Patent ID: 7196876

Claim:
An abutted junction GMR bottom spin valve sensor having minimal overspread of its longitudinal hard bias layer and conducting lead layer comprising: a substrate; a bottom spin valve sensor element formed on the substrate, wherein the magnetic layers are appropriately magnetized; a spacer layer formed on the sensor element; a first capping layer formed on the spacer layer; a thin dielectric layer formed on the first capping layer; and wherein said sensor element, said spacer layer, said first capping layer and said thin dielectric layer are patterned by the formation of opposing, planar, lateral edges; a longitudinal biasing layer of hard magnetic material formed contacting said lateral edges of the sensor element and all said layers formed over said sensor element in an abutted junction; a conducting lead layer formed on the longitudinal biasing layer, the overspread of the biasing layer and the conducting lead layer being removed and a central portion of the thin dielectric layer being partially removed; a second capping layer formed on the conducting lead layer; a blanket insulating layer formed conformally over the upper surfaces of the second capping layer, the thin dielectric layer and exposed portions of the biasing layer and conducting lead layer.