Current perpendicular-to-plane read sensor with back shield
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsFeng Liu, Shaoping Li, Laurence L. Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a read head for reading data from a magnetic media. The read head includes a bottom magnetic shield layer, a top magnetic shield layer, and a read sensor disposed between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers. The read sensor is configured for sensing changes in a magnetic field of the magnetic media positioned under the read sensor. The read sensor has a front end adjacent to an air bearing surface (ABS) and a back end opposite the front end. The read head also includes a back magnetic shield layer positioned between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers and behind the back end of the read sensor distal to the ABS.
Claims18
A read head for reading data from a magnetic media, comprising:
- a bottom magnetic shield layer;
- a top magnetic shield layer;
- a read sensor disposed between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers configured for sensing changes in a magnetic field of the magnetic media positioned under the read sensor, the read sensor having a front end adjacent to an air bearing surface (ABS) and a back end opposite the front end;
- and
- a back magnetic shield layer positioned between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers and behind the back end of the read sensor distal to the ABS,
- wherein a ratio of a thickness of the back magnetic shield layer to a spacing between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers is greater than 0.25 with the spacing being based on a height of the read sensor.
A method of fabricating a thin film read head, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- depositing a bottom magnetic shield layer over the substrate;
- forming a reader stack on the bottom magnetic shield layer;
- depositing an insulating layer over the bottom magnetic shield layer and the reader stack;
- depositing a back magnetic shield layer over the insulating layer;
- and
- removing a portion of the back magnetic shield layer and a portion of the insulating layer until reaching the reader stack.
A system for storing and retrieving data to and from a magnetic recording media, comprising:
- a head assembly, positionable adjacent the magnetic recording media, the head assembly having a write head and a read head, the read head comprising:
- a bottom magnetic shield layer;
- a top magnetic shield layer;
- a read sensor disposed between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers configured for sensing changes in magnetic properties of a track on the magnetic media positioned under the read sensor, the read sensor having a front end adjacent to an air bearing surface (ABS) and a back end opposite the front end;
- a back magnetic shield layer positioned between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers and behind the back end of the read sensor;
- and
- a drive device for coupling to the media so as to move the media with respect to the head assembly,
- wherein a ratio of a thickness of the back magnetic shield layer to a spacing between the bottom and top magnetic shield layers is greater than 0.25 and less than or equal to 2.0 with the spacing being based on a height of the read sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.