Patent ID: 6958892

Claim:
A spin valve (SV) sensor having first and second passive regions and a central track width region transversely disposed between said first and second passive regions, said SV sensor comprising: a pinned layer; a ferromagnetic free layer; a spacer layer sandwiched between said pinned layer and said free layer; a ferromagnetic bias layer in said first and second passive regions; an antiparallel coupling layer sandwiched between said free layer and said ferromagnetic bias layer for providing strong antiparallel coupling between said bias layer and said free layer in the first and second passive regions; and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer adjacent to said ferromagnetic bias layer, said AFM layer exchange coupled to the ferromagnetic bias layer to provide a pinning field to the bias layer; wherein said pinning field is directed in a canted direction intermediate between a direction parallel to an air bearing surface and a direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface.