Method and apparatus for a current-perpendicular-to-plane Giant Magneto-Resistance sensor with embedded composite film

摘要

A Current-Perpendicular-to-Plane (CPP) Giant Magneto-Resistance (GMR) sensor ( 700/800 ) has either a composite film ( 708 ) embedded into a ferromagnetic reference layer ( 710 ) or a composite film ( 806 ) embedded into a ferromagnetic keeper layer ( 804 ). The embedded composite film is deposited by sputtering from a ferromagnetic metallic target and a non-magnetic oxide target simultaneously or sequentially. Varying sputtering powers of the ferromagnetic metallic and non-magnetic oxide targets leads to various volume fractions of ferromagnetic metallic and non-magnetic oxide phases. By carefully adjusting these volume fractions, the product of junction resistance and area of the CPP GMR sensor ( 700/800 ) can be finely tuned to a designed value and thus provide optimum read performance of the CPP GMR sensor ( 700/800 ) for magnetic recording at ultrahigh densities.