Disclosed herein is a magnetoresistive structure, for example useful as a spin-valve or GMR stack in a magnetic sensor, and a fabrication method thereof. The magnetoresistive structure uses twisted coupling to induce a perpendicular magnetization alignment between the free layer and the pinned layer. Ferromagnetic layers of the free and pinned layers are exchange-coupled using antiferromagnetic layers having substantially parallel exchange-biasing directions. Thus, embodiments can be realized that have antiferromagnetic layers formed of a same material and/or having a same blocking temperature. At least one of the free and pinned layers further includes a second ferromagnetic layer and an insulating layer, such as a NOL, between the two ferromagnetic layers. The insulating layer causes twisted coupling between the two ferromagnetic layers, rotating the magnetization direction of one 90 degrees relative to the magnetization direction of the other.