JPH11271954A - Mask for exposure and etching method using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a mask for exposure formed so that plural etching patterns can be accurately exposed at the surface of a resist layer formed on an etching surface at the same time according to warp in the direction of the etching surface and an etching method using this mask for exposure. SOLUTION: The warp deformation amount of the surface 5 of a slider bar 1 opposed to a recording medium is S1. According to the deformation amount S1, the patterns for exposure 7 of the mask for exposure 6 are arranged by being deviated in a direction Y1 and in a direction Y2. Thus, alignment accuracy can be enhanced. Besides, the plural floating-surface etching patterns can be accurately exposed at the surface of resist liquid applied to the opposed surface 5 at the same time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure mask used for simultaneously exposing a plurality of air bearing surface etching patterns to a resist layer surface applied on a surface of a slider bar facing a recording medium, for example. In particular, the present invention relates to an exposure mask capable of exposing a flying surface etching pattern at a predetermined position even when the slider bar is warped, and an etching method using the exposure mask.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a magnetic head device mounted on a hard disk device or the like, a slider is attached to a tip of a gimbal formed of a leaf spring material, and a thin film having a recording and reproducing function is provided at an end of the slider. An element has been deposited. The slider has an air bearing surface, that is, an ABS surface, formed on a surface facing the recording medium, and the slider floats above the recording medium by utilizing an air flow flowing on the surface of the recording medium. Then, in a state where the slider floats above the recording medium, the thin film element provided on the slider
Recording or reproduction is performed on the recording medium.

In order to manufacture the slider, first, a ceramic material is formed in a circular shape, and a plurality of thin film elements are formed in parallel on the ceramic material by sputtering. Further, a protective layer for protecting the thin film element is formed on the ceramic material by sputtering.
Then, the ceramic material is cut into slices, and each cut ceramic material becomes the slider bar 10 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the slider bar 10 has an elongated shape, and a plurality of thin film elements 12 are formed on a side surface (trailing side end surface) 11 of the slider bar 10. . Next, by holding both ends of the slider bar 10 or the like, the above-mentioned floating surface (ABS surface) is pattern-formed on the surface 13 of the slider bar 10 facing the recording medium.

In order to form the floating surface, first, a photosensitive resist solution is applied on the surface 13 of the slider bar 10 facing the recording medium. Next, a plurality of air bearing surface etching patterns are exposed on the resist layer formed on the facing surface 13.

There are several methods for exposing the air bearing surface etching pattern on the surface of the resist layer. Among them, there is a method called a collective exposure method. A plurality of exposure patterns are previously formed on a straight line on an exposure mask (reticle) used in the batch exposure method.

The exposure mask on which the exposure pattern is formed is aligned with the facing surface 13 of the slider bar 10 on which the exposure pattern is to be formed, and a resist layer formed on the facing surface 13 is formed. The surface is exposed to a flying surface etching pattern. And after exposure, development processing,
Then, a plurality of floating surfaces are formed at predetermined positions on the facing surface 13 by performing an etching process. The slider bar 10 having the floating surface formed on the facing surface 13 in this manner is cut into individual sliders.

[0008]

As described above, in order to manufacture a slider to be mounted on a magnetic head device, first, a plurality of thin film elements or the thin film elements are formed on a circular ceramic material by sputtering. A protective layer for protecting the thin film element is formed, and the ceramic material is cut into an elongated slider bar 10 as shown in FIG. However, since the layers constituting the thin film element 12 and the protective layer are formed on the ceramic material by sputtering, a compressive stress acts on the inside of the layer formed on the ceramic material. .

When the ceramic material is cut into individual slider bars 10 in such a state, the thin film element 12 and the protective layer formed on the trailing side end face 11 shown in FIG. In order to extend, the trailing side end face 11 is deformed in a protruding direction as shown in FIG. That is, the slider bar 10 on which the thin film element 12 is formed on the trailing side end face 11 is not a rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIG.
Are warped in the protruding direction.

