Patent ID: 7064935

Claim:
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising: a sensor stack including a ferromagnetic pinned layer and a ferromagnetic free layer, said sensor stack having a first portion, a second portion, and an active portion, said sensor stack having a first and second end; a first bias magnet disposed at said first end of said sensor stack and a second bias magnet disposed at said second end of said sensor stack; a first lead, said first lead overlaying said first portion of said sensor stack and said first hard bias magnet, said first lead having a substantially vertical end wall; and, a second lead, said second lead overlaying a second portion of said sensor stack and said second hard bias magnet, said second lead having a substantially vertical end wall; wherein insulating material is disposed between said first hard bias magnet and said first end of said sensor stack and between said second bias magnet and said second end of said sensor stack; said first lead has a sharp corner defined at an intersection of an upper surface and said end wall thereof; said second lead has a sharp corner defined at an intersection of an upper surface and said end wall thereof; said first lead is a single layer; said second lead is a single layer; and said first and second leads are the only lead layers present for passing an electrical current through said sensor stack.