| US 7,610,674 B2 | ||
| Method to form a current confining path of a CPP GMR device | ||
| Kunliang Zhang, Milpitas, Calif. (US); Daniel G Abels, San Francisco, Calif. (US); Min Li, Dublin, Calif. (US); and Yu-Hsia Chen, Mountain View, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 13, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/352,676. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0188936 A1, Aug. 16, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. G11B 5/127 (2006.01); H04R 31/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 29—603.14 [29/603.15; 29/603.16; 29/603.18; 216/65; 360/121; 360/122; 360/317; 427/127; 427/128] | 5 Claims |
| 1. A method to form a current confining path as part of a CPP GMR device, comprising:
providing a magnetically pinned layer and depositing thereon a first copper layer;
depositing a layer of MgCu alloy on said first copper layer;
following a pre-treatment, subjecting said MgCu layer to ion assisted oxidation whereby said MgCu layer segregates into regions
of magnesia and free copper;
depositing a second copper layer on said copper-magnesia layer, whereby current flow between said first and second copper
layers is confined to said regions of free copper; and
depositing a magnetically free layer on said second copper layer.
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