Manufacturing process of a magnetic head, magnetic head, pattern formation method

• US 20040109263A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takeda, Masayuki, Watanabe, Keiji, Suda, Shoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,244,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/322
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3116 Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/313 Disposition of layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3163 Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3903 using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3967 Composite structural arrangements of transducers, e.g. inductive write and magnetoresistive read G11B5/3906 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49052 by etching

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a magnetic head includes a process for forming a lift-off mask pattern on a magnetoresistance effect element, such that the upper part of the lift-off mask pattern is larger in size than the lower part, a process for forming a couple of electrodes on the magnetoresistance effect element using the lift-off mask pattern as a mask, and a process for removing the lift-off mask pattern. The process for forming the lift-off mask pattern is performed according to a dry etching process.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a magnetic head, comprising:

a step for forming a lift-off mask pattern on a magnetoresistance effect element such that an upper part of the lift-off mask pattern is formed greater than a lower part of the lift-off mask pattern,

a step for forming a pair of electrodes on the magnetoresistance effect element using the liftoff mask pattern as a mask, and

a step for removing the lift-off mask pattern;

wherein said step for forming the lift-off mask pattern is performed according to a dry etching process.

2. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dry etching process for forming the lift-off mask pattern is performed under isotropic etching conditions.

3. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step for forming the lift-off mask pattern comprises:

a first dry etching process for carrying out dry etching under anisotropy etching conditions, and a second dry etching process for carrying out dry etching under isotropic etching conditions, which is carried out after said first dry etching process.

4. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step for forming the lift-off mask pattern comprises:

a process for forming an organic polymer film on the magnetoresistance effect element, a process for forming a resist pattern on the organic polymer film, and a dry etching process for patterning the organic polymer film using the resist pattern as a mask, such that an organic polymer pattern smaller than the resist pattern is formed under the resist pattern;

wherein the organic polymer pattern and the resist pattern constitute the lift-off mask pattern.

5. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the resist pattern comprises a Si-containing resist.

6. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dry etching process is performed under isotropic etching conditions.

7. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dry etching process is performed in etching gas containing fluorocarbon.

8. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 7, wherein said etching gas contains CF₄, CHF₃, and/or a mixture thereof.

9. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dry etching process is performed in etching gas containing fluorocarbon and oxygen.

10. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 9, wherein said etching gas contains O₂, CO, CO₂, NO, and/or a mixture thereof.

11. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said process for forming the organic polymer pattern comprises:

a first dry etching process for patterning the organic polymer film using the resist pattern as a mask, and a second dry etching process for reducing magnitude of the resist pattern and the organic polymer film.

12. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first dry etching process is performed under anisotropy etching conditions, etching being in direction approximately perpendicular to the organic polymer film, and said second dry etching process is performed under isotropic etching conditions.

13. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 11, wherein said second dry etching process is a plasma process using etching gas containing O2 gas.

14. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said organic polymer film is an antireflection film.

15. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said dry etching process performed under the isotropic etching conditions comprises ozonization.

16. The manufacturing method of the magnetic head as claimed in claim 15, wherein said ozonization is performed in ozone gas that is generated from oxygen atmosphere by irradiating an excimer light whose wavelength is 172 nm.

17. A magnetic head, comprising:

a magnetoresistance element, and

an overlaid type magnetism sensor that comprises a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the upper surface of the magnetoresistance element, wherein tip sections of said electrodes are apart at an interval of 70 nm or less, and said tip section of said first and second electrodes have a tapering angle that is 40 degrees or less.

18. The magnetic head as claimed in claim 17, wherein said tapering angle is 30 degrees or less.

19. A magnetic recording apparatus equipped with a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head that scans the magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetic head comprises:

a magnetoresistance element, and

an overlaid type magnetism sensor that comprises a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the upper surface of the magnetoresistance element, wherein tip sections of the electrodes are apart at an interval of 70 nm or less, and have a tapering angle of 40 degrees or less.

20. A pattern forming method, comprising:

a step for forming an organic polymer film on a substrate,

a step for forming a resist pattern on the organic polymer film, and

a dry etching process for patterning the organic polymer film using the resist pattern as a mask, such that an organic polymer pattern smaller than the resist pattern is formed with the organic polymer film under the resist pattern;

wherein the dry etching process provides isotropic etching under a condition that the etching speed of the dry etching process of the organic polymer pattern is greater than the etching speed of the resist pattern.