US 7,599,158 B2Granted

Side reading reduced GMR for high track density

AssigneeHeadway Technologies, Inc.

InventorsPo Kang Wang, Moris Dovek, Jibin Geng, Tai Min

Life of this patent

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Abstract

As track density requirements for disk drives have grown more aggressive, GMR devices have been pushed to narrower track widths to match the track pitch of the drive width. Narrower track widths degrade stability, cause amplitude loss, due to the field originating from the hard bias structure, and side reading. This problem has been overcome by adding an additional layer of soft magnetic material above the hard bias layers. The added layer provides flux closure to the hard bias layers thereby preventing flux leakage into the gap region. A non-magnetic layer must be included to prevent exchange coupling to the hard bias layers. In at least one embodiment the conductive leads are used to accomplish this. A process for manufacturing the device is also described.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A magnetic read head, comprising:

on a lower magnetic shield a first insulator layer;
on said first insulator layer, a bottom spin valve, including a first antiferromagnetic layer, whose topmost layer is a centrally located capping layer directly beneath which is a free layer;
said bottom spin valve having two opposing sides that slope downwards away from said capping layer;
on said sloping sides, two opposing plugs of magnetic hard bias material that provide permanent longitudinal bias, in a first direction, to said spin valve;
on said plugs of magnetic hard bias material, a layer of non-magnetic material having a thickness that is sufficient to eliminate exchange coupling;
on said layer of non-magnetic material, a layer of nickel iron that has been magnetized in a direction that is anti-parallel to said first direction;
on said layer of nickel iron, a conductive lead layer;
on said lead layer and said capping layer, a second insulator layer;
and
on said second insulator layer, an upper magnetic shield.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/716,945Filed 12 Mar 2007 · division
Priority: 30 Apr 2002
Published: US 2007/0171572 A126 Jul 2007
Granted: 6 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G11B 5/3903
Using magneto-resistive devices or effects: using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
B82Y 25/00
Nanomagnetism
B82Y 40/00
Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures

Family

Application10/135,097Parent of this division · filed 30 Apr 2002
Application10/856,181Parent of this division · filed 28 May 2004
US 2007/0171572 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Jul 2007
US 7,203,039 B2Parent of this division
US 6,760,966 B2Parent of this division
US 2003/0202295 A1Published application
US 2004/0223269 A1Published application
US 7,599,158 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.