Magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly formed with seed layers having a uniform thickness

• US 7,362,543 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pinarbasi, Mustafa, Nguyen, Paul P., Nguyen, Son Van, Hsiao, Richard, Le, Quang, Zolla, Howard G., Webb, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, JEFFERSON A
• Application Number:
  US11/108,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20050185334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 360/123
• US Class Current: 360/123.01
• 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 5/17 Construction or disposition of windings
• 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 5/3967 Composite structural arrangements of transducers, e.g. inductive write and magnetoresistive read G11B5/3906 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49043 Depositing magnetic layer or coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49044 Plural magnetic deposition layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49064 by coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core

Abstract

The present invention presents a method for fabricating coil elements for magnetic write heads. A coil pattern is formed on a substrate using photolithographic techniques. The substrate is etched using reactive ion etching, creating a coil-shaped trench in the substrate. Thin film seed layers are deposited using ion beam deposition. The substrate is electroplated with metal filling the trenches with metal. The substrate is chemical mechanical polished to remove excess metal and planarize the air bearing surface of the write head.

Claims

1. A magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly, comprising:

a magnetoresistive read head;

an inductive write head with a coil element, the coil element comprising;

a substrate;

a coil shaped trench in the substrate;

one or more seed layers deposited in the trench by ion beam deposition,

wherein the ion beam deposition forms the one or more seed layers with a uniform thickness without degrading a magnetoresistive element of the magnetoresistive head because of the use of lower temperatures for the ion beam deposition than possible with chemical vapor deposition of the one or more seed layers;

conductive material filling the trench to form the coil.

2. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material filling the trench is copper.

3. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ion beam used to deposit the seed layer is adjusted to approximately 20 degrees off normal.

4. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the seed layer is formed of a layer of a first material and a layer of a second material.

5. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first material is tantalum and the second material is copper.

6. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first material has a thickness of approximately 200 Å

and the second material has a thickness of approximately 1000 Å

.

7. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trench is formed by defining a coil-shaped pattern on the substrate by photolithography and etching the trench by reactive ion etching.

8. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate is chemical mechanical polished after the trench is filled.

9. A magnetic storage device, comprising:

magnetic media for storing data thereon;

magnetic read/write head assembly;

a motor for translating the position of the magnetic media;

an actuator for positioning the magnetic read/write head relative to the magnetic media;

wherein the magnetic read/write head has a coil element comprising;

a substrate;

a coil shaped trench in the substrate;

one or more seed layers deposited in the trench by ion beam deposition,

wherein the ion beam deposition forms the one or more seed layers with a uniform thickness without degrading a magnetoresistive element of the magnetoresistive head because of the use of lower temperatures for the ion beam deposition than possible with chemical vapor deposition of the one or more seed layers;

conductive material filling the trench to form the coil.

10. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the material filling the trench is copper.

11. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ion beam used to deposit the seed layer is adjusted to approximately 20 degrees off normal.

12. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the seed layer is formed of a layer of a first material and a layer of a second material.

13. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first material is tantalum and the second material is copper.

14. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first material has a thickness of approximately 200 Å

and the second material has a thickness of approximately 1000 Å

.

15. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the trench is formed by defining a coil-shaped pattern on the substrate by photolithography and etching the trench by reactive ion etching.

16. The magnetoresistive/inductive write head assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the substrate is chemical mechanical polished after the trench is filled.