Abstract: A method for forming a write pole comprises the steps of providing a structure comprising a substrate layer, a ruthenium layer over the substrate layer, and a tantalum layer over the ruthenium layer, providing an opening in the tantalum layer over a portion of the ruthenium layer, performing a first reactive ion etching step on the portion of the ruthenium layer under the opening in the tantalum layer to provide an opening in the ruthenium layer over a portion of the substrate layer, performing a second reactive ion etching step on the portion of the substrate layer under the opening in the ruthenium layer to form a damascene trench therein, and filling the damascene trench with a magnetic material to form the write pole.

Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a main pole having a pole tip, at least one auxiliary pole and at least one coil for energizing the main pole. The auxiliary pole(s) are adjacent to the main pole in a down track direction and recessed from the ABS. The coil(s) have a plurality of turns. At least one of the turns is between the auxiliary pole(s) and the ABS.

Abstract: A method provides a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) location. The method provides a main pole using a plurality of masks including a plurality of apertures therein. The plurality of apertures overlap in an overlap region. At least a portion of the main pole resides in the overlap region. A side gap adjacent to a portion of the main pole is provided. The side gap has a conformal portion and a nonconformal portion. The conformal portion is adjacent to the ABS location and the overlap region. The conformal portion is between the ABS location and the nonconformal portion. A side shield is provided. The side gap residing between the side shield and the main pole.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide for substrate structures including uniform plating seed layers, and that provide favorable adhesion on dielectric substrate layers. According to some embodiments, a methods for forming a magnetic recording pole is provided comprising: forming an insulator layer; forming a trench in the insulator layer; forming an amorphous seed layer over the insulator layer; forming an adhesion layer over the amorphous seed layer, the adhesion layer comprising a physical vapor deposited (PVD) noble metal; forming a plating seed layer over the adhesion layer, the plating seed layer comprising chemical vapor deposited (CVD) Ru; and forming a magnetic material layer over the plating seed layer.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a carbon overcoat is provided. The method includes performing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectrum imaging for an area of a preselected carbon-based material and an area of the carbon overcoat to generate a reference EELS dataset and a carbon overcoat EELS dataset, respectively, and determining a carbon bonding content of the carbon overcoat based on the reference EELS dataset and the carbon overcoat EELS dataset.

Abstract: A method fabricates a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and that is optically coupled with a laser. The method includes providing a waveguide for directing light from the laser toward the ABS and providing a write pole having a pole tip with an ABS location facing the surface. The pole tip is in a down track direction from the waveguide. The method also includes providing at least one shield including a shield pedestal. The shield pedestal is in the down track direction from the pole tip. At least one protective pad is provided adjacent to the write pole and between the ABS location and the shield pedestal.

Abstract: A method manufacturing a magnetic writer provides an intermediate layer including multiple sublayers is provided. The sublayers include first and second nonmagnetic layers and an etch stop layer being between the first and second nonmagnetic layers. A trench is formed in the intermediate layer using at least one etch, such as a reactive ion etch. The trench has a location and profile corresponding to the main pole. A main pole having a bottom and a top is provided in the trench. At least a portion of the second nonmagnetic layer is removed using at least a second etch, such as a wet etch process. The etch stop layer is resistant to the at least the second etch. A half side shield is provided on at least part of the first nonmagnetic layer. The half side shield bottom is between the top and the bottom of the main pole.

Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a main pole and at least one coil for energizing the main pole. The main pole includes a pole tip region and a yoke region. The pole tip region includes sidewalls, a bottom and a top wider than the bottom. At least one of the sidewalls forms a first sidewall angle with a down track direction at the ABS and a second sidewall angle with the down track direction at a first distance recessed from the ABS. The first sidewall angle is greater than the second sidewall angle.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer is coupled with a laser for providing energy and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR transducer includes a write pole, at least one coil, and an inverse tapered waveguide optically coupled with the laser. The write pole is configured to write to a region of the media. The coil(s) energize the write pole. The inverse tapered waveguide includes an entrance distal from the ABS, a bottom proximate to the ABS, a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The first side and the second side diverging such that at least a portion of the inverse tapered waveguide between the bottom and the top is wider than the entrance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for shaping leads of electronic lapping guides to reduce calibration error are provided. One such system includes a device configured to generate predictable resistance for leads of an electronic lapping guide, the device including a lapping surface, and an ELG configured to provide information indicative of a degree of lapping performed on the lapping surface, the ELG including a first electrical lead, a second electrical lead spaced apart from the first electrical lead, and a resistive element between the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead, the resistive element including a right segment, a left segment, and a middle segment that abuts each of the right segment and the left segment, where the right segment is spaced apart from the left segment and the middle segment is adjacent to the lapping surface, where the first and second electrical leads are recessed from the middle segment.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic device includes forming a sensor having a pinned layer and a free layer. A first reactive ion etch of a sensor stack patterns a hard mask layer with a photoresist image to form a first hard mask. Then a second reactive ion etch is performed to form an extended pinned layer. The method also includes depositing an insulating layer after the second reactive ion etch to protect exposed edges of the sensor stack, and then providing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) stop layer on the insulating layer. Subsequently, a CMP of the sensor stack is performed to remove a portion of the insulating layer. The resulting structure is substantially free of residue on the back edges of the sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk includes a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores configured to receive incident light energy from an energy source and direct the incident light energy to a target, and a near field transducer (NFT) formed at an air bearing surface of a magnetic recording device. The NFT is configured to focus the light energy received from the plurality of waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot on the storage disk. The NFT includes a plurality of propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements configured as plasmonic metal ridges. Each of the PSPP elements has a width approximately equivalent to the width of the heating spot and is disposed above a surface of a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment.

