Method of manufacturing a CPP device with a plurality of metal oxide templates in a confining current path (CCP) spacer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9478355-B2
Application number	US-201514628508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 3, 2007
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A method is described for forming a confining current path (CCP) spacer in a CPP-GMR sensor. A first Cu spacer, an amorphous metal/alloy layer such as Hf, a second Cu spacer, and an oxidizable layer such as Al, Mg, or AlCu are sequentially deposited on a ferromagnetic layer. A pre-ion treatment (PIT) and ion assisted oxidation (IAO) transform the amorphous layer into a first metal oxide template and the oxidizable layer into a second metal oxide template both having Cu metal paths therein. A third Cu layer is deposited on the second metal oxide template. The amorphous layer promotes smoothness and smaller grain size in the oxidizable layer to minimize variations in the metal paths and thereby improves dR/R, R, and dR uniformity by 50% or more.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming a confining current path (CCP) spacer in a magnetic sensor structure, comprising:
(a) forming a first copper layer on a ferromagnetic layer;
(b) forming an amorphous layer made of metal, alloy, or metal oxide on said first Cu layer;
(c) forming a second copper layer with a thickness of 0 to 6 Angstroms on the amorphous layer;
(d) depositing an oxidizable layer on the second copper layer;
(e) performing a pre-ion treatment (PIT) followed by an ion-assisted oxidation (IAO) to transform the amorphous layer and at least a portion of the first copper layer into a first metal oxide template having segregated Cu metal paths therein, and to transform the oxidizable layer into a second metal oxide template having segregated Cu metal paths formed therein; and
(f) depositing a third Cu layer on the second metal oxide template.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous layer is made of Hf, Zr, CoFeB, Ta, Nb, Ti, or B.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the amorphous layer has a thickness between about 1 and 15 Angstroms.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizable layer is comprised of Al, AlCu, Mg, MgCu, Ti, Cr, Zr, Ta, Hf, or Fe.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the oxidizable layer has a thickness between about 1 to 15 Angstroms.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first Cu layer is from 0 to about 10 Angstroms thick and the third Cu layer is from 0 to about 10 Angstroms thick.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the PIT process is comprised of a RF power between about 5 and 200 Watts, and an Ar flow rate of about 10 to 200 sccm for a period of about 5 to 200 seconds.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the IAO process is comprised of a RF power between about 5 and 200 Watts, an oxygen flow rate of about 0.01 to 100 sccm, and an Ar flow rate of about 5 to 200 sccm for a period of about 5 to 2000 seconds.

9. A method of forming a confining current path (CCP) spacer in a magnetic sensor structure, comprising:
(a) forming a first copper layer on a ferromagnetic layer;
(b) forming an amorphous layer made of a metal oxide on said first Cu layer;
(c) forming a second copper layer with a thickness of 0 to 6 Angstroms on the amorphous layer;
(d) depositing an oxidizable layer on the second copper layer;
(e) performing a pre-ion treatment (PIT) with a RF power between about 5 and 200 Watts, an Ar flow of about 10 to 200 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) for a period of about 5 to 200 seconds followed by an ion-assisted oxidation (IAO) comprised of a RF power between about 5 and 200 Watts, an O 2 flow rate of 0.01 to 100 sccm, an Ar flow rate of about 5 to 200 sccm for a period of about 5 to 2000 seconds, the PIT and IAO transform the amorphous layer into a first metal oxide template having segregated Cu metal paths therein, and transform the oxidizable layer into a second metal oxide template having segregated Cu metal paths formed therein; and
(f) depositing a third Cu layer on the second metal oxide template.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp
• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Zhang Kunliang
• Li Min
• Liu Yue
• Fukuzawa Hideaki
• Yuasa Hiromi

Classifications

• Y10T29/49032

  Fabricating head structure or component thereof · CPC title

• G11B5/3106

  where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination (G11B5/3133 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49227

  Insulator making · CPC title

• G11B5/3929

  Disposition of magnetic thin films not used for directly coupling magnetic flux from the track to the MR film or for shielding · CPC title

• H01F41/307 Primary

  insulating or semiconductive spacer · CPC title