Method for providing side shields for a magnetic recording transducer

1. A method for fabricating a side shield for a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic layer and a pole on the nonmagnetic layer, the pole having sidewalls and an air-bearing surface location (ABS location) corresponding to an air-bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising:

providing a developable bottom antireflective coating (D-BARC) layer covering the pole and at least a portion of the nonmagnetic layer, the D-BARC layer being photosensitive;

providing a mask layer on the D-BARC layer, the mask layer being photosensitive;

photolithographically removing a first portion of the mask layer and a first portion of the D-BARC layer to form a bi-layer mask, the bi-layer mask having an aperture in the mask layer and the D-BARC layer;

depositing at least one side shield layer, at least a portion of the at least one side shield layer residing in the aperture; and

removing the bi-layer mask.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the D-BARC layer is removable using a first process.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mask layer is removable using the first process and wherein the step of removing the bi-layer mask further includes:

removing the bi-layer mask after the at least one side shield layer is deposited using the first process.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the mask layer is a photoresist layer and wherein the step of removing the bi-layer mask using the first process further includes:

stripping bi-layer mask.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of photolithographically removing the first portion of the D-BARC layer and the first portion of the mask layer further includes:

exposing to light the first portion of the D-BARC layer and the first portion of the mask layer, the mask layer and the D-BARC layer being sensitive to the light; and

exposing the D-BARC layer and the mask layer to a developer after the step of exposing to the light.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the D-BARC layer is sensitive to the light in a first wavelength range, the mask layer is sensitive to the light having a second wavelength range that overlaps the first wavelength range.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the D-BARC layer further & consists of a single D-BARC material.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing the at least one side shield layer further includes:

depositing at least one seed layer before the step of providing the mask layer; and

depositing at least one magnetic layer after the step of photolithographically removing the first portion of the D-BARC layer and the mask layer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of depositing the at least one magnetic layer includes plating the at least one magnetic layer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic layer has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being substantially perpendicular to the ABS and crossing the ABS location, the second surface adjoining the first surface and at a nonzero angle to the first surface such that the nonmagnetic layer has a bevel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pole includes a pole bevel corresponding to the bevel.

12. A method for fabricating a side shield for a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic layer and a pole on the nonmagnetic layer, the pole having sidewalls and an air-bearing surface location (ABS location) corresponding to an air-bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising:

depositing at least one side shield seed layer;

providing a developable bottom antireflective coating (D-BARC) layer covering the pole, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic layer, and at least part of the at least one side shield seed layer, the D-BARC layer being photosensitive and removable using a photoresist stripping process;

providing a photoresist layer on the D-BARC layer;

exposing to light a first portion of the photoresist layer and a first portion of the D-BARC, the photoresist layer and the D-BARC layer being sensitive to the light;

exposing the D-BARC layer and the photoresist layer to developer after the step of exposing to the light, the developer removing the first portion of the D-BARC layer and the first portion of the photoresist layer to form a bi-layer mask having an aperture therein, a part of the first portion of the D-BARC layer residing under a second portion of the photoresist layer different from the first portion of the photoresist layer such that the bi-layer mask has an undercut at the aperture;

plating at least one magnetic side shield layer, at least a portion of the at least one magnetic side shield layer residing in the aperture; and

removing the bi-layer mask using the photoresist stripping process.