Antiferromagnetically-coupled soft bias magnetoresistive read head, and fabrication method therefore

A method for providing a magnetic read transducer including an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:

• providing a magnetoresistive sensor including a free layer, the free layer including a first edge in a track width direction along the ABS;
• and
• providing, at a second edge of the free layer, a stack comprising, in overlaying sequence:
• a.) an insulator;
• b.) a soft bias seed layer;
• and
• c.) an antiferromagnetically-coupled (AFC) soft bias layer comprising, in overlaying sequence:
• i.) a first soft bias layer (SB1);
• ii.) a first ruthenium layer (Ru1);
• iii.) a second soft bias layer (SB2);
• iv.) a second ruthenium layer (Ru2);
• and
• v.) a third soft bias layer (SB3);
• wherein at least a portion of the AFC soft bias layer is:
• a.) conformal to at least a portion of the second edge of the free layer, and b.) situated to form a magnetic moment at an angle with respect to a center line of the free layer, wherein the center line extends in the same direction as the first edge of the free layer that is in the track width direction along the ABS, the angle being nonzero.