Magnetoresistive sensor having a high coercivity hard magnetic bias layer deposited over a metallic layer
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies
InventorsJames Freitag, Mustafa Pinarbasi
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Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor having hard bias layers constructed of CoPtCrB, which high coercivity when deposited over crystalline materials such as an AFM layer or other sensor material. The bias layer material exhibits high coercivity and high moment even when deposited over a crystalline structure such as that of an underlying sensor material by not assuming the crystalline structure of the underlying crystalline layer. The bias layer material is especially beneficial for use in a partial mill sensor design wherein a portion of the sensor layers extends beyond the active area of the sensor and the bias layer must be deposited on the extended portion of sensor material.
Claims22
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a sensor stack having first and second laterally opposed sides;
- and
- first and second hard magnetic layers extending laterally outward from the first and second sides of the sensor stack, the first and second hard magnetic layers comprising CoPtCrB.
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a sensor stack having first and second laterally opposed sides defining an active area of the sensor;
- a layer an antiferromagnetic material formed within the sensor stack and having first and second laterally extending portions that each extend beyond the active area of the sensor, the laterally extending portions of the antiferromagnetic layer each having an upper surface;
- and
- first and second hard magnetic layers formed over the first and second laterally extending portions of the antiferromagnetic material, the first and second hard magnetic layers each comprising CoPtCrB.
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a layer of antiferromagnetic material;
- a magnetic pinned layer structure formed over and exchange coupled with the layer of antiferromagnetic material;
- a non-magnetic electrically conductive spacer layer formed over the magnetic pinned layer;
- a magnetic free layer formed over the spacer layer, the free layer having first and second laterally opposed sides defining an active area of the sensor;
- the layer of antiferromagnetic material having laterally extending portions that extend beyond the active area of the sensor, the laterally extending portions each having a surface;
- and
- a layer of hard magnetic material comprising CoPtCrB formed over the laterally extending portions of the antiferromagnetic material.
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of sensor layers;
- at least one of the plurality of sensor layers terminating at first and second sides defining an active area;
- at least one of the plurality of sensor layers having first and second laterally extending portions that extend laterally beyond the active area of the sensor;
- and
- first and second hard magnetic layers formed over the first and second laterally extending portions, the first and second hard magnetic layers comprising CoPtCrB.
A magnetoresistive sensor comprising:
- a layer of material having a crystalline structure;
- and
- a hard magnetic layer formed over the material having a crystalline structure, the hard magnetic layer comprising CoPtCrB.
A magnetic data storage system, comprising:
- a magnetic medium;
- a an actuator;
- a slider connected with the actuator for movement adjacent to a surface of the magnetic medium;
- a magnetoresistive sensor connected with the slider, the magnetoresistive sensor comprising;
- a layer of crystalline material;
- and
- a hard magnetic material formed over the crystalline material layer, the hard magnetic material comprising CoPtCrB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.