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US 2015/0279393 A1Published application
Tunnel magnetoresistance read head with narrow shield-to-shield spacing
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsRONGFU XIAO, GUANXIONG LI, ZHIHONG ZHANG, MING MAO, CHEN-JUNG CHIEN
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Abstract
A tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor having a tabbed AFM layer and an extended pinned layer and methods for making the same are provided. The TMR read sensor has an AFM layer recessed from the air bearing surface, providing a reduced shield-to-shield distance.
Claims6
A method, comprising:
- obtaining a substrate comprising a shield layer;
- depositing a read sensor seed layer on the substrate over the shield layer;
- forming a photoresist pattern on the read sensor seed layer;
- etching the read sensor seed layer and first shield layer to form a region for antiferromagnetic layer and antiferromagnet exchange biased pinned layer deposition, the region being recessed from an air bearing surface plane;
- depositing the antiferromagnetic layer in the region;
- and
- depositing the antiferromagnet exchange biased pinned layer in the region over the antiferromagnetic layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.