Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive read head with multiple sensing elements for patterned-media
US8208228B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 23, 2009 |
| Grant date | Jun 26, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B2005/0005
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor or read head for a magnetic recording disk drive has multiple independent current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) MR sensing elements. The sensing elements are spaced-apart in the cross-track direction and separated by an insulating separation region so as to be capable of reading data from multiple data tracks on the disk. The sensing elements have independent CPP sense currents, each of which is directed to independent data detection electronics, respectively. Each sensing element comprises a stack of layers formed on a common electrically conducting base layer, which may be a bottom magnetic shield layer formed of electrically conducting magnetically permeable material. Each sensing element has a top electrical lead layer. A top magnetic shield layer is located above the sensing elements in contact with the top lead layers. The top shield layer is formed of soft magnetically permeable material, but is electrically insulating, so that the independent sense currents can be passed to the independent sensing elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.