Fill-in contact layer for slider air bearing surface protective coating

A magnetic data recording system, comprising:

• a housing;
• a magnetic media mounted within the housing;
• an actuator;
• and
• a slider connected with the actuator for movement adjacent to a surface of the magnetic media, the slider further comprising:
• a slider body having a surface with a roughness that includes troughs and peaks;
• a refill material filling at least some of the troughs, the refill material being a material that does not include silicon or carbon;
• a seed layer comprising Si formed over the slider body surface and refill material;
• and
• a protective overcoat comprising carbon formed over the seed layer.

A method for manufacturing a magnetic slider for magnetic data recording, the method comprising:

• forming a slider body having a surface;
• depositing a refill material onto the surface of the slider body, the refill material being a material that does not contain Si or C;
• performing an ion beam etching;
• depositing a seed layer, the seed layer comprising Si;
• and
• depositing a protective overcoat;
• wherein the ion beam etching is a two step ion beam etching, comprising a first ion beam etching performed at an angle of 70-80 degrees relative to normal, and a second ion beam etching performed at an angle of 55-65 degrees relative to normal.

A method for manufacturing a magnetic slider for magnetic data recording, the method comprising:

• forming a slider body having a surface;
• depositing a refill material onto the surface of the slider body, the refill material being a material that does not contain Si or C;
• performing an ion beam etching;
• depositing a seed layer, the seed layer comprising Si;
• and
• depositing a protective overcoat;
• and
• using XRF or Auger measurements during deposition of the seed layer and protective overcoat layer in order to control a thickness of the seed layer and protective overcoat layer.