Overlaid MR structure with magnetostatic stabilized soft adjacent layer
US6449135B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 6, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 6, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49044
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention is a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor (100) that combines the advantages of abutted junction structure and regular overlaid structure. The abutted junction design is used with the soft adjacent layer (SAL) (108) and the overlaid structure is used with the MR element (120). The method of making the MR sensor (100) comprises depositing SAL (108) on top of the gap layer (106) and depositing spacer material (110) on top of the SAL (108). A mask (130) is placed over the central region of the spacer material (110) and SAL (108). The spacer material (110) and SAL (108) are removed in the areas not covered by the mask (130). An underlayer material (112) is deposited in the areas where the SAL (108) and spacer material (110) were removed. A hard-biasing material (114) is deposited on top of the underlayer (112). The mask (130) is removed and the MR element (120) is deposited on top of the spacer material (110) in the active region of the sensor (132) and on top of the hard-biasing material (114) in the passive regions of the sensor (134, 136). A cap layer (122) is deposited on top of the MR element (120) in the active (132) and passive regions (134, 136) of the MR sensor (…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.