Magnetoresistive head having improved hard biasing characteristics through the use of a multi-layered seed layer including an oxidized tantalum layer and a chromium layer
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMustafa Pinarbasi, James Mac Freitag
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Abstract
A magnetic head with improved hard magnet properties includes a read sensor; a multi-layered seed layer formed adjacent to the read sensor and over a contiguous junction region of the read sensor; and a hard bias layer formed over the multi-layered seed layer. The multi-layered seed layer includes a first seed layer of oxidized tantalum and a second seed layer of chromium. The contiguous junction region exposes one or more sensor materials such as tantalum, nickel-iron, cobalt-iron, copper, platinum-manganese and ruthenium. The hard bias layer is preferably cobalt-platinum-chromium.
Claims20
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a read sensor;
- a multi-layered seed layer formed adjacent to the read sensor and over a contiguous junction region of the read sensor;
- the multi-layered seed layer including:
- a first seed layer comprising oxidized tantalum;
- a second seed layer comprising chromium;
- and
- a hard bias layer formed over the multi-layered seed layer.
A magnetic recording device, comprising:
- at least one rotatable magnetic disk;
- a spindle supporting the at least one rotatable magnetic disk;
- a disk drive motor for rotating the at least one rotatable magnetic disk;
- a magnetic head for reading data from the at least one rotatable magnetic disk;
- a slider for supporting the magnetic head;
- the magnetic head including:
- a read sensor;
- a multi-layered seed layer formed adjacent the read sensor and over a contiguous junction region of the read sensor;
- a hard bias layer formed over the multi-layered seed layer;
- the multi-layered seed layer including:
- a first seed layer comprising oxidized tantalum;
- and
- a second seed layer comprising chromium.
A method of producing a magnetic head, comprising:
- forming an oxidized tantalum seed layer adjacent to a read sensor and over a contiguous junction region of the read sensor by:
- depositing a tantalum layer adjacent to and over the contiguous junction region;
- oxidizing the tantalum seed layer to produce the oxidized tantalum seed layer;
- depositing a chromium seed layer over the oxidized tantalum seed layer;
- and
- depositing a hard bias layer over the chromium seed layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.