Patent ID: 7177120

Claim:
A magnetic head assembly, that has a head surface for facing a magnetic medium, comprising: a read head that includes a sensor; the sensor including: an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure; a ferromagnetic free layer structure having a magnetic moment that is free to rotate in response to a field signal; and a spacer layer located between the free layer structure and the AP pinned layer structure; the antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure including: ferromagnetic first and second antiparallel (AP) pinned layers; an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer located between and interfacing the first and second AP pinned layers; the first and second AP pinned layers self pinning one another without assistance of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer; the second AP pinned layer being located between the first AP pinned layer and the spacer layer; and the first AP pinned layer being composed of cobalt platinum chromium Co 82 Pt 10 Cr 8 .