Claims
- 1. A method of forming a narrow writer pole of a write element, the method comprising steps of:
(a) forming a non-magnetic layer; (b) forming a writer pole portion on the non-magnetic layer having first and second side walls which define a width of a magnetically active region, the width of the magnetically active region defining a track width of the write element; and (c) transforming the first side wall into a magnetically dead side wall thereby reducing the width of the magnetically active region and the track width of the write element by a thickness of the magnetically dead first side wall.
- 2. The method of claim 1, including a step (d) of transforming the second side wall into a magnetically dead side wall thereby further reducing the width of the magnetically active region and the track width of the write element by a thickness of the magnetically dead second side wall.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming step (b) is performed in accordance with at least one process selected from a group consisting of sputter deposition, photolithography, etching, milling, and electroplating.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming step (c) is performed in accordance with at least one process selected from a group consisting of irradiation and ion implantation.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein an element used in ion implantation is selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, argon, boron, phosphorous, and gallium.
- 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the transforming steps (c) and (d) are performed in accordance with at least one process selected from a group consisting of irradiation and ion implantation.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein an element used in ion implantation is selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, argon, boron, phosphorous, and gallium.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming step (b) includes:
(b)(1) forming photoresist dams on the non-magnetic layer; (b)(2) forming the writer pole portion between the photoresist dams; and (b)(3) removing the photoresist dams.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the writer pole is either a top pole or a bottom pole of the write element.
- 10. A write element comprising:
a return pole; a writer gap layer adjacent the return pole; and a writer pole separated from the return pole by the writer gap layer and having a width and a magnetically active region adjoining a first magnetically dead side wall; wherein the magnetically active region defines a width of the write element, which is less than a width of the writer pole.
- 11. The write element of claim 10, including a second magnetically dead side wall opposite the first magnetically dead side wall and having a thickness, whereby the width of the write element is the width of the writer pole less the thicknesses of the first and second magnetically dead side walls.
- 12. The write element of claim 10, wherein the first magnetically dead side wall is formed of a magnetic material implanted with an element selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, argon, boron, phosphorous, and gallium.
- 13. The write element of claim 11, wherein the first and second magnetically dead side walls are formed of a magnetic material implanted with an element selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, argon, boron, phosphorous, and gallium.
- 14. The write element of claim 10, wherein the writer pole is either a bottom pole or a top pole.
- 15. A disc drive storage system including the write element of claim 10.
- 16. A write element comprising:
a writer gap layer formed adjacent a return pole; a writer pole formed adjacent the writer gap layer opposite the return pole and having an active region whose width defines a width of the write element; and an active region reducing means for reducing the width of the active region without reducing a width of the writer pole.
- 17. The write element of claim 16, wherein the active region reducing means includes at least one magnetically dead side wall adjoining the active region.
- 18. The write element of claim 17, wherein the magnetically dead side wall is formed of a magnetic material implanted with an element selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, argon, boron, phosphorous, and gallium.
- 19. A disc drive storage system including the write element of claim 16.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/305,685, filed on Jul. 16, 2001 for inventors William J. O'Kane and Brian L. Kelly and entitled “TOP POLE TRACK WIDTH CONTROL VIA ION IMPLANTATION.”
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60305685 |
Jul 2001 |
US |