Method and apparatus having improved magnetic read head sensors
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
InventorsJinshan Li, Alexander Zeltser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for an improved magnetic read sensor having synthetic or AP pinned layers with high resistance and high magnetoelastic anisotropy is disclosed. A pinned layer includes a cobalt-iron ternary alloy, where a third constituent of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer is selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer.
Claims31
An synthetic or AP pinned layer in a GMR stack, comprising a cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer, wherein a third constituent of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer is selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer over a cobalt-iron alloy layer.
A synthetic or AP pinned layer in a GMR stack, comprising:
- a first pinned layer;
- an interlayer disposed over the first pinned layer;
- and
- a second pinned layer disposed over the interlayer;
- wherein the at least one of the first or second pinned layers comprises a cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer having a third constituent selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the pinned layers over a cobalt-iron alloy layer.
A magnetic read head, comprising:
- a high resistance AP pinned layer comprising a first cobalt-iron ternary alloy, the cobalt-iron ternary alloy comprising a constituent selected to provide an increase in sheet resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy over a cobalt-iron alloy layer;
- an interlayer disposed over the first high resistance pinned layer;
- a second bi-layer pinned layer, disposed over the coupling layer, the second bi-layer layer comprising a cobalt-iron ternary alloy and a cobalt-iron binary alloy layer, the cobalt-iron ternary alloy further comprising a constituent selected to provide an increase in sheet resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy over a cobalt-iron alloy layer;
- a nonmagnetic conductive spacer layer disposed over the bi-layer pinned layer adjacent to the cobalt-iron layer;
- and
- a free layer disposed over the nonmagnetic conductive spacer layer, the free layer having a magnetization that is free to rotate.
A magnetic read head, comprising:
- a high resistance AP pinned layer comprising a first cobalt-iron ternary alloy, the cobalt-iron ternary alloy comprising a constituent selected to provide an increase in sheet resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy over a cobalt-iron alloy layer;
- an interlayer disposed over the first high resistance pinned layer;
- a second pinned layer, disposed over the coupling layer;
- a nonmagnetic conductive spacer layer disposed over the second pinned layer;
- and a free layer disposed over the nonmagnetic conductive spacer layer, the free layer having a magnetization that is free to rotate.
A magnetic storage device, comprising:
- a magnetic media for storing data thereon;
- a motor, coupled to the magnetic media, for translating the magnetic media;
- a transducer for reading and writing data on the magnetic media;
- and
- an actuator, coupled to the transducer, for moving the transducer relative to the magnetic media;
- wherein the transducer includes a read sensor comprising a pinned layer in a GMR stack comprising a cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer in at least an AP1 pinned layer, wherein a third constituent of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer is selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer over a cobalt-iron alloy layer.
A method for providing a magnetic read head sensor having high resistance AP layer, comprising:
- forming a pinned layer in a GMR stack using a cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer wherein a third constituent of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer is selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer over a cobalt-iron alloy layer.
A method for providing a magnetic read head sensor having high resistance AP layers, comprising:
- forming a first pinned layer;
- forming an antiferromagnetic coupling layer disposed over the first pinned layer;
- and forming a second pinned layer disposed over the antiferromagnetic coupling layer;
- wherein the forming the first and second pinned layers further comprises forming a cobalt-iron ternary alloy layer wherein a third constituent is selected for increasing the resistance and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the pinned layer over a cobalt-iron alloy layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.