Protected transducer for dead layer reduction

• US 9,058,823 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Nazarov, Alexey V., Vasko, Vladyslav Alexandrovich, Heinonen, Olle Gunnar, Zou, Lijuan, Boonstra, Thomas R., Peng, Xilin, Gao, Kaizhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Hendricks, Keith
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, Ibrahime A
• Application Number:
  US12/502,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3106 where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination G11B5/3133 takes precedence
• 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 5/3163 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

Abstract

A transducer includes magnetic material formed on a substrate that is shaped to include a trailing edge, a leading edge and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending between the trailing edge and the leading edge. A layer of protective material is positioned in contact with each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material. Backfill material surrounds the protective material on each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a transducer comprising:

obtaining a first intermediate structure including magnetic material formed on a substrate and a mask deposited on the magnetic material;

performing a first shaping operation on the first intermediate structure to form a second intermediate structure, the shaped magnetic material in the second intermediate structure including a trailing edge, a leading edge and a pair of sidewalls extending between the trailing edge and the leading edge; and

redepositing material of the substrate on and in contact with the sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material in the second intermediate structure to form a protective layer,

wherein the first shaping operation on the first intermediate structure is carried out using ion beam bombardment at a first level of energy and the redepositing material of the substrate on and in contact with the sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material in the second intermediate structure to form a protective layer is carried out using ion beam bombardment, and

performing a second shaping operation to the second intermediate structure using ion beam bombardment at a second level of energy to form a third intermediate structure, the second level of energy being less than the first level of energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing a first shaping operation are performed using an inductive ion beam mill.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing a second shaping operation are performed using a magneto-resistance ion beam mill.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second shaping operation on the second intermediate structure is performed at a first angle relative to a position normal to the leading edge of the shaped magnetic material.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of redepositing of the material of the substrate on the sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material in the second intermediate structure using ion beam bombardment is performed at the position normal to the leading edge.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second shaping operation performed of the second intermediate structure and the redepositing of the material of the substrate on the sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material in second intermediate structure are performed using a magneto-resistance ion beam mill at the second level of energy.

7. The method of claim 1 and wherein the magnetic material formed on the substrate comprises FeCo.

8. The method of claim 1 and wherein the substrate is formed of a material that comprises Al₂O₃.

9. A method of fabricating a transducer comprising:

obtaining a first intermediate structure including a magnetic material formed on a substrate and a mask deposited on the magnetic material, wherein defined between the magnetic material and the mask includes a stop plane dividing the structure into a first portion and a second portion;

performing at least one shaping operation on the first intermediate structure to form a second intermediate structure;

depositing a first protective layer of non-magnetic material on the second intermediate structure to form a third intermediate structure;

backfilling the third intermediate structure with an insulating material to form a fourth intermediate structure; and

removing the first portion of the structure at the stop plane including a portion of the backfilled insulating material, the mask and a portion of the first protective layer to form a fifth intermediate structure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first intermediate structure further comprises a second protective layer of non-magnetic material positioned on and in contact with the magnetic material, the mask deposited on and in contact with the second protective layer of non-magnetic material.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising depositing a gap material on the fifth intermediate structure and depositing a shield material on the gap material to form at least a portion of the transducer, wherein the gap material includes an insulating material and the shield material includes a magnetic material.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising depositing a second protective layer of non-magnetic material on the fifth intermediate structure to form a sixth intermediate structure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising depositing a gap material on the sixth intermediate structure and depositing a shield material on the gap material to form at least a portion of the transducer, wherein the gap material includes an insulating material and the shield material includes a magnetic material.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of shaping first intermediate structure to form the second intermediate structure and depositing a first protective layer of non-magnetic material to form a third intermediate structure are both performed under a vacuum.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one shaping operation is performed using ion beam milling.

16. The method of claim 9 and wherein the first protective layer is formed of a material that comprises at least one of tantalum (Ta), ruthenium (Ru), copper (Cu) or diamond-like carbon.