Methods for fabricating perpendicular recording heads with controlled separation regions
View Patent ↗Methods of recording head fabrication are provided to fabricate a region of separation material between a write pole and a shield of a write head that forms a controlled spacing between the write pole and the shield of the write head. The method comprises forming a mask structure having an opening exposing a write pole of the write head and forming separation material above the portions of the write pole exposed by the opening. The method further comprises removing the mask structure and forming a shield of the write head above the separation material. The separation material forms a spacing between the write pole and the shield, which controls the amount of flux from the write pole absorbed by a shield (e.g., a wrap around shield) of the write head.
1. A method for fabricating a write head, the method comprising:
performing a lithographic process to form a write pole having a pole tip and a yoke intersecting at a flare point;
forming a first mask structure having a bump opening corresponding with the flare point of the write pole;
forming separation material in the bump opening of the first mask structure to form a bump;
removing the first mask structure;
forming a second mask structure having a shield opening over the pole tip between an air bearing surface and the flare point that at least partially exposes the bump; and
forming shield material in the shield opening over the pole tip and the bump to form a wrap around shield, wherein the bump creates a larger spacing between the wrap around shield and an upper portion of the pole tip proximate to the flare point as compared to the spacing between the wrap around shield and a lower portion of the pole tip proximate to the air bearing surface.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a seed layer on the write pole prior to forming the first mask structure, wherein forming the separation material further comprises:
plating the separation material on the seed layer exposed by the bump opening in the first mask structure.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the separation material comprises one of NiP, Au, Pd, or Cu.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming a cap layer above the bump from one of CoFe, CoFeNi, or NiFe.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
forming the second mask structure further comprises forming a lapping guide opening defining an electronic lapping guide aligned with an edge of the shield opening; and
forming the shield material further comprises forming an electrical lapping guide in the lapping guide opening with the shield material.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein forming shield material in the shield opening to form a wrap around shield comprises:
plating the shield material in the shield opening to form the wrap around shield.
7. A method for fabricating a write head, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of write pole material and a layer of etchable material on the write pole material;
depositing a first mask layer and etching the first mask layer to form a first stencil defining a track width and a flared region of a write pole;
milling around the first stencil to define the track width and the flared region;
depositing side gap material and milling the side gap material to form a side gap of the write pole;
depositing a sacrificial material layer;
performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process down to the layer of etchable material which removes the first stencil;
removing the sacrificial material layer;
etching to remove the layer of etchable material;
forming a seed layer structure;
depositing a second mask layer and performing a photolithographic process on the second mask layer to form a first opening exposing portions of the seed layer structure covering at least a portion of the flared region of the write pole and a portion of a pole tip of the write pole;
plating exposed portions of the seed layer structure with a separation material;
removing the second mask layer;
depositing a cap layer;
depositing a third mask layer and performing a photolithographic process on the third mask layer to form a second opening defining a wrap around shield; and
plating the wrap around shield in the second opening.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the layer of etchable material comprises a carbon material with a film density higher than about 1.8 g/cc.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the side gap material is comprised of a of nonmagnetic material comprising Al 2 O 3 .
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the sacrificial material comprises one of Ta 2 O 5 , Si 3 N 4 , SiOxNy, or SiO 2 .
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the separation material comprises one of NiP, Au, Pd, or Cu.
12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
milling portions of the cap layer exposed by the wrap around shield.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the second opening in the third mask structure further defines a lapping guide opening for an electronic lapping guide aligned with an edge of the second opening; and
plating the wrap around shield in the second opening further comprises plating an electrical lapping guide in the lapping guide opening.