Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistive sensor pre-product with current confining path precursor
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsJanusz J. Nowak, Konstantin R. Nikolaev, Khuong T. Tran, Mark T. Kief
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Abstract
A sensor includes a sensor stack and a layer of high resistivity material having a precursor within the sensor stack. When a current is applied at the precursor, a current confining path is formed through the layer of high resistivity material at the precursor. The shape of the current confining path is adjustable by adjusting a thickness of the layer of high resistivity material.
Claims13
A product that is capable of being transformed into a magnetoresistive (MR) device with sense current confinement, the product comprising:
- a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) stack formed by a plurality of layers including at least one magnetic free layer;
- and
- a layer of high resistivity material within the CPP MR stack, the layer of high resistivity material including a precursor that defines a region of the high resistivity material having a lower dielectric breakdown voltage than high resistivity material surrounding the region, wherein when a punch current is applied at the precursor, dielectric breakdown of the high resistivity material in the region defined by the precursor creates a conductive nanoconstriction within the layer of high resistivity material that provides a current confining path through the layer of high resistivity material for sense current flowing through the CPP MR stack in a direction perpendicular to planes of the layers forming the CPP MR stack.
A product that is capable of being transformed into a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) device with sense current confinement, the product comprising a CPP MR stack of layers including at least one magnetic free layer and a layer of a high resistivity material including a precursor that defines a region of the high resistivity material having a lower dielectric breakdown voltage than high resistivity material surrounding the region such that, when a punch current is applied at the precursor, dielectric breakdown of the high resistivity material in the region defined by the precursor creates a conductive nanoconstriction that provides a current confining path through the layer of high resistivity material for sense current flowing through the CPP MR device in a current perpendicular to plane direction.
A product that is capable of being transformed into a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) device with sense current confinement, the product comprising:
- a CPP MR stack formed by a plurality of layers including at least one magnetic free layer and at least one layer of high resistivity material, and having a highly efficient region;
- and
- a precursor, formed in the layer of high resistivity material at the highly efficient region, that defines a region of high resistivity material having a lower dielectric breakdown voltage than high resistivity material surrounding the region, wherein when a punch current is applied at the precursor, dielectric breakdown of the high resistivity material in the region defined by the precursor creates a conductive nanoconstriction that provides a current confining path through the layer of high resistivity material for current flowing through the CPP MR stack in a direction perpendicular to planes of the layers forming the CPP MR stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.