Abstract:
To smooth silicon sliders that have been parted from each other on a wafer by DRIE, an isotropic etch using fluorine either in a gas or in an aqueous solution is performed prior to separating the individual sliders from the wafer.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to disk drives.  
       II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Recently, silicon has become a primary candidate to replace the material used as the substrate for making magnetic recording head sliders. This has been facilitated by the use of a new parting process, a dry etch process known as Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), to form the slider bodies from the finished wafer. Essentially, using DRIE the sliders are parted from each other on the wafer prior to being detached therefrom.  
         [0003]     DRIE uses a high density plasma to achieve a high aspect ratio etch, which exceeds the aspect ratio available using diamond saws. This high aspect ratio etch translates into a reduced “kerf”, which in turn allows a higher packing density of sliders on the wafer and reduced manufacturing costs. Furthermore, because the etching process is entirely chemical in nature, there is no localized cracking or mechanical damage generated in the sliders. Diamond saws, on the other hand, generate cracks in the sliders or groups of sliders cut from the wafer. The cracks can then, over time, propagate and produce particles which can cause failure in a magnetic disk drive.  
         [0004]     The shedding of particles from sliders, and the resultant head-disk interaction (HDI) which produces scratches in the magnetic disk and damage to the data therein, is an ongoing concern for the slider recording head and magnetic disks. It is reasonable to expect that HDI will also be of concern for the interaction of the silicon slider with magnetic disks.  
         [0005]     As described above, the elimination of mechanical damage in the parting operation for silicon sliders has been well addressed by the DRIE process; however, the present invention understands that although the as-etched surfaces are quite smooth, some residual roughness of a short length scale may be generated on all four processed surfaces of the slider, namely, the “flex” surface, the air bearing surface (ABS), and the surfaces commonly referred to as SW 1  and SW 2 . As further recognized herein, the roughness is largely the same in character on all four sides. The present invention critically understands that the residual peak-to-valley roughness, measured over the full slider face, may be on the order of two microns, and can result in protrusions that are one to four microns wide.  
         [0006]     Currently, the shedding of particles in magnetic disk drive sliders for both AlTiC sliders and silicon sliders is undertaken by lapping the ABS surface, and then using numerous additional cleaning processes prior to installation in a drive. Nonetheless, the present invention critically recognizes that particle shedding remains a reliability concern, and that using numerous processes for the same task cascades costs. Having made this critical observation, the invention disclosed herein is provided.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A method for removing surface particles and protrusions from silicon slider bodies includes forming the bodies on a wafer using, e.g., deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). The method also includes, while the slider bodies remain attached to the wafer, exposing the wafer to an isotropic etching substance.  
         [0008]     In some implementations the etching substance is a gas that preferentially etches silicon with respect to overcoat material and gold stud material. The etching substance may be, e.g., XeF 2 . For gaseous etching the method can include exposing the wafer to the gas, evacuating the gas away from the wafer, and exposing the wafer to the gas at least a second time. The gas advantageously may have a selectivity to silicon with respect to the overcoat material and gold stud material of at least one hundred. In other implementations, the etching substance is an aqueous solution that can include, e.g., NH 4 F.  
         [0009]     In another aspect, a method for processing slider bodies includes forming silicon slider bodies on a wafer, and removing unwanted material from the slider bodies by exposing the bodies to an isotropic etchant.  
         [0010]     In still another aspect, a method for making sliders includes exposing plural slider bodies at once to an isotropic etchant to cause silicon on the slider bodies to react with fluorine in the etchant.  
         [0011]     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a storage device, configured as a hard disk drive, with portions of the housing broken away;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of silicon sliders on a wafer, after the sliders have been parted from each other by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE);  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic close-up view of the sliders shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is non-limiting flow chart showing one post-parting etch process, using a gas; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is non-limiting flow chart showing a post-parting etch process that uses an aqueous solution. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary non-limiting storage device is shown, generally designated  10 , for storing multimedia and other data on a storage medium  12  that in one embodiment may be implemented by plural storage disks in a hard disk drive. When implemented as a hard disk drive, the device  10  includes an arm  14  having a slider  16  that includes read and/or write heads in accordance with hard disk drive principles, with the slider  16  being made by the process disclosed herein. The data storage region  12  may be managed by a controller  18  that can be a conventional hard disk drive controller modified per the logic below. Or, the controller  18  may be a controller separate from the hard disk drive controller. The controller  18  may be implemented by a chip. The controller and storage disks are sealed in a housing.  
