Method of fabrication of striped magnetoresistive (SMR) and dual stripe magnetoresistive (DSMR) heads with anti-parallel exchange configuration

摘要

A longitudinally magnetically biased dual stripe magnetoresistive (DSMR) sensor element comprises a first patterned magnetoresistive (MR) layer. There are contacts at the opposite ends of the patterned magnetoresistive (MR) layer with a first pair of stacks defining a track width of the first magnetoresistive (MR) layer with a first pair of stacks defining a track width of the first magnetoresistive (MR) layer, each of the stacks including a first Anti-Ferro-Magnetic (AFM) layer and a first lead layer. With the first MR layer in place the device was annealed in the presence of a longitudinal external magnetic field. A second patterned magnetoresistive (MR) layer was formed above the previous structure. There are contacts at the opposite ends of the second patterned magnetoresistive (MR) layer with a second pair of stacks defining a second track width of the second patterned magnetoresistive (MR) layer. Each of the second pair of stacks includes spacer layer is composed of a metal, a Ferro-Magnetic (FM) layer, a second Anti-Ferro-Magnetic (AFM) layer and a second lead layer. With the second MR layer in place, the device was annealed in the presence of a second longitudinal external magnetic field.