Patent ID: 8537503

Claim:
A magnetoresistive head comprising: a magnetoresistive sensor film positioned between a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer, the magnetoresistive sensor film comprising a stack of at least: a pinning layer, a first ferromagnetic layer positioned above the pinning layer, an intermediate layer positioned above the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer positioned above the intermediate layer; and a lateral side metal layer being electrically conductive and having an electric resistivity lower than an electric resistivity of the pinning layer positioned on a side wall of one or more layers of the magnetoresistive sensor film, wherein the lateral side metal layer is positioned on a side wall of the pinning layer and is in contact with the lower shield layer, wherein a sense current flows so as to pass through an interface between the intermediate layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, and wherein a resistance change of the magnetoresistive sensor film is detected in accordance with a change of an external magnetic field.