In-situ annealing of a TMR sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10176836-B2
Application number	US-201615042030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 18, 2008
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A computer program product according to one embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions area executable by a data processing system having at least one processor to cause the data processing system to apply, by the data processing system, a current to a lead of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor for inducing joule heating of the lead or a heating layer, the level of joule heating being sufficient to anneal a magnetic layer of the sensor; and maintain, by the data processing system, the current at the level for an amount of time sufficient to anneal the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a data processing system having at least one processor to cause the data processing system to:
apply, by the data processing system, a current to a lead of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor for inducing joule heating of the lead or a heating layer, the level of joule heating being sufficient to anneal a magnetic layer of the sensor; and
maintain, by the data processing system, the current at the level for an amount of time sufficient to anneal the sensor; and
apply a second current to a second lead of the sensor, the second lead being positioned on an opposite side of a tunnel junction layer of the sensor as the lead, the second current reducing a voltage differential across the magnetic layer.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lead is also a lead used for applying a sense current to the sensor.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lead is not used for applying a sense current to the sensor.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the current does not pass through the magnetic layer.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein no external magnetic field is applied to the sensor during application of the current.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data processing system is a drive having the sensor installed therein.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the drive is a tape drive.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the drive is a hard disk drive.

9. A system, comprising:
memory;
a processor coupled to the memory;
program instructions stored in the memory, the program instructions being executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
apply, by the processor, a current to a lead of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor for inducing joule heating of the lead or a heating layer, the level of joule heating being sufficient to anneal a magnetic layer of the sensor; and
maintain, by the processor, the current at the level for an amount of time sufficient to anneal the sensor; and
apply a second current to a second lead of the sensor, the second lead being positioned on an opposite side of a tunnel junction layer as the lead, the second current reducing a voltage differential across the magnetic layer.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the lead is also a lead used for applying a sense current to the sensor.

11. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the lead is not used for applying a sense current to the sensor.

12. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the current does not pass through the magnetic layer.

13. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein no external magnetic field is applied to the sensor during application of the current.

14. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the current is applied in a drive having the sensor installed therein.

15. The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the drive is a tape drive.

16. The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the drive is a hard disk drive.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Iben Icko E T

Classifications

• G11B5/3163

  Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers · CPC title

• H01F41/302

  for applying spin-exchange-coupled multilayers, e.g. nanostructured superlattices (spin-exchange-coupled multilayers H01F10/32) · CPC title

• G01R33/098

  comprising tunnel junctions, e.g. tunnel magnetoresistance sensors · CPC title

• G11B5/3909

  Arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction · CPC title

• H01F41/22

  Heat treatment; Thermal decomposition; Chemical vapour deposition · CPC title