Patent · US Expired

Magnetic disk apparatus including magnetic head having multilayered reproducing element using tunneling effect

US6483677B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
25References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 2001
Grant dateNov 19, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 20, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49155
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer of an insulating material, a semiconductor or an antiferromagnetic material against the magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a current flows in the intermediate layer. The film surfaces of all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.