Patent ID: 7162791

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a top spin valve structure, including a free layer, comprising: providing a lower primary magnetic shield on which is a first dielectric layer; on the first dielectric layer, depositing a layer of high permeability ferromagnetic material, said ferromagnetic material having an electrical resistivity greater than about 125 micro-ohm-cm and a thickness such that a product of a moment and thickness of said ferromagnetic material is 2 to 5 times that of the free layer, thereby forming a thin film shield; on the thin film shield, depositing a layer material suitable for use as a decoupling layer; on said decoupling layer, depositing a layer of magnetic material suitable for use as the free layer in said spin valve; on the free layer, depositing a layer of non-magnetic material; on the layer of non-magnetic material, depositing a layer of magnetic material suitable for use as a pinned layer in said spin valve; and on the pinned layer, depositing a layer of an anti-ferromagnetic material suitable for use as a pinning layer in said spin valve, thereby completing formation of the top spin valve; then patterning and etching the spin valve structure to form therein a trench that extends through the anti-ferromagnetic layer as far as said first dielectric layer, said trench having a sidewall that slopes; on the first dielectric layer and on the sidewall, selectively depositing a layer of a ferromagnetic material suitable for use as a permanent magnet for providing longitudinal bias to the spin valve structure; on the permanent magnet layer selectively depositing a layer of conductive material suitable for use as a connecting lead layer to the spin valve structure; on the anti-ferromagnetic layer and on the conductive lead layer, depositing a second dielectric layer; and on the second dielectric layer, depositing an upper primary magnetic shield.