Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor with an integrated auxilliary ferromagnetic shield

Abstract

The invention provides a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor with an integrated auxiliary shield comprising buffer, parallel-coupling, shielding and decoupling layers for high-resolution magnetic recording. The buffer layer, preferably formed of an amorphous ferromagnetic Co—X (where X is Hf, Y, Zr, etc.) film, creates microstructural discontinuity between a lower ferromagnetic shield and the TMR read sensor. The parallel-coupling layer, preferably formed of a polycrystalline nonmagnetic Ru film, causes parallel coupling between the buffer and shielding layers. The shielding layer, preferably formed of a polycrystalline ferromagnetic Ni—Fe film exactly identical to that used as the lower ferromagnetic shield, shields magnetic fluxes stemming from a recording medium into the lower edge of the TMR read sensor. The decoupling layer, preferably formed of another polycrystalline nonmagnetic Ru film, causes decoupling between the shielding layer and a pinning layer preferably formed of a polycrystalline antiferromagnetic Ir—Mn film.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.