Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor structure with stacked sensors for minimization of the effect of head skew

A system for providing readback signals from adjacent data tracks in a two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR) disk drive having a rotary actuator with a maximum skew angle (θm) and a disk having an inside diameter (ID) region, a mid-diameter (MD) region, an outside (OD) diameter region, and a track pitch (TP), the system comprising:

• a multi-sensor read head comprising:
• a head carrier having a surface for facing the disk and a trailing surface generally orthogonal to the disk-facing surface;
• a bottom magnetic shield on the trailing surface;
• a first read sensor on the bottom magnetic shield;
• a first magnetic shield on the first read sensor;
• a second read sensor on the first magnetic shield and spaced laterally a distance X from the first read sensor in a direction substantially parallel to the trailing surface, wherein X is related to TP;
• a second magnetic shield on the second read sensor;
• a third read sensor on the second magnetic shield and aligned laterally with the first read sensor in a direction substantially parallel to the trailing surface, the third read sensor being spaced a distance D from the first read sensor in a direction substantially orthogonal to the trailing surface, wherein D is related to θm;
• and
• a top magnetic shield on the third read sensor;
• and
• a preamplifier connected to the multi-sensor read head for simultaneously providing a readback signal from a target track and a readback signal from a track adjacent to the target track, the preamplifier including circuitry for selecting the first read sensor to provide the readback signal from the target track and the second read sensor to provide the readback signal from an adjacent track when the multi-sensor read head is located in the MD region, and for selecting the first read sensor to provide the readback signal from the target track and the third read sensor to provide the readback signal from an adjacent track when the multi-sensor read head is located in the ID and OD regions.