Patent ID: 6517896
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a specular free layer bottom spin valve, comprising the sequential steps of:providing a substrate and depositing thereon a magneto-resistance-enhancing seed layer; on said magneto-resistance-enhancing seed layer, depositing a pinning layer; on said pinning layer, depositing a synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer; on the synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer, depositing a non-magnetic copper spacer layer; on the spacer layer depositing a free layer that further comprises a cobalt-iron layer that is less than 10 Angstroms thick and a nickel-iron layer that is between 10 and 30 Angstroms thick; on the free layer, depositing a high conductance copper layer; on the copper layer, depositing a specular reflection layer; on the specular reflection layer, depositing a capping layer of aluminum oxide; and then annealing.