Current perpendicular to plane magnetoresistive sensor having a shape enhanced pinned layer and an in stack bias structure
US7522391B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 14, 2005 |
| Grant date | Apr 21, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 29, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N50/10
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor having an in stack bias structure and a pinned layer having shape enhanced anisotropy. The sensor may be a partial mill design wherein the track width of the sensor is defined by the width of the free layer and the pinned layers extend beyond the trackwidth of the sensor. The sensor has an active area defined by the stripe height of the free layer. The pinned layer extends beyond the stripe height defined by the free layer, thus providing the pinned layer with the shape enhanced anisotropy. The pinned layer structure can be pinned by exchange coupling with a layer of antiferromagnetic material (AFM) layer, with pinning robustness being improved by the shape enhanced anisotropy, or can be a self pinned structure which is pinned by a combination of magnetostriction, AP coupling and shape enhanced anisostropy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.