Heated AFM layer deposition and cooling process for TMR magnetic recording sensor with high pinning field
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are provided for manufacturing a magnetic recording sensor for use in a magnetic reader, such as a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) readers. The magnetic recording sensor can be manufactured by heating a substrate in a first chamber and depositing an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer on the heated substrate. Additionally, a first pinned layer is added onto the AFM layer, and the substrate is subsequently cooled.
1. A method for manufacturing a magnetic device on a substrate, comprising:
heating the substrate in a first chamber;
depositing an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer on the heated substrate;
adding a first pinned layer on the AFM layer; and
cooling the substrate after adding the first pinned layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to heating, the substrate comprises:
a shield layer;
a magnetic seed layer on the shield layer; and
a spacer on the magnetic seed layer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heated substrate is maintained at an approximately constant temperature during the operation of depositing the AFM layer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the substrate is heated in the first chamber to a temperature between 100° C. and 300° C.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is less than 100° C. after cooling the substrate.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the operation of cooling provides lower interlayer diffusion between the first pinned layer and the second pinned layer.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is heated using a resistive process.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is heated using a rapid thermal process.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the AFM layer is deposited in the first chamber that the substrate is heated.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is moved to a second chamber prior to performing the operation of depositing the AFM layer.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a second pinned layer on the first pinned layer after cooling the substrate.