Granted Patent B1

US 8,015,692 · App. 11/936,167 · Granted Sep 13, 2011

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head comprising:

providing a metal underlayer;

forming a trench in the metal underlayer, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom, the step of forming the trench further including providing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) stop layer on the metal underlayer;

providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench;

providing a write gap on the PMR pole; and

providing a top shield on at least the write gap.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the CMP stop layer includes at least one of Ru and Ta.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the metal underlayer further includes:

providing a nonmagnetic metal underlayer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an insulating base layer under the metal underlayer and wherein the trench extends through the metal underlayer, such that the bottom of the PMR pole contacts a portion of the insulating base layer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a metal base layer under the metal underlayer and wherein the trench extends through the metal underlayer, such that the bottom of the PMR pole contacts a portion of the metal base layer.

6. A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head comprising:

providing a metal underlayer;

forming a trench in the metal underlayer, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;

providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench;

providing a write gap on the PMR pole; and

providing a top shield on at least the write gap;

wherein the step of providing the PMR pole further includes

providing a seed layer;

depositing at least one magnetic pole layer; and

removing a portion of the at least one magnetic pole layer, a remaining portion of the at least one magnetic pole layer forming the PMR pole.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of providing the seed layer further includes:

depositing at least one of NiNb, NiCr, Au, and Ru.

8. A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head comprising:

providing a metal underlayer, wherein the providing the metal underlayer further includes providing a magnetic metal underlayer;

forming a trench in the metal underlayer, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;

providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench;

providing a write gap on the PMR pole

providing a top shield on at least the write gap.

9. A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head comprising:

providing an insulating base layer;

providing a metal underlayer on the insulating base layer, the metal underlayer being a magnetic metal underlayer;

providing a mask on the metal underlayer, the mask having an aperture therein;

performing at least one of a metal reactive ion etch and an ion beam etch to remove a portion of the metal underlayer exposed by the aperture, thereby forming a trench in the metal underlayer, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom and extending through the metal underlayer;

providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench;

providing a write gap on the PMR pole; and

providing a top shield on at least the write gap.

Assignments (6)