Method of fabricating a perpendicular recording write head having a gap with two portions
View Patent ↗A method of fabricating a write head for perpendicular recording is provided. The write head has a pole, a shield in proximity to the pole, and a gap between the pole and the shield. The method includes forming a pole layer on an undercoat layer, forming a mask over at least a portion of the pole layer, and forming the pole by removing material from the pole layer. The pole has a top surface, a first side, and a second side. The method further includes forming a first gap portion of the gap along the first side and along the second side of the pole, forming a protective layer over at least a portion of the first gap portion, removing the mask, and removing the protective layer. The method further includes forming a second gap portion of the gap over at least the top surface of the pole and forming the shield over at least the second gap portion.
1. A write head for perpendicular recording, the write head comprising:
a pole having a top surface, a first side, and a second side;
a shield over the pole; and
a gap between the pole and the shield, the gap comprising:
a first gap portion along the first side of the pole and along the second side of the pole, the first gap portion comprising a first gap material; and
a second gap portion over at least the top surface of the pole, the second gap portion comprising a second gap material different from the first gap material.
2. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the pole has a generally trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
3. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the first gap material comprises at least one of silicon nitride or silicon oxide.
4. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the second gap material comprises at least one of alumina, tantalum, tantalum oxide, nickel-chromium alloy, or nickel-niobium alloy.
5. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the first gap material comprises silicon oxide and the second gap material comprises silicon nitride.
6. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the first gap material comprises silicon nitride and the second gap material comprises silicon oxide.
7. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the second gap portion has a thickness in a range between approximately 300 Angstroms and approximately 2000 Angstroms.
8. The write head of claim 1 , wherein the second gap portion is located over the top surface of the pole and over at least a portion of the first gap portion.
9. A write head for perpendicular recording, the write head comprising:
an undercoat layer;
a pole positioned on the undercoat layer, the pole having a first side, a second side, a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, substantially all of the bottom surface being in contact with the undercoat layer:
a shield over the pole; and
a gap between the pole and the shield, the gap comprising:
a first gap portion along the first side of the pole and along the second side of the pole, the first gap portion comprising a first gap material; and
a second gap portion over at least the substantially flat top surface of the pole, the second gap portion comprising a second gap material different from the first gap material.
10. The write head of claim 9 , wherein the pole has a generally trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
11. The write head of claim 9 , wherein the first gap portion comprises at least one of silicon nitride or silicon oxide.
12. The write head of claim 9 , wherein the second gap portion comprises at least one of alumina, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, tantalum, tantalum oxide, nickel-chromium alloy, or nickel-niobium alloy.