Method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor using two step ion milling
AssigneeHGST Netherlands B.V.
InventorsYongchul Ahn, Xiaozhong Dang, Quang Le, Simon H. Liao
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor that includes depositing a plurality of mask layers, then forming a stripe height defining mask over the sensor layers. A first ion milling is performed just sufficiently to remove portions of the free layer that are not protected by the stripe height defining mask, the first ion milling being terminated at the non-magnetic barrier or spacer layer. A dielectric layer is then deposited, preferably by ion beam deposition. A second ion milling is then performed to remove portions of the pinned layer structure that are not protected by the mask, the free layer being protected during the second ion milling by the dielectric layer.
Claims15
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, comprising:
- forming a magnetic shield;
- depositing a series of sensor layers, the series of sensor layers including a magnetic pinned layer structure, a non-magnetic layer formed over the pinned layer structure and a magnetic free layer structure formed over the non-magnetic layer;
- forming a mask or the series of sensor layers, the mask being configured to define a stripe eight of the magnetic sensor;
- performing a first ion milling, the first ion milling being terminated when the non-magnetic magnetic layer of the series of sensor layers has been reached;
- depositing a layer of dielectric material;
- and
- performing a second ion milling, wherein the second ion milling is performed until the magnetic shield has been reached.
A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, comprising:
- forming a magnetic shield;
- depositing a series of sensor layers, the series of sensor layers including a magnetic pinned layer structure, a non-magnetic layer formed over the pinned layer structure and a magnetic free layer structure formed over the non-magnetic layer;
- depositing a CMP stop layer over the series of sensor layers
- forming a mask over the series of sensor layers, the mask being configured to define a stripe height of the magnetic sensor;
- performing a first ion milling, the first ion milling being terminated when the non-magnetic layer of the series of sensor layers has been reached;
- depositing a layer of dielectric material;
- performing a second ion milling;
- after performing the second ion milling, depositing a non-magnetic fill layer;
- performing a chemical mechanical polishing;
- and
- performing a reactive ion etching to remove the CMP stop layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.