Patent · US Expired

Multiple thermal annealing method for forming antiferromagnetic exchange biased magnetoresistive (MR) sensor element

US6322640A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
6References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 24, 2000
Grant dateNov 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 24, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49034
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for forming a magnetically biased magnetoresistive (MR) layer. There is first provided a substrate. There is then formed over the substrate a ferromagnetic magnetoresistive (MR) material layer. There is then forming contacting the ferromagnetic magnetoresistive (MR) material layer a magnetic material layer formed of a first crystalline phase, where the magnetic material layer is formed of a crystalline multiphasic magnetic material having the first crystalline phase which does not appreciably antiferromagnetically exchange couple with the ferromagnetic magnetoresistive (MR) material layer and a second crystalline phase which does appreciably antiferromagnetically exchange couple with the ferromagnetic magnetoresistive (MR) material layer. There is then annealed thermally while employing a first thermal annealing method employing an extrinsic magnetic bias field the magnetic material layer formed of the first crystalline phase to form a magnetically aligned magnetic material layer formed of the first crystalline phase. Finally, there is then annealed thermally while employing a second thermal annealing method without employing an extrinsic magnetic bias field the magnetical…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.