Patent ID: 6061210
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
A magnetic head that has an air bearing surface (ABS) comprising:a spin valve sensor;first and second leads for conducting a sense current through the spin valve sensor in a direction substantially parallel to the ABS;first and second gap layers;the spin valve sensor being sandwiched between the first and second gap layers;first and second shield layers;the first and second gap layers being sandwiched between the first and second shield layers;the spin valve sensor including:a free layer an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer;the AP pinned layer including:first and second ferromagnetic thin films and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer film;the spacer film being sandwiched between the first and second films;an antiferromagnetic layer adjacent said first thin film which pins a magnetic moment of the AP pinned layer along a pinned direction;the spacer layer being sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer so that a magnitude of an angle between directions of magnetic moments of the free and pinned layers changes a magnetoresistance of the sensor in response to magnetic incursions from a moving magnetic medium; andthe first and second gap layers being sized so that the free layer of the sensor is located closer to one of the first and second shield layers than to the other of the first and second shield layers so that a net image sense current field from the shield layers promotes magnetic stability of the free layer.