In such a state, the slider bar 10
When a photosensitive resist solution is applied on the surface 13 facing the recording medium, and the surface of the resist layer on the surface 13 is exposed to the air-bearing surface etching pattern, as shown in FIG. Because the exposure pattern 15 on the air bearing surface is arranged in a straight line on the exposure mask 14 of
When the exposure pattern 15 of the exposure mask 14 and the facing surface 13 of the slider bar 10 are aligned, the exposure pattern 15 is misaligned from a predetermined position to be formed on the facing surface 13. Will be done.

In FIG. 4, the exposure pattern 15 formed at both ends and the exposure pattern 15 near the center are:
Even if the position is greatly shifted from a predetermined position to be formed on the opposing surface 13 and exposure is performed in such a state, the surface of the resist layer formed on the opposing surface 13 has an accurate position. Cannot expose the air bearing surface etching pattern. For this reason, a slider with extremely low positioning accuracy of the air bearing surface (ABS surface) is easily manufactured, which causes an increase in the defect rate.

In particular, recently, as the recording density has been increased, the size of the slider has been reduced, so that the size of the slider bar 10 has also been reduced, and the trailing side end surface 11 of the slider bar 10 has a tendency to warp. Even if the amount of warpage of the trailing side end face 11 is very small, since the slider bar 10 itself is small in size, the exposure pattern 15 of the exposure mask 14 and the slider bar 10 face each other. A minute displacement from the surface 13 cannot be ignored.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a plurality of etching patterns are formed on a resist layer surface formed on the etching surface with high positional accuracy in accordance with the warpage in the etching surface direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure mask that can be exposed at the same time and an etching method using the exposure mask.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided an exposure mask for simultaneously exposing a plurality of etching patterns to a photosensitive resist layer formed on a substrate surface, the exposure mask comprising a plurality of exposure patterns corresponding to the etching patterns. The use pattern is formed so as to be shifted in advance in advance in accordance with the warpage of the substrate in the etching surface direction.

Specifically, the substrate has an elongated shape, and a plurality of etching patterns are exposed in a row in a longitudinal direction, and the exposure pattern is formed by warping in the etching surface direction of the substrate. Correspondingly, they are arranged on a curved line.

The present invention also relates to an etching method using the exposure mask, wherein a step of forming a photosensitive resist layer on the surface of the elongated substrate and a step of exposing the substrate in response to the warp in the etching surface direction of the substrate. A step of aligning an exposure mask in which a pattern is arranged on a curved line with respect to the substrate, and an etching pattern arranged corresponding to the warp on a photosensitive resist layer on the surface of the substrate via the exposure mask. Exposing, developing the photosensitive resist layer after exposure, and etching the substrate surface using an etching pattern of the resist layer left on the substrate surface. It is.

Further, according to the present invention, the etching step includes:
Forming a plurality of floating surfaces on the substrate surface, including a step of separating the elongated substrate after the etching step to form a magnetic head slider having a floating surface.

In the present invention, for example, when a plurality of etching patterns are simultaneously exposed on the surface of a resist layer formed on an elongated substrate by a batch exposure method, the exposure is performed in accordance with the warpage of the etching direction of the substrate. By shifting the exposure pattern formed on the mask, a plurality of accurate etching patterns can be simultaneously exposed at a predetermined position.

As a specific example, a flying surface (ABS surface) is formed on the surface of the slider mounted on the magnetic head device facing the recording medium. The shape of the slider is a so-called slider bar having an elongated shape. After forming a floating surface on the slider bar, the slider bar is cut into individual sliders.

