TRENDS AND PROCESS C ONSIDERATIONS FOR MAKING NEW GENERATIONS OF HARD DISC DRIVE RECORDING HEADS (A SINGLE TURN PERPENDICULAR ALTERNATIVE)

摘要

This paper reviews issues leading to technology changes in magnetic recording heads. Magnetic recording systems balance three competing needs: (1) signal-to-noise, (2) thermal stability, and (3) the ability to write magnetic transitions on high coercivity media. In this paper particular attention is paid to write issues with a design and processes for a single turn perpendicular write head. The use of chemical mechanical polish (CMP) and electron beam lithography were key ingredients leading to successful magnetic recording head fabrication. A CMP process was developed to planarize copper, nickel iron, and alumina to a planar even interface, forming a single coil with a self-aligned process. The fabricated head was demonstrated to have an extremely fast response and a recording density of up to 93 Gb/in~2, limited by perpendicular media noise.