Spin valve with improved capping layer structure

A magnetic head assembly having a read head and a write head comprising:

• the write head including:
• first and second pole piece layers;
• each of the first and second pole piece layers having a yoke portion located between a pole tip portion and a back gap portion;
• a nonmagnetic write gap layer located between the pole tip portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• an insulation stack with at least one coil layer embedded therein located between the yoke portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• and
• the first and second pole piece layers being connected at their back gaps portions;
• and
• the read head including:
• nonmagnetic electrically insulative first and second read gap layers;
• a spin valve sensor;
• first and second hard bias and lead layers connected to the spin valve sensor;
• the spin valve sensor and the first and second lead layers being located between the first and second read gap layers;
• a first shield layer;
• the first and second read gap layers being located between the first shield layer and the first pole piece layer;
• and
• the spin valve sensor including:
• an antiferromagnetic pinning layer;
• a ferromagnetic pinned layered structure exchange coupled to the pinning layer and having a magnetic moment pinned by the pinning layer in a first direction;
• a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetic moment oriented in a second direction when not subjected to an applied magnetic field emanating from a source outside the read head;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer located between the pinned layer structure and the free layer;
• a cap layered structure;
• the free layer being located between the cap layered structure and the spacer layer;
• and
• the cap layered structure including:
• a cobalt (Co) or cobalt iron (CoFe) first cap layer;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second cap layer;
• and
• the first cap layer being located between the free layer and the second cap layer.

A magnetic disk drive that includes at least one slider that has an air bearing surface (ABS), the slider supporting at least one magnetic head assembly that includes a read head and a write head, the disk drive comprising:

• the write head including:
• first and second pole piece layers;
• each of the first and second pole piece layers having a yoke portion located between a pole tip portion and a back gap portion;
• a nonmagnetic write gap layer located between the pole tip portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• an insulation stack with at least one coil layer embedded therein located between the yoke portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• and
• the first and second pole piece layers being connected at their back gaps portions;
• and
• the read head including:
• nonmagnetic electrically insulative first and second read gap layers;
• a spin valve sensor;
• first and second hard bias and lead layers connected to the spin valve sensor;
• the spin valve sensor and the first and second hard bias and lead layers being located between the first and second read gap layers;
• a first shield layer;
• the first and second read gap layers being located between the first shield layer and the first pole piece layer;
• and
• the spin valve sensor including:
• an antiferromagnetic pinning layer;
• a ferromagnetic pinned layered structure exchange coupled to the pinning layer and having a magnetic moment pinned by the pinning layer in a first direction;
• a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetic moment oriented in a second direction when not subjected to an applied magnetic field emanating from a source outside the read head;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer located between the pinned layer structure and the free layer;
• a cap layered structure;
• the free layer being located between the cap layered structure and the spacer layer;
• and
• the cap layered structure including:
• a cobalt (Co) or cobalt iron (CoFe) first cap layer;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second cap layer;
• and
• the first cap layer being located between the free layer and the second cap layer;
• a housing;
• a magnetic disk rotatably supported in the housing;
• a support mounted in the housing for supporting the magnetic head assembly with its ABS facing the magnetic disk so that the magnetic head assembly is in a transducing relationship with the magnetic disk;
• means for rotating the magnetic disk;
• positioning means connected to the support for moving the magnetic head assembly to multiple positions with respect to said magnetic disk;
• and
• processing means connected to the magnetic head assembly, to the means for rotating the magnetic disk and to the positioning means for exchanging signals with the magnetic head assembly, for controlling movement of the magnetic disk and for controlling the position of the magnetic head assembly.

A method of making a magnetic head assembly that includes a read head and a write head comprising the steps of:

• making a spin valve sensor comprising the steps of:
• forming an antiferromagnetic pinning layer;
• forming a ferromagnetic pinned layered structure on the pinning layer;
• forming a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer on the pinned layer structure;
• forming a ferromagnetic free layer on the spacer layer;
• forming a cap layered structure on the free layer as follows:
• forming a first cap layer of cobalt (Co) or cobalt iron (CoFe) on the free layer;
• and
• forming a second cap layer of a nonmagnetic electrically conductive material on the first cap layer.