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| Lithographic processes are used in creating
features in magnetic read/write heads, similar to integrated
circuit (IC) processing. Historically narrower lines have allowed
the increases in performance of microprocessors as well as increases
in the number of circuits per chip resulting in increased storage
capacities of DRAM chips. Similarly, HDD heads with narrower
critical features have been able to write and subsequently read
progressively smaller bit areas and this has been one principal
factor in areal density increases in disk drive designs. The
parameter P2w is the width of the write pole and is a factor
in determining track width; GMRw is the length of a GMR sensor
and determines the GMR element sensitivity to progressively
narrower tracks and bit widths. Both GMR heads and semiconductor
IC requirements for lithography are converging and, in fact,
these requirements for the latter part of this decade should
be nearly identical. This suggests new challenges in processing
very narrow lines, well below 100 nm, including new structures
for GMR Read/write heads, and also suggests exposure equipment
will be required to migrate from today's UV liuthography to
e-beam lithography for critical head and IC features in the
future. |
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