High magnetic anisotropy hard magnetic bias element
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsDavid J. Larson, Eric W. Singleton, Declan Macken, Patrick J. Moran
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Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor having an MR stack biased by high anisotropy hard bias elements thereby reducing distortion in sensor operation and improving head to head operational values. The high anisotropy hard bias elements are formed from a hard magnetic material deposited in a thin film having a substantially axial preferred direction of magnetic anisotropy prior to application of a setting field. The magnetic anisotropy in the hard magnetic material is formed by oblique deposition in a direction approximately normal to the preferred direction of anisotropy in the resulting hard bias element.
Claims18
A magnetoresistive sensor having a magnetoresistive stack biased by one or more hard bias elements, the sensor characterized by:
- the hard bias elements are formed from a hard magnetic material deposited in a thin film having a substantially axial preferred direction of magnetic anisotropy prior to application of a setting field.
A hard bias element adjacent to a magnetoresistive stack having a preferred magnetic anisotropy in a magnetoresistive sensor having an air bearing surface, wherein the hard bias element is formed from a hard magnetic thin film material having elongated domains oriented parallel to the preferred magnetic anisotropy.
A magnetoresistive sensor comprising:
- a magnetoresistive stack having an air bearing surface;
- a first hard bias element positioned adjacent to a first side of the magnetoresistive stack and having elongated grains of hard magnetic material oriented parallel to the air bearing surface;
- and
- a second hard bias element positioned adjacent to a second side of the magnetoresistive stack and having elongated grains of hard magnetic material oriented parallel to the air bearing surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.