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US 7,118,680 B2Granted
Self-alignment scheme for enhancement of CPP-GMR
AssigneeHeadway Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJei-Wei Chang, Chao-Peng Chen, Min Li, Kochan Ju
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Abstract
A method for fabricating a current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor of the synthetic spin valve type is provided, the method including an electron-beam lithographic process employing both primary and secondary electron absorption and first and second self-aligned lift-off processes for patterning the capped ferromagnetic free layer and the conducting, non-magnetic spacer layer. The sensor so fabricated has reduced resistance and increased sensitivity.
Claims14
A method for fabricating CPP GMR sensors of the synthetic spin valve type comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming on said substrate a GMR sensor stack of the synthetic spin valve type;
- forming on said GMR sensor stack a conducting non-magnetic spacer layer;
- forming on said spacer layer a capped ferromagnetic free layer, said free layer comprising a ferromagnetic layer on which is formed a conducting, non-magnetic capping layer;
- patterning said spacer layer and capped ferromagnetic free layer and forming an insulating layer over said spacer layer, while using a single mask, self-aligned first and second lift-off process, said mask being formed by an electron-beam lithographic process employing primary and backscattered electron absorption.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.