Patent ID: 8009391

Claim:
A magnetic sensing element comprising a multilayered film with a plurality of layers stacked between opposing lower and upper shield layers that are spaced apart from each other in a film thickness direction, wherein a maximum width of said multilayered film in a track width direction is smaller than a width of either of said lower and upper shield layers in said track width direction, and at both sides of said multilayered film in said track width direction, a bias layer and an insulating layer constitute a laminated structure filling a space between said lower and upper shield layers, wherein a bottom layer of said multilayered film is an underlying layer disposed on and in contact with said lower shield layer, a top layer of said multilayered film is a protective layer, said multilayered film further includes at least a pinned magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic material layer deposited between said underlying layer and said protective layer in said film thickness direction, and said nonmagnetic material layer is disposed between said pinned magnetic layer and said free magnetic layer, wherein said underlying layer is composed of an amorphous magnetic material.