Patent ID: 8369048

Claim:
A thin film magnetic head comprising: a magnetoresistive (MR) stack having first and second magnetoresistive (MR) magnetic layers whose magnetization directions change according to an external magnetic field, and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer disposed between and with contacting the first and second MR magnetic layers; first and second shield layers that function as electrodes supplying a sense current to the MR stack in a current perpendicular to plate (CPP) direction, the first and second shield layers being disposed on a first side and on a second side of the MR stack, respectively, as seen in the CPP direction, wherein the first shield layer faces the first MR magnetic layer, and has a first magnetic control layer disposed at a surface where the first shield layer faces the first MR magnetic layer, the first magnetic control layer having a magnetization direction fixed to a first direction that is parallel to an air bearing surface (ABS); the second shield layer faces the second MR magnetic layer, and has a second magnetic control layer disposed at a surface where the second shield layer faces the second MR magnetic layer, the second magnetic control layer having a magnetization direction fixed to another direction that is antiparallel to the first direction; a first exchange-coupling layer that is positioned between the first MR magnetic layer and the first magnetic control layer, and that generates an exchange-coupling between the first MR magnetic layer and the first magnetic control layer; a second exchange-coupling layer that is positioned between the second MR magnetic layer and the second magnetic control layer, and that generates an exchange-coupling between the second MR magnetic layer and the second magnetic control layer; a bias magnetic field application layer that is disposed at a surface of the MR stack, the surface being on a back side of the MR stack, as seen from and in a direction perpendicular to the ABS, and that applies a bias magnetic field to the MR stack in a direction orthogonal to the ABS; and a pair of side shield layers that are positioned on a third side and on a fourth side of the MR stack, respectively, as seen in a track width direction, wherein each of the side shield layers includes a pair of side shield magnetic layers that are antimagnetically exchange-coupled through a side shield ruthenium layer.