Patent ID: 6449135
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive read sensor comprising:a gap layer; a soft adjacent layer on a center region of the gap layer, where first and second outside regions of the gap layer are separated by the center region; a spacer layer on the soft adjacent layer; an underlayer on the first and second outside regions of the gap layer, thereby forming first and second passive regions above the underlayer and an active region above the soft adjacent layer; a first hard-biasing film on the underlayer in the first and second passive regions, the first hard-biasing film for biasing the soft adjacent layer; a layer of low-resistivity material on the first hard-biasing film in the first and second passive regions; a second hard-biasing film positioned on the layer of low-resistivity material in the first and second passive regions; a magnetoresistive layer on the spacer layer and the second hard-biasing film such that it extends through the active region and the first and second passive regions with the second hard-biasing film biasing the magnetoresistive layer; and a cap layer on the magnetoresistive layer in the active region and the first and second passive regions.