Method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording head
View Patent ↗A method provides a PMR transducer. In one aspect, the method includes forming a trench in an intermediate layer using reactive ion etch(es). The trench top is wider than its bottom. In this aspect, the method also includes providing a seed layer using atomic layer deposition and providing a PMR pole on the seed layer. Portion(s) of the seed layer and PMR pole reside in the trench. In another aspect, the method includes providing a mask including a trench having a top wider than its bottom. In this aspect, the method includes providing mask material in the trench, providing an intermediate layer on the mask material and removing the mask material to provide another trench in the intermediate layer. In this aspect, the method also includes providing a PMR pole in the additional trench.
1. A method for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) transducer including an intermediate layer, the method comprising:
forming a trench in the intermediate layer using at least one reactive ion etch, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom, the step of providing the trench further including
providing at least one layer on the intermediate layer; and
forming an aperture in the at least one layer using a first reactive ion etch of the at least one reactive ion etch, the aperture having an aperture top and an aperture bottom substantially the same as the aperture top such that the aperture has substantially vertical sidewalls;
providing a seed layer using atomic layer deposition, at least a portion of the seed layer residing in the trench and in the aperture formed in the at least one layer; and
providing a PMR pole on the seed layer, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench, the PMR pole having at least one sidewall having a vertical portion corresponding to the aperture and an angled portion corresponding to the trench.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the at least one layer on the intermediate layer further includes:
providing hard mask layer for the at least one reactive ion etch;
providing a planarization stop layer on the hard mask layer, the at least one layer including the hard mask layer and the planarization stop layer; and
providing a resist mask on the planarization stop layer, the resist mask having a resist mask aperture therein.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of forming the aperture further includes:
forming the aperture in the hard mask layer and the planarization stop layer under the resist mask aperture in the resist mask using the first reactive ion etch of the at least one reactive ion etch.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one reactive ion etch utilizes a fluorine-containing gas.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the providing the trench further includes:
forming the trench in the intermediate layer using an additional reactive ion etch of the at least one reactive ion etch.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the additional reactive ion etch utilizes a chlorine-containing gas.
7. The method of claim 2 wherein the providing the PMR pole further includes:
plating a PMR pole layer; and
performing a planarization terminated with at least a portion of the planarization stop layer remaining.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the providing the PMR pole further includes:
removing the portion of the planarization stop layer.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the seed layer is a nonmagnetic seed layer.