Patent ID: 6888705

Claim:
A magnetic head assembly having an air bearing surface (ABS) comprising: a read head including: first and second ferromagnetic shield layers; a read sensor recessed from the ABS and which includes a ferromagnetic free layer; a ferromagnetic flux guide magnetically connected to the read sensor and extending from the read sensor to the ABS for conducting field signals to the read sensor; each of the read sensor and the flux guide being located between ferromagnetic first and second shield layers; a distance between the first and second shield layers at the ABS being less than a distance between the first and second shield layers at the read sensor; and a longitudinal biasing stack (LBS) magnetically coupled to the free layer for biasing a magnetic moment of the free layer parallel to the ABS and parallel to major planes of the layers; the LBS including: a hard bias layer; and a nonmagnetic metal spacer layer located between and interfacing the free layer and the hard bias layer; each of the free layer, hard bias layer and spacer layer having top and bottom large surfaces which are bounded by front and rear surfaces and first and second side surfaces wherein the front surfaces form a portion of the ABS and each of the top and bottom large surfaces has a larger surface area than each of the front and rear surfaces and each of the first and second side surfaces and is perpendicular thereto; and each of the top and bottom large surfaces of the spacer layer interfacing a respective large surface area of the free layer and the hard bias layer.