Methods of forming portions of near field transducers (NFTS) and articles formed thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424324-B2
Application number	US-201715837423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

Methods that include forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure; depositing a material onto at least one surface of the portion of the NFT to form a metal containing layer; and subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT; and devices formed thereby.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure;
depositing a material onto at least one surface of the portion of the NFT structure to form a metal containing layer, the metal containing layer having a thickness of not more than 10 nanometers;
subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT structure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion comprises annealing.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the annealing comprises oven annealing or laser annealing.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the annealing comprises heating the metal containing layer to at least about 100° C.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion comprises applying an electrical bias to the NFT structure and wherein the step of depositing and applying the electrical bias to the NFT structure are undertaken simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the electrical bias is from about 200 V to about 1000 V.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal containing layer comprises Cr, Sn, Pt, Y, Pd, Mn, Cu, In, Ni, Pd, Al, Ti, Ta, or combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal containing layer comprises at least two layers.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the metal containing includes an outer layer comprising Si, Ta, Al, Mn, Y, Cr, or combinations thereof.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising oxidizing at least a portion of the outer layer.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising removing some portion of the metal containing layer from the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT structure.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of removing some portion of the metal containing layer is accomplished with plasma etching, or ion milling.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein not more than about 0.5 nanometers of the metal containing layer remains on the surface of the NFT structure.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising depositing an overcoat material after some portion of the metal containing layer has been removed.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising removing a portion of the metal containing layer before subjecting it to conditions to cause it to diffuse.

16. A method comprising:
forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure;
depositing a material onto at least an air bearing surface of the NFT structure to form a metal containing layer;
subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT;
removing at least a portion of the metal containing layer; and
applying an overcoat layer.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising oxidizing at least a portion of the metal containing layer after subjecting it to diffusion causing conditions.

18. A method comprising:
forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure;
depositing a material onto at least an air bearing surface of the NFT structure to form a metal containing layer;
removing a portion of the metal containing layer not on the air bearing surface of the NFT structure;
subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT structure;
removing at least a portion of the metal containing layer; and
applying an overcoat layer.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising oxidizing at least a portion of the metal containing layer after subjecting it to diffusion causing conditions.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the step of subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion comprises annealing.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Cheng Yuhang
• Antrazi Sami
• Seigler Michael
• Franzen Scott
• Pitcher Philip G
• Rejda Edwin F
• Wierman Kurt W

Classifications

• G11B5/314 Primary

  where the layers are extra layers normally not provided in the transducing structure, e.g. optical layers (G11B5/3196 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/3116

  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 title

• G11B5/3133 Primary

  including layers not usually being a part of the electromagnetic transducer structure and providing additional features, e.g. for improving heat radiation, reduction of power dissipation, adaptations for measurement or indication of gap depth or other properties of the structure (G11B5/3106 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/3163

  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 title

• G11B5/313

  Disposition of layers · CPC title