Patent ID: 8576518
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: G01R,G11B

Abstract:
1. A magnetoresistive sensor structure for sensing magnetically recorded data from a magnetic recording medium, the structure comprising: a substrate; a magnetoresistive sensor comprising a stack of layers including a ferromagnetic free layer on a central region of the substrate and having a front edge for facing a magnetic recording medium, a back edge recessed from the front edge, and two spaced-apart side edges, the sensor being capable of sensing magnetically recorded data when a sense current is applied perpendicular to the planes of the layers in the sensor stack; an exchange-coupled side shield structure on each of two side regions of the substrate adjacent said central region of the substrate, each exchange-coupled structure comprising a side shield of magnetically permeable material and a first antiferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled with said side shield, said side shield having its magnetization oriented generally parallel to said sensor front edge and generally parallel to the plane of said free layer; an electrically insulating layer between each exchange-coupled structure and a sensor side edge; a top shield of magnetically permeable material on the sensor and the two exchange-coupled side shield structures; and a second antiferromagnetic layer on the top shield, said top shield having its magnetization oriented generally parallel to the magnetization of each side shield.