Abstract: A first layered structure includes a magnetic layer, a first hard mask layer, a second hard mask layer, and a first stepping layer. The first stepping layer is etched through to create a sidewall. A mask-width definition layer is deposited on and adjacent to the sidewall, until a mask-width definition layer thickness is achieved adjacent to the sidewall. The mask-width definition layer is removed except on the sidewall. The first stepping layer is removed. The second hard mask layer is etched away, except for a remainder of the second hard mask layer beneath the mask-width definition layer. The first hard mask layer is etched away around the remainder of the second hard mask layer, to form a dual layer hard mask comprising the remainder of the second hard mask layer and the remainder of the first hard mask layer. The magnetic layer is ion milled around the dual hard mask.

Abstract: A method provides a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) location. An intermediate layer that includes a first sublayer in a side shield region and a second sublayer outside of the side shield region is provided. A trench is formed in the intermediate layer using multiple etches. A first etch removes part of the second sublayer, providing a first portion of the trench having a first sidewall angle. A second etch removes part of the first sublayer, providing a second portion of the trench having a second sidewall angle. The second sidewall angle is greater than the first sidewall angle. A main pole is provided in the trench and has a plurality of sidewalls. The sidewalls have the second sidewall angle in the second portion of the trench and at least one main pole sidewall angle corresponding to the first sidewall angle in the first portion of the trench.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is disclosed. The process involves annealing a stack that includes a tunnel barrier layer and cooling the stack under vacuum immediately after annealing. At least one overlayer is deposited on the tunnel barrier layer to form the MTJ.

Abstract: A method fabricates an interferometric tapered waveguide (ITWG) for a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer. The ITWG is defined from at least one waveguide layer. The waveguide layer(s) include an energy sensitive core layer. The energy sensitive core layer has an index of refraction that varies in response to exposure to energy having a particular wavelength range. The step of defining the ITWG includes defining a plurality of arms for the ITWG. At least one phase difference between the arms is determined. At least one of the arms is exposed to the energy such that the index of refraction of the energy sensitive core layer in the arm(s) is changed and such that the phase difference(s) between the arms is changed.

Abstract: A magnetic transducer has air-bearing surface (ABS) and includes a main pole, at least one coil, a side shield and a side gap. The coil(s) energize the main pole. A portion of the main pole resides at the ABS. The side gap is between the main pole and the side shield. The side gap is nonmagnetic and includes a first side gap and a second side gap. The first side gap is conformal with the main pole. The second side gap is conformal with the main pole. The first side gap is between the second side gap and the ABS. The second side gap is wider than the first side gap.

Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) location. The method includes forming a trench in the intermediate layer using a plurality of etches. A first etch substantially provides a first portion of the trench having a first sidewall angle. The second etch substantially provides a second portion of the trench having a second sidewall angle. The second sidewall angle is greater than the first sidewall angle. The second portion of the trench includes the ABS location. The method also includes providing a main pole in the trench. The main pole has a plurality of sidewalls. The sidewalls having the first sidewall angle in the first portion of the trench and the second sidewall angle in the second portion of the trench.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a PMR writer main pole with non-conformal side gaps is provided. The process may include depositing a stitch layer comprising a magnetic material and a second stitch layer material over a substrate, forming an air-bearing surface (ABS) region in a first damascene material, and forming a yoke region in a second damascene material. The first damascene material may include Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3). The second damascene material may include Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). Side gap regions may include SiO2.

Abstract: A method and system provide microelectric devices on fields on a substrate. Each field includes at least one microelectric device having a critical device feature and remaining device feature(s) distal from the critical device feature. The method and system include providing a photoresist layer for fabricating the microelectric devices and exposing the photoresist layer using a dark field mask. The dark field mask is for defining a critical mask feature corresponding to the critical device feature and exposing a first portion of the fields. The first portion includes not more than five percent of each field. The method and system further include exposing the photoresist layer using a clear field mask. The clear field mask is for defining remaining mask feature(s) corresponding to the remaining device feature(s). The clear field mask exposes a second portion of the fields that is different from the first portion.