Abstract: A method and apparatus that provides in-situ monitoring of both the ion flux and the ion energy distribution of plasma processes to determine the endpoint of the etch process or the integrity and reproducibility of the deposition process where ion bombardment and energy distribution play critical roles in the process. A capacitance sensor is provided for measuring ion flux and ion distribution. At least one capacitance sensor is disposed within a plasma reactor at a first position for detecting ion flux emanating from a plasma within the plasma reactor. The capacitance sensor generates an ion flux measurement signal in response to the detection of the ion flux. Each of the at least one capacitance sensors is coupled to signal lines for routing an ion flux measurement signal outside the plasma reactor. A plurality of capacitance sensors may be formed as one of a plurality of rows of parts to be processed.

Abstract: A method for changing the curvature of an air bearing surface (ABS) of a slider after the slider is attached to a suspension. The method includes the step of scribing a surface of the suspension to alter the stress on the suspension to change the curvature of the suspension and thus cause a change in the curvature of the slider ABS. The method includes producing scribe lines by ablation and melting/resolidification of the suspension to alter the stress on the suspension, thereby also causing a change of curvature in the ABS. Scribing is performed within a scribe region, which is defined according to a slider footprint. The curvature of a suspension can be altered by scribing before the slider is attached to it thus adjusting the curvature of the suspension to reduce any undesirable slider curvature changes caused by the attachment process. The present invention also includes suspensions processed according to the method.

Abstract: A method for cutting a ceramic wafer to form individual sliders for use in supporting the read/write heads in magnetic recording disk drives uses multiple parallel scans of a pulsed laser to ablate the ceramic material. After the wafer has been cut into individual rows, a pulsed laser beam is directed to that surface of the row that will become the disk sides of the sliders (i.e., the sides of the sliders that will face the disks in the disk drive). The laser is pulsed as the laser spot is moved along a first scan line across the surface of the wafer row to form a generally V-shaped trench. The laser spot is then moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the first scan line a distance less than the laser beam diameter, and then pulsed while the laser spot is scanned along a second line generally parallel to the first scan line.

Abstract: A method for cutting a ceramic wafer to form individual sliders for use in supporting the read/write heads in magnetic recording disk drives uses multiple parallel scans of a pulsed laser to ablate the ceramic material. After the wafer has been cut into individual rows, a pulsed laser beam is directed to that surface of the row that will become the disk sides of the sliders (i.e., the sides of the sliders that will face the disks in the disk drive). The laser is pulsed as the laser spot is moved along a first scan line across the surface of the wafer row to form a generally V-shaped trench. The laser spot is then moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the first scan line a distance less than the laser beam diameter, and then pulsed while the laser spot is scanned along a second line generally parallel to the first scan line.