Abstract: A method for manufacturing thin-film magnetic head sliders is disclosed. Initially, an elastic layer, which may be made of poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS), is spun on a wafer and is thermally cured. Then, a resist layer is spun on the elastic layer. Both the resist layer and the elastic layer are subsequently peeled off together from the wafer. Next, the peeled resist layer/elastic layer is applied onto a group of magnetic heads with the resist layer in direct contact with the magnetic heads. Finally, the elastic layer is peeled off from the resist layer such that the resist layer remains attaching to the magnetic heads.

Abstract: A method of physical vapor deposition (PVD) is disclosed in which xenon is used as the operating gas in the vacuum chamber in the deposition of an adhesion layer, preferably silicon, which allows the adhesion layer to be ultra-thin with improved durability over prior art films. The use of argon as is typical in the prior art results in argon atoms being incorporated into the ultra-thin silicon film with deleterious results. In films that are only several angstroms thick, the contamination of the film with argon or other elements can yield a film with reduced adhesion performance and in some cases noble atoms such as argon can escape the film leaving voids or pinholes. The use of the larger and heavier xenon atoms in the vacuum chamber produces a substantially purer film with reduced risk of voids and pinholes.

Abstract: A method and structure for a microelectronic device comprises a first film over a substrate, a first polish resistant layer over the first film, a second film over the first polish resistant layer, a second polish resistant layer over the second film, wherein the first and second polish resistant layers comprise diamond-like carbon. The first film comprises an electrically resistive material, while the second film comprises low resistance conductive material. The first film is an electrical resistor embodied as a magnetic read sensor. The electrically resistive material is sensitive to magnetic fields. The device further comprises a generally vertical junction between the first and second films and a dielectric film abutted to the electrically resistive material.

Abstract: A method and structure for a microelectronic device comprises a first film over a substrate, a first polish resistant layer over the first film, a second film over the first polish resistant layer, a second polish resistant layer over the second film, wherein the first and second polish resistant layers comprise diamond-like carbon. The first film comprises an electrically resistive material, while the second film comprises low resistance conductive material. The first film is an electrical resistor embodied as a magnetic read sensor. The electrically resistive material is sensitive to magnetic fields. The device further comprises a generally vertical junction between the first and second films and a dielectric film abutted to the electrically resistive material.

Abstract: A process for ion milling using photoresist as a mask is described. In a preferred embodiment the invention is used in the fabricating air-bearing features on sliders for use in magnetic storage devices. According to the invention the photoresist (liquid or dry) is applied, developed and removed as in the prior art which includes baking steps. The embodiment of the invention includes an additional baking step beyond whatever baking steps are used in the photolithography process. The additional baking step is preferably performed immediately prior to ion milling. The additional baking step according to the invention yields increased uniformity of the depth of the ion milling which is believed to result from reduction of volatile material such as water in the photoresist. When the invention is used as part of the manufacturing process for ion milling the air-bearing features on a slider, the features are more uniform which improves the overall quality and performance.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a transducer with landing pads without edge fences is described. Preferably an adhesion layer and then the pad layer are deposited in voids in a photoresist. The thickness of the masking layer on the surface of the pad layer should be sufficient to protect pad layer during the subsequent ashing step, but the thickness of the masking material at the sidewalls on the pad layer fences should be thin enough so that the fences are not protected during ashing. After stripping the photoresist material, the structure is ashed preferably by an oxygen-containing plasma. The ashing process, with assistance from mechanical abrasion, removes the fence structures on the pad layer, since the thinner masking layer at the sidewalls provides less protection to the fence structures than is provided to the bulk of the pad layer where the masking layer is thicker.

Abstract: A shaper for an ion beam gun has a thin, flat plate with a non-symmetrical profile including notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. The shaper may be further optimized for a particular grid via a trial-and-error process to even further refine the uniformity of etching depth.

Abstract: A method and structure for a microelectronic device comprises a first film over a substrate, a first polish resistant layer over the first film, a second film over the first polish resistant layer, a second polish resistant layer over the second film, wherein the first and second polish resistant layers comprise diamond-like carbon. The first film comprises an electrically resistive material, while the second film comprises low resistance conductive material. The first film is an electrical resistor embodied as a magnetic read sensor. The electrically resistive material is sensitive to magnetic fields. The device further comprises a generally vertical junction between the first and second films and a dielectric film abutted to the electrically resistive material.

Abstract: A process is described for fabricating magnetic transducers with metallic thin films with a corrosion resistant surface produced by exposing the thin films to a nitrogen in a plasma chamber. The exposure to the nitrogen is believed to increase the corrosion resistance of the metallic thin films by causing nitrides to form in a thin surface region. In the preferred embodiment the thin film metals of a magnetic transducer are treated with the nitrogen after being cut from the wafer and lapped. Typical metals used in magnetic transducers are NiMn, FeMn, NiFe, cobalt, CoFe, copper, IrMn and PtMn. The films may be further protected by the addition of prior art protective layers such as carbon.

Abstract: A shaper for an ion beam gun has a thin, flat plate with a non-symmetrical profile including notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. The shaper may be further optimized for a particular grid via a trial-and-error process to even further refine the uniformity of etching depth.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a transducer with landing pads without edge fences is described. The pad shape and location are defined by voids in a photoresist formed using prior art methods. Preferably an adhesion layer and then the pad layer are deposited in the voids. A masking layer is preferably vertically deposited on the pad layer to be thinner on the pad material on the sidewall to provide anisotropic protection during the subsequent ashing step. A vertical deposition process minimizes the buildup of the masking layer material on the sidewall of the void in the resist which already contains the fence structures on the sidewall from the previous deposition. The thickness of the masking layer on the surface of the pad layer should be sufficient to protect pad layer during the subsequent ashing step, but the thickness of the masking material at the sidewalls on the pad layer fences should be thin enough so that the fences are not protected during ashing.

