Method for fabricating a magnetic recording device having a high aspect ratio structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530443-B1
Application number	US-201514750239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method provides a magnetic write apparatus on a substrate. A mask is provided on a substrate. The mask has a trench therein. The trench has a top, a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the top and the bottom of the trench. The top of the trench is wider than the bottom. A protective layer is provided in the trench. The protective layer extends from the top of the trench along a first portion of the plurality of sidewalls such that the bottom of the trench and a second portion of the plurality of sidewalls are free of the protective layer. The structure is provided in a remaining portion of the trench.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for fabricating a magnetic apparatus comprising:
providing a mask on a substrate, the mask having a trench therein, the trench having a top, a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the top and the bottom of the trench, the top of the trench being wider than the bottom;
providing a protective layer in the trench, the protective layer extending from the top of the trench along a first portion of the plurality of sidewalls such that the bottom of the trench and a second portion of the plurality of sidewalls are free of the protective layer; and
providing a structure in a remaining portion of the trench.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the mask further includes:
depositing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer on the substrate;
providing a photoresist layer on the BARC layer;
selectively exposing a portion of the photoresist layer to light; and
removing a portion of the photoresist layer, a remaining portion of the photoresist layer forming the mask.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of providing the protective layer further includes:
blanket depositing a protective layer film, a first portion of the protective layer film residing in the trench, a second portion of the protective layer film residing on the mask; and
performing an anisotropic etch such that a portion of the BARC layer exposed at the bottom of the trench and at least the second portion of the protective layer film are removed.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of providing the protective layer further includes:
blanket depositing a protective layer film, a first portion of the protective layer film residing in the trench, a second portion of the protective layer film residing on the mask; and
performing an anisotropic etch such that a portion of the BARC layer exposed at the bottom of the trench and at least the second portion of the protective layer film are removed.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the anisotropic etch step removes a third portion of the protective layer film within the trench such that the remaining portion of the trench has substantially vertical sidewalls.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the structure is a pole.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetic apparatus is a heat assisted magnetic recording transducer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the trench has a height and the bottom has a width, the height divided by the width being at least four.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the height divided by the width is at least five.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the mask has a thickness of at least one micron and the bottom of the trench is not more than two hundred nanometers wide.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the protective layer includes amorphous carbon.

12. A method for fabricating a magnetic write apparatus comprising:
depositing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer on a substrate;
providing a photoresist layer on the BARC layer, the BARC layer comprising amorphous carbon;
selectively exposing a portion of the photoresist layer to light;
removing a portion of the photoresist layer, a remaining portion of the photoresist layer forming a photoresist mask having a trench therein, the trench having a top, a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the top and the bottom of the trench, the top of the trench being wider than the bottom, the photoresist mask being at least one micron thick, the bottom of the trench having a width of not more than two hundred nanometers;
blanket depositing a protective layer film, a first portion of the protective layer film residing in the trench, a second portion of the protective layer film residing on the photoresist mask, the protective layer film consisting of amorphous carbon; and
performing an anisotropic etch such that a portion of the BARC layer exposed at the bottom of the trench and at least the second portion of the protective layer film are removed, a remaining portion of the protective layer film forming a protective layer in the trench, the protective layer extending from the top of the trench along a first portion of the plurality of sidewalls such that the bottom of the trench and a second portion of the plurality of sidewalls are free of the protective layer, a remaining portion of the trench having sidewall that are substantially linear and perpendicular to the bottom; and
providing a pole in the remaining portion of the trench.

Assignees

• Western Digital (Fremont) Llc

Inventors

• He Li
• Zhou Jikou
• Yi Ge
• Wan Dujiang
• Wang Fujian

Classifications

• G11B5/1278 Primary

  specially adapted for magnetisations perpendicular to the surface of the record carrier · CPC title

• G11B5/1475

  Assembling or shaping of elements (G11B5/153 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/3173

  Batch fabrication, i.e. producing a plurality of head structures in one batch · CPC title

• G11B5/6082 Primary

  Design of the air bearing surface · 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