Method and system for providing perpendicular magnetic recording transducers utilizing a damascene approach
View Patent ↗A method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording transducer are disclosed. The method and system include providing a metallic underlayer and providing an insulator, at least a portion of which is on the metallic underlayer. The method and system also include forming a trench in the insulator. The bottom of the trench is narrower than the top of the trench and includes a portion of the metallic underlayer. The method and system also include providing a nonmagnetic seed layer that substantially covers at least the bottom and sides of the trench. The method and system also include plating a perpendicular magnetic pole material on at least a portion of the seed layer and removing a portion of the perpendicular magnetic pole material. A remaining portion of the perpendicular magnetic pole material forms a perpendicular magnetic recording pole.
1. A perpendicular magnetic recording transducer comprising:
a metallic underlayer;
an insulator having a trench therein, the trench having a top, a bottom, and sides, the bottom of the trench including a portion of the metallic underlayer, the top of the trench being wider than the bottom of the trench;
a nonmagnetic seed layer, at least a portion of the seed layer residing in the trench and covering the bottom and sides of the trench;
a perpendicular magnetic recording pole, at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic recording pole residing in the trench and on the at least the portion of the seed layer.
2. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the top of trench has a width of at least 0.14 micron and not more than 0.34 micron.
3. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the top of trench has a width of at least 0.2 micron and not more than 0.28 micron.
4. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 3 wherein the perpendicular magnetic pole has a top having a width of at least 0.08 micron and not more than 0.17 micron.
5. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer has a thickness of at least three hundred Angstroms and not more than seven hundred Angstroms.
6. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer has a thickness of at least four hundred Angstroms and not more than six hundred Angstroms.
7. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer is a stop layer for a chemical mechanical polish that can remove a portion of the perpendicular magnetic recording pole.
8. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 7 wherein a portion of the seed layer resides above a portion of the insulator.
9. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 8 further comprising:
a metal layer having an aperture above the trench, the metal layer residing between the portion of the insulator and the portion of the seed layer.
10. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 8 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes at least one of Ru and Ta.
11. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer is removable by a chemical mechanical polish that can remove a portion of the perpendicular magnetic recording pole.
12. The perpendicular magnetic recording transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes at least one of NiNb, NiCr, Cr, Ti and Au.