Patent ID: 6696226
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making a magnetic read/write head that includes first and second pole tip layers, each of said first and second pole tip layers having a yoke portion located between a pole tip portion and a back gap portion, a nonmagnetic write gap layer located between the pole tip portions of first and second pole piece layers, and an insulation stack with at least one write coil layer embedded therein located between the yoke portions of the first and second pole piece layers, the method comprising the steps of:patterning and depositing an insulation layer over the yoke portion of the first pole piece layer; depositing a seed layer of nonmagnetic material over the first insulation layer; depositing a hard-baked photoresist layer having a thickness greater than the desired thickness of the coil layer over the seed layer; depositing a hard reactive-ion (RIE) mask on the hard-baked photoresist layer; depositing a thin image resist layer on the hard RIE mask; defining an image of a pole tip layer and a write coil layer in the thin image resist layer in a single high resolution photolithography step; transferring the image of the pole tip layer and write coil layer into the hard RIE mask layer via a RIE process that creates openings in the hard RIE mask; reactive ion etching the hard-baked photoresist layer through the openings in the hard RIE mask layer to expose the seed layer in a pole tip layer region and a write coil layer region; depositing the pole tip layer on the seed layer in the pole tip layer region while protecting the write coil layer region with resist; removing the resist protecting the write coil region; depositing the write coil layer on the seed layer in the write coil layer region while protecting the pole tip layer with resist; removing the resist protecting the pole tip layer; removing by RIE processes the hard-baked photoresist layer between coil turns of the write coil layer; removing the seed layer between coil turns of the write coil layer; and depositing an insulation layer between the coil turns and over the write coil layer.