Patent ID: 7506430

Claim:
A process to manufacture a CPP magnetic read head, comprising: providing a substrate and forming thereon a lower lead layer; depositing GMR layers, having a first top surface, on said lower lead layer; depositing an exchange dilution layer on said first top surface followed by an antiferromagnetic layer that is also a bias cancellation layer having a second top surface; patterning said bias cancellation exchanged dilution layer and GMR layers to form a GMR stack having sloping sidewalls and to expose the lower lead layer; depositing a first dielectric layer on said lower lead layer and on said sidewalls; selectively depositing a hard magnetic layer on only said first dielectric layer; then forming on said second top surface a liftoff mask that covers a reduced length of said second top surface, leaving uncovered portions of said bias cancellation layer, and removing a portion of said bias cancellation layer not covered the mask layer to extend inwards a distance from said hard magnetic layer; depositing a second dielectric layer and then lifting off said mask, thereby exposing said reduced length bias cancellation layer; and then depositing an upper lead layer on all exposed surfaces.