Patent ID: 6989972

Claim:
A device comprising: a magnetoresistive structure having a first edge and a second edge that are separated in a track-width direction by a first distance; a first bias layer adjoining said first edge; a second bias layer adjoining said second edge; a first lead layer disposed adjacent to said first bias layer and overlapping said first edge; and a second lead layer disposed adjacent to said second bias layer and overlapping said second edge; wherein said first and second lead layers are separated from each other in said track-width direction by a second distance that is less than said first distance, said first lead layer including a resistive layer and a conductive layer, the resistive layer having a resistivity greater than 10 −7 Ωm at 25° C. and a greatest thickness larger than half that of said first lead layer, the conductive layer having a thickness to resistivity ratio that is not more than about that of the resistive layer and a conductive layer resistivity less than 10 −7 Ωm.