DocumentCode :
764051
Title :
Nano Processing Strategies for MR Sensor Read Width and Stripe Height Formation
Author :
Cyrille, Arie-Claire ; Dill, Frederick ; Li, Jay ; Fontana, Robert ; Pinarbasi, Mustafa ; Baer, Amanda ; Katine, Jordan ; Driskill-Smith, Alexander ; Jayasekara, Wipul ; Mauri, Daniele ; Ho, Michael ; Mackay, Kenneth ; Tsang, Ching
Author_Institution :
Hitachi Global Storage Technol., San Jose, CA
Volume :
42
Issue :
10
fYear :
2006
Firstpage :
2434
Lastpage :
2437
Abstract :
As the areal density of magnetic recording increases well beyond 100 Gb/in2, the critical dimensions of recording heads continue to shrink at a rate of 15%-30% per year. Read sensors with 100 nm physical read widths are being routinely fabricated using undercut resist images and solvent-based liftoff processes. However, because standard liftoff processes using undercut photoresist images have reached their limits and cannot be performed reliably below 100 nm, sensor stabilization with a hard magnet contiguous junction is compromised because of induced variations in junction profile and hard magnet geometry. Furthermore, poor liftoff can induce fencing and excessive read gap topography leading to side reading and poor sensor performance. An alternative sensor patterning approach is proposed based on chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and no-undercut resist images to define the read sensors critical dimensions. Ultra-narrow giant magnetoresistive (GMR) read heads have been successfully fabricated with physical read widths in the 20-80 nm range and using various sensor designs: Current in-plane (CIP) GMR, current perpendicular to the plane (CPP) GMR, and CPP tunnel magnetoresistive (CPP-TMR) sensors
Keywords :
chemical mechanical polishing; giant magnetoresistance; magnetic heads; magnetic sensors; magnetoresistive devices; nanotechnology; perpendicular magnetic recording; photoresists; tunnelling magnetoresistance; 100 nm; 20 to 80 nm; CPP tunnel magnetoresistive sensors; chemical mechanical polishing; current in-plane GMR; current perpendicular to the plane GMR; giant magnetoresistive read heads; hard magnet contiguous junction; hard magnet geometry; junction profile; magnetic recording; nanoprocessing strategies; read gap topography; read sensors; recording heads; sensor patterning approach; sensor stabilization; solvent-based liftoff processes; undercut resist images; Chemical sensors; Giant magnetoresistance; Image sensors; Magnetic heads; Magnetic recording; Magnetic sensors; Mechanical sensors; Perpendicular magnetic recording; Resists; Tunneling magnetoresistance; Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP); magnetic recording; narrow track read heads;
fLanguage :
English
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
Publisher :
ieee
ISSN :
0018-9464
Type :
jour
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2006.878696
Filename :
1704323
Link To Document :
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