Heated afm layer deposition and cooling process for tmr magnetic recording sensor with high pinning field

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hard disk drive, comprising:
 a rotatable disk having a disk surface;   a disk drive base;   a spindle motor attached to the disk drive base and configured to support the disk for rotating the disk with respect to the disk drive base surface; and   a reader created by a process, the process 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 . A TMR reader created by a process, the process 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.   
     
     
         3 . The TMR reader of  claim 2 , 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   
     
     
         4 . The TMR reader of  claim 2 , wherein the heated substrate is maintained at an approximately constant temperature during the operation of depositing the AFM layer. 
     
     
         5 . The TMR reader of  claim 4 , wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature between 100° C. and 300° C. 
     
     
         6 . The TMR reader of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is less than 100° C. after cooling the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The TMR reader of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is heated using a resistor process. 
     
     
         8 . The TMR reader of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is heated using a rapid thermal process. 
     
     
         9 . The TMR reader of  claim 5 , wherein the AFM layer is deposited in the chamber that the substrate is heated. 
     
     
         10 . The TMR reader of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is moved to a second chamber prior to performing the operation of depositing the AFM layer. 
     
     
         11 . The TMR reader of  claim 2 , further comprising adding a second pinned layer on the first pinned layer after cooling the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The TMR reader of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of cooling provides lower interlayer diffusion between the first pinned layer and the second pinned layer.