Resist Reactive Ion Etch (RIE) Process for Plating

Abstract

A magnetic write head has a plated coil with narrow pitch and is suitable for writing at high frequencies on magnetic media with high coercivity. The narrow pitch is obtained without such disadvantages as overplating that has adversely affected prior art attempts to produce such narrow pitches. The process that produces the magnetic write head is characterized by an RIE plasma etch using O 2 /N 2 to etch plating trenches into a baked layer of photoresist with the ratio of gases being 5/45 sccm so that a dilute O 2 concentration does not create unwanted side etching of the plating trenches. In addition, a Cu seed layer is coated with an insulating layer of Al 2 O 3 which redeposits on the trench sidewalls to inhibit redeposition of any Cu from the seed layer and prevent outward growth of the plated Cu that would result in overplating.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A magnetic write head comprising:
 an underlayer;   a plated conducting coil formed on that underlayer, wherein that plated conducting coil has a pitch that is approximately 0.6μ and shows no evidence of overplating.   
     
     
         2 . The write head of  claim 1  wherein said plated conducting coil is formed of Cu. 
     
     
         3 . The write head of  claim 1  wherein said plated coil is a spirally wound coil formed in a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         4 . The write head of  claim 1  further including a magnetic pole structure capable of being energized by said plated coil wherein said narrow pitch of said plated coil allows said pole structure to be characterized by a short flux path and results in high frequency writing. 
     
     
         5 . The write head of  claim 4  further including a TAMR (thermal assisted magnetic writing) apparatus capable of reducing the coercivity of a magnetic recording medium whereby said high frequency writing is effectively applied.