Patent ID: 6581272
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for forming a bottom spin valve magnetoresistive sensor element comprising:providing a substrate; forming on the substrate a magnetoresistive-property-enhancing seed layer; forming on said seed layer a pinning layer of antiferromagnetic material; forming on said pinning layer a second antiparallel (AP2) pinned layer of ferromagnetic material; forming on said second antiparallel (AP2) pinned layer a non-magnetic coupling layer; forming on said non-magnetic coupling layer a first antiparallel (AP1) pinned layer, said first antiparallel (AP1) pinned layer comprising a first ferromagnetic layer on which is formed a specular reflection enhancing layer on which is formed a second ferromagnetic layer; forming on said second ferromagnetic layer a non-magnetic spacer layer; forming on said non-magnetic spacer layer a ferromagnetic free layer; forming on said ferromagnetic free layer a double-layer capping layer, said capping layer comprising a first layer of non-magnetic material on which is formed a second layer of non-magnetic material; thermally annealing said sensor element at a prescribed succession of temperatures in the presence of a corresponding sequence of external magnetic fields, establishing, thereby, magnetizations of said free and said pinned magnetic layers.