Patent ID: 7010848
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: B32B,B82Y,C21D,C22C,G01R,G11B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for fabricating a synthetic, patterned, longitudinally exchange biased GMR sensor with narrow effective trackwidth comprising: providing a substrate; forming a seed layer on said substrate; forming a first layer of antiferromagnetic material on the seed layer, said layer of antiferromagnetic material being a pinning layer; forming a synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer on said first antiferromagnetic pinning layer; forming a non-magnetic spacer layer on said pinned layer; forming a ferromagnetic free layer of thickness F forming a non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer on said ferromagnetic free layer; forming a ferromagnetic, longitudinal biasing layer of thickness F forming a second antiferromagnetic pinning layer on said longitudinal biasing layer; forming a conductive lead layer on said antiferromagnetic layer; annealing the resulting structure with a first anneal for a first annealing time, at a first annealing temperature and in a first external magnetic field; annealing the resulting structure with a second anneal for a second annealing time, at a second annealing temperature and in a second external magnetic field; removing, by an etching process, a central portion of said conductive lead layer and the portion of said second antiferromagnetic pinning layer directly beneath said central portion, exposing, thereby, an upper surface of said longitudinal biasing layer beneath said pinning layer and forming, thereby, two discrete, disconnected and laterally separated segments, laterally and symmetrically disposed to either side of said longitudinal biasing layer and separated by the desired physical trackwidth of said sensor; oxidizing the exposed portion of said ferromagnetic longitudinal biasing layer, said oxidation extending the entire width and thickness of said exposed portion and destroying the ferromagnetic properties of said layer and said oxidation being stopped by the upper surface of said non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer.