Patent ID: 6943994
Filing Date: 2005-09-13
Classification: B82Y,C21D,G01R,G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a GMR sensor having a synthetically exchange biased free layer with a canted biasing field comprising: providing a GMR sensor element having a spin-valve structure including a synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer and an uppermost layer which is a ferromagnetic free layer; forming on the ferromagnetic free layer of said sensor element an antiferromagnetically coupling layer; forming on said coupling layer a patterned ferromagnetic biasing layer, said layer being a single material layer having disjoint, laterally disposed ferromagnetic regions separated by a non-magnetic oxidized region; forming on said material layer and contiguous with said laterally disposed ferromagnetic regions, a patterned antiferromagnetic pinning layer; forming on said pinning layer and contiguous with it, a patterned conducting lead layer, said lead layer enabling the introduction of a biasing current in either of two directions and completing, thereby, said GMR sensor; annealing said GMR sensor in a first annealing field, which is directed transversely to an air bearing surface plane of said sensor, at a first annealing temperature for a first annealing time, to set the magnetizations of said synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer; and then annealing said GMR sensor in a second annealing field, which is canted with respect to said first annealing field, at a second annealing temperature for a second annealing time, to synthetically exchange couple said biasing layer to said free layer with a canted biasing field.