Patent ID: 7201827

Claim:
A method for forming a bottom spin valve GMR sensor element with layers having sub-atomic monolayers of oxygen absorbed on the surfaces thereof, comprising: providing, in a sputtering chamber having a base pressure, a substrate; forming on said substrate, using an Ar/O 2 mixture as a sputtering gas, a seed layer; forming, using said sputtering gas, an antiferromagnetic pinning layer on said seed layer; forming, using said sputtering gas, a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SyAF) pinned layer formed on said pinning layer; forming, using only Ar as a sputtering gas, a Cu spacer layer on said SyAF layer, the surface of said spacer layer not contacting said SyAF layer then being treated with O 2 to form an oxygen surfactant layer (OSL); forming, again using said Ar/O 2 mixture, a ferromagnetic free layer on the OSL of said treated spacer layer; forming, using only Ar as a sputtering gas, a Ru capping layer on said ferromagnetic free layer, then forming an OSL layer on said Ru layer; forming, using said Ar/O 2 mixture as a sputtering gas, a Ta capping layer on said Ru capping layer.