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US 7,064,935 B2Granted
Magnetoresistive sensor having leads with vertical end walls
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherland B.V.
InventorMustafa Michael Pinarbasi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lead overlay magnetoresistive sensor has leads with substantially vertical end walls to accentuate sense current near the ends of the leads. Insulating layers isolate the hard bias layers from the path of the sense current. A lead overlay magnetoresistive sensor does not exhibit significant trackwidth widening. A disk drive has a read element including a lead overlay magnetoresistive sensor with leads having substantially vertical end walls.
Claims10
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a sensor stack including a ferromagnetic pinned layer and a ferromagnetic free layer, said sensor stack having a first portion, a second portion, and an active portion, said sensor stack having a first and second end;
- a first bias magnet disposed at said first end of said sensor stack and a second bias magnet disposed at said second end of said sensor stack;
- a first lead, said first lead overlaying said first portion of said sensor stack and said first hard bias magnet, said first lead having a substantially vertical end wall;
- and,
- a second lead, said second lead overlaying a second portion of said sensor stack and said second hard bias magnet, said second lead having a substantially vertical end wall;
- wherein
- insulating material is disposed between said first hard bias magnet and said first end of said sensor stack and between said second bias magnet and said second end of said sensor stack;
- said first lead has a sharp corner defined at an intersection of an upper surface and said end wall thereof;
- said second lead has a sharp corner defined at an intersection of an upper surface and said end wall thereof;
- said first lead is a single layer;
- said second lead is a single layer;
- and
- said first and second leads are the only lead layers present for passing an electrical current through said sensor stack.
10 more elements
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a sensor stack including a ferromagnetic pinned layer and a ferromagnetic free layer, said sensor stack having a first overlay portion, a second overlay portion, and an active portion, said sensor stack having a first and second end, wherein the first and second overlay portions extend from the first and second ends of said sensor stack;
- a first bias magnet disposed at said first end of said sensor stack and insulated from said sensor stack with a first thin insulating layer, said first bias magnet having a bump extending upwardly from a top surface thereof and positioned towards said first end of said sensor stack;
- a second bias magnet disposed at said second end of said sensor stack and insulated from said sensor stack with a second thin insulating layer, said second bias magnet having a bump extending upwardly from a top surface thereof and positioned towards said second end of said sensor stack;
- a first lead, said first lead overlaying said first overlay portion of said sensor stack and said first bias magnet, wherein said first lead is insulated from said first bias magnet with a third insulating layer, wherein ends of said third insulating layer and said first insulating layer taper together and meet towards the first end of said sensor stack;
- and,
- a second lead, said second lead overlaying a second overlay portion of said sensor stack and said second bias magnet, wherein said second lead is insulated from said second bias magnet with a fourth insulating layer, wherein ends of said fourth insulating layer and said second insulating layer taper together and meet towards the second end of said sensor stack.
3 more elements
A disk drive, comprising:
- a magnetic disk;
- a write element for writing information to said disk;
- a magnetoresistive sensor for reading information from said disk, wherein said magnetoresistive sensor includes:
- a sensor stack including a ferromagnetic pinned layer and a ferromagnetic free layer, said sensor stack having a first overlay portion, a second overlay portion, and an active portion, said sensor stack having a first and second end, wherein the first and second overlay portions extend from the first and second ends of said sensor stack;
- a first bias magnet disposed at said first end of said sensor stack and insulated from said sensor stack with a first thin insulating layer, said first bias magnet having bump extending upwardly from a top surface thereof and positioned towards said first end of said sensor stack;
- a second bias magnet disposed at said second end of said sensor stack and insulated from said sensor stack with a second thin insulating layer, said second bias magnet having a bump extending upwardly from a top surface thereof and positioned towards said second end of said sensor stack;
- a first lead, said first lead overlaying said first overlay portion of said sensor stack and said first bias magnet, wherein said first lead is insulated from said first bias magnet with a third insulating layer, wherein ends of said third insulating layer and said first insulating layer taper together and meet towards the first end of said sensor stack;
- and,
- a second lead, said second lead overlaying a second overlay portion of said sensor stack and said second bias magnet, wherein said second lead is insulated from
- said second bias magnet with a fourth insulating layer, wherein ends of said fourth insulating layer and said second insulating layer taper together and meet towards the second end of said sensor stack.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.