Method for fabricating a head/slider assembly integrated with a track-following micro actuator

• US 6,088,907 A
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Institute for Advanced Engineering
• Original Assignee: Institute for Advanced Engineering
• Inventors: Seong, Woo-Kyeong, Lee, Hyo-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US09/149,108
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 29/603.03, 29/603.12, 29/603.13, 29/603.14, 29/603.15
• US Class Current: 29/603.03
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/484 Integrated arm assemblies, e.g. formed by material deposition or by etching from single piece of metal or by lamination of materials forming a single arm/suspension/head unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49025 Making disc drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49041 with significant slider/housing shaping or treating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49046 with etching or machining of magnetic material

Abstract

A head/slider assembly is integrated with a track-following electrostatic micro actuator. A method for fabricating the head/slider assembly includes the steps of: forming a micro actuator structural layer on a slider substrate with a cavity formed therebetween; forming metal signal lines on the micro actuator structure layer; forming the read/write magnetic head on a central part of the micro actuator structure layer; etching to separate the micro actuator and the read/write magnetic head; and forming a protective cover on top of the micro actuator and the read/write magnetic head to form the head/slider assembly, to thereby make the assembly to allow it to be used in a HDD system of a very high track density having a track pitch of 1 μm and a recording density of more than 10 Gb/in².

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a head/slider assembly integrated with an track-following electrostatic micro actuator, including the steps of:

a) forming a micro actuator structure layer on a slider substrate with a cavity formed therebetween;

b) forming metal signal lines on the micro actuator structure layer;

c) forming a read/write magnetic head on a central part of the micro actuator structure layer;

d) etching to separate the micro actuator and the read/write magnetic head; and

e) forming a protective cover on top of the micro actuator and the read/write magnetic head to form the head/slider assembly.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cavity is formed by the steps of:

a1) forming a mask layer made of thermal silicon oxide (SiO₂) on the slider substrate and patterning the same;

a2) etching a portion of the slider substrate until a desired depth is obtained; and

a3) bonding the micro actuator structure layer to the slider substrate by using a fusion bonding method.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the metal signal lines are formed by the steps of:

b1) depositing a first insulating layer on top of the micro actuator structure layer and patterning the same to partially expose the micro actuator structure layer; and

b2) depositing a metal layer on the first insulating layer and patterning the same to partially expose the micro actuator structure layer and the first insulating layer.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the micro actuator and the read/write magnetic head are separated by performing a reactive ion etching on lateral sides of the magnetic yokes and a moving part of the micro actuator adjacent to one side of the read/write magnetic head;

and performing a deep reactive ion etching to pattern the micro actuator.