Patent ID: 6466418
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for forming a specularly reflecting bottom spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor element with continuous spacer exchange hard bias comprising:providing a substrate; forming over said substrate a seed layer; forming over said seed layer an antiferromagnetic pinning layer; forming over said antiferromagnetic pinning layer a ferromagnetic pinned layer; forming over said ferromagnetic pinned layer a non-magnetic spacer layer; forming over said non-magnetic spacer layer a ferromagnetic free layer; forming over said ferromagnetic free layer a Ta layer; oxidizing said Ta layer; forming over said oxidized Ta layer a capping layer; forming over said capping layer a lift-off resist pattern; removing the developed areas of said resist pattern to expose a portion of the capping layer; removing said exposed portion of the capping layer, together with the oxidized Ta layer and part of the ferromagnetic free layer beneath said exposed portion; refilling the removed region with a ferromagnetic layer; forming over said ferromagnetic layer a longitudinally biasing layer; forming over said longitudinally biasing layer a conductor lead layer; forming over said conductor lead layer and the remaining portion of the capping layer an upper substrate layer.