Near field transducers including electrodeposited plasmonic materials and methods of forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015256-B2
Application number	US-201816160671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

Methods of forming near field transducers (NFTs) including electrodepositing a plasmonic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a lollipop type near field transducer (NFT),
the method comprising the steps:
electrodepositing a sheet of a first plasmonic material the first plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof;
forming a photoresist mask, the photoresist mask forming at least one opening;
electrodepositing a second plasmonic material at least in the at least one opening of the photoresist mask, the second plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof;
electrodepositing a third material after the second plasmonic material is deposited in the at least one opening of the photoresist mask, the third material selected from: rhodium (Rh), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), ruthenium (Ru), titanium (Ti), and titanium nitride (TiN);
removing the photoresist mask; and
forming a rod, wherein the rod is formed from at least a portion of the first plasmonic material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second plasmonic materials are the same.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising depositing a seed layer before the sheet of the first plasmonic material is deposited.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the rod comprises photolithography.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing unwanted material after formation of the rod to obtain a NFT comprising the rod and associated disc.

6. A method of forming a lollipop type near field transducer (NFT), the method comprising the steps:
electrodepositing a sheet of a first plasmonic material the first plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof;
forming a photoresist mask, the photoresist mask forming at least one opening;
electrodepositing a second plasmonic material at least in the at least one opening of the photoresist mask, wherein the second plasmonic material does not entirely fill the at least one opening and the second plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof;
depositing a diffusion barrier material on the second plasmonic material in at least the at least one opening the diffusion barrier material selected from: rhodium (Rh), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), ruthenium (Ru), titanium (Ti), and titanium nitride (TiN);
removing the photoresist mask; and
forming a rod, wherein the rod is formed from at least a portion of the first plasmonic material.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the diffusion barrier material is electrodeposited.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the diffusion barrier material is vacuum deposited.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein forming the rod comprises photolithography.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Lee Lien
• Gong Jie
• Venkatasamy Venkatram
• Zhao Yongjun
• Zou Lijuan
• Hong Dongsung
• Tabakovic Ibro
• Ostrowski Mark

Classifications

• C25D7/00

  Electroplating characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• C25D5/627

  Electroplating characterised by the visual appearance of the layers, e.g. colour, brightness or mat appearance · CPC title

• C25D5/617

  Crystalline layers · CPC title

• C25D5/10

  Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals (for bearings C25D7/10) · CPC title

• C25D1/003

  3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers · CPC title