Patent ID: 7369374
Filing Date: 2008-05-06
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
1. A current in plane giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor for use in magnetic data recording, the sensor comprising: first and second non-magnetic, electrically insulating gap layers; a sensor stack sandwiched between and contacting the first and second gap layers, the sensor stack including a magnetic free layer, a magnetic pinned layer structure and a non-magnetic spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and pinned layer structure, the sensor stack having first and second laterally opposed sides that define a track width, the sensor stack also having an ABS surface and a back edge surface opposite the ABS surface and extending between the first and second laterally opposed sides; first and second electrically conductive leads extending laterally from the first and second sides of the sensor stack, each lead extending substantially from the first gap layer to the second gap layer, the electrically conductive leads comprising a high permeability magnetic material; and a hard magnetic bias layer extending along the length of the back edge of the sensor stack between the first and second gap layers, the hard bias layer being separated from the sensor stack by a layer of electrically insulating material.