Patent · US Active

Thin-film magnetic head comprising a magneto-resistive effect device of a CPP structure and having a shunting layer

US7894168B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
2References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 2007
Grant dateFeb 22, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/093
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention provides a thin-film magnetic head having a magneto-resistive effect device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a multilayer film in which a fixed magnetization layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a free layer are stacked together in order. The fixed magnetization layer, nonmagnetic layer and free layer extend away from an air bearing surface that is a plane in opposition to a medium, the length of the fixed magnetization layer in a depth direction normal to said air bearing surface is greater than the length of the free layer in the depth direction. A shunt layer for shunting the sense current is located at a farther distance in the depth direction than the free layer, and the shunt layer is separated from the free layer by a constant gap in the depth direction.

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