Read sensors having nitrogenated hard bias layers and method of making the same

摘要

A read sensor of a magnetic head includes a sensor stack structure formed in a central region; hard bias layers formed in side regions adjacent the central region; and lead layers formed over the hard bias layers in the side regions. The hard bias layers are made of a nitrogenated cobalt-based alloy, such as nitrogentated cobalt-platinum-chromium (CoPtCr). Suitable if not exemplary coercivity and squareness properties are exhibited using the nitrogenated cobalt-based alloy. The hard bias layers are formed by performing an ion beam deposition of cobalt-based materials using a sputtering gas (e.g. xenon) and nitrogen as a reactive gas.