Patent · US Expired

Domain wall free shields of MR sensors

US7236333B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
12References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 11, 2003
Grant dateJun 26, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 14, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/59627
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A magnetic reader of the present invention comprises an MR sensor shielded by a magnetic shield including single domain soft magnetic materials. The domain wall free magnetic shield includes an unbiased soft magnetic layer and a biased soft magnetic layer separated by a non-magnetic layer. The easy axis of the biased layer is oriented to create a path for magnetic flux through the biased and unbiased layers thereby reducing the demagnetization field of the shield. A biasing layer maintains the first and second magnetic layers as single domain magnets. The biasing layer is further shaped to define a quiet zone where the biasing layer does not overlay the MR sensor.

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