Magnetic read sensor employing oblique etched underlayers for inducing uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a self biased free layer

A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

• a magnetic free layer;
• a magnetic pinned layer structure;
• and
• a non-magnetic spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer structure, the spacer layer having a surface adjacent to the free layer that has an anisotropic roughness configured to induce a magnetic anisotropy in the free layer wherein the sensor has an air bearing surface and wherein the anisotropic roughness comprises ripples or facets that extend along a direction substantially parallel to the ABS.

A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

• a magnetic free layer;
• a magnetic pinned layer structure;
• and
• a non-magnetic spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer structure, the spacer layer having a surface adjacent to the free layer that has an anisotropic roughness configured to induce a magnetic anisotropy in the free layer.

A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

• a magnetic free layer;
• a magnetic pinned layer structure;
• a non-magnetic spacer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer structure;
• an underlayer formed adjacent to the free layer opposite the spacer layer, the underlayer having a surface having an anisotropic roughness, the surface being disposed adjacent to the free layer and inducing magnetic anisotropy in the free layer.

A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:

• a magnetic free layer;
• a magnetic pinned layer structure;
• a non-magnetic spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer structure;
• a magnetic bias layer;
• an orthogonal coupling layer sandwiched between the magnetic bias layer and the free layer;
• and
• an underlayer formed adjacent to the bias layer opposite the orthogonal coupling layer, the underlayer having a surface formed with an anisotropic roughness configured to induce a magnetic anisotropy in the bias layer.