Abstract: A method is presented for fabricating a read head having a read head sensor and a hard bias/lead layer which includes depositing a strip of sensor material in a sensor material region, and depositing strips of fast-milling dielectric material in first and second fast-milling dielectric material regions adjacent to the sensor material region. A protective layer and a layer of masking material is deposited on the strip of sensor material and the strips of fast-milling dielectric material to provide masked areas and exposed areas. A shaping source, such as an ion milling source, is provided which shapes the exposed areas. Hard bias/lead material is then deposited on the regions of sensor material and fast-milling dielectric material to form first and second leads and a cap on each of these regions. The cap of hard bias/lead material and the masking material is then removed from each of these regions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic head with a trapezoidal shaped pole piece tip is described. The body of the main pole piece is deposited, then one or more layers for the pole piece tip are deposited. A bed material is deposited over the pole piece tip material. A void is formed in the bed material over the area for the pole piece tip. The void is filled with an ion-milling resistant material such as alumina preferably using atomic layer deposition or atomic layer chemical vapor deposition. The excess ion-milling resistant material and the bed material are removed. The result is an ion-milling mask formed over the area for the pole piece tip. Ion milling is then used to remove the unmasked material in the pole piece tip layer and to form a beveled pole piece tip and preferably a beveled face on the main pole piece.

Abstract: A method for improving hard bias properties of layers of a magnetoresistance sensor is disclosed. Properties of the hard bias layer are improved using a seedlayer structure that includes at least a first layer of silicon and a second layer comprising chromium or chromium molybdenum. Further, benefits are achieved when the seedlayer structure includes a layer of tantalum.

Abstract: An apparatus having improved hard bias properties of layers of a magnetoresistance sensor is disclosed. Properties of the hard bias layer are improved using a seedlayer structure that includes at least a layer of silicon and a layer comprising chromium or chromium molybdenum. Further, benefits are achieved when the seedlayer structure includes a layer of tantalum.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a lapping guide. Selected portions of a Giant magnetoresistive device wafer are masked, thereby defining masked and unmasked regions of the wafer in which the unmasked regions include lapping guides. The wafer is bombarded with ions such that a Giant magnetoresistive effect of the unmasked regions is reduced.

Abstract: An isotropic deposition method for trench narrowing of thin film magnetic write head features to be created by reactive ion etching. According to the method, a photolithographically defined photoresist trench is formed over a hardmask and underlying polymer layer as part of tri-layer resist process. Instead of performing the usual hardmask and polymer etching steps using the photoresist mask pattern, a spacer layer is deposited isotropically or directionally at an angle to cover the vertical side walls of the trench. The spacer layer is etchable by the hardmask etch process but resistant to the polymer etch process. When the hardmask etch process is performed, the spacer layer material applied to the trench side walls remains intact, thereby defining a narrowed trench that is extended by the subsequent base layer etch process.

Abstract: A process for planarizing a patterned metal structure for a magnetic thin film head includes the steps of applying an encapsulation/planarizing material on a substrate, spinning the substrate in a photoresist spinner or similar machine, curing the encapsulation/planarizing layer by energetic particles such as an electron beam. The planarizing process further comprises the step of polishing the entire structure using a conventional chemical-mechanical polishing step. The curing step takes place at the substrate temperature less than 200° C., which prevents the damages of the thin film head structures such as MR and GMR sensors. This process is cheap, efficient and easy to apply.

Abstract: A magnetic head system, and method for manufacturing a magnetic head are provided. Included is at least one layer and a heating element positioned adjacent the at least one layer. The at least one layer includes a plurality of sub-layers for providing an optimal thermal barrier.

Abstract: A method for reducing feature size in a thin film magnetic write head includes plating a seed layer over a selected base layer, spinning a photoresist layer onto the seed layer, defining a trench in the photoresist layer, depositing an insulative spacer layer to cover the trench side walls using a low temperature chemical vapor deposition process, anisotropically etching to remove spacer layer material from the bottom of the trench and thereby expose the plating seed layer while leaving intact vertical portions of the spacer layer that cover the trench side walls and narrow its width, forming a structure of reduced feature size by electroplating metallic material into the narrowed trench, stripping away the photoresist layer and the spacer layer vertical portions, and milling or sputter etching the plating seed layer to leave a structure of reduced feature size.

Abstract: A method of making a magnetic head assembly wherein the magnetic head assembly has a write head with a pole tip includes the steps of forming a shaping layer on an underlying layer wherein the shaping layer has a side surface and a top surface, ion beam sputter depositing a ferromagnetic material layer on the underlying layer and on the side and top surfaces of the shaping layer and removing first and second portions of the ferromagnetic material layer from the underlying layer and the top surface of the shaping layer, respectively, leaving a remaining portion of the ferromagnetic material layer on the side surface of the shaping layer which is the aforementioned pole tip.

Abstract: A magnetic head has highly thermally conductive insulator materials containing cobalt-oxide so that heat can more effectively dissipate from the magnetic head. In one illustrative example, the magnetic head has first and second gap layers and a read sensor disposed between the first and the second gap layers. The first and the second gap layers are advantageously made of cobalt-oxide (CoOx) (e.g. CoO or Co2O3), which may exhibit a thermal conductivity of between 5-8 watts/meter-Kelvin or greater. In another illustrative example, a magnetic head is made of a substrate; first and second shield layers; an undercoat layer formed between the substrate and the first shield layer; first and second gap layers formed between the first and the second shield layers; and a read sensor formed between the first and the second gap layers. The undercoat layer is also made of CoOx.

