depositing thin film layers for the magnetic sensor on the wafer;

depositing electrically conductive metallic material for overlaid leads over the thin film layers for the magnetic sensor;

depositing a mask material comprising diamond-like carbon (DLC) or silicon dioxide over the electrically conductive metallic material for the overlaid leads;

patterning a photoresist mask with a first hole defining a first predetermined area on the mask material selected to be an active area of the magnetic sensor;

removing, using an oxygen-based RIE process, the mask material from the first predetermined area to form a lead mask with a hole over exposed electrically conductive metallic material that is not removed by the oxygen-based RIE process;

stripping the photoresist mask off of the wafer leaving the lead mask;

removing electrically conductive metallic material in the first predetermined area between first and second lead pads of electrically conductive metallic material that are protected from removal by the lead mask;

removing the lead mask from the wafer; and

removing the thin film layers for the magnetic sensor and the electrically conductive metallic material from a second predetermined area to define a width of the sensor, the second predetermined area being wider than the active area of the magnetic sensor and disposed to include first and second lead pads of electrically conductive metallic material and the active area of the magnetic sensor.