Patent ID: 6230390
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G11B,H04R,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for forming a canted longitudinal patterned exchange biased dual-stripe magnetoresistive sensor element comprising:providing a substrate;forming over the substrate a patterned first magnetoresistive (MR) layer;forming, contacting a pair of opposite ends of the patterned first magnetoresistive (MR) layer, a pair of transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers, the pair of transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers being magnetized in a first transverse magnetic direction substantially perpendicular to a first axis of the patterned first magnetoresistive (MR) layer which separates the pair of transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers;forming, separated from the patterned first magnetoresistive (MR) layer by a non-magnetic spacer layer, a patterned second magnetoresistive (MR) layer;forming, contacting a pair of opposite ends of the patterned second magnetoresistive (MR) layer, a pair of transversely magnetized patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers separated by a second axis of the patterned second magnetoresistive (MR) layer which is substantially parallel to the first axis of the patterned first magnetoresistive (MR) layer, the pair of transversely magnetized patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers being magnetized in a second transverse magnetic direction substantially anti-parallel to the first transverse magnetic direction, wherein:the pair of transversely magnetized first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers and the pair of transversely magnetized patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers are formed of a single magnetically biasing material; andthe pair of transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers is magnetized employing a first thermal annealing method employing a first thermal annealing temperature, a first thermal annealing exposure time and a first extrinsic magnetic field strength; andthe pair of transversely magnetized patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers is magnetized employing a second thermal annealing method employing a second thermal annealing temperature, a second thermal annealing exposure time and a second extrinsic magnetic field strength such that the pair of transversely magnetized patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers is magnetized in the second transverse magnetic direction while the pair of transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal bias layers is not substantially demagnetized from the first transverse magnetic direction while forming a pair of partially demagnetized transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers from the pair of transversely patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers; andannealing, thermally, the substrate while employing a third thermal annealing method employing a third thermal annealing temperature, a third thermal annealing exposure time and a third extrinsic magnetic bias field substantially parallel to the first axis and the second axis such that the first transverse magnetic direction of the pair of partially demagnetized transversely magnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers is canted in the direction of the third extrinsic magnetic bias field to form a pair of canted partially demagnetized patterned first magnetic longitudinal biasing layers and the second transverse magnetic direction of the pair of patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers is canted in the direction of the third extrinsic magnetic bias field to form a pair of canted patterned second magnetic longitudinal biasing layers.