Patent ID: 8705213

Claim:
A device, the device having an air bearing surface (ABS), and the device comprising: a magnetoresistive stack, the magnetoresistive stack comprising a free layer, a spacer layer, and a reference layer, wherein the spacer layer is positioned between the free and reference layers, wherein the free layer forms a first surface of the magnetoresistive stack and the reference layer forms a second surface of the magnetoresistive stack, the device having a principle axis, the principle axis running along the free layer, the spacer layer, and the reference layer, and through the first and second surfaces of the magnetoresistive stack, and wherein the first and second surfaces of the magnetoresistive stack are parallel to the ABS of the device, and the principle axis of the device is perpendicular to the ABS of the device; the free layer comprising a magnetic material having a free magnetic orientation in a first plane; the spacer layer comprising a nonmagnetic material; and the reference layer comprising a magnetic material having a pinned magnetic orientation in a second plane, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane and parallel to the principle axis of the device; an insulating layer positioned around the periphery of the magnetoresistive stack; a shielding layer positioned around the periphery of the insulating layer; and a conducting layer positioned adjacent the first surface of the magnetoresistive stack.