Patent ID: 7599158

Claim:
A magnetic read head, comprising: on a lower magnetic shield a first insulator layer; on said first insulator layer, a bottom spin valve, including a first antiferromagnetic layer, whose topmost layer is a centrally located capping layer directly beneath which is a free layer; said bottom spin valve having two opposing sides that slope downwards away from said capping layer; on said sloping sides, two opposing plugs of magnetic hard bias material that provide permanent longitudinal bias, in a first direction, to said spin valve; on said plugs of magnetic hard bias material, a layer of non-magnetic material having a thickness that is sufficient to eliminate exchange coupling; on said layer of non-magnetic material, a layer of nickel iron that has been magnetized in a direction that is anti-parallel to said first direction; on said layer of nickel iron, a conductive lead layer; on said lead layer and said capping layer, a second insulator layer; and on said second insulator layer, an upper magnetic shield.