Patent ID: 6859348

Claim:
A magnetic head assembly comprising: a read head that includes a magnetoresistive sensor; the magnetoresistive sensor including: an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure; a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetic moment that is free to rotate in response to a field signal; and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive spacer layer located between the free layer and the AP pinned layer structure; the antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure including: ferromagnetic first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers; an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer located between and interfacing the first and second AP pinned layers; and the first and second AP pinned layers self pinning one another without assistance of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer; the magnetoresistive sensor having first and second side surfaces; first and second hard bias layers interfacing the first and second side surfaces of the magnetoresistive sensor for longitudinally biasing said free layer; the magnetoresistive sensor having a central portion that extends between the first and second hard bias layers; first and second lead layers overlaying the first and second hard bias layers respectively and overlaying first and second portions respectively of the central portion so that a distance between the first and second lead layers defines a track width of the magnetoresistive sensor that is less than a distance between the first and second hard bias layers; a cap layer structure that has a full thickness portion and first and second reduced thickness portions with the full thickness portion located between the first and second reduced thickness portions; the cap layer structure being composed only of tantalum (Ta); and said first and second lead layers engaging the cap layer structure within said first and second reduced thickness portions.