Patent ID: 7599155
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A CPP giant magnetoresistive head comprising: lower and upper shield layers with a predetermined shield distance therebetween; a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) element disposed between the upper and lower shield layers, the GMR element having a group of adjacent parallel layers, the group consisting of a pinned magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer disposed between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, wherein the pinned magnetic layer includes a laminated ferrimagnetic structure consisting of a first pinned magnetic sublayer and a second pinned magnetic sublayer which are laminated with a nonmagnetic intermediate layer disposed therebetween; and large-area nonmagnetic metal films abutting against the GMR element and the lower shield layer and between the GMR element and the upper shield layer, respectively, so that the large-area nonmagnetic metal films are in direct contact with the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer and have larger areas than those of the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, respectively.