Patent ID: 7652853

Claim:
A magnetic head having an air bearing surface (ABS) for use in a data recording system, the magnetic head comprising: a magnetic write head; and a magnetic read head separated from the magnetic write head by a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material, the magnetic read head further comprising: first and second magnetic shields, each shield having a thickness (ST), the first and second shields being separated by a gap (G); and a magnetoresistive sensor sandwiched between the shields; wherein each of the shields has a thickness such that ST/G is less than 50 and greater than 2; wherein the first and second shields each have a shield height (SH), a shield width (SW), and a saturation magnetization (Ms(s)) and wherein ST, SW, SH and Ms(s) are chosen so that the shield demagnetizing field exceeds an applied field H o in a quasistatic test where H o is between 1 and 10,000 Oe; wherein the non-magnetic, electrically insulating material separates the magnetic read head from the magnetic write head such that the first and second magnetic shields are separated from and not a part of the magnetic write head.