Patent ID: 7064937

Claim:
A spin valve giant magnetoresistive sensor in a bridge configuration, comprising in combination: a first pair of spin valve elements in which each spin valve element contains at least a free layer, a space layer, a pinned layer and a bias layer, wherein the bias layer includes a first bias layer and a second bias layer, wherein the first bias layer is located substantially between the pinned layer and the second bias layer, and wherein the pinned layer is substantially thicker than the second bias layer; and a second pair of spin valve elements in which each spin valve element contains at least a free layer, a space layer, a pinned layer, and a bias layer, wherein the bias layer includes a first bias layer and a second bias layer, wherein the first bias layer is located substantially between the pinned layer and the second bias layer, wherein the pinned layer is substantially thinner than the second bias layer, and wherein a direction of magnetization in the pinned layer of the first pair of spin valve elements is antiparallel to a direction of magnetization in the pinned layer of the second pair of spin valve elements.