Patent ID: 7698807

Claim:
A method of fabricating a CPP magnetic sensor, comprising: (a) providing a underlayer; (b) depositing on the underlayer a first portion of a sensor containing a plurality of layers including a free layer; (c) capping the first portion with a cap layer comprising an electrically conductive material that forms a part of a magnetic bias layer of the sensor and does not form part of the free layer; (d) patterning the first portion of the sensor to have a sensor width that is defined by the free layer; and then (e) separately depositing a second portion of the sensor on the first portion, the second portion comprising a biased layer, the biased layer having a width greater than the free layer width, such that the magnetic bias layer of the sensor is formed in at least two depositions at a central region interface of the sensor to reduce a height and track width of the sensor.