Yoke spin valve MR read head

Abstract

The present invention is a yoke spin valve MR read head which electrically connects a spin valve MR sensor to spaced apart yoke portions. First and second yoke pieces are electrically connected at a head surface and are insulated from one another at a back gap which is remotely located from the head surface. The first yoke piece has a break which divides it into first and second portions which are spaced from one another. The spin valve MR sensor is located within this break and electrically interconnects the first and second portions of the first yoke piece. First and second leads are connected to the first and second yoke pieces respectively and receive a current from a current source for applying a sense current to the spin valve MR sensor via the first and second yoke pieces. When a magnetic medium is moved adjacent the head surface of the read head the yoke pieces serve as conductors for transmitting sense current to the spin valve MR sensor as well as functioning as a flux guide. Flux incursions propagated from the magnetic medium to the spin valve MR sensor via the yoke cause relative rotations between directions of magnetic moments of a pinned layer and a free layer which correspond to signals which can be processed by a signal processing device. The signal strength of the yoke spin valve MR sensor is superior to an anisotropic MR sensor and is easier to fabricate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.