The trailing end surface of the slider bar, which faces the side surface when viewed from the surface facing the recording medium, has a thin film element for recording / reproducing or a protective film before forming a floating surface on the facing surface. However, since these layers are formed by a sputtering method, they have a compressive stress. Therefore, the slider bar has its trailing end face warped in a protruding direction. It is deformed, and the facing surface is in a curved state.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when a photosensitive resist solution is applied on the opposite surface of the slider bar and a plurality of floating surface etching patterns are simultaneously exposed on the resist solution surface, the resist mask is formed on an exposure mask. The pattern for exposure is previously displaced so as to correspond to the warpage in the etching surface (opposing surface) direction.

In the case where the exposure pattern is formed in such a manner that the position of the exposure pattern is shifted in advance in accordance with the warpage in the etching surface direction, the alignment accuracy between the exposure mask and the opposing surface of the slider bar is adjusted. (Alignment accuracy) can be improved, and a plurality of floating surfaces can be simultaneously formed with high positional accuracy on the facing surface.

The exposure mask and the etching method of the present invention are not limited to the method of etching the floating surface of the slider bar, but can also be applied to the case of etching other semiconductor elements or other thin film elements. The substrate is not limited to an elongated shape, and may be any substrate as long as it warps in the direction of the etched surface.

[0024]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a slider bar having a floating surface formed on a surface facing a recording medium. The slider mounted on the magnetic head device is formed of a ceramic material, and a thin film element is formed on the trailing side end surface of the slider. The thin film element includes a reproducing MR head having a magnetoresistive element layer such as an AMR element and a spin-valve thin film element, and a recording inductive head formed by a magnetic material core and a coil. Things.

A support member such as a flexure or a load beam made of a leaf spring material is attached to the slider on the side opposite to the surface facing the recording medium (ABS surface; air bearing surface) to complete the magnetic head device. I do. The magnetic head device operates according to a CSS method or the like. When the recording medium starts sliding from a state where the slider is in contact with the recording medium, an air flow is guided between the slider and the surface of the recording medium. The flying surface (ABS surface) receives a floating force due to the airflow, and the slider flies above the surface of the recording medium.

In this floating state, recording or reproduction is performed on the recording medium by the thin film element provided on the trailing side end surface of the slider. By the way, FIG.
Shows the shape of a slider in a manufacturing process, and reference numeral 1 denotes a slider bar which is an elongated substrate.

A plurality of recording / reproducing thin film elements 2 are formed on the trailing end face 4 of the slider bar 1 in parallel in the longitudinal direction. The element 2 is made of, for example, Al ₂ O ₃ (alumina)
Covered by a protective layer. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the longitudinal direction of the surface 5 of the slider bar 1 facing the recording medium, a floating surface (ABS surface) 3 is formed in a pattern corresponding to the number of the thin film elements 2.

The slider bar 1 is cut from between the floating surfaces 3 formed on the facing surface 5, whereby a plurality of sliders are formed from the slider bar 1. FIG.
The slider bar 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG.
The thin-film element 2 and the protective layer (not shown) formed on the trailing-side end face 4 are subjected to a compressive stress.
Direction), and the opposing surface 5 of the slider bar 1 is in a curved state.

More specifically, in order to manufacture the slider bar 1 shown in FIG. 1, first, the thin film element 2 and the protective layer are sputtered on a circular ceramic material (base material of the slider). The film is formed by a method. At this time, the inside of the thin film element 2 and the protective layer formed by the sputtering method are:
Compressive stress is working.

Next, when the ceramic material is cut into slices, a slider bar 1 as an elongated substrate (at this time, the floating surface 3 shown in FIG. 1 is not formed) is obtained. In order that the thin-film element 2 and the protective layer under compressive stress tend to extend in the X1 and X2 directions shown in FIG. 1, the trailing side end face 4 is in the etching direction and in the projecting direction (Y direction). It warps and deforms. According to the present invention, even when the trailing end surface 4 of the slider bar 1 is warped in the protruding direction, a plurality of floating surfaces (ABS surfaces) are provided on the curved facing surface 5 of the slider bar 1.
3 is capable of forming a pattern with good positional accuracy and at the same time.

