Granted Patent B1

US 8,760,807 · App. 13/631,696 · Granted Jun 24, 2014

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface location (ABS location) corresponding to an air-bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising:

providing an etch stop layer;

providing a nonmagnetic etchable layer on the etch stop layer;

providing a side shield layer residing between the ABS location and the etch stop layer and between the ABS location and the etchable layer;

providing a pole trench in the side shield layer and the etchable layer, the pole trench having a pole tip region and a yoke region wider and deeper than the pole tip region, the pole tip region residing in the side shield layer, the yoke region residing in the etchable layer;

providing a nonmagnetic side gap layer, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic side gap layer residing in the pole trench, a remaining portion of the pole trench having a location and profile for a pole;

forming the pole, at least a portion of the pole residing in the remaining portion of the pole trench;

providing a write gap, at least a portion of the write gap being on the pole; and

providing a trailing shield, at least a portion of the trailing shield being on the write gap.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of the pole has a bottom and a top wider than the bottom in the pole tip region.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the side shield layer includes Ni x Fe 1-x where x is at least 0.17 and not more than 0.7.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the etch stop layer includes Ta.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the etchable layer includes at least one of NiCr and SiO 2 .

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the pole trench further includes:

reactive ion etching the side shield layer and the etchable layer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of reactive ion etching further includes:

providing a NiFe etch chemistry.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the pole trench further includes:

forming a first hard mask layer;

forming a photoresist mask corresponding to the pole trench and residing on the first hard mask layer, the photoresist mask including an isolated line corresponding to at least a portion of the pole tip region;

depositing a second hard mask layer, the second hard mask layer covering at least the photoresist mask and the first hard mask layer; and

removing the photoresist mask and a portion of the second hard mask layer covering the photoresist mask to form a hard mask, the hard mask having an aperture therein, the aperture having a location and shape corresponding to the pole trench;

removing a portion of the first hard mask layer to form a RIE aperture therein, the RIE aperture corresponding to the aperture and has the location and shape corresponding to the pole trench.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the yoke region of the pole trench has a bottom at the etch stop layer.

10. A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface location (ABS location) corresponding to an air-bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising:

providing a first NiFe layer, a portion of the first NiFe layer residing at the ABS location;

providing a Ta etch stop layer, the first NiFe layer residing between the Ta etch stop layer and the ABS location;

providing a second NiFe layer on the first NiFe layer, the first NiFe layer and the second NiFe layer forming a NiFe side shield layer;

providing a etchable layer on the Ta etch stop layer, the NiFe side shield layer residing between the ABS location and the Ta layer and between the ABS location and the etchable layer, the etchable layer being selected from a material including NiCr and SiO 2 ;

depositing a NiFe RIE mask layer;

forming a photoresist mask corresponding to a pole trench, the photoresist mask including first pole tip region and a first yoke region wider than the first pole tip region, the first pole tip region including an isolated line corresponding to at least a portion of the first pole tip region;

depositing an aluminum oxide hard mask layer, the aluminum oxide hard mask layer covering at least the photoresist mask and the NiFe RIE mask layer;

removing the photoresist mask and a portion of the aluminum oxide hard mask layer covering the photoresist mask to form an aluminum oxide hard mask, the aluminum hard mask having a first aperture therein, the first aperture having a location and shape corresponding to the pole trench;

removing a portion of the NiFe RIE mask layer to form a second aperture therein, the second aperture corresponding to the first aperture and having the location and shape corresponding to the pole trench;

reactive ion etching the NiFe side shield layer and the etchable layer exposed by the second aperture using a NiFe etch chemistry to provide the pole trench, the pole trench having a second pole tip region corresponding to the first pole tip region of the photoresist mask and a second yoke region corresponding to the first yoke region of the photoresist mask, the second yoke region being wider and deeper than the second pole tip region, the second pole tip region residing in the NiFe side shield layer, the second yoke region residing in the etchable layer and having a bottom corresponding to the Ta stop layer;

providing a nonmagnetic side gap layer, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic side gap layer residing in the pole trench, a remaining portion of the pole trench having a location and profile for a pole, the nonmagnetic side gap layer including Ru;

plating at least one magnetic pole material, part of the at least one magnetic pole material residing in the pole trench;

planarizing the at least one magnetic pole material to provide a pole, the step of planarizing removing a portion of the at least one magnetic pole material not residing in the trench;

providing a write gap, at least a portion of the write gap being on the pole; and

providing a trailing shield, at least a portion of the trailing shield being on the write gap.

Assignments (9)