Patent ID: 7237322

Claim:
A method for making a tunnel valve head with a flux guide, comprising: forming a tunnel valve over a portion of a first shield layer, the shield layer being exposed at opposite sides of the tunnel valve and the tunnel valve comprising a free layer distal to the first shield layer; depositing a first insulation layer over the first shield layer on opposite sides of the tunnel valve layer and up to a top surface of the free layer; depositing a flux guide over the first insulation layer and extending over only a portion of the top surface of the free layer at opposite sides of the free layer; forming a second insulation layer over the flux guide to completely cover the flux guide while leaving only a central portion of the free layer exposed; and forming a second shield layer over the second insulation and the exposed portion of the free layer, wherein the flux guide is physically isolated by the first and second insulation layers to prevent current shunts therefrom.