Current perpendicular-to-the-plane structure spin valve magnetoresistive head
US6781799B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 24, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 23, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/3967
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A current perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) structure spin valve magnetoresistive (MR) transducer includes an insulating layer. A pinned or free ferromagnetic layer serves to space or isolate the insulating layer from a non-magnetic spacer layer interposed between the pinned and free ferromagnetic layers. The sensing current is allowed to penetrate through the insulating layer. Fine pin-holes generally formed in the insulating layer are supposed to enable migration of electrons through the insulating layer. Similar to the situation in which the sensing current is allowed to flow through a reduced sectional area, a larger variation can be obtained in response to the inversion of the magnetization in the free ferromagnetic layer. The spin valve MR transducer is expected to greatly contribute to realization of a still higher recording density. Moreover, the spin valve MR transducer is also expected to exhibit an electric resistance approximately equal to a tenth part of that of a well-known tunnel junction magnetoresistive (TMR) element. Accordingly, a thermal noise can significantly be suppressed in the spin valve MR transducer as compared with the TMR element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.