Abstract: The fabrication of the read head sensor components where chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) stop layer is deposited above the sensor layers, a first reactive ion etch (RIE) layer and a second RIE layer are deposited, where the second RIE layer is etchable with a different ion species than the first RIE layer. A stencil layer is then deposited and patterned to create an etching stencil having the desired magnetic read track width of the sensor. An RIE step is then conducted in which the second RIE layer is etched. An RIE step for the first RIE layer is then conducted with a different ion species. Thereafter, the sensor layers are milled where the remaining portions of the first and second RIE layers act as a milling mask. A CMP assisted liftoff step is then conducted in which the remaining portions of the ion milling mask are removed.

Abstract: A perpendicular write head including a main pole and a trailing shield, the main pole being made of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer as hard mask and a rhodium (Rh) layer as shield gap, both DLC and Rh layers being CMP stop layers so as to avoid corner rounding and damage from chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process, the DLC layer being removed by reactive ion etching (RIE) to create a trench, the trailing shield being deposited into the trench for self alignment.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for manufacturing a coil structure for a magnetic head. Initially, an insulating layer is deposited with a photoresist layer deposited on the insulating layer. Moreover, a silicon dielectric layer is deposited on the photoresist layer as a hard mask. The silicon dielectric layer is then masked. A plurality of channels is subsequently formed in the silicon dielectric layer using reactive ion etching (i.e. CF4/CHF3). The silicon dielectric layer is then used as a hard mask to transfer the channel pattern in the photoresist layer using reactive ion etching with, for example, H2/N2/CH3F/C2H4 reducing chemistry. To obtain an optimal channel profile with the desired high aspect ratio, channel formation includes a first segment defining a first angle and a second segment defining a second angle. Thereafter, a conductive seed layer is deposited in the channels and the channels are filled with a conductive material to define a coil structure.