Method for preventing magnetic damage to a GMR head during back-end processing

A method for preserving a transverse biasing of a read head during back-end processing of a workpiece which includes said read head, comprising:

• providing said workpiece to be processed, said workpiece including at least one transversely biased read head, and said read head also including longitudinal biasing layers;
• magnetizing said longitudinal biasing layers in a transversing direction whereby the magnetizing provides a transverse magnetic field to said longitudinal biasing layers that is oriented in a direction parallel to a transverse biasing field of said read head;
• back-end processing said workpiece;
• mounting said workpiece on a bottom surface of a fixture, said fixture thereby firmly holding said workpiece during said back-end processing, said fixture comprising a first portion formed of material which is not permanently magnetic, and a second portion which is magnetized and whose magnetic field is oriented in a direction parallel to the transverse biasing field of said read head and thereby, in combination with the transverse magnetic field of said longitudinal biasing layer, said second portion of said fixture stabilizes said transverse biasing field of said read head in a state of minimum potential energy;
• after said step of back-end processing, re-setting the magnetization of said longitudinal biasing layers in a longitudinal direction by placing said read head in an appropriate external longitudinal magnetic field.