Abstract: A shaper for an ion beam gun has a plate with a non-symmetrical profile including notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. The shaper may be further optimized for a particular grid via a trial-and-error process to even further refine the uniformity of etching depth.

Abstract: A method of altering the topography of a trailing edge or ABS of a slider is disclosed, the slider having a substrate surface, at least one magnetic recording head on top of the alumina, and an overcoat of a material, preferably SiO2. The steps include first applying an SiO2 overcoat at the wafer level followed by slicing the wafer into rows, then lapping the rows. The rows are then placed on a bias electrode, exposing the trailing edge to a plasma generated from a controlled source in a reactive ion etching process. The plasma is generated using an chemical etchant such as CHF3 and other F-containing compounds, the plasma being generated with a combination of an inert gas such as Argon and the chemical etchant. In the plasma, the electrode is charged to accelerate the plasma ions towards the exposed surface. Reacted material is drawn from the surface of the slider. The SiO2 trailing edge reacts preferentially with the plasma, thus effectuating a change in the trailing edge topography.

Abstract: A shaper for an ion beam gun is a thin, flat plate having a generally elongated, non-symmetrical profile with notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted flat to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid from its center to a perimeter of the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The large ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. This phenomena is due to blockage of the higher ion beam density along the radial direction. The ion beamlets that ultimately arrive at the specimen are themselves more uniform and can produce the more uniform pattern on the specimen.

Abstract: A method is provided for grading the surface topography of a surface to improve step coverage for an overcoat. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an ABS of a slider and sensitive element of a magnetic head is graded to provide better step coverage of an overcoat of ultra-thin DLC film. After lapping the ABS, a thin film is deposited on the lapped surface to cover any scratches, irregularities, and steps. The thin film is sputter etched at a glancing angle to grade the topography of the slider ABS. Sputtering at a glancing angle removes the thin film in planar regions faster than the thin film under the shadow of the glancing angle, which is near surface irregularities. The graded surface is then covered by a DLC deposition.

Abstract: A silicon coating on an air bearing surface for magnetic thin film heads. A thick silicon layer is provided to replace metallic layers such as TiW as an overcoat for thin film heads. The silicon layer will provide a durable head-disk interface and act as a reflective surface for fly height measurement. The silicon layer can be planarized with the pole tips to avoid any magnetic spacing loss. The thickness of the silicon coating is preferably between 125 and 6500 angstroms thick. The slider body may be fabricated from silicon such that the silicon coating is substantially identical to the silicon slider body, thereby preventing thermal mismatch therebetween. The silicon coating is preferably applied using a magnetron sputtering technique which provides a high rate of deposition of silicon to form a dense, low stress silicon layer.

Abstract: A read track width defining layer is employed for defining first and second side edges of a read sensor. The read track width defining layer preferably remains in the head to planarize the read head at first and second hard bias and lead layers so as to overcome a problem of write gap curvature in an accompanying write head. The read track width defining layer is defined by a subtractive process about a bilayer photoresist layer. The subtractive process is selective to the read track width defining layer over a read sensor material layer therebelow. Ion milling is then employed for defining first and second side edges of a read sensor layer employing the read track width defining layer as a mask. First and second hard bias and lead layers are then deposited which make contiguous junctions with the first and second side edges of each of the read sensor and read track width defining layers. The photoresist is then removed and the remainder of the read head is completed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing magnetic sliders having a permanent protective coating of carbon over the air bearing surface. The method comprises the steps of: (a) depositing a temporary protective coating on a surface of the slider, the temporary protective coating comprising a layer carbon; (b) depositing a photoresist layer onto the temporary protective coating; (c) imagewise exposing the photoresist layer to radiation; (d) developing the image in the photoresist layer to expose the temporary protective coating; (e) transferring the image through the temporary protective coating and into the slider to form the air bearing pattern in the slider; (f) removing the temporary protective coating using nonreactive plasma; and (g) depositing a permanent protective coating comprising a layer of carbon.

Abstract: A storage system slider having a trailing edge pad and method for making the same is disclosed. A trailing edge pad to provide a carbon-carbon contact between the storage medium surface and slider and by reducing the thickness of the DLC so that the magnetic spacing is reduced. A slider body is formed having a first side, a second side, a leading edge and a trailing edge, an air bearing surface is formed on the slider body and a trailing edge pad is formed at the trailing edge of the slider. The air bearing surface may also include a protective overcoat with decreased thickness over the air bearing surfaces. The decrease in thickness of the protective overcoat may correspond to an increase in a magnetic spacing caused by the addition of the trailing edge pad to the slider, or may be greater than the corresponding increase in a magnetic spacing caused by the addition of the trailing edge pad to the slider. Moreover, the forming of the protective coat may be omitted.

Abstract: A method is provided for grading the surface topography of a surface to improve step coverage for an overcoat. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an ABS of a slider and sensitive element of a magnetic head is graded to provide better step coverage of an overcoat of ultra-thin DLC film. After lapping the ABS, a thin film is deposited on the lapped surface to cover any scratches, irregularities, and steps. The thin film is sputter etched at a glancing angle to grade the topography of the slider ABS. Sputtering at a glancing angle removes the thin film in planar regions faster than the thin film under the shadow of the glancing angle, which is near surface irregularities. The graded surface is then covered by a DLC deposition.