Patent ID: 6447689
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a spin valve structure, comprising the sequential steps of:providing a substrate and depositing thereon a seed layer; depositing a buried lead layer on the seed layer; depositing a longitudinal bias layer on the buried lead layer; on the longitudinal bias layer, forming a mask that comprises a lower portion, made of a soluble resin, and an upper portion, made of a photoresist material, that uniformly overlaps said lower portion; removing, from areas not directly beneath the upper portion of the mask, all of the longitudinal bias and buried lead layers; depositing a protective layer whereby all exposed portions of the seed layer get covered; applying a solvent that dissolves said lower mask portion thereby causing liftoff of said mask together with all material adhering to the mask; removing the protective layer by means of sputter cleaning, thereby exposing the seed layer; and on the exposed seed and longitudinal bias layers, forming a spin valve structure that is contacted by the buried leads.