Sensor structure with pinned stabilization layer
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsKonstantin Nikolaev, Taras Pokhil, Andrzej Stankiewicz, Mohammed Patwari, Eric Singleton
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Abstract
A reader sensor that has a sensor stack with an AFM layer, a pinned stabilization layer, and a pinned layer, with the pinned stabilization layer closer to the AFM layer than to the pinned layer. The stack also includes a non-magnetic spacer layer between and in contact with the pinned stabilization layer and with the pinned layer. A magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the pinned layer is no more than 50% of a magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the AFM layer.
Claims18
A reader sensor stack comprising:
- an AFM layer;
- a pinned stabilization layer having a thickness no greater than 1.5 nm and magnetically coupled to the AFM layer;
- a pinned layer, with the pinned stabilization layer closer to the AFM layer than the pinned layer;
- a non-magnetic spacer layer between and in contact with the pinned stabilization layer and with the pinned layer;
- and
- a reference layer antiferromagnetically coupled to the pinned layer,
- wherein a magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the pinned layer is no more than 50% of the magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the AFM layer.
A reader sensor stack comprising:
- an AFM layer;
- a pinned stabilization layer having a thickness no greater than 1.5 nm and magnetically coupled to the AFM layer;
- a pinned layer, with the pinned stabilization layer being closer to the AFM layer than the pinned layer;
- a reference layer antiferromagnetically coupled to the pinned layer;
- and
- a non-magnetic spacer layer between and in contact with the pinned stabilization layer and with the pinned layer, the spacer layer providing no more than 0.15 erg/cm2 magnetic coupling between the pinned stabilization layer and the pinned layer.
A reader sensor stack comprising:
- an AFM layer;
- a pinned stabilization layer magnetically coupled to the AFM layer;
- a pinned layer, with the pinned stabilization layer between the AFM layer and the pinned layer;
- a reference layer antiferromagnetically coupled to the pinned layer;
- a non-magnetic spacer layer between and in contact with the pinned stabilization layer and with the pinned layer,
- wherein the pinned stabilization layer has a thickness of less than 1.5 nm and the pinned layer has a thickness greater than 1.5 nm, and the pinned stabilization layer and the pinned layer have a magnetic coupling therebetween of no more than 0.15 erg/cm2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.