Patent ID: 6873499

Claim:
A magnetic head that has a front air bearing surface (ABS) comprising: a read sensor layer that is bounded by front and back edges and first and second side edges; a first flux guide layer bounded by front and rear edges and first and second side edges; one of the front and rear edges of the first flux guide layer abutting one of the front and rear edges of the read sensor layer; first and second lead layers wherein each lead layer has a respective side edge; the side edge of the first lead layer abutting the first side edge of each of the read sensor layer and the first side edge of the first flux guide layer and the side edge of the second lead layer abutting the second side edge of the read sensor layer and the second side edge of the first flux guide layer; the first flux guide layer being A-B-C where A is selected from the group Fe and Co, B is selected from the group Hf, Y, Ta and Zr and C is selected from the group O and N; first and second gap layers; the read sensor layer, the first flux guide layer and the first and second lead layers being sandwiched between the first and second gap layers; first and second shield layers; and the first and second gap layers being sandwiched between the first and second shield layers.