Method of forming a second antiferromagnetic exchange-coupling layer for magnetoresistive (MR) and giant MR (GMR) applications

A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive (MR) head comprising the steps as follows:

• forming a first MR structure of said MR head with a free layer, a conductor layer, a pinned layer, and a first AFM element on said pinned layer formed in that sequence,
• performing a first annealing step at a high temperature with a high magnetic field upon said first MR structure,
• completing formation of said MR head including second AFM elements,
• performing a low magnetic field (H.sub.ann) annealing step upon said MR head following fabrication of said second AFM elements, and
• performing a no externally applied field (H.sub.ann =0) annealing step at a high temperature to increase the H.sub.ex of said second AFM element to full strength,
• whereby the stability of said first AFM is enhanced or increases its H.sub.ex if there were a decrease during said low magnetic field annealing.

A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive head comprising the steps as follows:

• forming a magnetoresistive (MR) structure with a first magnetoresistive stripe having first ends and first AFM elements formed on said first ends of said first magnetoresistive stripe,
• performing a first annealing step upon said MR structure at a high temperature with a high magnetic field,
• forming an insulating layer over said first first magnetoresistive stripe and said first AFM elements,
• completing formation of said MR structure including formation of a second magnetoresistive stripe having second ends with second AFM elements formed on the said second ends of said second magnetoresistive stripe,
• performing a low magnetic field (H.sub.ann) annealing step upon said MR structure following fabrication of said second AFM elements, and
• performing a no externally applied field (H.sub.ann =0) annealing step upon said MR structure at a high temperature to increase the H.sub.ex of said second AFM element to full strength,
• whereby the stability of said first AFM is enhanced or increases its H.sub.ex if there were a decrease during said low magnetic field annealing.