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US 2003/0163913 A1Published application
Method for manufacturing magnetic sensing element having improved magnetic field sensitivity
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsNaoya Hasegawa, Eiji Umetsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing magnetic sensing elements for use in magnetic sensors and hard disks. A ferromagnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer are deposited on a nonmagnetic layer having a uniform thickness. The second antiferromagnetic layer is milled to form an indent. The resulting magnetic sensing element has a free magnetic layer reliably set in a single-magnetic-domain state in the track width direction.
Claims46
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensing element, comprising the steps of:
- (1a) forming a first composite comprising a first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer on a substrate;
- (1b) annealing the first composite at a first annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a first magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer in a predetermined direction;
- (1c) depositing a ferromagnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer on the annealed first composite to form a second composite;
- (1d) forming an indent having side faces penetrating the second antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer and a bottom portion lying in the nonmagnetic layer;
- and
- (1e) annealing the second composite at a second annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a second magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer in a direction substantially orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensing element, comprising the steps of:
- (7a) forming a first composite comprising a first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer on a substrate;
- (7b) annealing the first composite at a first annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a first magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer in a predetermined direction;
- (7c) depositing a ferromagnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer on the annealed first composite to form a second composite;
- (7d) forming an indent in the second antiferromagnetic layer, the indent having a bottom portion lying in the second antiferromagnetic layer;
- and
- (7e) annealing the second composite at a second annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a second magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer in a direction substantially orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensing element, comprising the steps of:
- (14a) forming a first composite comprising a first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer on a substrate;
- (14b) annealing the first composite at a first annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a first magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer in a predetermined direction;
- (14c) depositing a ferromagnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer on the annealed first composite to form a second composite;
- (14d) forming an indent having side faces penetrating the second antiferromagnetic layer and a bottom portion lying in the ferromagnetic layer;
- and
- (14e) annealing the second composite at a second annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a second magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer in a direction substantially orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensing element, comprising the steps of:
- (20a) forming a lower electrode layer on a substrate;
- (20b) forming a first composite comprising a first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer on the lower electrode layer;
- (20c) annealing the first composite at a first annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a first magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer in a predetermined direction;
- (20d) depositing a ferromagnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer on the annealed first composite to form a second composite;
- (20e) depositing a first insulating layer on the second antiferromagnetic layer;
- (20f) depositing a resist layer having an opening at the center in the track width direction on the first insulating layer and milling the portion of the first insulating layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer exposed by the opening to form an indent;
- (20g) depositing an upper electrode layer on a bottom portion of the indent to form a second composite;
- (20h) annealing the second composite at a second annealing temperature in a magnetic field of a second magnitude to pin the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer in a direction substantially orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.