Bottom spin valves with continuous spacer exchange (or hard) bias
US6466418B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49044
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for forming a specularly reflecting bottom spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor element with continuous spacer exchange hard bias and a specularly reflecting bottom spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor element fabricated according to that method. To practice the method, there is provided a substrate upon which is formed a seed layer, upon which is formed an antiferromagnetic pinning layer, upon which is formed a ferromagnetic pinned layer, upon which is formed a non-magnetic spacer layer, upon which is formed a ferromagnetic free layer, upon which is formed a specularly reflecting and capping layer. The width of the sensor element is defined by a pair of conducting leads aligned upon a pair of continuous spacer exchange hard bias layers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.