Patent ID: 6933042

Claim:
A magnetic head having a pinned area and a free area, adjacent to each other in a track width direction wherein a nanoconstricted area is defined as the area encompassing portions of the pinned and free areas, at the junction of the pinned and free areas the head comprising: a first layer of magnetic material extending along the pinned and free areas; an AP coupling layer extending along the pinned area; and a third layer of magnetic material, an active portion of the third layer extending along the pinned area but not along the free area; wherein the first and third layers have magnetic moments that are self-pinned antiparallel to each other in the pinned area and the portion of the nanoconstricted area within the pinned area; such that the magnetic moment of the first layer in the free area is free to rotate as magnetic fields are applied wherein said portions of the pinned and free areas within the nanoconstricted area have a height that is less than the height of the portions of pinned and free areas outside the nanoconstricted area.