Abstract: A magnetic head system, and method for manufacturing a magnetic head are provided. Included is at least one layer and a heating element positioned adjacent the at least one layer. The at least one layer includes a plurality of sub-layers for providing an optimal thermal barrier.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a lapping guide. Selected portions of a Giant magnetoresistive device wafer are masked, thereby defining masked and unmasked regions of the wafer in which the unmasked regions include lapping guides. The wafer is bombarded with ions such that a Giant magnetoresistive effect of the unmasked regions is reduced.

Abstract: An isotropic deposition method for trench narrowing of thin film magnetic write head features to be created by reactive ion etching. According to the method, a photolithographically defined photoresist trench is formed over a hardmask and underlying polymer layer as part of tri-layer resist process. Instead of performing the usual hardmask and polymer etching steps using the photoresist mask pattern, a spacer layer is deposited isotropically or directionally at an angle to cover the vertical side walls of the trench. The spacer layer is etchable by the hardmask etch process but resistant to the polymer etch process. When the hardmask etch process is performed, the spacer layer material applied to the trench side walls remains intact, thereby defining a narrowed trench that is extended by the subsequent base layer etch process.

Abstract: A magnetic head has highly thermally conductive insulator materials containing cobalt-oxide so that heat can more effectively dissipate from the magnetic head. In one illustrative example, the magnetic head has first and second gap layers and a read sensor disposed between the first and the second gap layers. The first and the second gap layers are advantageously made of cobalt-oxide (CoOx) (e.g. CoO or Co2O3), which may exhibit a thermal conductivity of between 5-8 watts/meter-Kelvin or greater. In another illustrative example, a magnetic head is made of a substrate; first and second shield layers; an undercoat layer formed between the substrate and the first shield layer; first and second gap layers formed between the first and the second shield layers; and a read sensor formed between the first and the second gap layers. The undercoat layer is also made of CoOx.

Abstract: A process for planarizing a patterned metal structure for a magnetic thin film head includes the steps of applying an encapsulation/planarizing material on a substrate, spinning the substrate in a photoresist spinner or similar machine, curing the encapsulation/planarizing layer by energetic particles such as an electron beam. The planarizing process further comprises the step of polishing the entire structure using a conventional chemical-mechanical polishing step. The curing step takes place at the substrate temperature less than 200° C., which prevents the damages of the thin film head structures such as MR and GMR sensors. This process is cheap, efficient and easy to apply.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having a well defined track width and method of manufacture thereof.

Abstract: A process for planarizing a patterned metal structure for a magnetic thin film head includes the steps of applying an encapsulation/planarizing material on a substrate, spinning the substrate in a photoresist spinner or similar machine, curing the encapsulation/planarizing layer by energetic particles such as an electron beam. The planarizing process further comprises the step of polishing the entire structure using a conventional chemical-mechanical polishing step. The curing step takes place at the substrate temperature less than 200° C., which prevents the damages of the thin film head structures such as MR and GMR sensors. This process is cheap, efficient and easy to apply.

Abstract: A bi-layer anti-reflective coating for use in photolithographic applications, and specifically, for use in ultraviolet photolithographic processes. The bi-layered antireflective coating is used to minimize pattern distortion due to reflections from neighboring features in the construction of microcircuits. The bi-layer anti-reflection coating features a first layer, an absorption layer, disposed on a second layer, a dielectric layer, which is then disposed between a substrate and a photoresist layer. The dielectric/absorption layer comprises one combination selected from Ta/Al2O3, Ta/SiO2, Ta/TiO2, Ta/Ta2O5, Ta/Cr2O3, Ta/Si3N4, Ti/Al2O3, Ti/SiO2, Ti/TiO2, Ti/Ta2O5, Ti/Cr2O3, Ti/Si3N4, Cr/Al2O3, Cr/SiO2, Cr/TiO2, Cr/Ta2O5, Cr/Cr2O3, Cr/Si3N4, Al/Al2O3, Al/TiO2, Al/Ta2O5, Al/Cr2O3, Al/Si3N4, Ni/Al2O3, Ni/SiO2, Ni/TiO2, Ni/Ta2O5, Ni/Cr2O3, Ni/Si3N4, Ir/Al2O3, Ir/SiO2, Ir/TiO2, Ir/Ta2O5, Ir/Cr2O3, and Ir/Si3N4. At least the absorption and dielectric layers can be formed using vacuum deposition.

Abstract: A method of making a magnetic head assembly wherein the magnetic head assembly has a write head with a pole tip includes the steps of forming a shaping layer on an underlying layer wherein the shaping layer has a side surface and a top surface, ion beam sputter depositing a ferromagnetic material layer on the underlying layer and on the side and top surfaces of the shaping layer and removing first and second portions of the ferromagnetic material layer from the underlying layer and the top surface of the shaping layer, respectively, leaving a remaining portion of the ferromagnetic material layer on the side surface of the shaping layer which is the aforementioned pole tip.