A method of forming a pattern on the floating surface 3 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the trailing end surface 4 of the slider bar 1 is warped and deformed in the protruding direction (Y1 direction), and the opposing surface 5 is curved. As shown in FIG. 2, the slider bar 1 has a length L1 and a width T1.
It is formed with. The warpage of the slider bar 1 is S1.

The slider bar 1 has both ends,
A photosensitive resist solution (not shown) is applied to a surface of the slider bar 1 facing the recording medium, which is held by a jig. The exposure apparatus used according to the present invention is of a so-called batch exposure type. A plurality of exposure patterns 7 are arranged in a line on an exposure mask (reticle) 6 in the exposure apparatus.

Conventionally, a plurality of exposure patterns 15 are arranged on a straight line as shown in FIG. 4, but in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the exposure patterns 7 are shifted in the Y1 and Y2 directions. It is arranged so as to be shifted and located on the curved line. The shift amount of the exposure pattern 7 in the Y1 and Y2 directions is determined according to the warpage deformation amount S1 of the slider bar 1.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, when the opposing surface 5 of the slider bar 1 and the exposure mask 6 are aligned, a plurality of exposure patterns 7 formed on the exposure mask 6 are formed. Are arranged on the curved line of the facing surface 5. After aligning the slider bar 1 with the exposure mask 6, the same floating surface as the exposure pattern 7 is formed on the surface of the resist layer formed on the facing surface 5 of the slider bar 1 via the exposure mask 6. An etching pattern (not shown) is exposed and transferred.

Then, by developing the resist layer, only the resist layer on the opposing surface 5 which becomes the air bearing surface 3 (see FIG. 1) is left, and the other resist layers are removed. The surface of the opposing surface 5 of the slider bar 1 is exposed at the portion where the resist liquid has been removed.

Next, the exposed opposing surface 5 is removed by dry etching or the like, and the resist layer remaining on the opposing surface 5 is removed by lift-off or the like. A plurality of floating surfaces 3 shown in FIG.
Are formed at the same time. Thereafter, the slider bar 1 is cut from between the adjacent floating surfaces 3, whereby a plurality of sliders having the floating surface 3 are obtained from one slider bar 1.

According to the present invention, as described above, the exposure pattern 7 of the exposure mask 6 includes the etching surface 8 (opposite surface 5).
Since they are arranged on a curved line corresponding to the warp in the direction, the alignment accuracy of the exposure mask 6, that is, the so-called alignment accuracy can be improved, and a plurality of floating surfaces are provided on the opposing surface 5 with high positional accuracy. 3 can be formed simultaneously. The slider having the flying surface 3 formed at a predetermined position without such displacement can maintain a stable flying posture on a recording medium and improve recording / reproducing characteristics.

In the present invention, in the slider mounted on the magnetic head device, the exposure mask used for forming the floating surface on the opposing surface of the slider has been described, but this exposure mask is applied. This is the case where the side surface of the etched surface of the substrate is warped and the photosensitive resist liquid applied to the etched surface is exposed to a plurality of etching patterns simultaneously.

For this reason, the substrate to which the exposure mask is applied does not have to have an elongated shape like the slider bar 1 shown in FIG. 1 as long as the side surface of the etched surface is warped and deformed. However, if the substrate has an elongated shape, the substrate is likely to be warped and deformed due to stress and the like, and thus it is considered that the exposure mask of the present invention can be particularly effectively applied.

According to the present invention, the exposure pattern of the exposure mask used for simultaneously exposing a plurality of etching patterns on the surface of the photosensitive resist solution applied on the etching surface of the substrate is adjusted to warp in the direction of the etching surface. Correspondingly, by shifting the position in advance, the alignment accuracy of the exposure mask, so-called alignment accuracy, can be improved, and an accurate etching pattern can be formed at a predetermined position.

