Method for providing a side shield for a magnetic recording transducer using an air bridge
View Patent ↗A method fabricates a side shield for a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic layer and an ABS location corresponding to an ABS. The nonmagnetic layer has a pole trench therein. The pole trench has a shape and location corresponding to the pole. A wet etchable layer is deposited. Part of the wet etchable layer resides in the pole trench. A pole is formed. The pole has a bottom and a top wider than the bottom in the pole tip region. Part of the pole in the pole tip region is in the pole trench on at least part of the wet etchable layer. At least parts of the wet etchable layer and the nonmagnetic layer are removed, forming an air bridge. The air bridge is between part of the pole at the ABS location and an underlying layer. Side shield layer(s) that substantially fill the air bridge are deposited.
1. A write transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS), the write transducer comprising:
a leading edge magnetic shield having a sloped top surface distal from the ABS,
a pole having a bottom, a top, a plurality of sidewalls, and a pole tip portion, the top being wider than the bottom in the pole tip portion;
at least one nonmagnetic layer, a portion of the at least one nonmagnetic layer surrounding the bottom and sidewalls of the pole,
a side shield substantially surrounding the portion of the at least one nonmagnetic layer such that the side shield substantially surrounds the bottom and sidewalls of the pole, a portion of the side shield resides between the pole and the leading edge magnetic shield, the side shield is interface-free between the pole and the leading edge magnetic shield and the side shield is interface-free adjacent to the sidewalls of the pole;
a nonmagnetic gap layer adjacent to at least the top of the pole; and
a trailing edge shield, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic gap layer being between the top of the pole and the trailing edge shield.
2. The write transducer of claim 1 wherein the side shield and trailing edge shield form a wraparound shield, the wraparound shield being interface free.
3. A disk drive comprising:
a media;
a slider including a write transducer and having an air-bearing surface (ABS), the write transducer including a leading edge magnetic shield, a pole, at least one magnetic layer, a side shield, a nonmagnetic gap layer and a trailing shield, the leading edge magnetic shield having a sloped top surface distal from the ABS, the pole having a bottom, a top, a plurality of sidewalls, and a pole tip portion, the top being wider than the bottom in the pole tip portion, a portion of the at least one nonmagnetic layer surrounding the bottom and sidewalls of the pole, the side shield substantially surrounding the portion of the at least one nonmagnetic layer such that the side shield substantially surrounds the bottom and sidewalls of the pole, a portion of the side shield resides between the pole and the leading edge magnetic shield, the side shield is interface-free between the pole and the leading edge magnetic shield and the side shield is interface-free adjacent to the sidewalls of the pole, the nonmagnetic gap layer being adjacent to at least the top of the pole, at least a portion of the nonmagnetic gap layer being between the top of the pole and the trailing edge shield.