Patent ID: 7869165
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,H01L

Abstract:
1. A magnetic field detecting element comprising: a stack including an upper magnetic layer, a lower magnetic layer and a non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between said upper magnetic layer and said lower magnetic layer, wherein magnetization directions of said upper magnetic layer and said lower magnetic layer change in accordance with an external magnetic field; an upper shield electrode layer and a lower shield electrode layer which are provided in a manner that they sandwich said stack therebetween in a direction of stacking of said stack, wherein said upper shield electrode layer and said lower shield electrode layer supply sense current in the direction of stacking and magnetically shield said stack; a bias magnetic layer which is provided on a surface of said stack, the surface being opposite to an air bearing surface of said stack, wherein said bias magnetic layer applies a bias magnetic field to said upper magnetic layer and to said lower magnetic layer in a direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface; and a pair of side shield layers which are provided on both sides of said stack with regard to a track width direction wherein each of the pair of side shield layers includes a pair of soft magnetic layers which are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other via a non-magnetic intermediate layer.