Magnetic etch-stop layer for magnetoresistive read heads
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsMahendra Pakala, Rongfu Xiao, Chando Park
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Abstract
A method of producing a magnetoresistive read head and a tunneling magnetoresistive read head produced thereby are disclosed. A shield layer is provided. A magnetic etch-stop layer is formed over the shield layer, where the magnetic etch-stop layer comprises a nonmagnetic metal and a soft magnetic material with overall property still being magnetically soft. A sensor stack is formed over the magnetic etch-stop layer. A patterned mask layer is formed over the sensor stack. Material from a portion of the sensor stack not covered by the patterned mask is removed.
Claims11
A method of producing a magnetoresistive read head, the method comprising:
- providing a shield layer;
- forming a magnetic etch-stop layer over the shield layer, the magnetic etch-stop layer comprising a nonmagnetic metal and a soft magnetic material;
- forming a sensor stack over the magnetic etch-stop layer;
- forming a patterned mask layer over the sensor stack;
- and
- removing material from a portion of the sensor stack not covered by the patterned mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.