Method of making a tunnel valve sensor with improved free layer sensitivity

1. A method of making a tunnel junction magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a plurality of sensor layers on the substrate the depositing a plurality of sensor layers comprising;

depositing a magnetic pinned layer in the presence of nitrogen;

depositing a non-magnetic, electrically conductive barrier layer in the presence of nitrogen; and

depositing a free layer in the presence of nitrogen.

2. A method of making a tunnel junction magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a plurality of sensor layers on the substrate; and

depositing a free layer on the plurality of sensor layers, the free layer being deposited by sputter depositing a magnetic material in an ion beam sputter deposition chamber in an atmosphere including nitrogen with a partial pressure of substantially 2×10 −5 Torr.

3. A method for manufacturing a tunnel valve magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

depositing a first electrically conductive lead;

sputter depositing a pinnedlayer structure;

sputter depositing a free layer in the presence of a nitrogen gas; and

depositing a second electrically conductive lead.

4. A method as in claim 3 , wherein the sputter depositing a free layer is performed in a sputter deposition chamber containing nitrogen at a partial pressure of substantially 2×10 −5 Torr.

5. A method as in claim 3 , wherein the sputter depositing a free layer comprises depositing CoFe.

6. A method as in claim 3 , wherein thesputter depositing a non-magnetic, electrically insulating barrier layer is performed in the presence of nitrogen.

7. A method as in claim 3 , wherein the sputter depositing a non-magnetic, electrically insulating barrier layer included sputter depositing aluminum oxide in the presence of nitrogen.

8. A method as in claim 3 wherein the sputter depositing a pinned layer further comprises sputter depositing a magnetic material in the presence of nitrogen.