Yi Te Zheng

US Patent:

20140353276, Dec 4, 2014

Filed:

May 31, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/907617

Inventors:

- Amsterdam, NL
Hicham Moulay SOUGRATI - Elk Grove CA, US
Yi ZHENG - San Ramon CA, US

Assignee:

HGST NETHERLANDS B.V. - AMSTERDAM

International Classification:

G11B 5/127

US Classification:

216 22

Abstract:

The present invention generally relates to methods for forming a sensor structure utilizing a shallow and narrow hard mask stencil. In one embodiment, a sensor structure is formed by utilizing a four-layered hard mask stencil. The four-layered hard mask stencil includes a first mask layer, a second mask layer disposed over the first hard mask, a third mask layer disposed over the second mask layer, and a forth mask layer disposed over the third mask layer. In another embodiment, a sensor structure is formed by utilizing a three-layered hard mask stencil. The three-layered hard mask stencil includes a first mask layer, a second mask layer disposed over the first mask layer, and a third mask layer disposed over the second mask layer. The sensor structure is formed with a two-step chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process.