Patent ID: 6669787
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a spin valve structure of the giant magnetoresistive type, which structure includes a stack formed upon a nonmagnetic substrate such that a first edge of the stack is near the substrate and a second edge of the stack is away from the substrate wherein the second edge of the stack is formed of a magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a sense layer of a ferromagnetic material such that the sense layer is nearest the second edge, which method includes oxidizing the ferromagnetic material of the sense layer, followed by depositing aluminum on the oxidized ferromagnetic material of the sense layer, whereafter this aluminum oxidizes to an aluminum oxide film using oxygen from the oxidized ferromagnetic material of the sense layer.