Spin valve sensor with dual self-pinned AP pinned layer structures

A magnetic head assembly, which has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising:

• a read head including:
• ferromagnetic first and second shield layers;
• nonmagnetic and insulative first and second read gap layers located between the first and second shield layers;
• and
• a spin valve sensor being located between the first and second read gap layers;
• the spin valve sensor including:
• first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures having at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the NP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the NP pinned layers;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer located between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer located between the second NP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• the first NP pinned layer of the first NP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first NP pinned layer of the second NP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• each of the first and second NP pinned layers having a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• the magnetic moments of the first NP pinned layers of the first and second NP pinned layer structures being parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second NP pinned layers of the first and second NP pinned layer structures being parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first NP pinned layers being antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second NP pinned layers;
• and
• each of the first NP pinned layers of the first and second NP pinned layer structures having a magnetic thickness that is greater than a magnetic thickness of each of the second NP pinned layers of the first and second NP pinned layer structures;
• a write head including:
• ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers which each have 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 gap portions.

A magnetic disk drive, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium and that has at least one magnetic head assembly that includes a write head and a read head, comprising:

• the write head including:
• ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers that each have 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 gap portions;
• and
• the read head including:
• nonmagnetic nonconductive first and second read gap layers;
• a dual spin valve sensor located between the first and second read gap layers;
• ferromagnetic first and second shield layers;
• and
• the first and second read gap layers being located between the first and second shield layers with the first read gap layer interfacing the first shield layer and the second read gap layer interfacing the second shield layer;
• the dual spin valve sensor including:
• first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures having at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the AP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer located between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer located between the second AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• the first AP pinned layer of the first AP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first AP pinned layer of the second AP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• each of the first and second AP pinned layers having a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures being parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures being parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers being antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second AP pinned layers;
• and
• each of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures having a magnetic thickness that is greater than a magnetic thickness of each of the second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures;
• a housing;
• the magnetic medium being supported in the housing;
• a support mounted in the housing for supporting the magnetic head assembly with said head surface facing the magnetic medium so that the magnetic head assembly is in a transducing relationship with the magnetic medium;
• a motor for moving the magnetic medium;
• and
• a processor connected to the magnetic head assembly and to the motor for exchanging signals with the magnetic head assembly and for controlling movement of the magnetic medium.

A method of making a magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising the steps of:

• forming ferromagnetic first and second shield layers with nonmagnetic and insulative first and second read gap layers located between the first and second shield layers;
• forming a spin valve sensor between the first and second read gap layers;
• a method of making the spin valve sensor including the steps of:
• forming first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures with at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the AP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• forming a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• forming a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer between the second AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• forming the first AP pinned layer of the first AP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first AP pinned layer structure of the second AP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layers with a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• forming the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second AP pinned layers;
• and
• each of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures being formed with a magnetic thickness that is greater than a magnetic thickness of each of the second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures.

A method of making a magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising the steps of:

• forming ferromagnetic first and second shield layers with nonmagnetic and insulative first and second read gap layers located between the first and second shield layers;
• forming a spin valve sensor between the first and second read gap layers;
• a method of making the spin valve sensor including the steps of:
• forming first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures with at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the AP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• forming a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• forming a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer between the second AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• forming the first AP pinned layer of the first AP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first AP pinned layer structure of the second AP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layers with a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• forming the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second AP pinned layers;
• each of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures being formed with a magnetic thickness that is greater than a magnetic thickness of each of the second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures;
• a method of making a write head comprising the steps of
• forming ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers which each have a yoke portion located between a pole tip portion and a back gap portion;
• forming a nonmagnetic write gap layer located between the pole tip portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• forming an insulation stack with at least one coil layer embedded therein between the yoke portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• and
• connecting the first and second pole piece layers at their back gap portions.

A method of making a magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising the steps of:

• forming ferromagnetic first and second shield layers with nonmagnetic and insulative first and second read gap layers located between the first and second shield layers;
• forming a spin valve sensor between the first and second read gap layers;
• a method of making the spin valve sensor including the steps of:
• forming first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures with at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the AP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• forming a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• forming a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer between the second AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• forming the first AP pinned layer of the first AP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first AP pinned layer structure of the second AP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layers with a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• forming the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second AP pinned layers;
• said forming of the AP pinned layers includes applying a first magnetic field that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• applying a second magnetic field after applying said first magnetic field for orienting the magnetic moments of the AP pinned layers perpendicular to the head surface in desired directions;
• forming first and second hard bias layers abutting first and second side edges of the free layer structure;
• longitudinally setting the dual spin valve sensor by applying a third magnetic field that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to the major planes of the AP pinned layers for oriented magnetic moments of the hard bias layers parallel to the head surface and parallel to the major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• each of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures being formed with a magnetic thickness that is greater than a magnetic thickness of each of the second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures;
• the magnetic head assembly further including a write head, the method of making the write head comprising the steps of:
• forming ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers which each have a yoke portion located between a pole tip portion and a back gap portion;
• forming a nonmagnetic write gap layer located between the pole tip portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• forming an insulation stack with at least one coil layer embedded therein between the yoke portions of the first and second pole piece layers;
• and
• connecting the first and second pole piece layers at their back gap portions.

A method of making a magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising the steps of:

• a method of making a spin valve sensor including the steps of:
• forming first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structures wherein each AP pinned layer structure is self pinned without the assistance of a pinning layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layer structures with at least first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers and at least one antiparallel (AP) coupling layer with the AP coupling layer being located between the first and second AP pinned layers;
• forming a free layer structure that has a magnetic moment that is oriented parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the AP pinned layers;
• forming a nonmagnetic electrically conductive first spacer layer between the first AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive second spacer layer between the second AP pinned layer structure and the free layer structure;
• forming the first AP pinned layer of the first AP pinned layer structure interfacing the first spacer layer and the first AP pinned layer structure of the second AP pinned layer structure interfacing the second spacer layer;
• forming each of the first and second AP pinned layers with a magnetic moment that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface;
• forming the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction, the magnetic moments of second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures parallel with respect to one another and in a same direction and the magnetic moments of the first AP pinned layers antiparallel to the magnetic moments of the second AP pinned layers;
• each of the first AP pinned layers being formed with a magnetic thickness that is greater or less than a magnetic thickness of each of the second AP pinned layers of the first and second AP pinned layer structures;
• said forming of the AP pinned layers includes applying a first magnetic field that is oriented perpendicular to the head surface and then applying a second magnetic field after applying said first magnetic field for orienting the magnetic moments of the AP pinned layers perpendicular to the head surface in desired directions.