Magnetic read sensor employing oblique etched underlayers for inducing uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a self biased free layer
US7382586B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jun 3, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 15, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01F10/30
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor having a self biased free layer. The free layer is constructed upon an underlayer that has been treated by a surface texturing process that configures the underlayer with an anisotropic roughness that induces a magnetic anisotropy in the free layer. The treated layer underlying the free layer can be a spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and pinned layer or can be a separate underlayer formed opposite the spacer layer. Alternatively, the texturing of an underlayer can be used to induce a magnetic anisotropy in a bias layer that is separated from the free layer by an orthogonal coupling layer. This self biasing of the free layer induced by texturing can also be used in conjunction with biasing from a hard-bias structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.