HDD pattern implant system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685186-B2
Application number	US-70389710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2010
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for forming substrates having magnetically patterned surfaces is provided. A magnetic layer comprising one or more materials having magnetic properties is formed on a substrate. The magnetic layer is subjected to a patterning process in which selected portions of the surface of the magnetic layer are altered such that the altered portions have different magnetic properties from the non-altered portions without changing the topography of the substrate. A protective layer and a lubricant layer are deposited over the patterned magnetic layer. The patterning is accomplished through a number of processes that expose substrates to energy of varying forms. Apparatus and methods disclosed herein enable processing of two major surfaces of a substrate simultaneously, or sequentially by flipping. In some embodiments, magnetic properties of the substrate surface may be uniformly altered by plasma exposure and then selectively restored by exposure to patterned energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing magnetic substrates, comprising:
a processing chamber;
a substrate support platter disposed in an interior of the processing chamber, the substrate support platter comprising a plurality of laterally displaced substrate locations;
means for flipping substrates to enable exposing at least two major surfaces of each substrate to a processing environment in the processing chamber; and
means for modifying the magnetic properties of the at least two major surfaces of each substrate by exposing the surfaces to plasma ion implantation in the processing chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stage adjacent to the processing chamber; and
a substrate loader coupled to the stage and the processing chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the substrate loader comprises a robot that rotates each substrate about an axis parallel to a diameter of the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the means for flipping substrates comprises a robot that rotates each substrate about an axis parallel to a diameter of the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber is a plasma immersion ion implantation chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises an external plasma source.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises a circulating plasma source.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises two circulating plasma sources.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support platter is removable through an opening in a wall of the processing chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties of the at least two major surfaces of each substrate comprises an inductive plasma source.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the two major surfaces of each substrate are exposed to the inductive plasma source sequentially.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the inductive plasma source is a circulating plasma source.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the substrate support platter is removable through an opening in a wall of the processing chamber.

14. An apparatus for processing magnetic substrates, comprising:
a processing chamber;
a removable substrate support platter comprising a plurality of laterally displaced substrate locations provided thereon;
means for flipping substrates to enable exposing at least two major surfaces of each substrate to a processing environment in the processing chamber; and
means for modifying the magnetic properties of the at least two major surfaces of each substrate by exposing the surfaces to a circulating plasma.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises an external plasma source.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the substrate support platter can pass through an opening in a wall of the chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises an inductive plasma source.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the means for modifying the magnetic properties comprises two external inductive plasma sources.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the substrate support platter can pass through an opening in a wall of the chamber.

Assignees

• Foad Majeed A
• Newman Jacob
• Marin Jose Antonio
• Hoffman Daniel J
• Moffatt Stephen
• Verhaverbeke Steven
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Foad Majeed A
• Newman Jacob
• Marin Jose Antonio
• Hoffman Daniel J
• Moffatt Stephen
• Verhaverbeke Steven

Classifications

• H10P72/76

  using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches · CPC title

• H10P72/30

  for conveying, e.g. between different workstations · CPC title

• H10P72/10

  using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] · CPC title

• G11B5/855

  Coating only part of a support with a magnetic layer · CPC title

• G11B5/84

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing record carriers · CPC title