Ap-pinned spin valves with enhanced GMR and thermal stability

摘要

An SV sensor with the preferred structure Substrate/Seed/Free/Spacer/Pinned/AFM/Cap where the seed layer is a non-magnetic Ni—Fe—Cr or Ni—Cr film and the AFM layer is preferably Ni—Mn. The non-magnetic Ni—Fe—Cr seed layer results in improved grain structure in the deposited layers enhancing the GMR coefficients and the thermal stability of the SV sensors. The improved thermal stability enables use of Ni—Mn with its high blocking temperature and strong pinning field as the AFM layer material without SV sensor performance degradation from the high temperature anneal step needed to develop the desired exchange coupling.