Patent ID: 6741432
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
A magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising:a read head that includes a spin valve sensor the spin valve sensor including: an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure; a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetic moment that is free to rotate in response to a field signal; and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer located between the free layer and the AP pinned layer structure; the antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure including: ferromagnetic first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers; an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer located between and interfacing the first and second AP pinned layers; the first and second AP pinned layers self pinning one another without assistance of an antiferromagnetic (AEM) pinning layer or magnetic fields generated by a sense current; and an in-stack longitudinal biasing layer structure located within a track width of the sensor and magnetostatically coupled to the free layer for longitudinal biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer parallel to the head surface and parallel to major planes of the layers of the sensor; and first and second leads connected to the sensor for conducting a current through the sensor perpendicular to major planes of the layers of the sensor.