Patent ID: 9747933
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: G11B

Claim:
1. A magneto-resistive effect element, comprising: an upper shield that is magnetized in a cross track direction, a lower shield that is positioned at an interval in a down track direction relative to the upper shield; and a multilayer film that is positioned between the upper shield and the lower shield, and that faces an air bearing surface (ABS), wherein the multilayer film comprises: a free layer having a magnetization direction that fluctuates against an external magnetic field, a pinned layer having a magnetization direction that is pinned against the external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic spacer layer that is positioned between the free layer and the pinned layer, and an insulating layer that is positioned at a back side of the free layer viewed from the ABS; and the magneto-resistive effect element further comprises a pair of side shields that are positioned on both sides of the free layer and the insulating layer in the cross track direction, and that include soft magnetic layers, wherein the soft magnetic layers of the side shields contact the upper shield on the sides of the free layer and the insulating layer in the cross track direction, the multilayer film comprises an antiferromagnetic layer that pins a magnetization of the pinned layer, the pinned layer and the antiferromagnetic layer extend in a height direction beyond a first surface, which is away from the ABS in the height direction, by a distance that is equal to a height of the free layer in the height direction, and at least a portion of the pinned layer and at least a portion of the antiferromagnetic layer have greater length than the free layer in the cross track direction, respectively.