Patent ID: 7035060

Claim:
A magnetic read head structure, comprising: a bottom spin valve structure having a topmost layer that is a free layer having an upper surface; on said free layer, an exchange coupling layer; on said exchange coupling layer, two opposing plugs of a laminate of a conducting lead layer on an antiferromagnetic layer on a ferromagnetic layer, said plugs being separated by a gap that defines a read width for the structure; in said gap, a layer of oxides of said antiferromagnetic, ferromagnetic, and exchange coupling layers, said oxide layer being a protective layer for said free layer and providing for specular reflection of conduction electrons at said free layer upper surface; and said ferromagnetic layer being permanently biased in a longitudinal direction by exchange coupling with said antiferromagnetic layer and said free layer outside of said gap being permanently biased in a longitudinal direction by exchange coupling with said antiferromagnetic layer through said exchange coupling layer.