Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic transducer structure using a special pole etch using an IBE preferably with Kr or Xe, and a write gap material with a high IBE etch rate such as Ta, NiCu alloys, Pd, Pd—Cu alloys. A first layer of pole material and a write gap insulating layer are formed over the substrate. The write gap layer is composed of a material having a high ion beam etch rate compared to the first and second layers of pole material. The write gap insulating layer is preferably composed of Ni—Cu alloy, Pd, Pd—Cu alloys. Next, a second layer of pole material is formed on the first insulating layer. In a key step, we ion beam etch (IBE) the second pole; the write gap insulating layer and the first layer; the second pole serving as an etch mask during the ion beam etching to form a head. In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the ion beam etching performed using a gas of Kr or Xe.

Abstract: A magnetic head is described for use in a disk drive having a disk that is rotated during operation of the disk drive and stationary when the disk drive is non-operational. The disk includes a surface containing data tracks. The magnetic head compromises a slider including a forward edge, a trailing edge and an air bearing surface. A read/write transducer is mounted at the trailing edge of the slider. The slider and transducer are mounted within the disk drive, relative to the surface of the rotating disk, to fly above the surface of the disk during rotation of the disk, for reading and writing data from and to the data tracks, and to come to rest on the surface of the disk during non-operation of the disk drive.

Abstract: A method for making a thin film magnetic head in which the pole tips are trimmed to a predetermined width prior to the completion of the magnetic yoke structure. The thin film magnetic head is produced through deposition of the first magnetic layer in two stages, through deposition of the coil, the insulating material for the coil and through deposition of the second magnetic layer. The thin film head is then masked by a photoresist mask having openings to expose specific parts of the pole tip region, and an ion milling operation is used to etch the head assembly to form pole tips having a predetermined width. The shaping layer for the second magnetic layer is then deposited to complete the magnetic yoke structure.

Abstract: An improved superconducting quantum interference device is made by sputtering a thin film of an alloy of three parts niobium to one part tin in a pattern comprising a closed loop with a narrow region, depositing a thin film of a radiation shield such as copper over the niobium-tin, scribing a narrow line in the copper over the narrow region, exposing the structure at the scribed line to radiation and removing the deposited copper.