Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor with exchange-coupled side shield structure
US8576518B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2012 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/3932
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive sensor has an exchange-coupled side shield structure on each of two side regions of the sensor and an exchange-coupled top shield structure on the sensor and the two exchange-coupled side shield structures. Each exchange-coupled structure comprises an antiferromagnetic layer and a shield of soft magnetically permeable material exchange-coupled with the antiferromagnetic layer. Each side shield and the top shield has its magnetization oriented generally parallel to the sensor front edge and generally parallel to the plane of the sensor's free ferromagnetic layer. The shields in each exchange-coupled side shield structure and the exchange-coupled top shield structure may be an antiparallel coupled structure of two magnetically permeable films separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.