi-layer photo resistive structure;
• and
• performing a lift-off process to remove the bi-layer photo resistive structure.

A method for fabricating magnetic readers, the method comprising:

• depositing sensor layers;
• depositing a conductive Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) stop layer on the sensor layers;
• depositing a masking layer on the conductive CMP stop layer, wherein the masking layer is etchable for definition of a mask structure;
• etching the conductive CMP stop layer around the mask structure to remove a portion of the conductive CMP stop layer;
• etching the sensor layers around the mask structure to remove a portion of the sensor layers, wherein the etched conductive CMP stop layer and the etched sensor layers define a stripe height of a read sensor of the magnetic reader;
• depositing an insulator layer, wherein the insulating layer directly contacts the read sensor and is deposited to a height above the conductive CMP stop layer to form an overfill portion above the conductive CMP stop layer;
• and
• performing a CMP process down to the conductive CMP stop layer to remove the overfill portion of the insulator layer above the conductive CMP stop layer and to remove a sensor pattern mask structure above the conductive CMP stop layer.