Structure and method for redeposition free thin film CPP read sensor fabrication

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of tungsten and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of gold, silver, aluminum, or copper.

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of zirconium and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of gold, silver, aluminum, or copper.

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of vanadium and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of gold, silver, aluminum, or copper.

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of niobium and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of gold, silver, aluminum, or copper.

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of molybdenum and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of gold, silver, aluminum, or copper.

A current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, comprising:

• a sensor element including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• and
• a lower lead including
• an upper portion formed essentially of titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, vanadium, or niobium, and electrically coupled to the bottom surface, and
• a lower portion formed essentially of a material that is different from the upper portion and is a non-magnetic conductive material.

A data storage and retrieval system comprising:

• a current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head, including
• a sensor element having a top surface and a bottom surface,
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface, and
• a lower lead having at least
• an upper portion electrically coupled to the bottom surface and formed of at least one layer of a low sputter yield material, and
• a lower portion in direct contact with the upper portion and formed of a nonmagnetic material with a higher conductivity and a higher sputter yield than the upper portion.

A data storage and retrieval system comprising:

• a current perpendicular to the plane thin film read head including
• a sensor element having between a top surface and a bottom surface
• a free layer,
• a pinned layer,
• a conductive spacer layer disposed between the free layer and the spacer layer, and
• an antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the pinned layer;
• an upper lead electrically coupled to the top surface;
• a lower lead having at least
• an upper portion electrically coupled to the bottom surface and formed of at least one layer of a low sputter yield material, and
• a lower portion in direct contact with the upper portion and formed of a nonmagnetic material with a higher conductivity and a higher sputter yield than the upper portion;
• an upper shield coupled to the upper lead by an upper shield pedestal;
• a lower shield coupled to the lower lead by an upper shield pedestal;
• a current source coupled between the upper and lower shields;
• and
• a voltage sensor coupled between the upper and lower leads;
• a magnetic storage media;
• an arm coupled to the read head;
• an actuating means to move the arm in order to position the read head proximate to the magnetic storage media;
• and
• a motor for rotating the magnetic storage media.