Patent ID: 7152304

Claim:
A method for fabricating a patterned, synthetic, transversely exchange biased GMR sensor with narrow effective trackwidth comprising: providing a substrate; forming a seed layer on said substrate; forming a first layer of antiferromagnetic material on the seed layer, said layer of antiferromagnetic material being a pinning layer; forming a synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer on said first antiferromagnetic pinning layer said synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer comprising first and second ferromagnetic layers, separated by a first non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer; forming a non-magnetic spacer layer on said pinned layer; forming a ferromagnetic free layer on said non-magnetic spacer layer; forming a second non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer on said ferromagnetic free layer; forming a ferromagnetic, biasing layer on said second non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer, whereby said free layer, said second non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer and said biasing layer comprise a synthetic antiferromagnetic configuration; forming a second antiferromagnetic pinning layer on said biasing layer; forming a conductive lead layer on said second antiferromagnetic pinning layer; annealing the resulting structure for an annealing time, at an annealing temperature and in an external magnetic field thereby transversely exchange coupling the first and second ferromagnetic layers of said pinned layer and transversely exchange coupling said biasing layer and said ferromagnetic free layer; removing, by an etching process, a central portion of said conductive lead layer and a portion of said second antiferromagnetic pinning layer directly beneath said central portion, exposing, thereby, an upper surface of said biasing layer beneath said pinning layer and forming, thereby, two discrete, disconnected and laterally separated segments, laterally and symmetrically disposed to either side of said biasing layer and separated by the desired physical trackwidth of said sensor; oxidizing the exposed portion of said ferromagnetic biasing layer, said oxidation extending the entire width and thickness of said exposed portion and destroying the ferromagnetic properties of said layer within said portion and said oxidation being stopped by the upper surface of said second non-magnetic antiferromagnetically coupling layer.