Antiparallel-pinned type spin valve sensor having ultra-thin freelayers
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorMustafa Pinarbasi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antiparallel (AP) pinned type spin valve (SV) sensor having ultra-thin freelayers includes a cap layer made of tantalum (Ta); a copper (Cu) layer formed beneath the cap layer; a freelayer structure which includes a first layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), a second layer made of ruthenium (Ru), a third layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), and a nanolayer made of cobalt-iron (CoFe); and a spacer layer made of copper (Cu). This structure provides a method to optimize the net freelayer moment by an optimal combination of CoFe and NiFe for a high magnetoresistive coefficient (dR/R) and soft magnetic properties.
Claims18
A spin valve (SV) sensor, comprising:
- a cap layer made of tantalum (Ta);
- a copper (Cu) layer formed beneath the cap layer;
- a freelayer structure which includes:
- a first layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe);
- a second layer made of ruthenium (Ru);
- a third layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe);
- a nanolayer made of cobalt-iron (CoFe);
- and
- a spacer layer made of copper (Cu).
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a spin valve (SV) sensor which includes:
- a cap layer made of tantalum (Ta);
- a copper (Cu) layer formed beneath the cap layer;
- a freelayer structure which includes a first layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), a second layer made of ruthenium (Ru), a third layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), and a nanolayer made of cobalt-iron (CoFe);
- and
- a spacer layer made of copper (Cu).
A disk drive, comprising:
- a magnetic head with a spin valve (SV) sensor which includes:
- a cap layer made of tantalum (Ta);
- a copper (Cu) layer formed beneath the cap layer;
- a freelayer structure which includes a first layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), a second layer made of ruthenium (Ru), a third layer made of nickel-iron (NiFe), and a nanolayer made of cobalt-iron (CoFe);
- and
- a spacer layer made of copper (Cu).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.