Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Head – Magnetoresistive reproducing head
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2004-01-13
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Head
Magnetoresistive reproducing head
C360S125330
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678125
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to soft ferromagnetic films and to fabrication processes for manufacturing such films.
2. Description of the Prior Art
By way of background, soft ferromagnetic films are used for a variety of applications where film magnetization switching speed determines device performance. Examples include thin film inductors for RF and microwave circuits, magnetic random access memory arrays (MRAM), and magnetic recording. With respect to the latter category, the issue of fast magnetic switching speed becomes critical in designing write heads capable of operating at high data rates. In particular, the data writing process is enabled by guiding magnetic flux in the yoke portion of the write head to the pole tips of the head. The speed at which the magnetization direction of the pole tips can be reversed sets the limit for the speed of magnetic recording.
FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate the geometry of a conventional integrated read/write head. The head includes a pair of soft ferromagnetic film layers P
1
and P
2
that extend from a back gap area BG to an ABS (Air Bearing Surface). There, the P
1
and P
2
layers respectively form pole tips PT
1
and PT
2
. The pole tips are separated by an insulative gap layer G
3
that defines the head's write gap. An electromagnetic coil structure C is sandwiched between the P
1
and P
2
layers to define the yoke portion of the head. The yoke extends from the back gap BG to the pole tips PT
1
and PT
2
. Insulative layers I
1
, I
2
and I
3
electrically insulate the coil structure C from the P
1
and P
2
layers. The read portion of the read/write head of
FIGS. 1 and 2
lies between a pair of shield layers S
1
and S
2
. Note that the S
2
layer is the same layer that forms the P
1
layer. This is known as a “merged” design. The S
2
and P
1
layers can also be formed separately in what is known as a “piggyback” configuration. Located between the S
1
and S
2
layers is a pair of insulative G
1
and G
2
gap layers. A read sensor S is located between the G
1
and G
2
layers at the ABS.
The coil C is electrically driven by a pair of electrical leads E
1
and E
2
. During write operations, electrical current passing through the coil generates a magnetic field that induces a magnetic flux in the P
1
and P
2
layers. As shown in
FIG. 3
, this magnetic flux propagates from the yoke to the pole tips PT
1
and PT
2
, where it fringes across the G
3
gap layer. This will cause a magnetic domain to be formed on an underlying magnetic recording medium. The orientation of the recorded magnetic domain is dependent on the magnetization direction of the pole tips PT
1
and PT
2
, which in turn is determined by the direction of the electrical current passing through the coil C. Reversing the coil's electrical current reverses the magnetization direction of the pole tips PT
1
and PT
2
, and consequently reverses the orientation of the next recorded magnetic domain. This magnetization reversal process is used to encode binary data on the recording medium.
Extensive studies have shown that flux propagation and magnetization reversal in a soft ferromagnetic film are greatly influenced by the intrinsic magnetic properties of the film. More specifically, it is known that to achieve fast magnetic flux propagation and magnetization reversal, the magnetic domains in the film must be aligned such that the domain walls (representing the easy axis of magnetization) are perpendicular to the direction of magnetic flux propagation. In a magnetic write head application, this means that the easy axis must be parallel to the ABS. Head manufacturers strive to create this desirable orientation of magnetic domains by applying a large magnetic field (e.g., about 1500 Oe (Oersteds)) during the formation of the P
1
and P
2
film layers. The applied field is shown in
FIG. 4
by way of reference letter “H.” The direction of the H field is parallel to the ABS and away from the reader. In theory, when the P
1
and P
2
layers are formed, their magnetic domains should be aligned in the direction of the H field, which sets the easy axis of the PT
1
and PT
2
pole tips.
Even though the desired properties of soft ferromagnetic films are known, achieving them given existing constraints on saturation moment, permeability, ability to mass manufacture, and other factors, is difficult in practice. Applicants have observed that one of the limiting factors on fast magnetic switching speed is mechanical stress in the film in combination with high magnetostriction. Even though the stress distribution in a full film may be isotropic, when the film is patterned during fabrication, the stress distribution in the area near the edges of the patterned structure tends to become anisotropic. If the film has high positive or negative magnetostriction, the anisotropic stress distribution translates to magnetic anisotropy depending on whether the film's intrinsic stress is tensile or compressive. In particular, Applicant's have observed that undesirable magnetic anisotropy develops under the following conditions: (1) positive magnetostriction coupled with intrinsic tensile stress, and (2) negative magnetostriction coupled with intrinsic compressive stress. Patterning under these conditions causes the magnetic domains to realign the film's easy axis in a direction that, for practical cases, tends to be generally parallel to the direction of flux propagation. When a patterned soft ferromagnetic film has high aspect ratio (area to perimeter), as is the case in the pole tips of a write head yoke designed for magnetic recording, this effect becomes dominant.
FIGS.
5
(
a
) and
5
(
b
) illustrate this phenomenon relative to a P
1
or P
2
yoke/pole tip structure. FIG.
5
(
a
) shows the soft ferromagnetic film prior to patterning. The film's easy axis is shown by the double-headed arrow. Assume that the arrow is aligned parallel to the direction of the ABS to be subsequently formed. FIG.
5
(
b
) shows the same film after patterning to create the yoke/pole tip structure. The single-headed arrows show the orientation of the magnetic domains, and thus represent the easy axis direction at various locations in the structure. Note that the edge stress anisotropy has changed the easy axis direction parallel to the edges. In the pole tip portion of the structure, the easy axis is predominantly perpendicular to the ABS.
Most soft ferromagnetic films used for magnetic write head yoke structures are electroplated. This process tends to produce tensile stress in the full film. Patterning of such films typically results in the formation of 2-10 um wide regions with high stress anisotropy near the edges. This is due to the fact that an edge cannot react tensile forces perpendicularly thereto, such that there is stress relief in that direction in the immediate vicinity of the edge. On the other hand, tensile forces parallel to the edge can be reacted, and there will be no stress relief in that direction. A positive stress anisotropy condition thus develops.
FIG.
6
(
a
) shows a simulated stress distribution for a soft ferromagnetic film formed using a conventional electroplating process, followed by patterning. The x axis shows distance from the center of the film (x=0) measured in microns (&mgr;m). The y axis shows stress anisotropy measured in Mega-Pascals (MPa). The stress anisotropy represents the maximum stress differential along two mutually orthogonal directions in the film. A stress anisotropy value of zero signifies that the stress level is the same in all directions. A positive stress anisotropy value means that the stress differential is positive. A negative stress anisotropy value means that the stress differential is negative. FIG.
6
(
a
) shows that there is zero stress anisotropy throughout the central region of the patterned film. The positive stress anisotropy on each side of the graph of FIG.
6
(
a
) represents a positive stress differential at the edges of the patterned film due to the tensil
McCord Jeffrey Gregory
Nikitin Vladimir
Ramasubramanian Murali
Duft Walter W.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Ometz David L.
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