US 10,090,008 B2Granted

Magnetoresistive sensor fabrication

AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC

InventorsZhiguo Ge, Shaun E. McKinlay, Eric W. Singleton, LiWen Tan, Jae Young Yi

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Abstract

Implementations described and claimed herein include a reader structure, comprising a first reader, including a sensor stack and a top shield structure, the top shield structure comprises a synthetic antiferromagnetic shield (SAF) structure, including a reference layer including at least a layer of NiFe and an impurity additive, an RKKY coupling layer RKKY coupling layer (e.g., Ru layer), and a pinned layer. In another implementation, the RL of the SAF shield structure of a first reader includes at least a layer of amorphous magnetic material. Yet, in another implementation, the SAF shield structure includes an insertion layer of amorphous magnetic material under the SAF shield RL, within the SAF shield RL or between the SAF shield RL and SAF shield Ru.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A reader structure, comprising:

a first reader, including:
a bottom shield:
a sensor stack, including:
a synthetic antiferromagnetic structure located between two side shields;
and
a sensor antiferromagnetic layer located directly adjacent to the synthetic antiferromagnetic structure and the bottom shield and between the bottom shield and the two side shields;
a stack cap layer located directly adjacent to the sensor stack between the two side shields;
and
a top shield structure, the top shield structure comprising a synthetic antiferromagnetic shield structure magnetically coupled to the two side shields, including:
a reference layer including at least a layer of NiFe and an impurity additive, the reference layer located directly adjacent to the stack cap layer and the two side shields;
an RKKY coupling layer;
a pinned layer;
and
isolation material located directly adjacent to the bottom shield, the sensor stack, the stack cap layer, and the top shield structure of the first reader, and located directly adjacent to the sides of each of the two side shields in a cross direction.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/631,372Filed 23 Jun 2017 · division
Priority: 15 Jun 2015
Published: US 2017/0294199 A112 Oct 2017
Granted: 2 Oct 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G11B 5/3912
Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects: arrangements in which the active read-out elements are transducing in…
G11B 5/397
Composite structural arrangements of transducers, e.g. inductive write and magnetoresistive read: with a plurality of independent magnetoresistive…
G11B 5/3974
With a plurality of independent magnetoresistive active read-out elements for respectively transducing from selected components: from the same…
G11B 5/398
Using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures: specially shaped layers