         [0018]     The controller  18  may receive input signals at an input/output terminal  20  from a host computer  22 . The data input interface may be, in the case of hard disk drive implementations, serial ATA. The input signals may include read and write requests from the host computer  22 . A data input and output path  24  which includes servo components  26  is provided between the controller  18  and the storage medium  12 .  
         [0019]      FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate silicon slider bodies  28  that have been separated from each other but that may remain on a silicon wafer support carrier  30 , whose outline is schematically shown in  FIG. 2  for illustration. In some implementations, the slider bodies  28  are established using a dry etch such as deep reactive ion etching (DRIE), although the methods below for smoothing the slider bodies are not limited by how, precisely, the bodies are initially formed. In any case, some residual roughness  32  remains on various surfaces of the bodies  28  post-DRIE.  
         [0020]     With greater specificity,  FIG. 3  shows that each slider body  28  can define a respective ABS  34  and opposed to the ABS  34  a flex surface  36 . Bounding these surfaces and orthogonal thereto are opposed surfaces SW 1   38  and SW 2   40 . Residual roughness may be equally formed on all of these surfaces.  
         [0021]     Additionally, each slider body  28  may have deposited thereon an overcoat material  42  that may be, e.g., SiO 2  in accordance with principles known in the art. Also, gold-coated stud material  44  may be included on each slider body  28  for electrical connectivity purposes known in the art. As understood herein, it is preferable not to damage the overcoat material  42  or gold stud material  44  when smoothing the surfaces  34 - 40  of the slider body  28 .  
         [0022]     The etchant for smoothing the surfaces above preferably is isotropic, (i.e., it etches at essentially the same rate in all directions). The etchant preferably includes the element Fluorine which preferentially reacts with silicon but not with overcoat material (such as SiO 2 ) or gold.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a process that uses a gaseous etchant, preferably XeF 2 . The gas etchant preferentially etches silicon with respect to the overcoat material  42  and gold stud material  44  by a factor of, e.g., one hundred or more.  
         [0024]     Commencing at block  46 , the slider bodies  28  are formed on the wafer in accordance with principles known in the art. For example, the bodies  28  can be formed using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) principles, and the bodies can be made of silicon. Then, at block  48 , preferably with the slider bodies  28  still on the wafer, the wafer is disposed on a chuck in a vacuum chamber. The chuck may be slightly heated to assist in desorbing water and to prevent condensation of the gas etchant.  
         [0025]     At block  50 , the chamber is evacuated and then the etchant gas is introduced into the chamber, preferably at a temperature slightly above room temperature. At this point, the isotropic etching process occurs, wherein particles and protrusions are removed from the sides  34 - 40  of the slider bodies  28 , producing Xe and SiF 4  etch products. At block  52  the gas with etch products is evacuated from the chamber, and in some implementations the above etch-evacuate cycle is repeated at block  54  with fresh etchant gas each time, for more complete etching. Upon completion of the etch, the wafer is removed from the vacuum chamber. The silicon bodies  28  subsequently are removed from the wafer.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows that alternatively, a wet etch can be used. At block  56  areas of the slider bodies that are not to be etched are protected by mask principles known in the art. For example, SiO2 overcoat and gold stud material may be protected by masking. Then, at block  58  the wafer with silicon bodies  28  is disposed in an aqueous solution that includes, e.g., NH 4 F etchant, which causes particles and protrusions on the sides  34 - 40  of the silicon bodies  28  to be removed. At block  60  the wafer is removed from the aqueous solution and the slider bodies  28  are rinsed to remove residual etchant. Subsequently, the bodies  28  are removed from the wafer.  
         [0027]     While the particular POST-PARTING ETCH TO SMOOTH SILICON SLIDERS as herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the above-described objects of the invention, it is to be understood that it is the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and is thus representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention, that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more”. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited as a “step” instead of an “act”. Absent express definitions herein, claim terms are to be given all ordinary and accustomed meanings that are not irreconciliable with the present specification and file history.