Shield geometry for stabilizing magnetic domain structure in a magnetoresistive head
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorGregory S. Mowry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic shield in a magnetoresistive head. The magnetic shield includes a lip portion adjacent a magnetoresistive element. The magnetic shield has a height equal to an integer multiple of the domain wall periodicity. The lip has a height approximately equal to the periodicity. The total height of the magnetic shield is approximately an integer multiple of the lip portion. The lip portion provides a stabilizing demagnetization effect which returns the magnetic domain pattern to a preferred hard axis magnetic domain pattern following a disruption to the magnetic domain pattern in either the easy or hard axis of the magnetic shield.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetoresistive sensor having a long axis and a height in the direction of the long axis;
- a shield located adjacent to the magnetoresistive sensor and having a height, the shield comprising a magnetic material having a magnetic domain pattern;
- and
- a lip associated with the magnetic shield and adjacent to the magnetoresistive sensor, said lip including at least a portion of each of two magnetic domains which have substantially equal equilibrium periods, and wherein said lip has a length in the direction of the long axis substantially equal to the equilibrium period of each of the magnetic domains of said lip.
A magnetic storage system comprising:
- a magnetic storage disk for storing magnetically encoded information on a surface;
- a support arm proximate the magnetic storage disk for moving relative to the surface of the magnetic storage disk;
- a transducer coupled to the support arm, for reading and writing magnetically encoded information upon the surface of the magnetic storage disk, comprising:
- a magnetoresistive sensor element for sensing magnetically encoded information carried upon the surface of the magnetic storage disk;
- electrical contacts coupled to the magnetoresistive sensor element;
- a magnetic shield adjacent the magnetoresistive sensor element for magnetically isolating the magnetoresistive sensor element from stray magnetic fields, the shield having a height and comprising a magnetic material having a magnetic domain pattern;
- and
- a lip associated with the magnetic shield and adjacent to the magnetoresistive sensor element, said lip including at least a portion of each of two magnetic domains which have substantially equal equilibrium periods, and wherein said lip has a length in the direction of the long axis substantially equal to the equilibrium period of each of the magnetic domains of said lip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.