Medium patterning method and associated apparatus
According to one embodiment, a method for patterning a medium having a patterned hard mask applied thereon is disclosed herein. The patterned hard mark includes a plurality of apertures exposing portions of the medium. The method includes directing ions toward the medium, implanting a portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium, removing a layer of the patterned hard mask with another portion of the ions, and depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask. Depositing hard mask material onto the exposed portions of the medium may follow implantation of the portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium.
1. A method for patterning a medium having a patterned hard mask applied thereon, the patterned hard mark including a plurality of apertures exposing portions of the medium, comprising:
directing ions toward the medium;
implanting a portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium;
removing a layer of the patterned hard mask with another portion of the ions; and
depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing hard mask material onto the exposed portions of the medium following implantation of the portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising directing hard mask material toward the medium, wherein depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask comprises depositing a first portion of the directed hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask, and depositing hard mask material onto the exposed portions of the medium comprises depositing a second portion of the directed hard mask material onto the exposed portions of the medium.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hard mask material is deposited at an acute angle relative to an outer surface of the patterned hard mask onto which the hard mask material is deposited.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of apertures are defined by a plurality of sidewalls formed in the patterned hard mask, and wherein depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask comprises depositing a layer of hard mask material onto a top surface of the patterned hard mask and a portion of the sidewalls defining the plurality of apertures.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the acute angle is between thirty and eighty degrees.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium comprises a magnetic layer, the implanted ions altering the magnetic properties of the exposed portions of the magnetic layer to form a plurality of non-magnetic regions corresponding with the plurality of apertures of the patterned hard mask.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the magnetic layer and the hard mask are formed on a substantially cylindrical substrate.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the magnetic layer and the hard mask are formed on a flexible tape substrate.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the medium comprises a magnetic medium of a magnetic memory device.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic memory device comprises a hard disk drive.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium has an initial set of electrical properties, and the implanted ions alter the electrical properties of the exposed portions of the medium to form a plurality of regions with different electrical properties corresponding with the plurality of apertures of the patterned hard mask.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrical properties of the medium are different in unexposed portions and the exposed portions of the medium following implanting of the portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the medium comprises a semiconductor material.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing ions toward the medium comprises directing an ion-beam toward the medium, the method further comprising laterally moving the medium relative to the ion-beam while implanting the portion of the ions into the exposed portions of the medium.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the medium while depositing the hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing ions toward the medium, implanting the portion of the ions into the medium, removing the layer of the patterned hard mask, and depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask occur concurrently.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask occurs after removal of the layer of the patterned hard mask.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing ions toward the medium comprises exposing the medium to a first plasma comprising the ions.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein depositing hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask comprises exposing the medium to a second plasma comprising the hard mask material.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the ions of the first plasma comprise a first species and the first plasma comprises a high-voltage plasma, and wherein the hard mask material comprises a second species and the second plasma comprises a low-voltage plasma.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first species is substantially the same as the second species.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first species is different than the second species.
24. A method for patterning features in a magnetic layer on a medium, the features having different magnetic properties than the magnetic layer, the magnetic layer being coated with a patterned hard mask having a plurality of apertures exposing portions of the magnetic layer, comprising:
exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions, a first portion of the ions being implanted into the exposed portions of the magnetic layer to render the exposed portions less magnetic, and a second portion of ions etch removing a top layer of the patterned hard mask; and
depositing a hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask to replace the etch removed top layer of the patterned hard mask.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions comprises a first step of exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions, and depositing a hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask to replace the etch removed top layer of the patterned hard mask comprises a first step of depositing a hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask, the method further comprising a second step of exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions following the first step of exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions and the first step of depositing a hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask, and further comprising a second step of depositing a hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask to replace at least some of the deposited hard mask material etched removed by the second step of exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein exposing the patterned hard mask and magnetic layer to energetic ions occurs in a first chamber, and depositing the hard mask material onto the patterned hard mask occurs in a second chamber separate from the first chamber.