[0041]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the present invention, an air bearing surface 3 is formed by using an exposure mask 6 in which exposure patterns 7 shown in FIG.
The slider bar 1 (see FIG. 1) on which the flying surface 3 is formed using the exposure mask 14 in which the exposure patterns 15 shown in FIG. Examples) were manufactured, and the variation of the flying surface 3 in each slider bar 1 was measured. Note that both the slider bar 1 of the embodiment and the slider bar 1 of the comparative example have a length L1 shown in FIG. 2 of 70 mm, a warpage deformation S1 of 6 μm,
The width T1 was 1.25 mm.

In the experiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the length from the location where the thin film element 2 is formed to a predetermined location on the floating surface 3 is defined as a Y alignment dimension. All the flying surfaces 3 formed on the slider bar 1 of the comparative example were examined, and the standard deviation was obtained from the experimental results. The standard deviation of the slider bar 1 of the example is 3.5 μm, and the slider bar 1 of the comparative example is
Is 12.3 μm. From this standard deviation, it can be understood that the variation in the Y-arment dimension can be suppressed to 1/3 or less in the example as compared with the comparative example.

[0043]

According to the present invention described in detail above, the exposure pattern of the exposure mask used when simultaneously exposing a plurality of etching patterns to the photosensitive resist solution applied to the surface of the substrate can be used. In accordance with the curvature of the etching surface direction, by shifting the position in advance,
Alignment accuracy (positioning accuracy of the exposure mask) can be improved, and a plurality of etching patterns can be simultaneously exposed with high positional accuracy.

In particular, according to the present invention, the exposure mask can be used when forming the floating surface on the surface of the elongated slider bar facing the recording medium.

In the slider bar, the trailing side end surface corresponding to the side surface of the etching surface (opposing surface) is apt to be warped and deformed, and the etching surface is in a curved state.

For this reason, in the present invention, a photosensitive resist solution is applied on the opposing surface, and an exposure pattern of an exposure mask used when simultaneously exposing a plurality of opposing surface etching patterns on the resist layer surface is used. By arranging them on a curved line corresponding to the warp in the etching surface direction, alignment accuracy can be improved, and a plurality of floating surface etching patterns can be simultaneously exposed with high positional accuracy.

As described above, the slider having the floating surface formed at a predetermined position has a stable flying attitude,
Reproduction characteristics can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing the shape of a slider bar according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which an exposure turn arranged on an exposure mask according to the present invention and a facing surface of a slider bar are aligned.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the shape of a slider bar;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which an exposure pattern arranged on a conventional exposure mask and a facing surface of a slider bar are aligned.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slider bar 2 Thin film element 3 Flying surface (ABS surface) 4 Trailing side end surface 5 Opposite surface (to recording medium) 6 Exposure mask 7 Exposure pattern

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masaharu Yokoyama 1-7 Yukiya Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] An exposure mask for simultaneously exposing a plurality of etching patterns to a photosensitive resist layer formed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the plurality of exposure patterns corresponding to the etching patterns are formed by etching the substrate. An exposure mask, which is formed so as to be displaced in advance in accordance with the warpage in the plane direction. 2. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an elongated shape, and a plurality of etching patterns are exposed in a row in a longitudinal direction, and the exposure pattern corresponds to a warp in an etching surface direction of the substrate. , Arranged on a curved line.
Exposure mask according to the above. 3. A step of forming a photosensitive resist layer on the surface of an elongated substrate, and exposing an exposure mask in which an exposure pattern is arranged on a curved line corresponding to a warp in an etching surface direction of the substrate. And exposing the photosensitive resist layer on the substrate surface to an etching pattern arranged corresponding to the warpage via the exposure mask. An etching method comprising: a step of developing; and a step of etching the substrate surface using an etching pattern of a resist layer left on the substrate surface. 4. The etching step includes forming a plurality of floating surfaces on a substrate surface, and includes, after the etching step, separating a slender substrate to form a magnetic head slider having a floating surface. The etching method according to claim 3.