Method for manufacturing a current in plane magnetoresistive sensor having a contiguous hard bias layer located at back edge of stripe height
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies
InventorsHardayal Gill, Kuok Ho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A current in plane giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor having a hard bias layer that extends along the back edge (strip height) of the sensor rather than from the sides of the sensor. The hard bias layer preferably extends beyond the track width of the sensor. Electrically conductive leads, which may be a highly conductive material such as Cu, Rh or Au, or may be an electrically conductive magnetic material extend from the sides of the sensor stack. The bias layer is separated from the sensor stack and from the leads by thin layer of electrically conductive material, thereby preventing current shunting through the hard bias layer.
Claims7
A method for manufacturing a current in plane giant magnetoresitive (GMR) sensor, comprising:
- depositing a first non-magnetic electrically insulating gap layer
- depositing a plurality of sensor layers;
- forming a first mask, the first mask being configured to define a track width of the sensor;
- performing a first material removal process to remove sensor material not covered by the first mask;
- depositing a layer of electrically conductive lead material;
- removing the first mask;
- forming a second mask having an opening configured to define a back edge (stripe height) of the sensor, the opening having a lateral width greater than the track width of the sensor;
- performing a second material removal process to remove sensor material exposed by the opening in the second mask;
- depositing a layer of non-magnetic electrically insulating material to form a hard bias insulation layer;
- depositing a hard magnetic bias layer;
- and
- depositing a second non-magnetic electrically insulating gap layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.