1. A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor having a multilayer film exhibiting a magnetoresistance effect, a lower electrode layer provided at a lower side of the multilayer film, and an upper electrode layer provided at an upper side of the multilayer film, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) forming the multilayer film at an upper side of the lower electrode layer;
(b) forming first gap layers, having a predetermined gap provided therebetween in a track width direction, on an upper surface of the multilayer film;
(c) milling the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction so as to enable the multilayer film and the first gap layers to have predetermined shapes; and
(d) forming the upper electrode layer on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap,
wherein, in said step (c), a mask layer having a predetermined width dimension in the track width direction is provided on the first gap layers and in the gap, parts of the first gap layers and the multilayer film in the track width direction, which are not overlapped with the mask layer, are milled, and the mask layer is then removed, and
wherein said step (b) is performed using the same mask layer as in said step (c).
2. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 1,
wherein the mask layer is composed of a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion provided with two cutaway parts at two sides thereof in the track width direction, a width dimension of the lower portion in the track width direction being smaller than that of the upper portion in the track width direction,
in said step (b), the mask layer is formed on the upper surface of the multilayer film, and the first gap layers are formed on parts of the multilayer film which are not overlapped with the mask layer except for areas inside the cutaway parts, thereby the predetermined gap being provided between the first gap layers due to the presence of the lower portion of the mask layer, and
in said step (c), parts of the first gap layers and the multilayer film in the track width direction, which are not overlapped with the upper portion of the mask layer, are milled.
3. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 1,
wherein the mask layer used in said step (b) is composed of a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion provided with two cutaway parts at two sides thereof in the track width direction, a width dimension of the lower portion in the track width direction being smaller than that of the upper portion in the track width direction,
in said step (b), the mask layer is formed on the upper surface of the multilayer film, and the first gap layers is formed on parts of the multilayer film which are not overlapped with the mask layer except for areas inside the cutaway parts, thereby the predetermined gap being provided between the first gap layers due to the presence of the lower portion of the mask layer, and the mask layer is removed, and then
in said step (c), the mask layer is provided on the first gap layers and in the gap therebetween, the mask layer having a width dimension in the track width direction larger than that of the lower portion of the mask layer in the track width direction and smaller than that of the upper portion thereof, parts of the first gap layers and the multilayer film in the track width direction, which are not overlapped with the mask layer in the track width direction, are milled, and the mask layer is then removed.
4. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 3, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the mask layer are formed of different types of resists.
5. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 4, wherein a resist used for the lower portion of the mask layer is a material having a development speed faster than that of a resist used for the upper portion.
6. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 1, further comprising, between said step (c) and said step (d), forming gap layers different from the first gap layers on the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction.
7. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 1, further comprising, between said step (c) and said step (d), forming second gap layers on the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction, and forming bias layers and third gap layers on the second gap layers, wherein the upper electrode layer provided on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap therebetween is formed in said step (d) to extend on the third gap layers.
8. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 7, wherein, between said step (c) and said step (d), the second gap layers, the bias layers, and the third gap layers are formed sequentially using a mask layer for defining the multilayer film to have a predetermined shape.
9. A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor having a multilayer film exhibiting a magnetoresistance effect, a lower electrode layer provided at a lower side of the multilayer film, and an upper electrode layer provided at an upper side of the multilayer film, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) forming the multilayer film at an upper side of the lower electrode layer;
(b) forming first gap layers, having a predetermined gap provided therebetween in a track width direction, on an upper surface of the multilayer film;
(c) milling the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction so as to enable the multilayer film and the first gap layers to have predetermined shapes; and
(d) forming the upper electrode layer on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap,
wherein a first mask layer used in said step (b) is composed of a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion provided with two cutaway parts at two sides thereof in the track width direction, a width dimension of the lower portion in the track width direction being smaller than that of the upper portion in the track width direction,
in said step (b), the first mask layer is formed on the upper surface of the multilayer film, and the first gap layers is formed on parts of the multilayer film which are not overlapped with the first mask layer except for areas inside the cutaway parts, thereby the predetermined gap being provided between the first gap layers due to the presence of the lower portion of the mask layer, and the first mask layer is removed, and then
in said step (c), a second mask layer is provided on the first gap layers and in the gap therebetween, the second mask layer having a width dimension in the track width direction larger than that of the lower portion of the first mask layer in the track width direction and smaller than that of the upper portion thereof, parts of the first gap layers and the multilayer film in the track width direction, which are not overlapped with the second mask layer in the track width direction, are milled, and the second mask layer is then removed.
10. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 9, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the mask layer are formed of different types of resists.
11. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 10, wherein a resist used for the lower portion of the mask layer is a material having a development speed faster than that of a resist used for the upper portion.
12. A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor having a multilayer film exhibiting a magnetoresistance effect, a lower electrode layer provided at a lower side of the multilayer film, and an upper electrode layer provided at an upper side of the multilayer film, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) forming the multilayer film at an upper side of the lower electrode layer;
(b) forming first gap layers, having a predetermined gap provided therebetween in a track width direction, on an upper surface of the multilayer film;
(c) milling the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction so as to enable the multilayer film and the first gap layers to have predetermined shapes;
d) forming gap layers different from the first gap layers on the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction; and
(e) forming the upper electrode layer on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap.
13. A method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor having a multilayer film exhibiting a magnetoresistance effect, a lower electrode layer provided at a lower side of the multilayer film, and an upper electrode layer provided at an upper side of the multilayer film, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) forming the multilayer film at an upper side of the lower electrode layer;
(b) forming first gap layers, having a predetermined gap provided therebetween in a track width direction, on an upper surface of the multilayer film;
(c) milling the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction so as to enable the multilayer film and the first gap layers to have predetermined shapes;
(d) forming the upper electrode layer on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap; and
(e) forming, between said step (c) and said step (d), second gap layers on the two sides of the multilayer film and the first gap layers in the track width direction, and forming bias layers and third gap layers on the second gap layers, wherein the upper electrode layer provided on the first gap layers and in the predetermined gap therebetween is formed in said step (d) to extend on the third gap layers.
14. The method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor, according to claim 13, wherein, between said step (c) and said step (d), the second gap layers, the bias layers, and the third gap layers are formed sequentially using a mask layer for defining the multilayer film to have a predetermined shape.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a computer;
a card store;
a plurality of card selectors;
a generic card selector to receive a security policy;
a selector policy engine to identify one of the plurality of card selectors; and
means for using one of the information cards in said card store with said identified card selector to respond to the security policy.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector policy engine is operative to present to a user the list of plurality of card selectors and receive from the user an identification of said identified card selector.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector policy engine is operative to identify said one of the plurality of card selectors based on at least one of a set including the security policy, a user name, a user data, and a policy.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the policy is any of a time-based policy, a location-based policy, or an adaptive policy.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generic card selector includes a plug-in receiver to add the identified card selector to the plurality of card selectors.
6. A method for performing a transaction using a generic card selector, comprising:
receiving a security policy from a relying party;
identifying a card selector from a plurality of card selectors;
selecting an information card from a card store; and
using the information card with the identified card selector to satisfy the security policy.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein identifying a card selector includes receiving from a user a selection of the card selector from the plurality of card selectors.
8. A method according to claim 7, wherein receiving from a user a selection of the card selector includes presenting to the user a list of the plurality of card selectors.
9. A method according to claim 6, wherein identifying a card selector includes automatically selecting a card selector based on at least one of a set including the security policy, a user name, a user data, and a policy.
10. A method according to claim 6, wherein automatically selecting a card selector includes automatically selecting a card selector based on any of a time-based policy, a location-based policy, or an adaptive policy.
11. A method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving the card selector as a plug-in to the generic card selector.
12. An article, comprising a non-transitory storage medium, said non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:
receiving a security policy from a relying party;
identifying a card selector from a plurality of card selectors;
selecting an information card from a card store; and
using the information card with the identified card selector to satisfy the security policy.
13. An article according to claim 12, wherein identifying a card selector includes receiving from a user a selection of the card selector from the plurality of card selectors.
14. An article according to claim 13, wherein receiving from a user a selection of the card selector includes presenting to the user a list of the plurality of card selectors.
15. An article according to claim 12, wherein identifying a card selector includes automatically selecting a card selector based on at least one of a set including the security policy, a user name, a user data, and a policy.
16. An article according to claim 12, wherein automatically selecting a card selector includes automatically selecting a card selector based on any of a time-based policy, a location-based policy, or an adaptive policy.
17. An article according to claim 12, wherein said non-transitory storage medium has stored thereon further instructions that, when executed by said machine, result in receiving the card selector as a plug-in to the generic card selector.