MR thin film head with longitudinal-biasing multi-layers of antiferromagnetically-coupled high and low coercivity layers

A magnetoresistive thin film head including a magnetoresistive element between a lower magnetic shield layer and an upper magnetic shield layer with an insulating material interposed, a pair of right and left laminated longitudinal biasing layers making direct contact with said magnetoresistive element and a pair of right and left lead layers for supplying a signal current;

• said magnetoresistive thin film head comprising:
• said magnetoresistive element including an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinning layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer and a free magnetic layer, and
• said pair of right and left laminated longitudinal biasing layers each including a high coercivity ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a low coercivity ferromagnetic layer having a coercivity lower than said high coercivity ferromagnetic layer, said low coercivity ferromagnetic layer and said high coercivity ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled, and stacked on a common side of said free magnetic layer of said magnetoresistive element.