PLASMA ION IMPLANTATION PROCESS FOR PATTERNED DISC MEDIA APPLICATIONS

• US 20110104393A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Verhaverbeke, Steven, Hilkene, Martin A., Gouk, Roman, Scotney-Castle, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US12/939,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20110104393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/526
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/855 Coating only part of a support with a magnetic layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32412 Plasma immersion ion implantation

Abstract

Processes and apparatus of forming patterns including magnetic and non-magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible surface on a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a method of forming a pattern of magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible material disposed on a substrate includes exposing a first portion of a magnetically susceptible layer to a plasma formed from a gas mixture, wherein the gas mixture includes at least a halogen containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas for a time sufficient to modify a magnetic property of the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer exposed through a mask layer from a first state to a second state.

Claims

1. A method of forming a pattern of magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible material disposed on a substrate, comprising:

exposing a first portion of a magnetically susceptible layer to a plasma formed from a gas mixture for a time sufficient to modify a magnetic property of the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer exposed through a mask layer from a first state to a second state, wherein the gas mixture includes at least a halogen containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein halogen containing gas is selected from a group consisting of BF₃, BCl₃, CF₄ and SiF₄.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen containing gas is selected from a group consisting of BH₃, B₂H₆, P₂H₅, PH₃, CH₄ and SiH₄.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the halogen containing gas is BF₃ and the hydrogen containing gas is B₂H₆.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing further comprises:

implanting ions dissociated in the plasma into the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein exposing further comprises:

forming a protection layer on the first portion while implanting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetically susceptible layer includes a first layer disposed on a second layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first layer is selected from a group consisting of iron, nickel, platinum, or combinations thereof, and the second layer is selected from a group consisting of cobalt, chromium, platinum, tantalum, iron, terbium, gadolinium, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing further comprises:

providing the gas mixture to the substrate surface disposed on a substrate support assembly disposed in a processing chamber;

applying energy to the gas mixture to ionize at least a portion of the gas mixture; and

implanting ions dissociated in the plasma into the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein implanting ions dissociated in the plasma into the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer further comprises substantially demagnetizing the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer.

11. A method of forming a magnetic medium for a hard disk drive, comprising:

transferring a substrate having a magnetically susceptible layer and a patterned mask layer disposed on the magnetically susceptible layer into a processing chamber, wherein the patterned mask layer defines a first region unprotected by the mask layer and a second region protected by the mask layer; and

modifying a magnetic property of the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer unprotected by the mask layer in the processing chamber, wherein modifying the magnetic property of the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer further comprises;

supplying a gas mixture into the processing chamber, wherein the gas mixture includes at least a BF₃ gas and a B₂H₆ gas;

applying a RF power to the gas mixture to dissociate the gas mixture into reactive ions; and

implanting boron ions dissociated from the gas mixture into the first region of the magnetically susceptible layer while forming a protection layer on the substrate surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the magnetic properties of first region of the magnetically susceptible layer comprises substantially demagnetizing the first region of the magnetically susceptible layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the magnetic properties of the magnetically susceptible layer comprises implanting ions to a depth of at least 50 percent of the thickness of the magnetically susceptible layer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the magnetically susceptible layer includes a first layer disposed on a second layer, wherein the first layer is selected from a group consisting of iron, nickel, platinum, or combinations thereof and the second layer is selected from a group consisting of cobalt, chromium, platinum, tantalum, iron, terbium, gadolinium, or combinations thereof.

15. An apparatus for forming a magnetic medium for a hard disk drive, comprising:

a processing chamber operable to modify a magnetic property of a first portion of a magnetically susceptible layer disposed on a substrate;

a substrate support assembly disposed in the processing chamber having a substrate supporting surface;

a gas supply source configured to supply a gas mixture including at least a halogen containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas to the processing chamber; and

a RF power coupled to the processing chamber having sufficient power to dissociate the gas mixture supplied into the processing chamber and implant ions dissociated from the gas mixture into a surface of the substrate disposed on the substrate support assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the halogen containing gas is a BF₃ gas and the hydrogen containing gas is a B₂H₆ gas.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the magnetically susceptible layer includes a first layer disposed on a second layer, wherein the first layer is selected from a group consisting of iron, nickel, platinum, or combinations thereof and the second layer is selected from a group consisting of cobalt, chromium, platinum, tantalum, iron, terbium, gadolinium, or combinations thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate further comprises a patterned mask layer disposed on the magnetically susceptible layer defining the first region and a second region, wherein the dissociated ions are implanted into the first region protected by the patterned mask layer.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the ions are implanted through at least 50 percent of the thickness of the magnetically susceptible layer.