Read head having shaped read sensor-biasing layer junctions using partial milling and method of fabrication

A method for fabricating the read head of a magnetic disk drive, the method comprising:

• A) depositing a first shield layer to begin a wafer stack;
• B) depositing a dielectric layer on said first shield layer;
• C) depositing a first seed layer on said dielectric layer;
• D) depositing an AFM layer on said first seed layer;
• E) depositing at least one pinned layer on said AFM layer;
• F) depositing a spacer layer on said at least one pinned layer;
• G) depositing a free layer on said spacer layer;
• H) depositing a cap layer on said free layer to complete said wafer stack;
• I) depositing a mask layer on said cap layer to mask a portion of said wafer stack;
• and
• J) partially milling said wafer stack with a milling source to remove material from wafer stack layers to within a partial milling range which extends to a partial milling depth having a depth endpoint, to form a shaped junction.

A read head for a hard disk drive, produced by the process comprising:

• A) depositing a first shield layer to begin a wafer stack;
• B) depositing a dielectric layer on said first shield layer;
• C) depositing a first seed layer on said dielectric layer;
• D) depositing an AFM layer on said first seed layer;
• E) depositing at least one pinned layer on said AFM layer;
• F) depositing a spacer layer on said at least one pinned layer;
• G) depositing a free layer on said spacer layer;
• H) depositing a cap layer on said free layer to complete said wafer stack;
• I) depositing a mask layer on said cap layer;
• and
• J) partially milling said wafer stack with a milling source to remove material from wafer stack layers to within a partial milling range which extends to a partial milling depth having a depth endpoint, to form a shaped junction.

A magnetic hard drive comprising:

• a read sensor having a centrally disposed wafer stack including:
• a first shield layer;
• a dielectric layer on said first shield layer;
• a first seed layer on said dielectric layer;
• an AFM layer on said first seed layer;
• at least one pinned layer on said AFM layer;
• a spacer layer on said at least one pinned layer;
• a free layer on said spacer layer;
• and
• a cap layer on said free layer;
• and
• at least one laterally disposed second seed layer;
• at least one laterally disposed hard bias layer;
• and
• at least one laterally disposed electronic leads layer;
• wherein said wafer stack has been shaped with a milling source to remove material from wafer stack layers to within a partial milling range which extends to a partial milling depth having a depth endpoint, to form a shaped junction.