Magnetoresistive sensor element having a wide linear response and robust nominal performance and manufacturing method thereof

A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive element comprising a tunnel barrier layer included between a reference layer having a fixed reference magnetization and a sense layer having a free sense magnetization;

• the sense magnetization comprising a stable vortex configuration in the absence of an applied magnetic field;
• the magnetoresistive element further comprising a reference pinning layer in contact with the reference layer and pining the reference magnetization by exchange-bias at a first blocking temperature;
• and
• a sense pinning layer in contact with the sense layer and pining the sense magnetization by exchange-bias at a second blocking temperature lower that the first blocking temperature;
• wherein the sense layer has a thickness between 15 nm and 80 nm, and the strength of exchange-bias between the sense pinning layer and the sense layer is between 2×10−8 J/cm2 and 4×10−8 J/cm2;
• the method comprising:
• depositing the reference pinning layer, reference layer, tunnel barrier layer, sense layer, and sense pinning layer, wherein the sense pinning layer is configured such that the magnitude of the exchange-bias generated in the sense layer by the sense pinning layer is between 2×10−8 J/cm2 and 4×10−8 J/cm2;
• annealing the magnetoresistive element with an applied external magnetic field at an annealing temperature higher than the first blocking temperature;
• and
• annealing the magnetoresistive element in the absence of an applied external magnetic field at an annealing temperature higher than the second blocking temperature and lower than the first blocking temperature.