Patent ID: 8015694

Claim:
A method for making a scissoring-type current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor comprising: providing a substrate; depositing an underlayer on the substrate; depositing a first ferromagnetic free layer on the underlayer; depositing a nonmagnetic spacer layer on the first ferromagnetic layer; depositing a second ferromagnetic free layer on the spacer layer; after depositing at least one layer selected from a first group consisting of said underlayer and said first free layer, directing an ion beam to said at least one layer from said first group at an oblique angle relative to a normal to the surface of said at least one layer from said first group to directionally etch the surface of said at least one layer from said first group; after etching the surface of said at least one layer from said first group, rotating the substrate relative to the ion beam about a normal to the surface of the substrate; and after depositing at least one layer selected from a second group consisting of said spacer layer and said second free layer, directing an ion beam to said at least one layer from said second group at an oblique angle relative to a normal to the surface of said at least layer from said second group to directionally etch the surface of said at least one layer from said second group.