Patent ID: 7562436

Claim:
A method of forming a CPP sensor, the method comprising: providing a sensor having a hard mask disposed on a left side thereof and a right side with a portion of the sensor material removed therefrom, the hard mask having a vertical surface substantially perpendicular to a horizontal surface of the sensor; forming a right dielectric layer on the right side of the sensor, the right dielectric layer including a vertical surface disposed adjacent the vertical surface of the hard mask; forming a right hard bias layer or right side shields on the right dielectric layer on the right side of the sensor; removing the hard mask to expose the left side of the sensor and the vertical surface of the right dielectric layer; forming an electrically conductive layer on the sensor, the electrically conductive layer including a vertical electrically conductive portion disposed adjacent the vertical surface of the right dielectric layer; removing the electrically conductive layer except the vertical electrically conductive portion disposed adjacent the vertical surface of the right dielectric layer; removing a portion of the sensor material from the left side of the sensor; forming a left dielectric layer on the left side of the sensor, the left dielectric layer including a vertical surface disposed adjacent the vertical electrically conductive portion; and forming a left hard bias layer on the left dielectric layer on the left side of the sensor to correspond to the right hard bias layer, or left side shields to correspond to the right side shields.