US 7,320,167 B2
Longitudinal bias structure having stability with minimal effect on output
Kenichi Takano, Cupertino, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas, Calif. (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/546,146.
Application 11/546146 is a division of application No. 10/460087, filed on Jun. 12, 2003, granted, now 7,123,454.
Prior Publication US 2007/0028442 A1, Feb. 08, 2007
Int. Cl. G11B 5/127 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 29—603.07 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for manufacturing a CPP GMR read head, comprising:
providing a lower magnetic shield;
depositing a lower conductive lead layer on said lower magnetic shield;
depositing a compensatory bias layer on said lower conductive lead layer;
depositing, on said compensatory bias layer, a GMR stack whose top layer is a conductive non-magnetic layer;
depositing a free layer on said top layer;
depositing an upper conductive lead layer on said free layer;
coating said upper conductive lead layer with a layer of photoresist and then patterning said photoresist to form a mask that defines said read head;
using said mask, etching unprotected parts of said upper conductive lead layer, said free layer, said GMR stack, said compensatory bias layer, and said lower conductive lead layer, thereby forming a pedestal, that has vertical sidewalls as far down as said lower conductive lead layer and sloping sidewalls formed from said lower conductive lead layer;
depositing a first dielectric layer that lies on said lower magnetic shield and sloping side walls and that abuts all of said vertical sidewalls;
on said first dielectric layer, depositing a permanent magnet layer;
depositing a second dielectric layer on said permanent magnet layer;
then removing all photoresist; and
depositing an upper magnetic shield.