公开(公告)号：SG42849A1

公开(公告)日：1997-10-17

申请号：SG1996000132

申请日：1994-12-16

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： COFFEY KEVIN JOHN ,  FONTANA ROBERT EDWARD ,  HOWARD JAMES KENT ,  HYLTON TODD LANIER ,  PARKER MICHAEL ANDREW ,  TSANG CHING HWA

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01L43/10

Abstract: A magnetoresistive read sensor incorporates a multilayer sensing element formed of one or more magnetoresistive elements in a planar array, each magnetoresistive element having a multilayer structure of at least two ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer. The ferromagnetic layers are coupled antiferromagnetically by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges of the ferromagnetic layers. A bias layer separated from the magnetoresistive sensing element by a spacer layer provides a magnetic field to bias the magnetoresistive sensing element at a desired non-signal point for linear response. The magnetoresistive sensing element is formed by alternatively depositing layers of ferromagnetic material and layers of nonmagnetic material on a substrate and then patterning the resulting structure using photolithographic techniques to provide a planar array of magnetoresistive elements. A conductive layer is deposited over the array filling in the spaces separating the magnetoresistive elements to provide electrical conductivity between the elements in the plane of the structure.