Patent ID: 7330340

Claim:
A magnetoresistive sensor having an ABS surface, the sensor comprising: a free layer; a pinned layer structure; a non-magnetic electrically insulating barrier layer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer structure; and an in stack bias structure formed adjacent to the free layer and comprising: a layer of antiferromagnetic material (AFM layer); a ferromagnetic biasing layer exchange coupled with the AFM layer; and a non-magnetic, antiparallel coupling layer sandwiched between the free layer and the ferromagnetic biasing layer, the coupling layer being constructed of a material and thickness to antiparallel couple the ferromagnetic bias layer and the free layer; and wherein the biasing layer has a magnetic moment that is canted with respect to the ABS having a longitudinal component parallel with the ABS and a transverse component perpendicular with the ABS.