Patent ID: 7382588

Claim:
A read sensor, comprising: a capping layer having side edges which define boundaries of a central region of the read sensor; a free layer structure formed in the central region but substantially absent from side regions adjacent the central region; an antiparallel (AP) self-pinned structure which is pinned by means of magnetostriction and air bearing surface (ABS) stress, such that the read sensor has no antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer for pinning the AP self-pinned structure; a non-magnetic spacer layer formed between the free layer structure and the AP self-pinned structure; the AP self-pinned structure including: a first AP self-pinned layer formed in both the central region and the side regions; a second AP self-pinned layer; an antiparallel (AP) coupling (APC) layer formed between the first and the second AP self-pinned layers, and formed in both the central region and the side regions over the first AP self-pinned layer; the first AP self-pinned layer and the APC layer each having a top surface area which is increased by greater than 100% from being formed in both the central region and the side regions as compared to being formed only in the central region; and insulator layers formed in the side regions over the first AP self-pinned layer and the APC layer.