Patent ID: 8266785
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive sensor, comprising: providing a substrate; depositing a plurality of sensor layers; depositing a layer of material that is resistant to removal by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP stop layer); depositing an ion mill resistant antireflective coating layer; forming a photoresist mask on the antireflective coating layer; performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) to remove portions of the ion mill resistant antireflective coating layer that are not covered by the photoresist mask, the RIE being performed in a plasma chamber having a platen, the performing the RIE further comprising applying DC bias produced by a platen power of at least 70 W; performing an ion mill to remove a portion of the sensor layers; and terminating the ion mill process before all of the sensor materials have been removed.