Patent ID: 6870707
Filing Date: 2005-03-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A method of contouring a surface of a slider for supporting a transducer relative to a data storage medium, the method comprising: (a) applying a lithographic resist layer to the slider surface; (b) exposing the resist layer through a single mask having a mask pattern defined by variation in an optical density through the mask, wherein the mask pattern comprises a masked portion having a first optical density, an unmasked portion having a second optical density that is lower than the first optical density and an intermediate portion positioned between the masked and unmasked portions and having a third optical density that is between the first and second optical densities, and wherein the resist layer is exposed in an exposure pattern corresponding to the mask pattern; (c) removing portions of the resist layer as a function of the exposure pattern to produce a vertically contoured resist layer; and (d) etching the slider surface through the vertically contoured resist layer during a single etching step to form a vertically contoured surface feature within the slider surface.