Air bearing surface for a head, and a method of making it
First Claim
1. A method of making a head, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate; and
forming a three-dimensional surface configuration on said substrate, including the steps of;
applying a layer of a photoresist on a surface of said substrate;
directing radiation onto said photoresist through a gray-scale mask which embodies a gray-scale pattern, said gray-scale pattern being transferred to said photoresist;
selectively removing portions of said photoresist in a manner conforming to said gray-scale pattern; and
etching said substrate through said photoresist to selectively remove material of said substrate in a manner defining on said substrate said three-dimensional surface configuration, said surface configuration including an approximately planar bearing surface portion which extends approximately parallel to a first direction representing a head travel direction, and which faces in a second direction approximately perpendicular to said first direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A head includes a bearing surface portion disposed between two transition surface portions which progressively diverge away from a plane containing the bearing surface portion. The bearing surface portion and transition surface portions collectively form a generally continuous surface which is substantially free of abrupt discontinuities in a head travel direction. A method of making the head involves use of a gray-scale mask to pattern a photoresist on a substrate, after which the photoresist is developed and the substrate is etched through the photoresist in order to create on the substrate a three-dimensional surface which includes the bearing surface portion and transition surface portions.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of making a head, comprising the steps of:
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providing a substrate; and
forming a three-dimensional surface configuration on said substrate, including the steps of;
applying a layer of a photoresist on a surface of said substrate;
directing radiation onto said photoresist through a gray-scale mask which embodies a gray-scale pattern, said gray-scale pattern being transferred to said photoresist;
selectively removing portions of said photoresist in a manner conforming to said gray-scale pattern; and
etching said substrate through said photoresist to selectively remove material of said substrate in a manner defining on said substrate said three-dimensional surface configuration, said surface configuration including an approximately planar bearing surface portion which extends approximately parallel to a first direction representing a head travel direction, and which faces in a second direction approximately perpendicular to said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus comprising a head which includes:
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an approximately planar bearing surface portion which extends approximately parallel to a first direction representing a head travel direction, said bearing surface portion facing in a second direction approximately perpendicular to said first direction; and
first and second transition surface portions disposed on opposite sides of said bearing surface portion along said first direction, each said transition surface portion extending away from said bearing surface portion in a manner so as to progressively diverge away from a plane containing said bearing surface portion in a direction opposite to said second direction, said bearing surface portion and said transition surface portions collectively forming a substantially continuous surface which is substantially free of abrupt discontinuities along said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification