Patent ID: 6995959

Claim:
A top spin valve structure, comprising: on a first dielectric layer, a layer of magnetic material suitable for use as a free layer in said spin valve; on the free layer, a layer of non-magnetic material; on the layer of non-magnetic material, a layer of magnetic material suitable for use as a pinned layer in said spin valve; on the pinned layer, a layer of an anti-ferromagnetic material suitable for use as a pinning layer in said spin valve; on the anti-ferromagnetic layer, a layer of material suitable for use as a decoupling layer; and on the decoupling layer, a thin film shield that further comprises a layer of high permeability ferromagnetic material, said material having an electrical resistivity greater than about 125 micro-ohm-cm and a thickness such that the product of its moment and thickness is 2 to 5 times that of the free layer; a trench that extends through the thin film shield as far as said first dielectric layer, said trench having a sidewall that slopes; on the first dielectric layer and on the sidewall, a layer of a ferromagnetic material suitable for use as a permanent magnet for providing longitudinal bias to the structure; on the permanent magnet layer, a layer of conductive material suitable for use as a connecting lead to the structure; and on the thin film shield and on the conductive lead layer, a second dielectric layer.