Magnetoresistive read sensor including a carbon barrier layer and method for making same

Abstract

A magnetoresistive device includes an insulating barrier formed of carbon. In particular, the carbon can be diamond-like carbon, and more particularly, the carbon can be tetrahedral amorphous carbon (t-aC). The insulating barrier can be disposed between the free layer and pinned layer of a spin valve read sensor or otherwise incorporated with other various read sensor configurations. The insulating barrier is configured to increase a resistance of the read sensor with which it is incorporated, and thereby to increase the read signal. Such a barrier can be formed by cathodic arc deposition techniques, with substantially defect-free thicknesses from about 5 Å and above, and band gap values in the range of about 1 eV to about 5.4 eV.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.