Patent ID: 6353518
Filing Date: 2002-03-05
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
A spin valve sensor comprising:an antiferromagnetic pinning layer; an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure that includes: first and second ferromagnetic layers wherein the first ferromagnetic layer is exchange coupled to the pinning layer and has a magnetic moment pinned in a first direction; a ruthenium spacer layer located between the first and second ferromagnetic layers so that the second ferromagnetic layer has a magnetic moment that is pinned in a second direction that is antiparallel to said first direction; the first ferromagnetic layer including first and second films, the first film being selected from the group consisting of cobalt iron niobium hafnium (CoFeNbHf), cobalt iron niobium (CoFeNb), cobalt iron hafnium (CoFeHf) and cobalt niobium hafnium (CoNbHf) and the second film being selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), cobalt iron (CoFe) and cobalt iron boron (CoFeB) and being located between the first film and the ruthenium (Ru) spacer layer; and the second ferromagnetic layer being selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), cobalt iron (CoFe) and cobalt iron boron (CoFeB); a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer; a ferromagnetic free layer that has a magnetic moment that is free to rotate in response to applied fields; and the spacer layer being located between the pinned layer and the free layer.