Patent ID: 6967823
Filing Date: 2005-11-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A magnetic head comprising: a pair of magnetic upper and lower shield layers formed apart from each other with a predetermined spacing therebetween; a magnetoresistive film formed between the pair of magnetic upper and lower shield layers; and a pair of leads electrically coupled to the magnetoresistive film which passes a sensing current in a film thickness direction of the magnetoresistive film, wherein a pair of magnetic side shield layers are formed on both sides of the magnetoresistive film in a track width direction, a first spacing defined between each of the magnetic side shield layers and an adjacent trackwidth edge of the magnetoresistive film is set so that a side reading by a read element due to the magnetoresistive film becomes smaller than a value defined by a second spacing defined between the magnetic upper and lower shield layers where the magnetoresistive film is present, the second spacing between the magnetic upper and lower shield layers in outer portions of the side shield layers has a thickness of 100 nm to 10 μm, the magnetoresistive film comprises a multilayer film formed by stacking a first ferromagnetic layer on a nonmagnetic layer, the nonmagnetic layer on a second ferromagnetic layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer on an antiferromagnetic layer or by stacking the antiferromagnetic layer on the second ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer on the nonmagnetic layer, and the nonmagnetie layer on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a domain stabilization layer for stabilizing a domain structure of the first ferromagnetic layer is formed on the first ferromagnetic layer opposite to the nonmagnetic layer.