THICK AND STRESS-FREE SENDUST FILMS ON SILICON FOR RECORDING HEAD CORES

LETI's recording heads technology requires the deposition of thick Sen dust films on Silicon substrates, both materials having very different thermal expansion coefficients. Despite of this unfavorable condition , adherent and stress-controlled films, up to 10 mu m thick, have firs t been obtained by facing target sputtering under Ar + nitrogen atmosp here whose influence is great on films microstructure. Stress-free sta te has then been achieved by cumulative rapid thermal annealing when s tarting from compressive stress-induced films.